On the second day morning, the dew rose a bit late. She was on duty in the afternoon today. Just after finishing her hair and makeup, Qu Yun suddenly arrived.

  He bypassed the front hall and came to this quiet courtyard, and couldn't help but feel: "It's still you who is the most secluded!"

  Chenlu personally brewed tea for him, but saw Ju Yun hastily waving his hand and saying: "Spare me, I still want to live two more years - the food you prepare is really hard to swallow." He picked up the ceramic bowl, lightly sniffed it, and smiled bitterly: "Indeed... You used boiling water again to brew tea, such a bitter taste, no one else can do it except you."

  Morning dew couldn't help but feel embarrassed, a faint blush appeared on her delicate face. She snatched the teacup away and scolded: "If you don't want to drink it, then don't! A man should be more straightforward, not so picky like an old mother... Don't think about when we were in the mountains, it was all you who cooked..." The last sentence trailed off, her voice getting smaller as if she too felt a bit embarrassed.

  Qiu Yun burst out laughing, nimbly snatching the teacup and dodging the morning dew as he took a big gulp, only then did he contentedly sigh: "This is indeed your unique skill!"

  Here, he was in high spirits, the elegance and composure of middle age all gone, as if time had stood still; he and she were once again two quarrelsome disciples under the same master.

  "Come to think of it, I remember you also have a little maid serving you, how come you're doing these trivial things with your own hands?"

  "As for food, I don't want anyone interfering."

  Chenlu simply replied, but the subtle strangeness in his voice made Qu Yun suddenly understand that the "machine" 26 years ago had left what kind of nightmare in her heart.

  Time flies like water, years never stay, they are no longer those carefree young men and women.

  He sighed and changed the subject: "Xiao Chen, are you really going to intervene in Mei Gui's affairs?"

  "Morning dew said helplessly: 'I'm not overly sympathetic, nor do I love meddling in other people's business. However, your emperor allowed me to stay here precisely so that I could protect her nearby. In order to gain his trust, I had no choice but to get involved in this matter.'"

  "Xiao Chen... this is very dangerous!"

  Chenlu coldly smiled and said: "If I want to avenge 'her', any method is dangerous. Here, the Emperor can become my protective charm."

  Qu Yun sighed and knew he couldn't persuade her, so he pulled over her hand and guided her weak internal force with his own true energy. This was the only guarantee he could give her.

  Both of them were sweating profusely, and Chen Lu smiled wryly: "It seems that this body is really not suitable for martial arts... Yesterday in the Imperial Garden, I was able to channel my true energy through a game of Go, but it only made people feel slightly uncomfortable. Truly useless!"

  She recounted the events of yesterday, affirming: "I won't be mistaken. The red mark on that maid's palm is clearly the 'Nether Flame Palm' of the Extreme North Maha Sect. If she presses it against Mei Niang's waist acupoint, Mei Niang will have a miscarriage and die tonight."

  She was somewhat angry - only because at the initial meeting of the palace feast, she had a good impression of Consort Zhou, this woman with Wei Jin style.

  Such a calm and composed, elegant woman, turned out to be just like those palace women who were jealous and resentful, plotting against each other...

  She let out a somewhat disappointed sigh: "You'd better report this to the Emperor, I reckon both sides' maids will keep quiet - and also let him know how exhausting my errands are!"

  ****

  In the afternoon, it suddenly started raining. Chenlu held up a water-ink painted paper umbrella and walked out of the courtyard gate, looking at the lush greenery that seemed to be dripping with dew. She pushed open the usual courtyard gate and took a detour along the small path on the side.

  They walked all the way to the side hall of the front hall, but saw Aunt Yue leading a middle-aged woman, sticking to the corridor, walking lightly and hastily.

  She looked a bit flustered, but when she lifted her head, she found Chenlu standing right in front of her.

  She smiled unnaturally: "Is Lord Shangyi on duty this afternoon?"

  Before the morning dew had a chance to speak, she smiled again and pointed to the woman following behind her: "This is an old palace maid from before, Your Highness wants to ask her some ancient stories and anecdotes, also to avoid taboos."

  Chenlu glanced at the woman with a disapproving look, her walking posture and that hastily put-together palace attire revealing her true nature.

  She had a square-shaped object wrapped up in her hand, which looked like a small box.

  She bid farewell with a few words and then left.

  After a cup of tea, she came to the outside of Mei Gui's bedroom, stuck to the window frame, carefully lifted up a corner of the thin curtain on the window.

  All that could be heard was a woman's voice inside: "Your Majesty, your body is not serious, it's just virtual cold and internal depression, liver qi has some accumulation, taking some medicine will be fine."

  Mei Niang somewhat impatiently said: "Even a doctor would say such things, I want to know whether this child is a boy or a girl?!"

  After a moment of silence, the woman said: "I am just a humble person from the apricot forest, with a doctor's parental heart. Reasonably speaking, I shouldn't have peeked at the heavenly mechanism, but since Master Mei has already told me about your suffering, let me try using my family's 'line pulse' technique!"

  Then there was a commotion inside, and Chenlu no longer wanted to listen, so she turned around and walked away.

  ****

  Yuan Qi had many documents to attend to today, and Chen Lu was by his side assisting him until the time of lighting the lamps, when he returned to Chang Palace.

  Near the main hall, she was still uneasy and squeezed into that gap again, taking another look.

  Only the main hall's lamps were blown by the wind, flickering on and off. In the dim light, Mei Gui sat numbly, the lamp's shadow cast on her face. Her expression changed unpredictably, sometimes sorrowful, sometimes gritting her teeth. Finally, she twisted and convulsed, laughing.

  "You're a girl, so don't blame me for being heartless..."

  The faint words that were almost inaudible on the ground were barely audible in the morning dew.

  Her smile was strangely venomous and triumphant.

  Morning dew couldn't bear to look anymore, turned around and returned to her own courtyard.

  After two near-death experiences, Mei Gui's temperament had undergone a subtle change. She was no longer as naive and innocent as she initially seemed, but had also learned to be cunning like the other consorts, developing her own thoughts and plans.

  This is the heart route of palace women, no matter how beautiful a woman is, in this muddy blood pool where people are eaten without seeing bones, they will gradually infiltrate, dye, and finally spit out toxic juice from the bottom of their hearts to harm others.

  Here, there is no getting out of the mire without being stained; only those who are near cinnabar are red and those who are near ink are black. The idea that the fittest survive and the strongest win has become a heavenly principle.

  The morning dew gazed up at the bright moon in the sky, its silvery surface seemingly glued together. Under the illumination of the sky, it presented a faint reddish-brown hue, as if covered with a layer of fresh blood.

  The morning dew felt ominous.

  ****

  Things happened quickly, and on the second day, Yuan Qi was discussing matters with several senior officials. Suddenly, Qin Xi rushed to the front of the hall, looking anxious and fearful as he kept peeking inside.

  "What are you sneaking around for?! What's going on?!" Yuan Qi glanced over, seeing his suspicious appearance, and felt a surge of anger.

  "Long live... something's gone terribly wrong! Empress Changping has met with a great calamity!"

  Qin Xi was so excited that he didn't care about others being present and shouted out breathlessly.

  All the ministers in the palace had a solemn expression. For four years since Emperor Yuanxi took over, there were few instances of pregnancy among the imperial consorts, and several cases of miscarriage and stillbirth, which led to rumors inside and outside the court. In any case, the thinness of the imperial heir would put the dynasty in an unstable state. As senior ministers, they were not pleased with this situation.

  Yuan Qi's face turned pale in an instant, and the next moment, the anger in his heart surged like a mighty wave, turbulent and foamy.

  His eyes narrowed, sharp as a substance, staring straight at Qin Xi, asking: "What's the situation?"

  "The imperial physician said... it's very bad, child... probably can't be saved."

  Qin Xi was stared at by that terrifying gaze, and speaking became somewhat difficult.

  Yuanyu sneered with a cold smile: "Finally got what he wanted!"

  He is normally warm and lenient, but such an angry expression makes everyone tremble with fear, not knowing if the thunderous anger will fall upon themselves.

  Yuanyu shook his clothes and stood up: "Go to Changgong!"

  "Start the car and drive smoothly——"

  The eunuch's loud voice was particularly startling at this moment.

  When Yuan Qi arrived, Mei Fei's life was no longer in danger, but the one-month-old fetus had vanished with the shocking blood.

  He came to Mei Fei's bedside, and she had already woken up. Seeing Yuan Qi arrive, she struggled to get up, but was stopped by Yuan Qi.

  "You're so weak, what's the point of these empty formalities?" Yuan Qi helped her tidy up the corner of her quilt with a sympathetic expression, his heart full of inexpressible guilt: "It's all my fault, I didn't take good care of your safety."

  Mei Niang's eyes were red and swollen, but when she heard the Emperor's self-reproach, tears suddenly flowed out. The pearl-like teardrops slid slowly down her cheeks as white as jade, wetting a corner of the embroidered pillow, making anyone who saw this poignant scene feel heartbroken.

  "Your Majesty, you have shown me great kindness and favor, your benevolence is boundless... I am already overwhelmed with gratitude..." She glanced at Chen Lu beside her, revealing a grateful smile: "Not to mention anything else, just the fact that you allowed Shang Yi to live in my palace is already a great blessing for me... Do you know, Shang Yi has saved me several times?"

  The emperor's eyes turned cold and stern, apparently recalling the "Huixiang Garden Incident" reported by Qu Yun. He hastily asked Mei Pin: "What's going on this time?"

  He didn't ask, it was fine, but as soon as he asked, Mei Fu seemed to remember something terrifying, trembling with fear, hiding under the covers, crying tears of sorrow.