the Xiongnu troops hurriedly packed up their tents and retreated north. Meanwhile, Lian Fan seized the opportunity and ordered his soldiers to beat the war drums, their shouts shaking the heavens. Wi...After the midwife finished fetching water, she still hadn't noticed that the princess's wardrobe was missing a piece of inner garment.

Besides, she wouldn't dare to have Shuai Shuai do such strenuous work. So after she had fetched the water, she let Shuai Shuai rest aside while she did it herself.

She thought that she would have to persuade ShuaiShuai a lot, given her personality. Unexpectedly, after she told ShuaiShuai to rest, ShuaiShuai actually obeyed obediently.

This left the washerwoman dumbfounded for a moment.

Before the old woman could even react, Shuangshuang said again, "Mother, take your time. I'll go first. And about my clothes, don't bother sending them to the courtyard. Since I'm here already, I'll just take them myself."

After that, she didn't wait for the midwife's response. She turned around, went to get some clothes not far away, and left the courtyard straight away.

The undergarment that had been swapped for An Xue Tang's was hidden inside the clothing in her hands. Unfortunately, the midwife was simple and didn't suspect anything from a little girl who looked so innocent, so she didn't notice that An Xue Tang's inner layer was missing.

Seeing Shuangshuang's departing figures, she came to her senses and simply thought that Shuangshuang must have already composed herself. After all, the way she cried in Jingtang Garden just now was truly earth-shattering.

Now that things have calmed down, it's natural to wonder what to do next.

……

Shuangshuang on this end didn't care at all how the washerwoman would think. She held the clothes and went back to her own house, closing the door behind her. Her eyes grew dark.

She hurried to the bedside, throwing the garment she was holding onto the bed carelessly. She found An Xue Tang's inner robe and stared at it with deep eyes for a moment.

I don't know what she wanted this dress for. After coming to her senses, she put the dress back in the closet.

……

As for the matter of her own clothes being taken, An Xue Tang was completely unaware. Right now, she was making arrangements with Ning'er and a few others.

Today's events involving ShuangShuang forced her to reconsider who ShuangShuang truly is.

She's not stupid. Since she hasn't heard from Mo Junyi for the past two days, she knows someone around her must have leaked the news.

Before today, she had never suspected Shuangshuang. Firstly, their plans had never been mentioned to Shuangshuang. Secondly, the child had always been very quiet in the manor, not actively participating in anything or asking questions.

So she had nothing to suspect.

Just her twin's behavior today raised suspicions in her. She also thought that since she had been staying with Fu'er for these days, she didn't know if it was influenced by Fu'er.

In short, she mustn't be allowed to do whatever she pleases in the mansion.

An Xue Tang looked at Shou'er, "Try to keep Shuangshuang away from Fu'er these days. Also, ask Yun Si to find someone to keep an eye on her."

Shouer nodded slightly, "Yes."

……

Palace

As usual, Ye Er was summoned to the palace by the Emperor to help him with his government affairs.

Ye Er distinctly felt that the current emperor's body was already failing, with declining memory. Sometimes, things he had reported just moments before would be forgotten completely by him the next moment.

One extremely simple and easy-to-remember thing he could ask repeatedly five or six times throughout the day.

He speculated that the emperor's transformation was most likely caused by whatever Hua Duoer had made him consume.

However, he said nothing about it, pretending he didn't know and had never seen anything.

"Ye Er, have you gotten married"

Suddenly, the Emperor's voice rang out again in the silent palace. This question, the Emperor had already asked no less than three times today.

Ye Er still answered patiently, as he had several times before, "Your Majesty, I have no heart to marry."

"Why is that"

The emperor set down the scroll in his hand, his perplexed eyes fixed on Ye Er who was sitting not far from him.

Ye Er Ye was not in a hurry. He also put down the imperial edict in his hand and slowly looked at the emperor, continuing to say what he had explained several times today:

"Your Majesty, I don't know how long this body of mine can hold on. I don't want to marry or have children, and I wouldn't want to delay a young lady's life."

"How can that be a delay The worse one's health, the more important it is to marry and have children to carry on the lineage. Besides, I have so many imperial physicians by my side. With them, they will definitely be able to help you regulate your body properly. Don't be so self-deprecating."

After finishing his sentence, the emperor suddenly patted his thigh as if he had just remembered. "That's right, I remember now! Didn't you have a betrothal with An Le Hou's daughter How come you haven't gotten married yet Did the An Le Hou's household break their promise Don't worry, Your Majesty will issue a decree to the An Le Hou's household today, ordering him to bring his daughter to Ye Mansion tonight, so you can have your wedding night."

“...”

Ye Er's lips twitched. The emperor hadn't mentioned the Anle Hou Mansion when asked about it on previous occasions.

After hesitating for a moment, he quickly shook his head, stood up, and bowed to the emperor. "Your Majesty, my betrothal with the county princess of Anle Houfu has long been broken, and I am not particularly keen on marrying her. Please, Your Majesty, revoke this decree."

Upon hearing this from Ye Er, the emperor seemed surprised. "The engagement was broken When did that happen"

"It has been several months since then. My parents passed away, and I was heartbroken. I had no intention of marriage, at least not until after my filial period. I didn't want to delay the princess, so I requested Your Majesty to annul our engagement. You must remember that"

The Emperor, after hearing this, seemed to remember something vaguely. "Oh, I see. As for filial piety or not, as long as I give you an imperial decree, you needn't worry about it. Have you truly not considered marrying and having children"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kind words. For the past few years, I have still wanted to observe filial piety for my parents. After the period of mourning has passed, when I decide to marry and have children, I will certainly come with a thick face to ask Your Majesty for a marriage."

The emperor didn't dwell on the matter any further. After hearing what Ye Er had to say, he nodded in agreement. From the corner of his eye, he saw the commander of the Imperial Guard entering. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you feeling better now, my dear"

The president bowed, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I am feeling much better.”

The emperor waved his hand. "You're excused, you're excused. Please have a seat. There are no outsiders here."

The president then said, "Your Majesty, since I have returned, I should go and inspect the palace's recent deployments."

This involves your own safety, the emperor would rather you go as soon as possible, so he didn't hesitate at all, "Alright then, you go."

The president came and went in a hurry, nodding to Ye Er before leaving.

After everyone else had left, Ye Er continued to help the emperor process the memorials. However, halfway through, seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, he casually asked, “Your Majesty, it seems like the President hasn't been in the palace recently.”

The Emperor didn't doubt that Ye Er had asked out of any ulterior motive. With a sigh, he said, "A few months ago, he was injured and has been unwell ever since. I told him to recuperate at home until he felt better."

Ye Er narrowed his eyes slightly. He wasn't on duty at the palace, so those few people he saw outside the palace a few days ago...perhaps it was him. As long as the doctor came across the porcelain bottle, the flesh-invisible worm would enter her body. That way, she could control the doctor's mind and make her leave the palace to send a message to...