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Lin Tian'er was startled by the question, her gaze shifting to Mei Shuang's flat stomach, which made Mei Shuang feel a bit awkward.
Mei Shuang simply stood up and leaned on the balcony railing, looking out at the blooming flowers and flowing water. Lin Tian'er followed her, still scrutinizing Mei Shuang's slender figure.
Mei Shuang, both annoyed and amused, said, "What are you staring at?"
Lin Tian'er seemed lost in thought for a moment before seriously stating, "It's entirely possible."
"......"
Mei Shuang shot Lin Tian'er a glance and mentally calculated her menstrual cycle. It should be during a safe period, so the chances of anything happening were slim. She sighed in relief, having almost been frightened by the Empress Dowager earlier.
!!
Sitting in the court, Xiao Luo had been discussing state affairs with his ministers for quite some time and felt parched. He took the Sour Plum Soup that Li Gonggong had brought and frowned, asking, "What is this?"
Li Gonggong leaned in and whispered, "This is Sour Plum Soup sent by the Empress Dowager. She said it would quench your thirst."
Xiao Luo found it strange. "When did this palace start serving this soup?!! What kind of soup is it?"
"Your Majesty, it's Sour Plum Soup," Li Gonggong replied. "The Empress Dowager said you should try it."
After taking a sip, Xiao Luo felt refreshed; it was cool with a slight sweet and sour taste—truly a great drink for summer. Especially after getting used to the palace's rich delicacies, this soup was indeed invigorating.
"Which imperial physician made this? I shall reward them."
Seeing the Emperor pleased, Li Gonggong felt delighted but was momentarily taken aback by the question. How should he respond? Since Mei Shuang's title had not been corrected, she was still referred to as the Deposed Empress Mei Shuang. However, her favor had risen dramatically, showing signs of being reinstated. Thus, as a chief eunuch, he found it inappropriate to directly mention Mei Shuang's name at this moment; it was somewhat awkward since she still lacked an official title.
After thinking for a moment, Li Gonggong whispered in Xiao Luo's ear, "Yes! That person in the back garden..."
Xiao Luo was taken aback, then glanced at the soup in the Jade Bowl, shimmering softly, and suddenly felt a sweet sensation flowing through her heart.
After Li Gonggong withdrew, the officials in the court returned from resting in the adjacent hall and began discussing the visit of the envoy from Yamataikoku in the East Sea.
Mei Shuang silently calculated her menstrual cycle a hundred times in her mind, confirming that the probability of conception that night was only ten percent, which eased her mind considerably.
Looking around, the winding corridors of the back garden were adorned with hundreds of flowers, creating a breathtaking scene like a fairyland. However, in just a few days, she had walked back and forth countless times.
The thought of spending the rest of her life holding a child and endlessly circling this small patch of land like a donkey grinding grain until death was terrifying.
"Lin Tian'er, what do you think the Emperor is thinking? What’s the point of me staying here every day? Is there any way to convince the Empress Dowager to let me leave the palace? I really don’t want a baby..."
After a long pause with no response, Mei Shuang lazily turned her head while lying on the Beauty Couch and was startled to see someone standing there. "Your Majesty?"
Realizing that she had just blurted out that she didn’t want a baby and that this icy Emperor might have heard her, she felt utterly embarrassed.
Lin Tian'er stood behind Xiao Luo with his hands clasped behind his back, making a gesture to Mei Shuang that he was sorry he couldn’t inform her in time.
Today, after enjoying Sour Plum Soup and feeling happy, Xiao Luo's first action after leaving court was to come to the back garden. He had been busy with state affairs these days and, not being one to indulge in romantic entanglements, had truly not paid much attention to Mei Shuang. Although he had been exhausted that night as well, he felt refreshed these past few days. It must be said that occasionally reminiscing about that night—from Mei Shuang's initial awkwardness to her eventual wildness—would stir gentle waves within Xiao Luo's heart. This feeling was something no other woman had ever given him before.
With an inexplicable impulse stirring within him, he entered the back garden only to hear Mei Shuang expressing her desire to leave the palace.
Xiao Luo's enthusiasm immediately waned, and even his previously softened facial features became stiff. Seeing this, Lin Tian'er quickly shot Mei Shuang a "take care of yourself" look before slipping away quietly.
Mei Shuang sat stiffly in front of the couch, watching as Xiao Luo walked in and took a seat across from her.
The innate aura of a king surrounding this man made Mei Shuang feel as if the air around them thinned every time she faced him. Even her not-so-short stature seemed to shrink in his presence. Especially after that night, their relationship had undergone substantial changes. Now, sitting face to face, even fully clothed, there was still an uncomfortable tension.
She shifted slightly, forcing herself to ignore her earlier thoughts, and managed to squeeze out a false smile at Xiao Luo, who was sitting just a meter away. "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"
Xiao Luo glanced at the visibly nervous woman, his brows furrowing slightly, feeling unusually displeased. He recalled that night they had shared the same bed when Mei Shuang had opened her eyes and asked the same question, "What are you doing here?"
Was his appearance merely an anomaly to her?
"Am I not allowed to come here?" he replied curtly, though his gaze was drawn to the Sour Plum Soup on the table. In a large white jade bowl, there was still a small portion of the soup, likely just taken out from the ice cellar, emitting a faint chill. It was clear this was her bribe to the Empress Dowager for leaving the palace.
Seeing Xiao Luo fixated on the Sour Plum Soup, Mei Shuang hurriedly scooped a bowlful and offered it to him with both hands. "Your Majesty, please try the Sour Plum Soup I made; it's perfect for cooling off in summer..."
Noticing Mei Shuang's rare enthusiasm, Xiao Luo did not refuse. He accepted it and drank it all in one go, his expression softening slightly afterward.
"Your Majesty, how does it taste?"
"I have already tasted it at the Empress Dowager's..."
"......"
He probably knew about the things she had discussed with the Empress Dowager, especially what she had said about them being "incompatible." She wondered how he would react to that or if he had come to settle accounts with her! Was she being charged with contempt for the emperor?
Mei Shuang's mind raced with speculation while she calmly poured another bowl for Xiao Luo. "You need to drink at least three bowls of this to quench your thirst..."
Xiao Luo brought over the second bowl but did not drink immediately. Instead, he asked Mei Shuang, "What did you just say about not wanting a child?"
Mei Shuang was startled. Her hand trembled, and the spoon slipped from her grasp, almost falling to the ground. It was saved by a gentle flick of Xiao Luo's finger, causing the spoon to bounce back into her palm as if it had legs.
When Xiao Luo performed this action, the Sour Plum Soup in his hand remained completely still, showcasing his skill.
"Be honest," Xiao Luo said after uttering those three words, then calmly sipped from the bowl of Sour Plum Soup.
Mei Shuang was taken aback, and a different scene flashed through her mind: the spoon bouncing off the table and striking her hand with lightning speed, followed by her scream as she watched her hand go limp. It was ruined...
Xiao Luo's hint was clearly meant to make her imagine the consequences of not telling the truth.
Damn it! The truth! Who doesn’t know that while the truth is easy to say, it can be harsh!
Mei Shuang swallowed hard. "What child?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Luo paused his drinking of Sour Plum Soup and raised an eyebrow. Mei Shuang immediately surrendered.
"Your Majesty, it's like this: my body has been greatly affected by Poison before, so it's definitely not suitable for having children. So!! You understand."
Xiao Luo remained silent, leisurely finishing his Sour Plum Soup before picking up a napkin from the table and elegantly wiping his mouth. "Is that the truth?"
"......"
After a moment of silence, Xiao Luo said lightly, "You don't need to worry about that."
Mei Shuang was somewhat confused. Although she did not understand the meaning of "don't worry," she decided it was best to avoid discussing this sensitive topic.
To steer clear of the question of whether or not to "have a baby," Mei Shuang brought up another topic. "Your Majesty, have you been feeling unwell these days?"
After all, although the poison from Poison had been successfully resolved, Mei Ru was cunning and could very well have left something behind. What if she appeared to have been cured but later relapsed? Despite her limited knowledge, she was still an amateur compared to Mei Ru.
Xiao Luo quickly understood what Mei Shuang was referring to. Looking at himself, he said, "I am fine for now. Are you worried that Mei Ru might secretly take action against me?"
As expected of the emperor, he was perceptive. Mei Shuang nodded. "It is one thing for me to be poisoned, but if it harms Your Majesty, that would be a serious matter!"
Initially, when she had foolishly thought of this excuse to request leaving the palace in front of the Empress Dowager, she had not anticipated it would only bring her more anxiety.
Xiao Luo gazed deeply into Mei Shuang's eyes. Seeing her serious expression, he could tell she was genuinely concerned for his safety; otherwise, she wouldn't have risked leaving the palace to seek help from a stranger.
In fact, Mei Shuang's worries were unnecessary. This issue had already been confirmed a few days ago when the envoy from Yamataikoku came and proved that such methods could completely resolve the problem.
Speaking of Yamataikoku, Xiao Luo recalled a few things.
"Come sit down; I have something to discuss with you," Xiao Luo said, pointing to the chair in front of him.
Mei Shuang thought she must have misheard. The emperor actually asked her to "sit down" and wanted to "discuss" something with her. How equal a way of conversing this was!
Could it be that after spending a night with this emperor, her status had risen so much?
On the surface, Mei Shuang remained calm, but inside she felt flattered and surprised as she obediently sat down in front of Xiao Luo, waiting for the Supreme Ruler's instructions.
"The envoy from Yamataikoku has arrived..."
Upon hearing "Yamataikoku," Mei Shuang's eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "What are they here for?"
Seeing Mei Shuang so surprised, Xiao Luo was also taken aback, gazing at the overly reactive Mei Shuang.
It was no wonder Mei Shuang reacted this way. Who leaked the news? How could the people from Yamataikoku arrive just after Mei Ru was captured? Clearly, they were not here to ask for someone.
Xiao Luo slowly spoke, "They are here to make friendly overtures to me on behalf of the Celestial Empire."
"......"
Mei Shuang understood most of the situation at that point. Hmph, it all boiled down to the fact that they were frustrated with the Eastern Kingdom's delay in submission, which they had thought would be as easy as taking candy from a baby. Meanwhile, the Jiu Rang Family, whom they had been scheming against, had not yet been destroyed; they probably couldn't wait any longer.
Noticing Mei Shuang's silence, Xiao Luo furrowed her brows slightly. "What's wrong?"
"What does the Emperor want to discuss with me?" Mei Shuang raised an eyebrow and asked.
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