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"What's Ruochen doing here?" I like to talk to him directly, even if it's completely irrelevant.

"He's not here, so how did you wake up?" He suddenly smiled, sending a chill down my spine, and continued, "Or perhaps Yue'er wants to sleep a little longer?"

I wanted to shake my head, but then I thought better of it and decided not to bother with him. I said coolly, "Father is really something else. He poisons people on one hand and finds a divine doctor to save them on the other. Isn't Father afraid that an accident could plunge him into an abyss of no return?"

He remained silent, looking at me with a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Father has fulfilled his wish, and now with my brother's strong support, could you grant Yue'er's little wish?" I looked at him with a half-smile and said frankly, "Yue'er believes that as a daughter, she has served Father to the utmost, even unto death. Father should know this clearly. Now, not only the situation in Xiuruo, but the situation in the world should be satisfactory to Father. Yue'er has done her best for Father, and Longyao King has also shown his utmost sincerity. I beg Father to grant Yue'er's wish."

In the end, he still had to admit defeat, fearing that even so, Old Man Yun would still refuse to budge.

"Actually, your royal grandfather had planned Yue'er's marriage a long time ago. Now you are the most honored princess of Xiu Ruo, and even your father can only offer suggestions." He said this calmly and leisurely.

"Father!" I couldn't stand that old man Yun any longer. I coughed lightly in my excitement, and it took me a while to calm down. I patted my chest and said with a sneer, "I think Uncle Crown Prince is in the North Palace, waiting for someone to clear his name."

"What do you mean by that, Yue'er?" His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharp.

"Yue'er risked her life to drink that tea, not to prove her innocence or to convict her uncle, the Crown Prince," I laughed.

"Why is that?" He smiled, a hint of interest creeping into his expression. The perverse thing about Old Man Yun was that the more I resisted and the colder his words became, the more interested he became—it had always been this way.

"It's to make Father owe Yue'er a great favor. If Father is unwilling to accept it, Yue'er will explain to Grandfather her intentions and considerations back then." My smile deepened, and my voice became softer. "If Yue'er had suggested that Uncle Crown Prince drink that cup of tea to prove his innocence back then, I'm afraid Uncle Crown Prince would have been fine, right? Xiu Ruo's Auspicious Beast, the king of beasts, has endless uses, Father, don't you think?"

I was only guessing, only testing the waters, but seeing the deep look in Old Man Yun's eyes, I knew my guess was pretty much right. If Uncle Crown Prince had really drunk the rest of the tea to prove his innocence, at least he would have had a chance to pin the blame on me. If I were involved, the outcome of this contest between Old Man Yun and Uncle Crown Prince might have been a draw, instead of the current situation where Uncle Crown Prince doesn't even have a chance to turn the tables.

Court intrigues have always been like this. For the sake of my own happiness, I can only apologize to my uncle, the Crown Prince.

“Actually, Father is really reluctant to part with Yue’er.” He ignored my words and suddenly sat down by my bedside, staring straight at me. He seemed to be lost in thought for a second before regaining his usual deep and cold demeanor. Even when he said these words, his voice was still somewhat cold. “Yue’er looks a lot like your mother, but the older she gets, the more different her personality becomes.”

"Did Father ever love Mother? Or did he know all along that Mother was a descendant of the royal family of the Wind God Kingdom, and that's why he did all this?" I scoffed. Though I asked this question, I certainly didn't dare to hope that someone like Old Man Ruyun could harbor love. Or rather, I didn't dare to hope that love would have a place in his heart.

Upon hearing this, he abruptly stood up, a surge of intense anger emanating from him for a fleeting moment. In an instant, he regained his cold and profound demeanor, turned, and walked straight out. He seemed to hesitate slightly at the door, but ultimately continued walking out, leaving behind only the words: "Actually, the Sixth Prince has sacrificed even more. As long as you don't regret it."

I watched his figure disappear through the door, his last words echoing in my ears, and I was momentarily stunned. It wasn't until someone called my name, "Yue'er," that I snapped out of my reverie, looked towards the source of the voice, and smiled broadly, saying, "Brother!"

"Moon." He was already at my bedside, looking at me with a face full of heartache and guilt.

I struggled to sit up and reached out my hand. He looked startled for a moment, then quickly became excited. He finally sat down, reached out and hugged me tightly, calling my name with sighs.

"Brother, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." I buried my head in his arms, thinking that I had made him feel guilty and worried again because of my own happiness. All I could say was "I'm sorry".

"Moon..." He tightened his grip on me, his voice ringing out from above my head, containing all the unspoken emotions.

"Brother, I miss him, I miss him so much..." I finally couldn't hold back and cried in his arms.

Fox, I miss him so much. After all this, when will I be able to be with him? As for Xilan, I am destined to owe him so much. I dare not, dare not think about whether Ruochen's appearance is related to Xilan, dare not think about how much Xilan has sacrificed for me. I am afraid that once I know the truth, I will lose even the last bit of my will to be with Fox.

"Moon...Moon..." He patted my back gently, as if to comfort me and sigh.

Time flies, and another month has passed in the blink of an eye. I was confined to Zuiyue Palace by Ruochen, and I suspected that the little brat was deliberately making things difficult for me. I was perfectly fine now, climbing windows and trees without any problem, but the little brat insisted that I was doing something wrong here and there. He said that if I didn't stay in Zuiyue Palace properly, I would develop health problems that would affect my future work if I didn't lie down for twelve hours and sit for ten hours a day. I gave him a few slaps and walked straight out without taking it seriously. But then the brat came up behind me and said that if I didn't behave and rest properly, it would affect my fertility. His voice was so loud that every maid and eunuch in Zuiyue Palace could hear me. I almost fell over when I saw a lot of people rushing out from all directions, dragging and pulling me, and finally almost carrying me back to the big bed in the inner room. The meddlesome Yan'er also told the old empress about this news. From then on, I was strictly confined to my room. I was given three large bowls of unknown tonics every day, and guards were strictly guarding the palace gates. There were also four more palace maids who were close to me. Including Yan'er, the five of them took turns standing outside my room, afraid that I would sneak out.

I didn't believe the little brat's nonsense, but he ended up bringing up a whole bunch of things, including the time he was being protected and ferryed back and forth, the time he was poisoned by the Holy Blood Chrysanthemum, and even the time I jumped into the Heavenly Holy Water Pool several times, saying that the extremely cold Heavenly Holy Water had many adverse effects on women. I was skeptical, but then the little brat pulled out his trump card and asked me if I was menstruating when Xi Lan used the Heavenly Holy Water to save me from the Holy Blood Chrysanthemum poison. I frowned and thought carefully, and finally nodded with a red face. After listening to his medical theories, I became a little nervous. In the end, I was so scared that I obediently drank the medicine and didn't dare to run around. I even gave up the idea.

Although the thought of giving birth in this backward place with its poor medical conditions is terrifying—no C-sections, only natural births—just imagining it is horrifying, and I haven't thought about childbirth so far in the future. But for women, being able to give birth is one thing, wanting to give birth but being unable to is another. This is a crucial and decisive factor directly related to the happiness of married life.

Remembering how, after I was able to speak, Xi Lan made me take one of those unknown pills a day, filling a whole small bottle, he said it would make me fine. Come to think of it, Xi Lan was Little Broken Kid's senior brother. Could Xi Lan have known all this back then? A sudden realization struck me. The taste of that pill seemed familiar. Now, following Little Broken Kid's train of thought, I recalled that day when I secretly ran to the Heavenly Saint Pool behind the flower wall, jumped in hoping it would take me back to the 21st century. Xi Lan rescued me before I froze. At that time, I was so disappointed and upset that I kept my eyes closed, refusing to wake up. As Xi Lan warmed my body and wiped away my tears, he seemed to put a pill in my mouth, melting sweetly. Now, thinking back, it must have been the same pills I took later, filling the whole small bottle. If Xi Lan and Ruo Chen knew about the effects of the Heavenly Sacred Pool on my body, then why didn't Imperial Physician Jiang say a word when I returned to the palace and had him examine me? He only said that I was in good health. Could it be that Imperial Physician Jiang's medical skills were really that bad?

I'd longed to ask Ruochen about Xilan, but several times the words caught in my throat. I wanted to ask, but dared not. Sometimes I looked hesitant, and the little brat clearly understood, but he always made an excuse to leave, seemingly unwilling to talk about Xilan. By the way, Ruochen is quite popular in the Xiu Ruo Palace because his master, Master Xuanqing, is a renowned physician across the six kingdoms. So, his disciple, using the title of "little divine physician," has been making a name for himself in the Xiu Ruo Palace. However, no one knows or mentions that the Sixth Prince of Tianqing is his senior brother. And I only just learned that although Ruochen is young, his reputation is quite impressive. He finds joy in traveling the world. I wonder if his return to Xiu Ruo was just a coincidence by Old Man Yun, or if there's another reason.

That day, Heaven had mercy, and Ruochen finally lifted my ban. It was March, spring was in full bloom, and I was in a great mood. Dressed like a butterfly, I ran wildly through the palace. First, I greeted the old man, and then I went to the old empress to pester her to let me leave the palace. My reason was: my fief has been sealed off for more than half a year, and the person in charge has never been there. I have to go and see it.

Although Old Man Yun has not yet been named Crown Prince, my favor with the Empress has been established for quite some time. Whether he does or not is irrelevant to my clinging to the Empress. Before long, the Empress surrendered. After confirming once again that the Divine Physician was satisfied with my physical condition, she made a grand arrangement for a large entourage to accompany me on my journey.

The next day, a large entourage of guards and attendants followed me on my journey. Besides Wang An and Yan'er, Yao Yao was also by my side. Of course, I knew that Ye Feng and Mu Mo were probably nearby as well. Arriving at Zuiyue City in the evening, I discovered that the old man had treated me exceptionally well. The city he had bestowed upon me was not only located east of the imperial city of Xiuzhou, but it was also truly as rumored—fertile land and beautiful people—a veritable "economically developed city" of Xiuruo Kingdom. While not as grand as Xiuzhou, it was no less impressive. The old man had even specially ordered the construction of a separate courtyard. Since I arrived just in time for the completion of my new residence, how could I not move in?

The so-called fiefdom only means that the economic benefits belong to me; politically, it still belongs to the old man. I have no interest in any of that. From the first day I transmigrated here, I suddenly found myself living the life of a nouveau riche. My family is wealthy, and everyone I know is either rich or powerful. Oh, and my boyfriend's family seems to be even richer!

Although staying in Drunken Moon City was just as boring, at least I had a lot more freedom. No one bothered me here, so I ignored Yao Yao's antics and bossed Ye Feng around, finally getting firsthand information: my dear Qing Lin was still fighting a fierce battle in Ye Cang, as was Xi Lan. Both armies had crossed half of Ye Cang's borders, and the war was progressing smoothly. Meanwhile, in Han Xing, my previous guesses were entirely correct. I don't know exactly what trick the fox and the old man used, or how that damned Princess Qian Hui could fall for it so easily, but in the end, Han Xing really did launch a surprise attack on Ye Cang and Xiu Ruo's armies. Xiu Ruo barely managed to avoid Han Xing's onslaught, while the unfortunate Ye Cang clashed head-on with Han Xing, resulting in heavy losses for both sides. This gave Xiu Ruo even more confidence in taking Han Xing.

Of course, none of that is the point. The point is that when I asked Nightwind Fox about the long-delayed marriage, Nightwind casually tugged at the corner of his mouth and replied, "The Second Prince and the Third Princess of Tianqing are getting married."

"What?" My mind went blank for a moment, and I almost fell to the ground. I grabbed Ye Feng's hand as he came to help me and exclaimed in disbelief.

Wasn't it supposed to be Fox and Tian Jinyu? When did the groom become Little White? Oh my god, that cunning and treacherous fox, sending Little White to fetch the bride all along must have been preordained, and he probably anticipated this outcome, right?

"Our great Dragon King has finally granted his brother's wish to marry the Third Princess of Azure Sky, allowing the lovers to be together forever?" I said, my voice twitching and my face contorted. Unsurprisingly, I saw Night Wind raise an eyebrow and immediately raise his hand to stop me, saying, "Stop talking, I understand everything."

If Xiao Bai hadn't been tricked, how could he have become lovers with that aloof Tian Jinyu? They were like two blocks of ice; without some kind of entanglement, or rather, some kind of breakthrough, how could they possibly develop deep feelings for each other? That fox is truly despicable and shameless! Now look what's happened! He was the one who decided to dump her early on, but now Tianqing King owes him a favor, and he won't dare bring it up again for the time being. I gritted my teeth, then shouted at Wang An outside the door, "Wang An, go to Zuiyue Spring tomorrow!"

Drunken Moon Spring is the most famous tourist attraction in Drunken Moon City. In fact, it's not just in Drunken Moon City; Drunken Moon Spring is a renowned tourist destination as well. A few days ago, Yan'er was telling me all sorts of beautiful legends about Drunken Moon Spring with great enthusiasm. Although I was somewhat skeptical, I figured that since Drunken Moon City was named after Drunken Moon Spring, it must have some unique scenic beauty.

For convenience, I changed back into men's clothing. That's one of the advantages of being away from the palace, hehe. Besides Wang An, I had two other skilled fighters with me, and of course, there were probably many more guards hidden among the crowd. Zuiyue Spring wasn't far from my villa; we set off at dawn and arrived at our destination after an hour's ride on horseback.

In the warm spring of March, when the grass grows and the orioles sing, it is the perfect time for a spring outing. However, Zuiyue Spring is heavily guarded by soldiers, and not a single visitor can be seen. I glanced at Wang An, who quickly bowed and said, "Princess, please forgive me."

"Never mind." I waved my hand. Well, it's good to indulge once in a while and avoid trouble.

I always thought Zuiyue Spring was just a hot spring, maybe with some flowers, grass, trees and such around it. I never imagined it was made up of hundreds of colorful lava pools, light blue, dark blue, indigo, bright yellow, jade green, azure, pinkish purple, crimson... High and low, deep and shallow, round and oval, crisscrossing and densely distributed, it appeared before my eyes, so beautiful that I forgot to breathe.

I walked carefully along the narrow passageway between the lava pools, occasionally bending down to touch the water. It was slightly warm and clean, and its colors were varied, probably due to the different colors of the lava at the bottom and the different depths of the water. In some of the shallower pools, there were a few trees, some with only orange branches left, while others were already sprouting new green shoots.

"Master." When Ye Feng suddenly appeared, I waved to Wang An and the two experts, signaling them to step back.

"What's up, Xiaoye?" In a great mood, I took the opportunity to tease our Xiaoye a little.

"The Emperor is here." Before he finished speaking, he put his arm around my waist and strode forward.

I didn't exclaim in surprise. Although my head was spinning and I didn't quite understand what Ye Feng had just said, I just kept looking at the colorful lava pool rushing past us, finding it extremely fun. Only when the lava pool was no longer below us did I turn to look at Ye Feng and realize that Xiao Ye was holding me as we traversed through the forest.