Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The two familiar black-painted doors of Gaoyang County Yamen stood quietly open in the twilight. The lanterns hanging on the lintels had just been lit by the night watchmen, casting two dim and warm lights.

The clamor of traveling horses and carriages finally died down, and the servants moved the luggage very carefully, fearing to disturb the tranquility of the moment.

Zhang Jingwei carefully helped Huangfu Ling out of the spacious carriage. Her hands were cold, and her fingertips trembled slightly, evidently from the long ride and the motion sickness that hadn't completely subsided. As soon as their feet touched the smooth bluestone pavement at the entrance to the county government office, he naturally reached out and gently embraced her, resting his chin on the cool, soft crown of her hair. He took a deep breath, as if to engrave her familiar scent, mixed with the faint aroma of medicine, into his lungs.

"What's wrong?" Huangfu Ling was a little surprised by his sudden, childish attachment and looked up at him. The light from the lantern danced on her slightly pale cheeks, making her autumn-water eyes look especially clear.

"Nothing," Zhang Jingwei's voice came muffled from her hair, and his arms tightened a little, as if he was afraid that she would slip away, "I just want to hug you longer."

Huangfu Ling laughed, raised her hand and gently patted his arm around her waist, with a hint of rebuke: "Master Zhang, you are already at the doorstep, and you are still so pretentious? I see you every day."

"Not enough." Zhang Jingwei shook his head stubbornly, his cheek rubbing against her soft hair. "Even if I see you every day, I still can't hug you enough. I wish..." He paused, his voice lowered, with an almost greedy attachment, "...I could hold you in my arms all the time."

Huangfu Ling's ears warmed slightly at his blatant and somewhat silly love talk, but her heart was filled with sweetness. She gently nudged his solid chest. "Alright, stop it. You've been running around all this time, and your bones are almost falling apart. You're exhausted. You're tired too. Go back to the house and get some rest." Her voice was filled with laziness and fatigue after a long journey.

"Yeah," Zhang Jingwei responded, but he had no intention of letting go. Instead, he lowered his head, and his warm breath brushed her earlobe, "You rest, and I'll watch you rest. I'll feel at ease when I see you sleeping soundly." His eyes were full of heartache, and he was obviously still worried about the past events revealed by Qian Ming and Mu Tou, in which she forced herself to stay sick and fainted in the yamen.

"Oh my..." Huangfu Ling's cheeks flushed red. She was embarrassed by his straightforward and somewhat scoundrel approach. She couldn't help but twist slightly in his arms, "Let go! If someone saw us... it would be so embarrassing!"

"See it, see it! It's only natural for me to hold my own wife!" Instead of letting go, Zhang Jingwei held her even closer, feeling the gentle warmth of her slender body. The heavy haze that had accumulated in his heart due to the events of Yunzhou seemed to dissipate much in this soft embrace. He sighed, his voice filled with undisguised joy and satisfaction: "Ling'er, it's great to have you by my side." These words came from the heart, weighing more than a thousand pounds.

Huangfu Ling nestled in his arms, listening to his steady, powerful heartbeat, her heart at peace. She was silent for a moment, as if considering something, before finally speaking softly, her tone tinged with a subtle hint of trepidation and determination: "...Husband, this time when we return to Yunzhou, I...I told my father about my illness."

Zhang Jingwei's body stiffened slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Huangfu Ling's voice lowered, like a feather brushing against her heart. "Dad... agreed. He said... you can... take a concubine to expand the Zhang family. But..." She paused, raised her head, and looked Zhang Jingwei in the eye seriously. "Dad said, you can take a concubine, but you are not allowed to take another wife. The Zhang family's principal wife can only be me, Huangfu Ling."

Her words were clear, but like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, they stirred ripples in Zhang Jingwei's heart. He saw the forced composure in her eyes, concealing deep remorse, unease, and a touch of almost tragic fulfillment. His heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, aching and painful.

"What wife? What concubine?" Zhang Jingwei's voice suddenly rose, filled with a resolute impatience and a hint of anger. He cupped Huangfu Ling's cheeks with both hands, forcing her to look directly into his burning gaze. "Listen, Ling'er! I, Zhang Jingwei, only want you in my life! Forget about taking concubines and having children! I married you, Huangfu Ling, as a person, not a tool to bear children!"

His tone was fierce, with unquestionable determination, but when he saw the moisture and surprise in his wife's eyes, his heart immediately softened. He softened his voice, gently stroking her slightly cold cheek with his thumb, his eyes firm and gentle, "Don't let your imagination run wild. I've had the military corps issue a notice everywhere, offering a large reward to recruit gynecologists from all over the world! If there's no one in Gaoyang, we'll find one in Yunzhou; if there's no one in Yunzhou, we'll find one in the capital! I don't believe there's no doctor in the world who can cure you! It will definitely be cured, Ling'er, you have to believe me!"

"Husband..." Huangfu Ling looked at the undeniable determination and deep tenderness in his eyes. The tears she had been holding back finally fell, dripping hotly onto the back of his hand that held her cheek. "I'm useless... I'm a burden to you..." The inferiority and guilt hidden deep in her heart burst forth at this moment.

"What nonsense!" Zhang Jingwei's heart trembled, and he suddenly hugged her tightly again, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood. He lowered his head, and his warm lips pressed against her small earlobe. With a deliberately suppressed smirk that only she could hear, his breath brushed hotly against her sensitive earlobe:

"How can it be useless? You are so useful...all of these can be used." The low and hoarse voice was filled with undisguised strong desire and possessiveness, which was very suggestive.

Huangfu Ling shuddered at his sudden, aggressive intimacy and explicit words. Her cheeks flushed red, and even her neck was stained an alluring crimson. "You...you..." She was embarrassed and anxious, and was speechless for a moment.

Zhang Jingwei looked at her shy and helpless appearance, and the haze in his heart was completely dispelled by the ignited fire. He chuckled softly, not giving her any chance to refute, and with a force of his arms, he easily lifted her up sideways.

"Ah!" Huangfu Ling exclaimed and subconsciously hugged his neck.

The night breeze blew through the courtyard, carrying the cool fragrance of flowers in early spring, but it could not blow away the strong and indissoluble warmth between the two people.

The door closed gently behind him, and the moonlight reflected the shadows of the wind and clouds, and also illuminated the windows of the room that were always bright all night.