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

The grayish-blue screen wall of the Gaoyang County government office stood silently in the morning light, the iron gates on the eaves occasionally jingling in the breeze. Just after the hour of dawn, Ningxiang, accompanied by a small maid, entered the gatehouse. Her aqua-green skirt, now faded from washing, brushed gently against the stone steps with her steps. Since the self-media agency was shut down, this was her fourth trip here to pursue a single piece of official paperwork.

Huang Liang was sorting files in the workshop, his wolf-hair brush moving across the paper, making a subtle rustling sound. Hearing footsteps, he didn't even look up, but pulled out a document with a red seal from the pile of documents.

"The workshop has been approved, please keep it, Miss Jiajia." His tone was as calm as if he was talking about the weather.

Ningxiang bowed in greeting and took the document with both hands, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Huang."

Huang Liang dipped his brush in ink and continued writing, "If you have nothing else to do, please return. It is not advisable to stay in such a privileged area of ​​the government office for long."

She stood still, clutching the paper document tightly, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito, "I wonder if County Magistrate Zhang is at the yamen today?"

"The Lord handles government affairs in the government office in the back hall and usually does not come to the front yamen." Huang Liang did not stop writing.

"Then... may I ask for a meeting?" There was a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.

Huang Liang finally raised his eyelids and looked at her: "Your Excellency is busy with official duties, so it's better not to disturb you."

Ningxiang took a deep breath, as if she had made a great decision. Although her voice was soft, every word was clear: "I am pregnant with his child."

"Even so..." Huang Liang's pen paused in mid-air, the ink dripping onto the rice paper, leaving a black stain. He suddenly looked up, "W-what?"

Ningxiang lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her pale face. "I've been feeling nauseous lately, and my period hasn't come in three months. I went to the doctor's office yesterday to check my pulse, and they said... I'm pregnant."

Huang Liang nearly dropped the pen in his hand. He hurriedly calmed himself and cleared his throat: "This... I'll send someone to pass on the message."

……

In the back hall of the government office, Zhang Jingwei was leaning on the armchair and reading the tax book, while Qian Ming was grinding ink beside him.

A yamen runner ran in in a panic and told Zhang Jingwei, who was sitting in front of the desk, everything that had happened in the front yamen.

"Bullshit." Zhang Jingwei slammed the book shut, his brows etched with annoyance. "I slept with him, but that was in my past life!"

Qian Ming moved closer, lowering his voice and chuckling flatteringly, "Master, maybe not? Didn't you go to a brothel the night before you took office..."

Zhang Jingwei frowned and thought: "It was clearly another girl that I ordered that day."

Qian Ming just smiled without saying anything, but there was a hint of ambiguity in that smile.

Zhang Jingwei felt uncomfortable because of his laughter and said with a click of his tongue: "Don't stare at me like that. If you say you don't have it, then you don't have it!"

"Now that he's here, why not meet him?" Qian Ming asked tentatively.

"not see!"

Zhao Peixin, the clerk who had been writing furiously at his desk, looked up, pushed his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and slowly advised, "Sir, this matter concerns your reputation. It's better to meet in person. If it gets out, it will damage your official reputation."

Zhang Jingwei rubbed his temples irritably, and waved his hand after a while: "Forget it! Take her to Jiuer!"

……

The courtyard of the pharmacy was filled with the unique fragrance of herbs. Mu Tou was bent over carrying a medicine basket, his bronze arms glistening in the sun. Jiu'er leaned against the door, munching on sugar-roasted melon seeds, occasionally spitting the shells in Mu Tou's direction, drawing a chuckle from the honest man.

Suddenly, Zhang Jingwei's voice broke through the air: "Jiu'er, come out and take my pulse!"

Jiuer reluctantly patted the crumbs off her hands and muttered, "It's almost lunch time. You really know how to pick the right time."

After she heard the whole story, she quickly placed her fingertips on Ningxiang's wrist pulse. Her expression gradually became serious and her brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

"It's definitely a pregnancy pulse..." She withdrew her hand, her tone heavy.

Ningxiang's eyes suddenly turned red, and she looked at Zhang Jingwei with a look of grievance: "Zhang Lang, how could you not believe me?"

Zhang Jingwei scratched his hair, bewildered. "Where did this even begin? When did I ever tell you..."

"It's been three months now." Ningxiang interrupted him, her voice choked with sobs.

"Could it really be the night before I took office?" Zhang Jingwei muttered to himself, then raised his voice, "But we weren't together that night!"

"You were very drunk that night. When Mi Niang helped you into the room, you kept shouting that you wanted to see me." Ning Xiang wiped her eyes. "I knew you had me in your heart, so I took the initiative to stay with you all night."

"You've got it wrong!" Zhang Jingwei slammed the table. "It was Ma Tianmao who got drunk that night. He was the one who kept yelling about looking for you!"

Mu Tou, who had been silent all this time, suddenly patted his chest and said, "I can testify that the young master was very sober that night!"

Jiuer immediately turned around and glared at him, her eyes like knives: "Were you there that night too?"

Mu Tou was speechless for a moment, hesitating, "Uh... no, no..."

"You can't even tell a lie!" Jiuer spat out a mouthful of melon seed shells, "You stinky man!"

Zhang Jingwei spread his hands, his face full of helplessness: "I really didn't have anything to do with you."

Ningxiang's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw: "I have evidence!"

Zhang Jingwei was at a loss for words, a helpless look on his face: "This... is there any evidence for something like this?"

Ningxiang untied a purse embroidered with twin lotus flowers from her waist. With trembling fingers, she pulled out a slightly yellowed piece of paper. The edges were frayed, evidently from frequent handling. She carefully unfolded the paper and handed it to Zhang Jingwei.

"You paid for the head wrap that night with a military banknote." Her voice was soft but clear. "I've been reluctant to cash it. I thought... I might never see you again, so I kept it as a thought. Who would have thought today, I'd have to find my unborn child's biological father?"

Zhang Jingwei took the note, and the moment his fingertips touched the paper, his brows furrowed involuntarily. After taking in the handwriting and seal, he gasped and muttered, "This...I did pay the bill that night with a military bank note..."

His eyes darted back and forth on the bar, his voice filled with confusion. "But I clearly remember giving the money to Mi Niang. No matter how drunk I was that night, I wouldn't have been able to ignore the change of people around me."

Ningxiang's eyes welled with tears, and she choked up, "So you were really drunk that night... so drunk you couldn't even tell who was around you."

Zhang Jingwei suddenly turned his head to look at Mu Tou, but saw that Mu Tou was scratching the back of his head in uncertainty, his eyes wandering towards the herb rack in the yard, and he refused to look him in the eye.

At that moment, Zhang Jingwei felt dizzy and even the stick in his hand felt hot. He even began to doubt his memory - could it be that he was really drunk that night and had misremembered something so important?