First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

Ningyuan Hou Mansion.

Since Mu Lingye ascended the throne, Ning Hanshuang has been even busier than before in order to help him.

The idea of ​​retreating to the world is, for now, just a dream.

Furthermore, she wanted to go find Su Li herself, but she was worried about Gu Junxi because the Gu poison in her body had not yet been cured and she was pregnant. That's why she didn't leave the capital.

Now, with only Ning Hanshuang and Qin Yue in the vast Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, it feels somewhat deserted.

The arrival of Gu Junxi and Mu Lingye finally brought some life to the mansion, and also brought a smile to Ning Hanshuang's face.

Without a cook, Mu Lingye and Qin Yue cooked themselves, while Gu Junxi and Ning Hanshuang sat in the courtyard enjoying the flowers and brewing tea.

If outsiders knew that a king who ruled the world was washing his hands and cooking for a woman, it would probably shock many people.

Tables and chairs had already been set up in the courtyard, and servants brought out the washed dishes one by one. Mu Lingye and Qin Yue also came out with their own dishes.

The sunlight shone on Mu Lingye and Qin Yue respectively, and the scene was truly beautiful.

Gu Junxi took a sip of hot tea and casually asked, "Mother, when are you going to have a child with Uncle Qin?"

Gu Junxi knew her own body best. Even though Mu Lingye hadn't said anything these days, she knew it had reached a very bad point.

Mu Lingye had concealed his unusual behavior well today, but she still noticed it. She was truly afraid that she might fall into a deep sleep without realizing it.

In this world, she still has many things she cares about and many things she is reluctant to leave behind.

Ning Hanshuang is one of them.

There are still no leads on Su Li. After her death, Ning Hanshuang will definitely be even more lonely. It would be good to have a child to keep her company.

Qin Yue's character has stood the test of time. I believe he will be able to take good care of the child and Ning Hanshuang in the future.

Faced with Gu Junxi's question, Ning Hanshuang shook her head without hesitation.

“I won’t have any more children. Having you all is enough for me in this life. And this is also what your Uncle Qin wanted. He said he doesn’t want to have another child, so you’ll feel that the child is taking away your love.”

He doesn't need any descendants; you are his children. And most importantly, he thinks I'm too old, and pregnancy would be too physically demanding for me; he doesn't want me to go through that kind of pain again.

Originally, she wanted a child to replace her and keep Ning Hanshuang company, but unexpectedly, she ended up being fed dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection). However, hearing how much Qin Yue cared about Ning Hanshuang, Gu Junxi was also very happy and touched.

She smiled and said, "Since this is Uncle Qin's idea, then it's fine."

Gu Junxi and Ning Hanshuang got up and sat down at the table together. Gu Junxi took the initiative to put a piece of cooked beef on Qin Yue's plate: "Father, have some food."

"Okay." Qin Yue was putting the thinly sliced ​​beef tripe into the soup pot, and after it was cooked, he considerately put it into Ning Hanshuang's bowl. When he saw Gu Junxi's actions, he subconsciously responded.

After responding, I suddenly felt a jolt and realized something was wrong.

Gu Junxi actually called him father.

He had been married to Ning Hanshuang for so long, and Gu Junxi had never called him "father" once.

Although he had this thought in his mind, he never had much hope for it.

After all, Gu Junxi already had his own thoughts when he married Ning Hanshuang.

"Shuang'er, pinch me quickly, am I hallucinating?" Qin Yue looked at Ning Hanshuang excitedly.

Ning Hanshuang's smile never faded, and she obediently pinched Qin Yue's arm hard.

"Ouch, that hurts." Qin Yue gasped and exaggeratedly shook his arm.

Mu Lingye respected Gu Junxi very much, and he also felt the warmth of home in the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

This feeling made him feel like he had returned to his childhood, when his mother was still alive.

Mu Lingye showed no airs of a ruler. He also called out, "Father."

This time, he wasn't just stunned, he was shocked. Qin Yue suddenly looked up and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, this is unacceptable."

“Nothing is unacceptable,” Mu Lingye said casually. “In the court, I am the emperor and you are the subject. But in private, Axi calls you father, so you are my father, Mu Lingye’s father.”

Qin Yue still hesitated to agree easily, and looked at Ning Hanshuang questioningly first. Ning Hanshuang saw that Mu Lingye's expression was serious and he didn't seem to be joking. Moreover, after so much time, she already knew Mu Lingye's character well.

Today's words were definitely not a feigned test, so he nodded to Qin Yue, indicating that he could agree.

Seeing this, Qin Yue agreed and said to Mu Lingye, "Okay, then I'll do whatever you say."

The four of them were together, and the atmosphere was harmonious. Mu Qingfu and Zuo Chengfeng arrived at this time. Mu Qingfu casually handed the gifts she brought to the servants, then sat down, lifting her skirt as if she were back in her own home, picking up food and putting it in her mouth.

Mu Qingfu complained as she ate, "They always call me when they're eating hot pot, and luckily I came right away because of the smell. But this hot pot is a bit too bland today. If you ask me, it needs some more chili oil. It tastes better when it's spicy."

She had just put the beef in her mouth, and before she could even chew it twice, she suddenly vomited.

The commotion was so great that he almost vomited bile.

Seeing this, Zuo Chengfeng was alarmed and quickly put down the bowl and chopsticks he had just picked up, and considerately patted Mu Qingfu's back.

“I told you, you haven’t had a good appetite these past few days, so don’t eat spicy food, but you just wouldn’t listen. This soup isn’t even that spicy yet, and you’ve already thrown up. If it were any spicier, you probably would have collapsed.”

Mu Qingfu clutched her chest, then glared at Zuo Chengfeng, saying, "Can you please stop nagging? You're as talkative as my father. I didn't even notice you weren't married. You're such a chatterbox."

"I'm just concerned about you," Zuo Chengfeng smiled.

Gu Junxi poured a cup of tea and handed it to Mu Qingfu. After drinking it, Mu Qingfu seemed to feel a little better and sat up again.

Gu Junxi moved closer to her and held out her hand: "Give me your hand."

"What are you doing?" Mu Qingfu asked, puzzled, but she obediently did as she was told and stretched out her right hand.

Gu Junxi grabbed her wrist directly.

When Mu Qingfu saw Gu Junxi taking her pulse, she blinked even more confusedly.

"Gu Xiaoxi, why are you taking my pulse? Apart from a poor appetite, I don't feel unwell anywhere. Could it be that I've been bewitched like you?"

Gu Junxi didn't answer at first. After a few breaths, once she was sure she had taken the pulse, she withdrew her hand and smiled, saying, "Cousin, congratulations. You're a little over a month pregnant."

"Oh, I'm pregnant? I'm not ready to be a mother yet." Mu Qingfu stood up in surprise.

Zuo Chengfeng was also stunned by the news. He happily stood up and carefully helped Mu Qingfu up, saying, "Madam, please be careful not to hurt the baby in your belly."

Mu Qingfu pulled her hand away from Zuo Chengfeng's, rolling her eyes in annoyance: "What do you mean 'small'? A baby a little over a month old in my belly is probably smaller than my fist. How could I possibly hurt him with a slight movement? And Zuo Chengfeng, it's all your fault. Who told you to get me pregnant? I don't want a child right now."

"Isn't this fate? You can't stop a child from coming." Zuo Chengfeng said cheerfully, letting Mu Qingfu complain.

You can't hit someone who's smiling, and Mu Qingfu just couldn't do anything about Zuo Chengfeng's smirking attitude.

But she was genuinely anxious, and started patting Zuo Chengfeng repeatedly: "What do you mean, 'can you stop him' or 'can't you stop him'? It's all your fault, if it weren't for you..."

Mu Qingfu was too embarrassed to say what she was going to say in front of everyone. But everyone present was married, and they could all imagine what Mu Qingfu had left unsaid.

They all exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

Zuo Chengfeng is impulsive and Mu Qingfu is spirited; both are quite a handful. Their personalities are so similar that they seemed unlikely to ever marry, yet their marriage has turned out to be so harmonious and fulfilling.

Zuo Chengfeng was able to unconditionally tolerate Mu Qingfu. The two almost never argued.

Even if they were to argue, it wouldn't last more than half a quarter of an hour before they made up. Because Zuo Chengfeng would always offer a way out.

Seeing that the people you care about are doing well is something to celebrate and be happy about.

Unconsciously, Gu Junxi lost another thing to worry about.

Mu Qingfu initially couldn't accept the fact that she was pregnant, but later, with Zuo Chengfeng's patient reassurance, she was finally able to accept it.

She kept a straight face, snorted coldly, and sat down. A moment later, she turned to Gu Junxi and said, "Gu Xiaoxi, if you calculate it this way, your child and my child are only three months apart. They can play together after they are born."

"Yes, we can play together." Gu Junxi smiled and patted her belly, but she felt a little disappointed.

She really couldn't be sure if she could safely give birth to the child in her current physical condition.

Mu Lingye's expression darkened slightly when he remembered what Yao Duzhong had said about the dangers of removing the Gu worms.

After the meal, Ning Haitang and the Left Prime Minister's wife jointly went to the Su Prince's Mansion to bring Mu Qingfu back.

After Gu Junxi diagnosed Mu Qingfu as pregnant and comforted Mu Qingfu, Zuo Chengfeng quickly sent the news of Mu Qingfu's pregnancy back to both residences.

The mothers of both households arrived at the same time, showing great tacit understanding.

It was because Prince Su only had Mu Qingfu, and the Left Prime Minister's Mansion only had Zuo Chengfeng as its sole heir.

Now that we have children, we have to raise them like precious treasures.

After seeing Mu Qingfu off, Mu Lingye accompanied Gu Junxi on a long walk through the streets before returning to the palace.

For the rest of the day, Mu Lingye didn't handle any official business and stayed with Gu Junxi. Even when Gu Junxi felt sleepy, he kept talking to her.

"Ah Ling, you're acting very strange today. What happened? Can you tell me?"

Gu Junxi sensed that Mu Lingye's abnormality was becoming more and more obvious, and couldn't help but ask him more questions.

Mu Lingye smiled and lay down on the soft couch with Gu Junxi, massaging her arms and legs as he did so.

"What could possibly happen? It's just some trivial, old-fashioned business of the court. I can handle it all, so don't worry about me. I just feel like I haven't spent enough time with you in a long time, so I wanted to take some time to be with you."

"Really?" Gu Junxi was somewhat skeptical.

Mu Lingye nodded heavily: "Why would I lie to you?"

Seeing that Mu Lingye was so tight-lipped, Gu Junxi didn't press him further. The two chatted about trivial matters, and before they knew it, Gu Junxi had fallen asleep.

Mu Lingye gazed at Gu Junxi's peaceful sleeping face, smiled silently with doting affection, then pulled Gu Junxi into his arms, closed his eyes with her, and even hoped that he could meet Gu Junxi in his dreams.

He had only been awake for a short time when Gu Junxi, who had fallen asleep before him, opened her eyes.