Upon returning to the palace, Jun Yelan saw a line of ministers standing at the palace gates, all staring at him. He frowned; such a grand assembly could only mean trouble.
The ministers called out in unison, "We implore the Lord-Consort to consider the Imperial Heir and allow the Empress to take new consorts." They believed that the lack of heirs was due to too few individuals in the harem.
Jun Yelan's eyes darkened as he looked at them coldly. "Ministers, it would be best for you to return today." He had no intention of agreeing and walked directly towards the palace gates.
However, the ministers were unwilling to leave, shouting at Jun Yelan, "Lord-Consort, you should think for the Empress."
Jun Yelan paused, clenched his fist, and walked into the palace.
Behind him, the ministers could only sigh, "Never mind." They turned back with resignation.
After returning to his chambers, Jun Yelan was restless, thinking of the ministers' words. He called out, "Someone, summon the imperial physician." He sat down in frustration, wondering if there was something wrong with his own body.
The palace maid quickly went to fetch the imperial physician. Worried that the Lord-Consort might have been injured outside, she also informed Lan Yan.
Lan Yan was on her way back from court. "What? Yelan summoned the imperial physician?" The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. She lifted her skirt and ran towards the sleeping quarters, calling out in a panic, "Yelan."
At this moment, besides Jun Yelan, the imperial physician was also in the room.
Seeing Lan Yan covered in sweat, Jun Yelan got up and walked to her, asking with concern, "Yan'er, what's wrong?"
"Are you injured?" Lan Yan grabbed Jun Yelan's sleeve, still panting heavily.
Jun Yelan quickly poured Lan Yan a cup of water and helped her sit down. "Yan'er, I'm fine."
Lan Yan immediately relaxed, then looked at the imperial physician standing to the side. "But you never summoned an imperial physician before. Why now?" She scrutinized the physician, sensing something was amiss.
The imperial physician trembled all over and knelt. "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Lord-Consort's body is in excellent health, nor is he injured. This minister is willing to guarantee it with his head." This was also the truth.
Jun Yelan waved his hand. "You are not needed here. Withdraw."
He took Lan Yan's hand and saw her skeptical expression. He couldn't help but pinch her nose and smile, "Yan'er, I just wanted to check if there were any hidden ailments. After seeing the imperial physician, I feel much more at ease."
"Why did you suddenly think of this?" Lan Yan recalled what happened at court that morning and wondered if Jun Yelan already knew. She said, "Yelan, don't pay them any mind. I will not take any new consorts."
She hugged Jun Yelan and murmured, "Having you is enough for me."
Jun Yelan's eyes brightened. He stroked Lan Yan's back and said, "I feel the same. But Yan'er, if I cannot have an heir, you will be attacked by those court officials."
"I don't care about them," Lan Yan said with a hint of a spoiled tone. Seeing Jun Yelan's somber expression, she tugged at his face. She smiled and said, "Yelan, I love you. It has nothing to do with whether we have children."
Her previous world had no children, and this world would naturally not have any either. However, she always saw a child's smiling face in her mind, though she couldn't see it clearly.
It couldn't be helped, her memories from her previous world were rather hazy.
Jun Yelan's pupils trembled slightly as he held the person in his arms tighter. Why was his Yan'er so good to him? It made him even more selfish, wanting to possess Yan'er entirely and unable to accept taking new consorts.
"Yelan, we can cultivate a daughter from the imperial clan in the future. That little girl Prime Minister Lin captured last time is quite good. I'll have a minister teach her."
Jun Yelan nodded. If they were unable to have children in the future, this might be the best solution.
Seeing that Jun Yelan had come to a decision, Lan Yan released him and smiled, "Alright, you just returned. Let's have dinner."
"Mm," Jun Yelan smiled and dined with Lan Yan, no longer mentioning what had happened earlier.
The next morning, Lan Yan attended court and announced her idea of cultivating a daughter from the imperial clan.
The ministers were shocked. "Your Majesty, this might not be appropriate. Why not take a new consort and try again?"
"There's no need," Lan Yan waved her hand. She put her hand to her forehead, feigning great sadness, and sighed, "Ministers, I know you are thinking of me."
"However, I summoned the imperial physician yesterday and discovered that it is my body that is not well, which is why it is difficult to have an heir. Because of me, the Lord-Consort cannot have his own children his entire life, which is already very pitiful. I truly cannot bear to take new consorts and hurt his heart."
"It is I who have wronged him!" She even squeezed out two tears, making her appear even more pitiful.
The ministers were stunned in place. They had not expected the Empress to be the one with the problem. Thinking about how they had pressured the Lord-Consort yesterday, they felt a pang of guilt and cried out, "Your Majesty, we were wrong. We will never mention this matter again."
Lan Yan looked up and smiled, "Good." Her face showed no trace of the sadness from before.
The ministers did not notice. After the court session, they spontaneously went to the entrance of Jun Yelan's palace and called out, "Lord-Consort, we offended you yesterday and have come today to apologize."
"You are willing to be the villain to protect the Empress's reputation. You truly deserve this position of Lord-Consort. From now on, we will only recognize you as our Lord-Consort." After saying this, they left, telling their sons to hurry and get married, and that entering the palace was no longer an option.
Jun Yelan, inside the palace, listened to these words with some confusion. When he heard the news passed on by the palace maid, he finally understood what Lan Yan had done for him again.
Too many emotions surged within him – love for Lan Yan, and also heartache. His Yan'er had truly endured too much. From now on, he would use all his might to be good to Yan'er.
If Yan'er were to meet with misfortune, he would not be able to live either.
As soon as Lan Yan entered the room, she saw the determined look in Jun Yelan's eyes and wondered what had happened. Seeing Jun Yelan looking at her, she smiled and took out two masks from behind her. "Yelan, tonight is a festival. Let's go out of the palace."
She hadn't been out of the palace for a long time.
"Good," Jun Yelan took the other mask, took Lan Yan's hand, and left the palace gates.
Seeing Jun Yelan as usual, Lan Yan no longer dwelled on the previous matter. Everyone had their little secrets; why should she pry?
When she arrived at the marketplace, she was captivated by the fireworks and acrobats, exclaiming, "Wow, Yelan, he's spitting fire from his mouth!"
"Mm," Jun Yelan stood beside her, blocking the approaching commoners, a smile on his lips. He glanced in the direction Lan Yan was looking. Although the fire-breathing performance was impressive, it did not attract him as much as the woman beside him.
He couldn't help but shift his gaze back to Lan Yan, her eyes seeming to sparkle with stars.
Lan Yan was completely engrossed in the fire-breathing performance and didn't realize Jun Yelan was watching her. After she finished watching, she turned her head and suddenly met Jun Yelan's gaze, her heart accelerating again, and for a moment, everything around them fell silent.
The fireworks beside them burst forth, and the specks of starlight encircled them, yet they did not disturb them.