The physician, under the scrutiny of everyone, couldn't help but feel nervous. He spoke, "Your Highness, Her Highness is indeed not pregnant, but she is in good health and will surely conceive soon."
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, worried that if the Prince was displeased, he would be punished.
However, Jun Yelan merely nodded, already aware of this. "You may go."
The physician quickly departed.
Lan Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Madam Li and the others, "Now you know, right?" What a massive misunderstanding.
Madam Li looked regretful. Since the physician said Lan Yan was healthy, her gaze shifted to Jun Yelan. After all, Jun Yelan had been bedridden for so many years, his body was likely too weak.
Tonight, she had to prepare a nourishing soup to strengthen Jun Yelan's body. With this thought, she headed back to the kitchen.
Xia Lian, along with Lan Yue, also left to explain the situation to the household staff.
Upon hearing that the Princess's pregnancy was false, everyone sighed.
Lan Yan remained with Jun Yelan. "Your Highness, my mother was just worried and acted rashly." If she had been diagnosed as pregnant, it would have been a real disaster.
Jun Yelan nodded, relieved that Lan Yan was unharmed.
In the evening, Lan Yan went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks, only to find Madam Li packing away jars. She curiously asked, "Mother, what are you doing now?"
Madam Li smiled mysteriously, "Little Yan, why are you still here?"
Lan Yan was puzzled, "Then where should I be?"
"In your room, of course." Madam Li pulled Lan Yan into the corridor and said with a smile, "Mother has cooked a nourishing soup for the Prince. Xia Lian has already taken it over. This soup isn't enough if drunk for just one day; it needs to be consumed for seven consecutive days."
Lan Yan was stunned. She and Jun Yelan hadn't reached that stage yet. No, she had to stop Jun Yelan from drinking the soup. What if Jun Yelan's health was compromised! "Mother, I have something to attend to. I must go."
She ran towards their room.
Madam Li, still trailing behind, muttered, "Do you have to rush like that?"
In the room at that moment, Jun Yelan looked at the soup Xia Lian brought and frowned. "What is this?"
"Madam Li prepared it, and she said for Your Highness to drink it all in one go," Xia Lian giggled.
Jun Yelan's brows tightened; he disliked the taste of the soup. However, it was his mother-in-law's gesture, so he picked up the bowl and drank it in one gulp. What was this taste? It was strange.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and Lan Yan rushed in. Seeing the bowl on the table, completely empty, her mind went blank. She cried out, "Your Highness, you drank it all!"
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's distressed expression, wondering if the soup had been poisoned! "Lan Yan, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just that there's only this bowl, and I wanted to try it too." Lan Yan waved her hand and, feeling conflicted, walked towards the bed, unable to sleep even after lying down.
Jun Yelan, sleeping on the floor, heard the sounds from the bed and looked up at Lan Yan. Did Lan Yan still have her heart set on that bowl of soup? But the taste was really unpleasant.
"If you want to drink it, I'll ask your mother to cook another bowl tomorrow."
Lan Yan wasn't worried about that. She sat up and asked, "Your Highness, are you really not feeling unwell?" The reaction shouldn't be like this.
Jun Yelan became even more confused, suspecting something had been added to the soup. "What was in it just now?"
Caught off guard by the question, Lan Yan's eyes darted away. Then, she felt it wasn't right to hide it.
She replied softly, "It's nothing much, just a little tonic was added. I was worried it might conflict with Your Highness's constitution, so I asked."
Jun Yelan, recalling the events of the day and the tonic from the evening, suddenly understood. Seeing Lan Yan's constant worry, his eyes dimmed slightly. Was she worried about him touching her?
He shook his head. "I'm fine. Go to sleep peacefully." He lay down and thumped his leg under the covers, but his leg remained unresponsive no matter what he did.
In his current state, he wouldn't do anything to Lan Yan, especially since she was unwilling.
Lan Yan, thinking it was the medicine's effect and that everything was alright, soon fell asleep.
Jun Yelan, listening to her breathing, did not sleep for the entire night.
Early the next morning, an imperial decree arrived: "Recently, the number of disaster victims has increased. Each mansion is to set up a porridge stall outside and arrange for people to provide food for the victims." The eunuch delivering the decree also brought a chest of gold and said to Jun Yelan, "His Majesty is concerned for Your Highness. The funds have been prepared."
Lan Yan, beside Jun Yelan, took the chest and smiled, "Thank you, Eunuch. You've worked hard." She gave a small pouch of silver to the eunuch.
The eunuch's face immediately lit up with joy. "Thank you, Your Highness. However, this old servant cannot accept it." He dared not accept the Prince's money, as it would offend not only the Prince but also the Emperor.
"Your Highness, this is an excellent opportunity to turn your reputation around. This old servant heard that the Grand Prince has sent his close confidants, and the other mansions' masters are personally present. His Majesty greatly values this opportunity."
Lan Yan understood immediately. "Thank you, Eunuch." After seeing the eunuch off, she instructed Xia Lian, "Arrange for people to set up a porridge stall and make some steamed buns. I will personally go later."
Xia Lian went to carry out the task.
Jun Yelan worried that Lan Yan would be overworked and said, "You don't need to go personally. Let Xia Lian go."
"Your Highness, what the eunuch just said is very likely His Majesty's intention. We cannot lose to the Grand Prince. Moreover, the Grand Prince cannot leave his mansion right now, which is our opportunity," Lan Yan murmured.
She wanted to improve Jun Yelan's reputation and put the Grand Prince and others in their place.
Jun Yelan looked at Lan Yan's determined expression and agreed. "I'll go with you." The disaster victims might not be entirely safe.
"Alright, we'll go together," Lan Yan smiled.
After preparing the porridge stall, Lan Yan, as Jun Yelan had instructed, wore a veil and, with Jun Yelan, began serving porridge to the disaster victims.
When the disaster victims heard that there were steamed buns here, they flocked to the spot and saw a pair of elegantly attired man and woman. Although both were veiled, their presence exuded an extraordinary aura.
They did not dare to look too much, collected their portions, and went to eat nearby. "Mmm, this porridge is so sweet, and these steamed buns are soft too." They bit into them happily.
Not far away, at the entrance of the Grand Prince's mansion, the steward poured a bag of rice into a pot and filled it with water, making it very thin. He covered his nose, looked at the disaster victims before him with disdain, and scooped up a ladleful.
A disaster victim looked at his half-bowl of water and said, "Can you give me a little more?"
"Scram quickly. Be grateful you're getting anything to eat." If the steward hadn't found him dirty, he would have pushed him away. He casually tossed the ladle back into the pot, splashing water all over the victim.
The victim was instantly angered but dared not speak out. He saw people returning from next door with large steamed buns and turned towards the Third Prince's mansion.
The remaining people followed suit.
The steward, seeing that his mansion was deserted, realized how disadvantageous this was for the Grand Prince.
He quickly led his men over, kicked a sack of rice at the stall's entrance, and shouted, "Your Third Prince's mansion is going too far, snatching people from our Grand Prince's mansion! Give us an explanation immediately!"