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The corners of Yan Mo Chen's lips curled up. Before he left, he swiped across Yu Zhi Hui's body with a stern expression, then flicked his sleeves and left.

"I bid you farewell, your Imperial Majesty," Yu Zihui said as he bowed towards the back of Xiao'er, who was walking away indifferently.

It wasn't until he watched Yan Mo Chen's figure disappear into the distance that Yu Zihui finally stood up. He turned his head to look at Qiao Qiao who was on the bed and asked in concern:

"Sister Qiao, are you alright? You scared me to death the day before yesterday."

"Hui'er, what happened the day before yesterday? Why did I suddenly faint? " Qiao still had an anxious expression on his face as he tightly held Yu Ziyi's hand.

Yu Zihui's gaze was somewhat evasive. The emperor's gaze before he left was clearly warning her to hide the fact that Qiao Qiao was still pregnant, but she … Helpless, she calmed herself down and said in a panicked voice:

"I don't know either. I was especially scared after you climbed that bridge, Sister Qiao. I couldn't help it, so I followed you up. But before I got on the bridge, you fainted and almost fell into the lake."

Qiao Qiao's eyes, which were still filled with disappointment, couldn't help but flash. Could it be that it was really because her body was weak and unable to endure anymore that she fainted?

However, looking at her normally lively and energetic appearance, how could she possibly be a delicate and charming woman!?

"Sister Qiao, you better not go to that forbidden area again in the future. I heard that ever since the pampered concubine of the previous dynasty died miserably, that place has never been clean. Many people said that they saw the former consort there." Yu Zihui lowered his voice and said slowly to Qiao Qiao, "Who knows, Sister Qiao might suddenly faint because that person did not want Sister Qiao to disturb his quietness!"

Qiao Qiao still frowned. She didn't believe in demons and devils. If Luo Qinglun's ghost was really there, with his hatred for her, he probably wouldn't have just made her faint.

"Since Sister Qiao has already woken up, I am relieved. Sister Qiao, you rest well. I will be leaving first." Yu Zihui comforted Qiao Qiao a few more times before getting up and leaving as well.

Qiao Qiao was still suspiciously lying on the bed, unable to wrap her head around it. Her coma was really strange, she had obviously heard a muffled sound after stepping on the bridge and felt a burst of pain before fainting. How could it be due to her body being weak?

As she thought of this, she couldn't help but get out of bed and put on her shoes, preparing to head over to the forbidden Area's arch bridge to take another look.

"Empress, why have you gotten out of bed?" Die'er entered the room with the black chicken soup in her hand. Seeing that Qiao Qiao was still in bed, she walked up to him with a face full of worry. She placed the chicken soup to the side and held onto Qiao Qiao's arm.

"I'm fine now, don't make such a fuss." Qiao Qiao still waved her hand and smiled helplessly at Die'er. She had only been unconscious for a few days, how could she be that delicate?

"How could it be fine, October …" The word 'pregnant' was forcefully swallowed back into Die'er's mouth. She stuck out her tongue and almost blurted it out.

"October?" Joe asked, still frowning.

"In October, the emperor said he would take the Empress out to burn incense." Die'er changed the topic of conversation and supported Qiao Qiao onto the bed.

"It's only the beginning of the second month, why are you talking about October?" Qiao Qiao couldn't help but furrow his brows and look at Die'er with a puzzled expression.

"Your servant doesn't know. It was just something the emperor casually said when he came here yesterday." Dia braced herself to make up her own lie.

Qiao Qiao still nodded yet didn't speak.

"Empress, this is the Black Chicken Soup from the imperial kitchens that has just been served to nourish the Empress's body." Die'er said this and brought the bowl of soup over, "Can you taste it to your taste?"

Joe still pursed his lips and smacked them.

"Hmm, the taste is pretty good."

"Esteemed wangfei, drink as much as you want. Come, drink." Die'er's face lit up as she brought all the chicken soup over. The emperor had given her an order, and from today onwards, the Empress's food would be strictly screened. A bowl of sooty chicken soup was essential.

Qiao Qiao's brows were still slightly knitted and her gaze unconsciously fell on Die'er. Why did she feel that Die'er was strange today? Today, she had just woken up. It was as if she had seen everyone's strange expressions …

​

Just like that, Qiao Qiao's daily life was still blocked by Die'er. For ten days in a row, she didn't take a single step out of the Palace's main entrance. With the excuse that her body was too weak and needed some rest, he forcefully forced her to drink the black chicken soup for a whole ten days.

"Empress, come. Today's chicken soup." Today, Die'er came in with a bowl of soup as usual, only to see Qiao Qiao still looking at her with a pitiful expression on her face.

"It's useless. Quickly drink it." Die'er faced Qiao and did not compromise at all. She just carried the bowl of soup as usual. Her pitiful appearance as the Empress appeared on the third day of drinking the chicken soup. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.

"Dia'Er, I've already drank chicken soup for ten days. Ten days, ten days, do you know what that means? "Furthermore, I haven't stepped out of the door for ten days. I am about to suffocate from not leaving the door and not leaving the door at all …" Qiao Qiao decided to act like a scoundrel and lay on the bed covered by a blanket as he spoke.

During these ten days, it was as if the people inside and outside the palace had all agreed upon something, and they came to a tacit understanding with each other, blocking her way and forcing her to drink chicken soup. It was hard to fly even if she was trapped inside the palace with wings, and even the provocative Fang Rou had disappeared without a trace.

"Empress, please wake up. The soup should be cold in a bit." Butterfly sighed. She naturally knew the temper of her own mistress, and if she continued to be bored like this, she would most likely become ill. But without the emperor's decree, none of them would dare risk letting the Empress roam the streets. If something happened and hurt the little prince in her stomach, they wouldn't be able to afford the loss even if they had ten lives.

"Die'er …" Qiao Qiao revealed his head pitifully, blankly looking at Die'er, "There is no room for discussion?"

"Empress …" Die'er frowned, and lightly shook her head.

"I want to see Yan Mo Chen!" Qiao Qiao's face was still cold as he stood up from the bed, intending to charge out.

Of course she knew that her current restriction was due to Yan Mo Chen's orders. Besides, in these ten days, other than the others who were not by her side, even Yan Mo Chen had disappeared.

"Empress, the Empress has an important matter on her hands right now, Empress." Die'er was helpless. Seeing that Qiao was still striding towards the door, she immediately put down the chicken soup and chased after him.

"Bang ~!" Before Joe could get out the door, he hit a wall of flesh on his back.

"Be careful!" Yan Mo Chen's hands were quick. Before he even had the chance to reprimand him, he waved his arm and hugged Qiao who almost fell to the ground tightly.

Qiao Qiao's vision was still blurry for a moment. He stabilized his body, straightened his back, and with his hands on his waist, he rudely shouted at Yan Mo Chen:

"You came just in time. I was looking for you."

"Looking for me?" Yan Mo Chen frowned. These few days, he had been busy with official affairs. He joined forces to impeach this girl, so he did not have the time to look at her. He did not expect her to be so restless.

"I've been lying in the Palace for ten days, drinking chicken soup for ten days!" Qiao Qiao's face was still grave as he scolded Yan Mo Chen.

After Yan Mo Chen heard this, his lips curled up into a slight smile. Hearing her words, he could not help but nod his head and praise, "That's right, we will continue to be like this in the future."

"You …!" Qiao Qiao still rolled his eyes and pointed at Yan Mo Chen angrily, "I'm going to suffocate to death."

"Then go out and relax." Yan Mo Chen said indifferently.

"Really?" Qiao Qiao's eyebrows remained raised with a face full of joy.

"Right." Yan Mo Chen nodded lovingly. He had come today to take this girl out for a stroll. It would truly be hard for her to be cooped up in the hall all day.

Qiao Qiao's face was still overjoyed. He raised his foot and was about to leave the palace.

"Be careful!" Yan Mo Chen's face was filled with worry. He raised his hand and held onto Qiao Qiao's hand tightly, "I will accompany you."

"No need!" With him around, how was she going to go to the forbidden area and investigate?

"No." Yan Mo Chen's cold eyebrows swept across his face. He clearly knew what this woman wanted to do, but no matter what, she was still pregnant. He could not let her take the risk again.

What West Bamboo Garden, what mastermind behind the scenes, what forbidden grounds of the imperial palace, he did not want to pursue any further. Right now, he only wanted Qiao Qiao to safely give birth to a child.

Just like this, for the first time in the past ten days that Qiao Qiao had been cooped up, Yan Mo Chen accompanied her out. For the first time in the next ten days that Qiao Qiao was still cooped up, Yan Mo Chen accompanied her out.

At the beginning of February, the imperial garden was also bare, but Joe was still standing there. The poking, the peeking, the feeling of a pair of sharp, taut eyes staring at her from behind made her feel uncomfortable all over.

He did not know what had happened to Yan Mo Chen now, but ever since he took her out of the Cold Palace, he seemed to have become a different person. He was filled with hatred back then, and he spoke with cold words and continuously mocked and ridiculed her.

Could it be that he had seen Qingwu in private and heard Qingwu defend her?

This... That shouldn't be the case. If he knew that she entered the Demon Palace to exterminate the palace and hurt him intentionally, he would have revealed the truth to her instead of suddenly becoming a completely different person.

Qiao Qiao could not help but shake her head. She thought about it and could not understand why Yan Mo Chen had undergone such a huge change.

However, what she did not know was that just as she was thinking about walking around the garden with Yan Mo Chen, a dark and strict gaze fell on Qiao Qiao. After staring for a long while, she quietly left.