During lunch, Zhao Hao again appeared with a very pale makeup.
Old Madam Lin and Mother Lin were very reserved. Then they watched their grandson familiarly serve the Princess Fu An, and instructed her to eat more. The princess also responded obediently.
Only then did they believe that the princess was indeed as Lin Yan had said, with a very good temper.
After finishing the meal with guilt towards the princess and reverence for her status, Old Madam Lin and Mother Lin let him go back to rest, and also asked Lin Yan to accompany him.
Lin Yan returned to her room with Zhao Hao.
Once there were no outsiders, Zhao Hao no longer needed Lin Yan to support him. He curiously looked at everything in the room. He had been too nervous last night to get a good look at the room.
Before lunch, he had been worried that the two elders of the Lin family would not like him and had no energy to look around. Now that he was finally at ease, he could properly look at Lin Yan's bedroom.
Upon inspection, he found that there wasn't much in the room. Lin Yan had very few personal belongings, and many things were brought by him.
"Do you want to read? Shall I get some books from the study for you?" Lin Yan also realized he was bored and asked.
"Let's go together, Yan Ge."
"That's fine. You can also look around for books you like yourself." After speaking, they walked towards the study together.
On the morning of the third day after the wedding, Lin Yan and Zhao Hao changed into their formal attire and went to the palace to express their gratitude.
Zhao Hao was still being supported along the way, appearing so weak that it seemed difficult for him to breathe.
Zhao Hao was an old hand at feigning illness, and his performance was so convincing that even Lin Yan, a doctor, found it very realistic.
As soon as they arrived at the palace gate, a royal carriage came to pick them up. They entered the palace together, then separated at the entrance of the inner palace. Lin Yan went to pay respects to the Emperor, while Zhao Hao headed to the Empress's palace.
When Lin Yan met the Emperor, the Emperor acted like a concerned elder, urging Lin Yan to take good care of Zhao Hao.
"Fu An is my imperial brother's only daughter, and her health is poor. I do not wish for her to suffer any mistreatment."
"Your subject dares not," Lin Yan replied immediately after bowing.
"I know you dare not. You are the consort I chose for Fu An. I trust you, which is why I am entrusting Fu An to you. You must treat her well, understand?"
"Your subject obeys. I will certainly not fail the Princess."
Lin Yan's reply pleased the Emperor greatly. After asking her a few more questions, he let her leave.
Although the Emperor wished for Zhao Hao to die, he still wanted her to have a good final stage of her life.
The Empress also did not keep Zhao Hao for long. After all, with him appearing so weak that he needed support to walk and struggled to catch his breath, she was afraid he might faint in her palace.
After a brief meeting and a few casual questions, she bestowed many gifts upon him. Upon hearing that the Emperor had already summoned Lin Yan, she dismissed Zhao Hao.
The visit to the palace was almost entirely spent on travel. By the time they reached the prince's manor, it was just in time for lunch.
After lunch, Lin Yan spoke with the Princess Consort about asking her grandmother and mother to return with the Princess Consort.
"We are all in-laws, there is no such thing as trouble. I will have people escort them back safely. However, won't you stay longer, my in-law?"
The Princess Consort definitely had to return soon. She had been staying in the capital for quite some time, and there were likely many accumulated matters in the prince's manor that she needed to attend to.
"My grandmother and mother are not accustomed to the capital and feel more comfortable in our hometown."
"Your hometown is indeed more nurturing than the capital. This capital is too cold."
Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, several months had passed since Old Madam Lin and the others left. Lin Yan and the others had also moved to the Princess's manor.
This Princess's manor was supervised by the Ministry of Works. Apart from Zhao Hao's personal attendants and a few servants from the Lin family, all the sweeping, cleaning, and guarding staff were sent by the Imperial Household Department.
With so many outsiders, Zhao Hao and Lin Yan became even more cautious in their actions. However, when the two of them were alone, they would dismiss everyone else, which gave them some freedom.
It was just that despite Zhao Hao's constant illness, he had still not passed away, which greatly disappointed the Emperor. Not only did he stop sending gifts to the Princess's manor, but his attitude towards Lin Yan also became much colder.
"It seems I have implicated Yan Ge."
"What do you mean implicated? Aren't we husband and wife, of one heart?" Seeing a hint of blush on Zhao Hao's face, Lin Yan found it rather amusing.
Taking advantage of her identity as a man now, she teased Zhao Hao, and seeing the blush on his face felt truly novel.
"Yes, husband and wife, of one heart. It's just, when will Yan Ge give me the consummation of our marriage?" Zhao Hao suddenly said something astonishing.
"Cough!" The tea Lin Yan was about to drink was spat out. Who was this person before her? It was definitely not her innocent and naive An'an!
"This, let's talk about it when you're older," Lin Yan tapped his forehead with her finger.
These past few months, Lin Yan had not been idle. Ever since she met the Emperor in the palace that time, she had discovered that the Emperor's outwardly strong appearance hid an inner weakness.
Moreover, several of his sons had already come of age. After some time, when the male lead returned, there would be nearly seven adult princes in the capital.
The position of Crown Prince was undecided, and the Empress had no children. New young princes were continuously appearing.
This created a sense of crisis among these princes. After all, their father was still vigorous, as evidenced by the continuously pregnant concubines.
And these grown princes were not favored by the Emperor at all. He preferred and favored the younger princes more.
They had to make their own plans and all desired to ascend to that position. They were all sons of the Emperor; why shouldn't they contend for it?
Lin Yan fanned the flames among them. Although the princes were still peaceful at the moment, it was only on the surface.
This was only the first step. Once those people began to take sides, she would start to watch these princes engage in internal strife.
The strategies against those princes were devised together by Lin Yan and Zhao Hao. Although Lin Yan was the main strategist, Zhao Hao's role was not to be underestimated.
Zhao Hao had also matured considerably over these months. In addition, his height had begun to increase.
Perhaps because he had been suppressed for too long, his height had grown particularly fast in recent months, causing him to suffer from leg pain and cramps every night.
Lin Yan could only try to supplement him with calcium, and this was also the reason for his persistent illness.
If outsiders saw his current height, they would surely doubt his gender. After all, what sickly young girl would grow so tall?
With his own growth, Zhao Hao also felt relieved. He had truly feared being shorter than Lin Yan, as his male pride could not have endured that.