The smile on A’jiao’s face froze, and she turned her head slightly to avoid Liu Che’s gaze.
The Emperor turned her face back toward him. “What is it?” Suddenly remembering that A’jiao had never borne a child in the past, he added, “Do not fear. I will have the Imperial Medical Department examine you thoroughly.”
Gazing into the Emperor’s eyes, A’jiao’s voice felt airy and distant. “In the past, the physicians also said there was nothing wrong with my body. And yet, in the end, there was never a child.”
Liu Che sighed, his brow furrowing slightly. “That was the past...”
He glanced around and saw Yang Deyi’s silhouette hidden behind the curtains. He commanded, “Yang Deyi, go. Bring the Imperial Physician-in-Chief and several female physicians specialized in gynecology here at once.”
A flicker of panic rose in A’jiao’s eyes, and she moved to stop him. Tugging on Liu Che’s sleeve, she pleaded coquettishly, “Che’er, let it be.”
Liu Che arched an eyebrow, reaching out with his large hand to clasp A’jiao’s jade-like fingers. “Do not be afraid. A proper examination is for the best.”
With an uneasy heart, A’jiao allowed herself to be held in Liu Che’s half-embrace. She was afraid; a child was the one longing she could never fulfill in her past life, a wound she still could not face with composure. If they diagnosed some incurable ailment now, she didn't think she could handle it.
Even if they found nothing, she could not be at peace.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.* Her heart began to race.
A hand pressed against her chest, and Liu Che’s voice sounded in her ear. “Don’t be afraid. I am here.”
“What use is Your Majesty being here? Things will be as they are regardless.”
Two Imperial Physicians-in-Chief entered, followed by six middle-aged women dressed with meticulous neatness.
After the group performed their salutations, Liu Che spoke bluntly, ordering them to examine A’jiao to see if her body was capable of conception.
His directness left the officials stunned for a moment. Seeing that neither of the two nobles showed any sign of discomfort, they grew bold enough to step forward.
“Speak only of whether she can conceive. No nonsense,” Liu Che commanded as Yu Li placed a silk veil over A’jiao’s fair wrist.
Physician-in-Chief Qin was the first to step forward. He extended two fingers, thin as withered branches, and pressed them to her wrist, carefully reading her pulse.
“She can,” Physician-in-Chief Qin nodded and stepped back.
Physician-in-Chief Chang stepped forward next.
“She can.”
“She can.”
...
Hearing that single word repeated over and over, A’jiao felt her heart tighten painfully. By the time she had heard it ten times, she felt lightheaded, as if wandering through a dream.
Liu Che glanced at her expression, then turned back to the medical officers. “Then return and draw up a regimen for Lady Chen to prepare for pregnancy.” He turned to A’jiao, stroking her flat belly. “You heard them. Rest easy.”
Once the physicians had withdrawn, A’jiao slumped weakly into Liu Che’s arms. He took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her brow, whispering, “What was there to fear? Look at you, drenched in sweat.”
A’jiao looked up and snapped, “What the hell do you know!”
Liu Che: “?” *She actually used profanity!*
A’jiao huffed twice and buried her head in the quilts. For some reason, her mind drifted back to the late summer of the fifth year of Yuanguang. That summer had been sweltering, yet her days had felt like falling into a pit of ice.
Back then, she had treated that witchcraft as her only salvation, praying day and night that the sorcery would grant her a child... Chu Fu. A’jiao suddenly ground her teeth in silent rage.
She had trusted that woman so much, yet Chu Fu had trapped and ruined her so cruelly. It was a pity that in the Underworld’s "Place of Departure," one could not track the destination of mortal ghosts without a divine decree from a High Deity. Otherwise, she would have hunted Chu Fu down for revenge long ago!
She balled her hand into a fist and thumped the bed.
Liu Che turned his head to look at her, puzzled.
***
A few days later, Liu Che, having recovered significantly, took A’jiao to the rumored "Seeking Immortals Pavilion."
This was a place of prayer Liu Che had specifically commissioned for the occultists he had recruited. The structure was grand and imposing, yet decorated with extravagant flair—orchid-scented steps, cassia-wood pillars, and a magnificent golden luster. There was also a high terrace used for stargazing.
A’jiao wore a simple veiled bamboo hat and a scarlet fox-fur cloak, following gracefully behind the Emperor.
Zhu Haiguang watched the back-and-forth between the Emperor and Lady Chen. The Emperor tried to take the lady’s hand, but she evaded him. He didn't get angry; instead, he reached inside her cloak and forcibly pulled her hand out to hold it.
After exchanging a few words with Zhu Haiguang, the Emperor was invited onto the high terrace. Below the terrace, two sacrificial altars had been set up facing the front.
Zhu Haiguang had ordered the altars prepared days ago, complete with shrines and various offerings. Huan Jiujun and Chou Zhuang, who had spent several days bathing and purifying their minds, stood before their respective altars, casting arrays and drawing talismans.
Standing on the high terrace, A’jiao felt fortunate to be wearing the veiled hat; otherwise, this wind would have chapped her face raw. She glanced at the Emperor, thinking privately that perhaps his skin had grown thick with age—but why did he have to drag her hand out to be dried by the wind!
She forcibly tucked her hand back inside before looking down at the two men below. Chou Zhuang was a tall, handsome man—but he was shrouded in a deathly miasma, identical to the one surrounding Wei Qing!
A’jiao’s gaze sharpened instantly. She asked softly, “This Chou Zhuang... he was recommended by the Eldest Princess... no, by Princess Dangli.”
Liu Che was surprised. “You guessed it? So certain?”
A’jiao let out a laugh that was muffled by the wind. “He claims I am an evil spirit, but from where I stand, he looks like the evil one!” With that, she began walking down the terrace.
Speaking of which, she had been so preoccupied with her "miscarriage" scheme lately that she hadn't found time to check on Wei Qing. She didn't know how he was faring, but since she had reported the matter to Lord Shen, the Underworld should be handling it.
“What are you doing?” Liu Che grabbed her.
She turned back, lifting a gap in the veil of her hat. “Since this man wants to verify my identity, I naturally must go and test his abilities!”
Liu Che kept a firm grip on her, whispering, “Don't be reckless. Be careful not to get hurt!”
A’jiao gave him a reassuring smile before continuing slowly down the terrace.
She kept her cloak wrapped tightly around her, her hand already secretly summoning her Official Tablet. Though she didn't know this man’s origins, with the tablet in hand—at worst, she would just return to the Underworld!
As if sensing something, Huan Jiujun and Chou Zhuang looked up simultaneously to see A’jiao approaching.
Drawing talismans required a focused and tranquil mind; interruptions were unwelcome. Standing behind the Emperor on the terrace, Zhu Haiguang wanted to stop A’jiao from nearing the altars. He turned to the Emperor. “Your Majesty...”
“It is fine,” the Emperor cut him off directly. “If a talisman fails just because someone walks by, then they might as well get out of my palace.”
Huan Jiujun took one look and immediately lowered his head to continue. Having been interrupted, his brushwork faltered; this talisman was ruined. He calmly reached for a fresh sheet of paper.
Chou Zhuang also knew the talisman under his hand was ruined. A flash of irritation appeared in his eyes as he crumpled the half-finished paper into a ball and set it aside.
A’jiao walked over with a smile, her hands hidden in her sleeves. She first approached Huan Jiujun and lightly tapped the ruined talisman. The residual spiritual energy on the paper sensed the aura of the Official Tablet and leaped up joyfully, clinging to A’jiao’s hand.
Huan Jiujun watched as A’jiao carried that clump of spiritual energy toward Chou Zhuang. He spat inwardly. *As a Ghost Official, she’s actually using the spiritual energy I worked so hard to gather to strike someone? How shameless.*
He didn't realize that A’jiao only knew simple incantations and couldn't yet gather external spiritual energy on her own. In a true contest of cultivation, she was not as powerful as Huan Jiujun.
Chou Zhuang watched A’jiao approach, a sense of wariness rising within him.
A’jiao walked over beaming. As she drew closer, she realized Chou Zhuang’s power was strange—it didn't seem to belong to him. Though this power swirled around him for him to command, it did not originate from his own essence. The closer she got, the more concentrated and obvious the deathly miasma on him became.
A’jiao gripped her Official Tablet tightly, conjuring a barrier around herself as she stepped forward.
*He cannot see my magic.*
A’jiao suddenly realized this, and a thought struck her: *This man... he truly seems to be one of those who used foul methods to be reborn, just as he claimed.*
She slowed her pace.
Chou Zhuang hurriedly finished his final stroke. Seeing A’jiao right beside him, he didn't stop to think and swung the talisman in his hand toward her.
Liu Che, startled, took several steps forward. Seeing no abnormality below, he forced himself to stop. Zhu Haiguang also watched the situation below with rapt attention.
A’jiao smiled as she peeled the talisman off her body. A *Cleansing and Ghost-Slaying Incantation*. He certainly had a strong intent to kill!
She held the talisman out, smiling elegantly. “Master Chou, hold onto this tightly. We wouldn't want it to be blown away by the wind before the trial even begins!”
Chou Zhuang’s pupils shrank, his face filled with utter disbelief. The woman before him held the talisman between two fingers, her skin appearing even fairer in the winter light.
If an ordinary ghost had touched this talisman, they would have been injured no matter how strong their power. How could she be completely unharmed?
Could he have been wrong? Had Liu Qing misled him?
Chou Zhuang’s expression turned grim. He looked up. The Emperor stood on the high terrace, his face indifferent and his gaze inscrutable, yet Chou Zhuang could not help but shudder.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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太医属 | Imperial Medical Department | The government office in charge of medical affairs and physicians.
妇科 | Gynecology | Specifically referring to the branch of medicine for women.
女医 | Female Physician | Women trained in medicine, often used for noblewomen.
元光 | Yuanguang | An era name of Emperor Wu of Han (134–129 BC).
楚服 | Chu Fu | A historical figure, a sorceress associated with Empress Chen Jiao's downfall.
寻仙阁 | Seeking Immortals Pavilion | A fictional or specific location for occult practices.
方士 | Occultist / Fangshi | Practitioners of magic, alchemy, and divination.
兰阶桂柱 | Orchid steps and cassia pillars | A literary description of a luxurious and fragrant building.
当利公主 | Princess Dangli | Also known as Wei Chang (Eldest Princess), daughter of Emperor Wu and Wei Zifu.
除秽灭鬼咒 | Cleansing and Ghost-Slaying Incantation | A specific type of hostile talisman meant to destroy spirits.
