He subtly pulled his arm away from her grip and patted her comfortingly.
"You have toiled hard over these years, Empress!"
The affection between husband and wife was undeniable; he couldn't just ignore it. However, it was also a fact that he simply wasn't interested in her anymore. Confronting a woman who spent her days copying Buddhist scriptures, with one foot already in the gates of Buddhism, Zhao Junyao truly felt…
"Emperor, I am not weary, I… I…"
The Empress began to cry, unable to continue speaking.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
Suddenly, urgent knocking came from outside the door.
It was Yu Lan.
"Emperor, Empress, something terrible has happened! The Noble Consort… she's going into labor!"
That statement, like a massive boulder tumbling from a high cliff into a deep pool, sent ripples through everything.
"What?!"
Zhao Junyao and the Empress were both shocked.
"Isn't she… supposed to have over a month left? How could she be…"
