t very superior, which left me feeling a little confused.“Mu Xiaoqiao, it seems the Emperor is quite fond of you. He specifically requested that you serve him... Here, this is the room card for Xiaomi...This young girl, Zhu Jin, is quite close to me. Last time, she even brought me hot water in the middle of the night. She's very straightforward and honest, saying what's on her mind. I trust her a lot.

Mu Wanchen seemed to have received some letter, and told me to take care of it for a while, so he put on his cloak and left temporarily. Zhu Jin quickly got me some hot water.

“My dear little princess, why did you appear so suddenly We’ve been working tirelessly, preparing for your wedding. We had everything ready beforehand, but then the earthquake happened. The storeroom collapsed, covering everything in dust. Even things from the alley were covered in grime. We can't wash new items, so we have no choice but to rush and make new ones...”

She mumbled incoherently, her back to me: "A new bride, of course everything has to be new. Washing it once is bad luck... eh, how did the Blood King get blood on his clothes Are you hurt"

I rolled my eyes and grumbled from inside the large wooden tub, "He's fine. I'm the one who's hurt."

"Huh Then you're still soaking in water! You can't soak in water with a wound!" Zhu Jin hurriedly turned her head, wanting to come over and check.

I quickly waved my hand and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I just have internal injuries! A hot bath would feel better!"

Zhu Jin was stunned for a moment, then suddenly her eyebrows shot up, revealing a big, wicked smile: "Hee hee, hee hee... Internal injuries... Hehe hehehe... Are we going to have a little prince"

I almost choked on my own spit, this is too much of a jump!

"Don't be ridiculous! It's too early!" I denied, my heart pounding in my chest.

It shouldn't have this high of a hit rate...

I've never really paid attention to dates, I didn't even think they had anything to do with me. Looks like I need to start paying attention.

Zhu Jin kept telling me jokes, giggling away. I have a thick skin, so I didn't take it to heart. I washed up quickly and efficiently, changed into soft undergarments, and jumped onto the bed. The bedding was soft and very comfortable; I felt like Mu Wanchen had made me a little nest for myself.

Zhu Jin still asked me detailed questions. I burrowed under the blankets, pretending to be an ostrich, until another woman's voice rang out —

"Oh, I knew Zhu Jin didn't know how to take care of people..."

I peeked out and saw Zhu Jin's aunt, the woman who had already married. She should also be responsible for the upkeep of the Shaman King, but since she was married, she avoided him at night, only coming during the day.

But today she came, bearing a wooden tray with a pot of steaming hot soup on it.

Zhu Jinyi saw her and smiled teasingly: "Hello, Xi Fu."

"Madam Xi It seems her husband's family name is Xi."

She's changed a bit since the last time I saw her. Her stomach seems...a little more prominent.

"You don't even know how to cook anything," she grumbled at Zhu Jin.

Zhu Jin pouted and said, “I was busy preparing hot water…”

Xi Fu-ren placed the tray on the table and bowed to me: "Little Princess, I've brought you some red sugar ginger tea and steamed buns. It's deep in the mountains at night, and the dew is heavy. You just arrived, so be careful not to catch a cold. Perhaps have some warm tea to keep yourself cozy"

I took a glance and saw that the small steamer in the tray held three little buns, along with a pot of red sugar water. How thoughtful!

"Xi Fu smiled and said, 'My sister and I are the heart of the Wuzheng. You can rest assured, Princess Consort, the Wuzheng cares for you very much. He has ordered that no strangers be allowed to approach you at will. For now, only we will attend to your daily needs. After you become familiar with this place and decide who you'd like to be close to, you can choose someone yourself.'"

"It's nothing, you two are doing great. Thank you." I smiled politely.

I forgot what Zhu Jin's aunt's name was, but since Zhu Jin called her "Xi Fu," I'll just call her that too.

She was older than Zhu Jin, her hair pulled up in a high bun. In Wuwang City, where propriety was highly valued, this hairstyle indicated that she was a married woman.

Lady Xi left after giving me the food. Zhu Jin whispered, “My cousin didn't have her name registered in her husband's household before she got pregnant. It was only recently that they gave it to her... So I started calling her Lady Xi to make her happy.”

I took a bite of my steamed bun and stared at her blankly: "Don't you people value etiquette How can you marry someone without giving them a proper name"

"...Her in-laws are considered a prominent family, you see. Here, because things always happen 'badly', prominent families are very picky about commoners like us. My cousin married from another village, and who knows if this child will be born safely and peacefully." Zhu Jin said with some worry.

There was a hint of worry in her eyes as she spoke softly, “I don’t know why. What have we done wrong Why were things fine before, but in recent decades, the children of the next generation have been cursed More and more children are dying or becoming disabled…”

I nibbled on the bun and whispered, “According to genetics, the concept of parent-child relationship is not just about parents and a family, but involves many families… Over many years of reproduction and propagation, perhaps tracing back one hundred families would lead to the same pair of parents”

Zhu Jin pouted and said, "Our ancestors often married their cousins, and we didn't see this much fuss..."

“That’s because there hasn’t been a concentrated outbreak… Think about how many years you’ve survived here… The cycle of heaven and earth, prosperity followed by decline, survival of the fittest, these are all laws of the universe. Worrying won't help. After this, I'll discuss it with Mu Wanchen and see how to solve the problem.” I took a sip of the warm ginger tea.

This sip went down and I felt so comfortable throughout my whole body. Although my lower body still ached, and my waist was sore and weak, the heated kang bed, warm pillows, and hot sweet soup made me feel so good that all I wanted to do was take a nap.

Zhu Jin saw me rubbing my eyes and hurriedly said, "Little Princess Consort, you should go to bed early. The Shaman King said that tomorrow is the big wedding day, and we have to stay up all night to prepare tonight. You should rest well and keep your energy up."

Is marriage still a physical endeavor

Before I could ask more, Zhu Jin urged me to go to sleep. She closed the windows and doors and ran off.

Underneath several layers of soft mattresses was a jade bed. It felt just right, neither too hard nor too soft, the temperature was perfect, and the quilt was incredibly comfortable. This handmade quilt made by an old craftsman was both soft and thick, making me fall asleep in minutes once I got under it.

Perhaps it was the inexplicable excitement from our first intimate encounter. Even though I was so tired that my eyes wouldn't stay open, I didn't want to sleep.

I thought it was just me missing my own bed, but in a daze, I always felt like there was someone in the room.

This feeling is strange, like being sleep paralyzed. My body can't move, but my mind is hazy, half-dreaming and half-awake.

I vaguely heard a raspy voice, coming and going from far and near.

“She came”

"Uh-huh."

"Very good...good...good..."

What's up

This low, raspy voice sent chills down my spine. I tried to regain my composure and suddenly snapped my eyes open —ally just rooms for storing costumes and props. They're all connected. I met Guo Wenli in the smallest one just now, so I went straight through a few rooms filled with props. As I approached the inner...