Chapter 445: Achievers Do Not Sweat the Small Stuff

"Agree to what?" Yun Yuqing didn't quite grasp it for a moment.

The Prince of Wu hesitated, but finally said, "Of course, to agree to the conditions he proposed."

"Ah?" In an instant, the color drained from Yun Yuqing's face, and she stared blankly at her husband.

She recalled how she had felt immensely guilty and sorry towards her husband after being tricked into a kiss by Zu An in the courtyard earlier. Now, in a blink, her husband was telling her to accompany another man?

Since the topic was open, the Prince of Wu dropped his pretense. "Yuqing, you should know what this opportunity means to me, and what my ascension to power would mean for your Demon race."

Yun Yuqing bit her lip tightly and remained silent. Although she understood the implications, the thought of her husband pushing her towards another man for these reasons made her uncontrollably sad, as if all strength had drained from her body.

Seeing his wife's expression, the Prince of Wu felt a pang in his heart. However, he quickly firmed his resolve, telling himself that great men disregard minor details. Compared to the chance of becoming the Human Emperor, this small sacrifice was insignificant.

He continued, "And there's another concern I have. From the previous intelligence and your description, Zu An is very cunning. Even if he reveals the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture,' we won't be able to verify the authenticity of the incantations."

"That guy is indeed very sly," Yun Yuqing said with a deep sense of agreement, recalling how Zu An had initially pretended to be controlled and tried to deceive her with false incantations.

"That's why you need to verify it," the Prince of Wu said, looking at his wife. "As far as I know, your Demon race has a technique that allows you to sense the flow of vital energy within someone's body during intimacy. This way, even if they give you a false incantation, you can still obtain the true one. Others don't have this ability."

Yun Yuqing's face paled. Indeed, the Demon Royal Family possessed such a technique, but she had never imagined she would have to use it.

The Prince of Wu's emotions at this moment were a complex mix. On one hand, the thought of his beautiful wife being defiled by another man caused him great heartache. On the other hand, the realization that he finally had a chance to turn the tables filled him with an inexplicable excitement.

Yet, he himself wasn't entirely sure if his excitement stemmed solely from this matter.

Seeing his wife remain silent, the Prince of Wu changed his persuasive tactic. "Yuqing, we've been married for many years now, haven't we?"

Yun Yuqing murmured in affirmation, not understanding why he was bringing that up now.

The Prince of Wu continued, "I know you've always wanted a child, but there's something I haven't told you. Years ago, to prove to my imperial father that I was more worthy of the throne than my elder brother, I pushed myself relentlessly to improve my cultivation. This led to a cultivation deviation. Although I narrowly escaped with my life, my body sustained irreversible internal injuries."

"I know, your health hasn't been good all these years. You cough whenever the weather gets a bit cold." A pang of heartache went through Yun Yuqing as she thought of her husband's condition. For years, she had sought out excellent doctors and even used some secret Demon race techniques, but it had been difficult to cure him.

"It's not just the coughing," the Prince of Wu said, a difficult expression on his face, finally admitting, "The truth is, I've lost my fertility. I will never have children in this life."

"What?!" Yun Yuqing's face instantly drained of color, and she stared at her husband in shock.

"This matter is too significant. The imperial family would never choose an infertile prince to be the next emperor. So I silenced everyone who knew. Now, only you know. You are my wife, and I trust you enough to tell you such a secret." The Prince of Wu quietly looked at his wife's exquisite face.

Tears streamed down Yun Yuqing's face. She took her husband's hand and said, "Husband, none of that matters to me. We can adopt a child."

Thinking of the heartbreaking secret her husband had carried for so many years, her earlier anger vanished, replaced by pity.

The Prince of Wu shook his head. "That won't work. It would expose the fact that I'm infertile, which would disqualify me from imperial succession. I absolutely cannot accept that. So, if we are to have a child, it must be you who carries it for ten months and gives birth. Only then will no one suspect anything."

Yun Yuqing was speechless.

"I was wondering how to find an opportunity to tell you about this, and now, these two matters can be resolved together," the Prince of Wu said, as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest, instantly feeling relieved. "So, this time, you can not only help me contend for the throne and change the fate of the Demon race, but you can also 'borrow a seed' from him. It's truly killing three birds with one stone."

Yun Yuqing's mind was a tangled mess, and she couldn't help but feel both shame and anger. "Can such a thing truly be described with those words?!"

The Prince of Wu sighed. "I know this is unfair to you, but there truly is no other way. Yuqing, I can't find another solution. You must help me."

Yun Yuqing abruptly stood up and pulled her hand away from his, her face flushed crimson. "But how can I possibly help you with something like this?!"

The Prince of Wu looked somewhat puzzled. "As far as I know, the customs of your Demon race are much more open than those of humans. Why is this so difficult for you to accept?"

"Not all demons are like that!" Yun Yuqing stomped her foot and turned to leave.

"Cough, cough..." At that moment, a violent coughing fit came from behind her. She turned back and saw the Prince of Wu's face was flushed from coughing, and then he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Husband!" Yun Yuqing immediately disregarded everything else and rushed over to check on him.

After a long pause, the Prince of Wu finally regained his breath. "It's nothing. I know this puts you in a difficult position. Forget it then. I'll just be a carefree prince, protecting as many of your clansmen as I can. And later, we can find an opportunity to adopt a child. After all, there's no need to contend for the throne, so let them laugh if they want."

Hearing his heartbroken tone, Yun Yuqing couldn't help but bite her lip. After so many years, she knew perfectly well that the throne was her husband's sole pursuit and motivation. All his preparations and plans over the years had been for the imperial throne, and even his hidden illness was a result of his efforts to secure it. Making him give up now would be tantamount to crushing his life's hope.

Furthermore, her husband had always cared deeply about his reputation. If adopting a child exposed his infertility, it would probably be more painful for him than death.

In the future, she would surely not be able to bear seeing him suffer like this. She would most likely still find a man to bear a child as he wished. If that were the case, she might as well seize this opportunity: she could obtain the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' from Zu An and, at the same time, make a sacrifice for the future of the Demon race...

"Husband, please don't be angry. I'll agree to it," Yun Yuqing said, her star-like eyes brimming with tears that seemed ready to fall at any moment.

"Really?!" The Prince of Wu was overjoyed. "Thank you, Yuqing!"

Yun Yuqing took a step back, rejecting his embrace. At that moment, her husband felt somewhat like a stranger to her.

After a while, she finally calmed down and began to discuss the concrete plan. "But there's still a problem. In such a short time, I might not... I might not get pregnant."

The thought of having to find another man if she didn't conceive this time nearly drove her mad.

"It's fine, I've already thought it through," the Prince of Wu said. "Tomorrow, I'll find a way to keep Prince Liang and Liu Yao occupied all night. You should try to spend as much time as possible with Zu An... *cough cough*, anyway, the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' must be incredibly vast, and one session might not be enough to fully comprehend it."

For some reason, as he imagined the various scenes that might unfold tomorrow, he felt both furious and heartbroken, his mouth dry and his body tingling with a strange sensation.

Yun Yuqing was speechless.

She hadn't expected her husband to have already made such a detailed plan, and her heart turned instantly cold.