Chapter 397 Yan Shixu's Abnormality

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's tense shoulders finally relaxed a little, and she slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding.

She turned sideways and pressed the red and swollen corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, her voice still choked with sobs:

"Amitabha, may our ancestors bless us! Thank you so much! Thank you so much! Judge He, your majesty's medicine must be prepared with great care. No matter how precious the herbs you need, if they are not available in the warehouse, we must search among the people for them. We must ensure your majesty's speedy recovery!"

"I obey your order! I will do my best!" Judge He kowtowed deeply.

After Judge He personally supervised the preparation of the medicine and served it to Yan Shixu, he drank it.

He found another opportunity and whispered something to Wen Li'er.

"Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Wu is still in the Wen Mansion. He asked this old minister to help pass on a message to Your Majesty."

"After Yun Zhi's death, General Luo was indeed weak for two days, but he quickly recovered. His pulse was steady and strong, completely free of the Gu. As for the entire Wen residence, Imperial Physician Wu and Divine Doctor Nangong have examined them repeatedly, and everyone's pulses are normal, their Qi and blood are full, with no signs of Gu poisoning. I'm afraid Yun Zhi's claims of having a Gu in the Wen residence were mostly bluffs, meant to intimidate Her Majesty."

Wen Li'er nodded thoughtfully. This result surprised her a little, but she was more relieved.

"In that case, it would be a blessing. Thank you, Judge He, for your concern."

"This is my humble duty. Your Majesty, you are too kind."

Judge He bowed again and then took his leave.

After He Yuanpan left, the Grand Empress Dowager and the Queen Mother saw that Yan Shixu was in low spirits and the children were sleepy. Although they were reluctant to leave, they had to suppress their concern and gave Wen Lier and the palace maids some detailed instructions before leaving together.

Peace finally returned to the bedroom.

The candlelight danced quietly within the exquisite palace lantern shade, emitting a warm yellow halo, gently outlining the silhouette of the person snuggling on the couch.

The air was filled with the faint smell of medicine, the sweet milky scent of children, and a faint, comforting scent of sweet cakes.

That was the smell of the snacks that Xiaoxiao secretly hid in his sleeves before going to bed.

The children were still young after all, and they forced themselves to look at their father with excitement for a while, but their eyelids felt like they were weighed down by lead.

Amid Wen Li'er's gentle patting and soft soothing voice, she soon curled up beside Yan Shixu and fell into a deep sleep.

Wen Li'er brought a bowl of warm, specially cooked ginseng and antler rice porridge and fed it to Yan Shixu.

Her eyes were focused and gentle, and her movements were extremely gentle.

Yan Shixu opened his mouth and swallowed it obediently.

The porridge was soothing in temperature, with the simple sweetness of grains and the light bitterness of herbs. The warm liquid slid into his esophagus, and seemed to soothe his tense nerves a little.

He wanted to confide in Wen Li'er about that terrifying dream that seemed like a premonition, and wanted to tell her about "Yan Xingtian" and those tablets...

But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, looking at her tired but energetic face, and the relief in her eyes after surviving the disaster, how could he open his mouth?

How could he frighten her with such an illusory yet bone-chilling fear?

His Adam's apple rolled a few times, and he finally swallowed all the words back into the back of his throat with difficulty.

Yan Shixu lowered his eyes and his gaze fell on Tiantian, who was curled up beside him, with his little head resting on his shoulder, sleeping soundly and peacefully.

The little guy's breathing was even and long, and the warm breath brushed across the skin on the side of Yan Shixu's neck, bringing a slight itch.

One chubby little hand unconsciously rested on the side of Yan Shixu's neck, while the other hung down softly.

The apricot-yellow robe made his face look even whiter and more translucent, and his long eyelashes cast two quiet shadows under his eyes.

The corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, as if she was having an extremely sweet dream.

So innocent, so reliant on trust, so… too good to be true.

The next spoonful of porridge that Wen Li'er fed her stopped at her lips.

He stared at Tiantian in a daze and forgot to answer the phone.

Wen Li'er followed his gaze, and a trace of deep doubt quietly rose in her heart.

After His Majesty woke up, his eyes seemed to always be focused on Tiantian, intentionally or unintentionally.

That look was so complicated that it made her feel uneasy...

She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and called softly, "Your Majesty? Eat some more. Court Judge He said that you have lost a lot of energy and blood, and you need to slowly replenish your vitality."

Yan Shixu suddenly came back to his senses, his eyes flickered, and he obediently opened his mouth to hold the porridge and swallowed it mechanically.

It seemed as if to cover up the distraction just now, and as if to gain a sense of certainty.

His arms opened subconsciously, and he hugged the sleeping Tiantian tighter in his arms, wrapping him tightly.

This action caused Tiantian to let out a satisfied moan in her sleep.

The little head rubbed against his shoulder dependently, found a more comfortable position, and fell into a deeper sleep.

"Can't come back..." Yan Shixu suddenly spoke softly, his voice low and hoarse like a dream talk.

"Your Majesty?" Wen Li'er called him again.

Yan Shixu moved his body, carefully avoiding the wound and making enough space inside the dragon bed.

"Li'er, you're tired too. Come up and rest."

Wen Li'er silently put down the bowl of porridge and blew out several overly bright candles, leaving only a long-burning lamp with soft light beside the bed.

Then she gently took off her outer clothes, climbed carefully onto the dragon bed, and snuggled up to Yan Shixu.

The bedroom was completely silent, with only the children's even breathing and the occasional crackling of the candle wicks as the sounds.

The candlelight burned quietly inside the lampshade, casting a warm and intimate shadow on the bright yellow curtains in the room. The light and shadow swayed, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

Yan Shixu, however, had no desire to sleep at all.

Beneath this lost and regained perfection, the deeply buried doubts and the bone-chilling coldness from the depths of nightmares, like vines that quietly grew and silently entwined in the darkness, tightly bound the emperor's heart.

The invisible feeling of suffocation was far more painful than the knife wound in his chest and more difficult to break free from.