Chapter 119 Where...I haven't tasted it?

That night, Emperor Zhaoheng arrived at Yongle Palace.

Narcissus, who had just finished bathing, was wearing an apricot-yellow brocade nightgown, her dark hair wet and draped behind her.

She was being served by Tinglu, with a bowl of crystal-clear stewed bird's nest and snow fungus soup. Her eyes and brows showed a languid look after her bath, but she couldn't hide a trace of fatigue.

These days, morning sickness has made her lose her appetite completely.

"Your Majesty, please have some more. I just vomited everything up. For the sake of the imperial heir, I need to have something to eat."

Tinglu gently advised, and looked at the swallow and snow fungus soup that had been used for a long time but seemed untouched, her face showing worry.

Narcissus shook her head, pushed the stew pot away slightly, and said in a weak voice, "I really can't eat anymore, it's too greasy."

She paused, then suddenly felt a surge of appetite, but not for the swallow and snow fungus soup in front of her.

"Do you still have the sour thorn cake that Consort Tuoba sent yesterday?"

Hearing this, she looked troubled: "Your Majesty, there is still some... but Imperial Physician Pei instructed that the sour thorn cake is too sour; it's fine to use it occasionally to stimulate the appetite, but too much might harm the stomach..."

The pearl curtain in the inner room rustled as it was lifted from the outside.

"Since your lady wants to eat, then bring some."

Emperor Zhaoheng stepped in, took off his cloak, and handed it to the palace servant who came to greet him.

His gaze fell on Narcissus, noticing that she was dressed in thin clothes and her hair was still wet, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Tinglu hurriedly bowed and greeted him.

"Go and get it."

Emperor Zhaoheng gave the order, and Tinglu had no choice but to comply and withdraw.

He sat down on the soft couch next to Narcissus, and naturally picked up the bowl of bird's nest and snow fungus soup that had been pushed aside, and tested its temperature.

He scooped up a spoonful with a small silver spoon and held it to Narcissus's lips, his tone gentle and almost coaxing:

"Eat some of this first to line your stomach, so you won't feel uncomfortable if you eat acidic food later."

Narcissus looked up at him and saw her reflection in the man's deep eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally opened her mouth slightly and swallowed the spoonful of sweet soup.

He fed her spoonful by spoonful with great patience.

Shui Xian barely managed to eat half a cup; it was too greasy, and her stomach was churning slightly. She subconsciously raised her hand to gently block the spoon he offered again and shook her head.

Emperor Zhaoheng stopped what he was doing.

Narcissus took the spoon from his hand, scooped up a full spoonful, and then held it to his thin lips, her voice carrying a hint of natural indulgence:

"Your Majesty works hard reviewing memorials, so you should have some to soothe your throat... If you also want to try that sour thorn cake later, you should fill your stomach first."

As soon as she said it, she was stunned.

How could she... how could she allow the emperor to use the spoon she had used to eat her leftovers?

Narcissus's fingertips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to withdraw her hand.

But Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes darkened. Instead of being displeased, he calmly ate the spoonful of white fungus soup from her hand.

"emperor......"

Narcissus's eyes flickered slightly, and a look of surprise appeared on her beautiful face.

Seeing her unusually dazed expression, Emperor Zhaoheng felt even more affection for her and chuckled softly.

He lightly stroked the bridge of her nose with the outside of his index finger, his voice teasing, "What part of Xian'er haven't I tasted? Why would I care about a spoonful of white fungus soup?"

These words were too direct and explicit; Narcissus's cheeks flushed crimson, and she softly called out, "Your Majesty..."

Just then, Tinglu came in carrying the plate of sour thorn cakes. Seeing the ambiguous atmosphere between the emperor and the concubine, she dared not look any further.

She quietly stepped forward, placed the plate on the small table, and then silently withdrew, carefully closing the beaded curtain of the inner room.

Narcissus picked up a small piece of sour thorn cake, handed it to him, and changed the subject:

"Your Majesty, please try this. It was made by Consort Tuoba herself using a sour thorn ointment sent from her hometown. It is sweet and sour, and quite unique."

Emperor Zhaoheng did not respond, his gaze lingering on her rosy face as he reached out and tucked a slightly damp strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're still vomiting badly these days? Pei Jichuan comes to check your pulse every day; is there any way to alleviate it?"

Shuixian took a bite of the sour thorn cake, and the strong sourness indeed suppressed the nausea in her throat.

She gently shook her head. "Imperial Physician Pei said that this is a common reaction for pregnant women. Taking medicine may damage the health of the imperial child. I can only... I can only endure it slowly on my own."

As she spoke, she subconsciously raised her hand and touched her still flat stomach.

During the days spent in the cold palace, I had already lost some weight.

After more than half a month of morning sickness, my chin has become more pointed, and my eye sockets seem to have deepened. Wrapped in a loose nightgown, I look even more delicate and pitiful.

Looking at her like this, Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't help but feel a surge of pity.

He held her slightly cool hand, his fingertips caressing the delicate back of her hand. After a moment of silence, he finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind for days.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Empress's proposal to bestow titles and honors upon the six palaces?"

He gazed into her eyes, his gentle gaze seemingly soothing, "I know, that honor should have been uniquely yours."

Shui Xian paused slightly in the hand holding the sour thorn cake. She seemed to be suppressing her grievances, but managed to give him a faint smile to reassure him.

"Your Majesty, I simply didn't want to put you in a difficult position..."

"Your Majesty the Empress is virtuous and bestows grace upon the six palaces, which is a good thing. Whether the investiture ceremony is for me alone or I share the Emperor's grace with my sisters, in my opinion, there is not much difference."

She gently withdrew her hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, her eyes filled with the tenderness of motherhood.

"Now all I want is to give birth to this child for Your Majesty in peace and tranquility."

"When that time comes, Yongning will have younger siblings to keep her company, and Your Majesty will be surrounded by children and grandchildren. This is what I care about most...

She didn't compete or fight for anything; her words and conversations always revolved around him.

That gentleness, that understanding, touched the softest spot in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart.

The last vestige of consideration he had for the Empress was instantly washed away by her words, leaving only a deep sense of tenderness.

Emperor Zhaoheng grasped her hand tightly again, his grip firm.

"Xian'er, I understand."

"Don't worry, I will never let you and the child suffer."

He sat with her for a while longer, carefully inquiring about her daily life and instructing the palace servants to take meticulous care of her.

He only got up and left after Feng Shunxiang whispered to him from outside that it was getting late and there were still official matters to be dealt with.

Narcissus escorted him to the door of the inner room, leaning against the doorframe, watching the tall, bright yellow figure disappear outside the gates of Yongle Palace.

The moment she turned and went back into the inner room, the gentle, unassuming look on her face slowly faded as Emperor Zhaoheng left.

Even the most powerful man is, in the end, still a man.

She now understands men's minds perfectly.

The more you act indifferent and refuse something, the more it will miss you and want to compensate you by stuffing it into your hands.

The Empress wanted to divide her favor and dampen her arrogance by bestowing titles upon the six palaces.

I'm afraid it might backfire...

——

News of the grand investiture ceremony for Narcissus as a Noble Consort, along with an imperial edict inviting family members to the palace to witness the ceremony, reached her home outside the palace.

The happiest person was Shui Xiu. She had hired a female tutor to teach at home, and upon hearing her sister's wonderful news, her mind was already far away.

Seeing that she was restless and her eyes were brimming with undisguised joy, the teacher was understanding and dismissed her from school early, only assigning her extra copying homework.

Shui Xiu couldn't hide her joy. As soon as school was over, she ran out of the house in a flash.

Not far away is the "Dengdi Inn," which they now almost consider their second home.

Since Shui Xian rose through the ranks in the palace and gained the emperor's tacit approval, her parents devoted most of their energy to this inn.

The father was in charge of cooking in the kitchen, while the mother was responsible for taking care of the guest rooms.

Although it wasn't during the imperial examination season, the inn had produced a new top scholar in the examination, so even in the off-season, Dengdi Inn attracted more scholars than other inns, and business was quite good.

As soon as Shui Xiu arrived at the inn, she flitted around like a cheerful little butterfly.

One moment she would sneak into the kitchen to help her father peel garlic and prepare vegetables, and the next she would run to the guest room to help her mother change the bedding. Her small body carried a freshly washed quilt that was taller than her, and she walked unsteadily.

As she passed the counter, she saw Zhou Yan rapidly calculating accounts on an abacus, so she leaned closer, blinked her large, grape-like eyes, and whispered:

“Brother Zhou Yan, I saw a silver hairpin at the Jade Pavilion a few days ago. It was very elegant. I think it would look beautiful on Sister Yinzhu!”

She tilted her head and analyzed quite seriously, "That way, every time Sister Yinzhu wears a hairpin, she will think of you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's fair ears turned slightly red, but he pretended to be calm and lightly tapped her forehead with his finger.

"You're so clever for your age, always thinking about these things. Why don't you help me with this calculation?"

Upon hearing this, Shui Xiu, who had finally finished her studies, was unwilling to do it.

She waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Oh dear, I've been so busy all this time that I didn't even realize it was time to eat!"

With that, he ran quickly towards the backyard.

The backyard of the inn is not as noisy as the front hall; it is where the helpers live and where the inn's kitchen is located.

Every day after school, Shuixiu would have dinner with her parents in the backyard before going home together.

The backyard was unusually lively today.

The father was in a great mood and even took out a treasured jar of yellow wine, pouring each of the waiters a small half cup. His dark face glowed red, and his voice became loud and clear.

"Great news has come from the palace today! The Emperor is going to hold a new ceremony to confer the title of Imperial Noble Consort upon my daughter! This is a joyous occasion, let everyone share in the happiness!"

On the table was a large plate of braised meat bought from a deli outside, glistening with oil and emitting a fragrant aroma.

Although the guys usually have plenty of meat in their meals, this braised meat is exceptionally delicious.

They ate with gusto, their mouths glistening with oil, and offered a string of auspicious words.

"Your Highness, this is an immense honor!"

"Although we don't understand the rules of the palace, we can tell that His Majesty cherishes our Empress dearly!"

Congratulations, boss! Congratulations, boss!

The atmosphere was lively as they clinked glasses and exchanged toasts.

A young man, perhaps a little tipsy, touched his glass and said enviously:

"The families of the other concubines who will be able to attend this investiture ceremony must be the wealthiest gentlemen and ladies, right?"

"Oh, I heard that the clothes worn by those nobles are worth hundreds of taels of silver each! And the belts they wear are made of solid gold, weighing more than ten pounds each!"

He was so engrossed in his speech that he completely failed to notice the subtle shift in the atmosphere at the table.

The smile on Narcissus's father's face froze, and he slowly lowered the wine glass he was holding.

The mother, who was smiling as she served food to everyone, paused upon hearing this. She subconsciously looked down at her slightly worn cotton dress and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face.

Their expressions vanished in an instant, as if they didn't care, and they continued celebrating with their friends.

Only Shui Xiu was sensitive enough to notice the fleeting unease on her parents' faces.

They were not afraid of hardship or fatigue, but they were only afraid that they would bring shame to the narcissus in the palace.

She gripped the chopsticks tightly, a pang of sadness shooting through her heart...