Chapter 152 Loving You Willingly

Han Ying and the shadow guards quickly woke up Cheng An, Ning'er, and Yuwen Hao and carefully fed them water.

Su Luoxue hugged Yuwen Che tightly, her cheek pressed against his chest, but suddenly felt her palm touch his back, which was sticky and wet. She subconsciously pulled her hand back and looked down to see her hand covered in glaringly bright red blood!

"A-Che!" she cried out in alarm, her voice trembling. "You're injured! There's so much blood... on your back..."

Yuwen Che immediately pulled her hand down and gently placed it on his side, avoiding the wound, while holding her tighter to prevent her from seeing the blood: "Don't worry, it's just a small injury, I'm fine."

"Just now... I really thought I was going to lose you all..."

Su Luoxue looked up at him, watching him endure the pain, noticing the lingering soot and blood on his face. Remembering how he had traveled so far to find the antidote for her, and now injured himself for her and their child, tears streamed down her face again. She cried uncontrollably, "A-Che... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... It's all my fault..."

"Without me, you wouldn't..."

When Cheng'an and Tingxue woke up, they were so frightened that they burst into tears, reaching out their little hands and calling out repeatedly, "Father! Mother! Waaah..."

"Father..."

"Waaaaah..."

Yuwen Che's heart was focused on Su Luoxue. He was also saddened by the cries of his two children, but the most important thing right now was his wife in his arms: "Cheng'an, Ning'er, be good, don't be afraid, your father and mother are here."

"Don't be afraid, it's alright now..."

Yuwen Hao himself was also terrified, his face turning pale. But looking at his crying younger siblings, and then at his father and mother embracing each other, he silently pulled Cheng'an and Tingxue into his arms. He clumsily patted their backs gently, imitating his mother's usual manner, and whispered, "Cheng'an, don't cry, Ning'er, don't cry... Father and Mother are alright..."

"We're all alright now..."

Just then, the imperial physicians, carrying their medicine chests, rushed over under Li Dehai's guidance.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! I am late!"

Yuwen Che immediately said, "Check on the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the Princess first! Quickly!"

The imperial physicians rushed forward, and the head physician was about to take Su Luoxue's pulse when Yuwen Che suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, "And Prince An! Examine them all carefully!"

"Yes! Yes!" The imperial physicians dared not delay and immediately divided the work, gathering around the emperor.

Su Luoxue gripped Yuwen Che's arm tightly and said urgently to the imperial physician who was about to step forward to take her pulse, "I'm fine! Treat His Majesty's wounds first! His back is badly injured and he's lost a lot of blood!"

The imperial physicians then noticed that Yuwen Che was injured, and were startled. They hurriedly turned to Yuwen Che: "Your Majesty!"

Yuwen Che frowned slightly: "I'm fine, let's see the Empress first..."

"A-Che!" Su Luoxue grabbed his hand tightly, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with fear and determination. "I don't want anything to happen to you... please..."

Seeing her like this, Yuwen Che finally gave in and sat down in the chair that Li Dehai had brought over: "Alright... let's treat the injury on your back first."

Li Dehai quickly stepped forward and carefully removed Yuwen Che's outer robe, which was soaked in blood and stuck to his wound.

Su Luoxue also stood up, enduring the dizziness, and helped from the side with trembling hands.

When the black outer robe was removed, revealing the bloodied wound on his back, scorched by flames.

Su Luoxue's breathing suddenly stopped, tears welled up instantly, and her hands trembled so much that she could barely move.

Yuwen Che felt her trembling, grabbed her hand, pulled her in front of him, and blocked her view. His voice was low and deep: "Xue'er, don't look."

Su Luoxue knelt down in front of him, looking up at his handsome face covered in cold sweat from the pain, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls: "A-Che... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"It's all my fault... I couldn't protect myself, and I couldn't protect the children..."

“I’m even less fit to be an empress… I’m sorry… If it weren’t for me, how could you have been hurt time and time again… I’m sorry…”

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault..."

The imperial physician and Li Dehai held their breath, carefully cleaning his wounds and applying medicine. The intense pain made Yuwen Che's temples throb with veins and he was covered in cold sweat, but he endured it and gently pulled Su Luoxue, who was squatting in front of him, into his arms.

“Xue’er, listen carefully,” his voice was hoarse with pain, “No one… can blame anything on you.”

"Protecting you and the children is my responsibility as a husband and father, and it is something I do willingly!"

He cupped her face in his hands, gazing into her eyes that had captivated him at first sight: "I love you. I have brought you into the palace, and I will love you and protect you for all eternity, without ever changing my mind!"

"As for whether you can be a good empress..." He shook his head slightly, his gaze deep and gentle, "It really doesn't matter. In my heart, you are first and foremost my beloved wife, my only wife!"

"She is Cheng'an and Ning'er's mother! As for the rest—the duties of an empress, the responsibilities of the nation's mother—I will take care of everything."

"I will take care of everything for you. You don't need to worry about anything, and you don't need to blame yourself for it."

He gazed at her: "You and the children... are a thousand times, ten thousand times more important than my life."

Su Luoxue buried her face in his knees, her tears soaking his robes, her shoulders trembling slightly from crying.

Despite the sharp pain radiating from his wound and the beads of cold sweat on his forehead, Yuwen Che gently patted her back. "Don't blame yourself anymore... Xue'er, this time it was my negligence, I failed to protect you all, it has nothing to do with you..."

Su Luoxue raised her tear-filled face and choked out, "But...you've suffered so much because of me...it's all my fault. All these years, you've spoiled me, indulged me, and protected me like a child..."

“Yuwen Che, I’m not worthy… I’m not worthy of your love… If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have suffered these injuries…”

“Silly Xue’er…” Yuwen Che took a deep breath from the pain, gently wiping away the tears on her face with his fingertips. “It’s not you who brought me these injuries. It’s me… who didn’t ask you if you were willing before issuing an imperial decree to make you a Noble Consort and bring you into this deep palace.”

"The open and covert attacks around me have never ceased."

"It was I... who brought you into this cannibalistic place."

His gaze was deep, filled with endless pity and lingering fear: "All these years I have pampered you, protected you, and held you in the palm of my hand because I love you, and I did it willingly."

"I spoil you like a child because..."

He paused, his voice lower, "I always remember the day you gave birth... the way you bled so much... I was truly terrified."

"Xue'er, I...I'm so scared..."

"If it weren't for you in this palace, I might never have truly tasted happiness or joy in my life. There would be no Cheng'an, no Ning'er... I possess the world and have the wealth of the four seas, but only happiness and joy are brought to me by you."

He leaned slightly forward, pressing his forehead against hers, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible vulnerability: "If... we hadn't met back then, I would probably have been trapped in that cold Sizheng Hall forever, a... heartless emperor."