Chapter 61: Preparations Begin

The atmosphere inside the Hall of Reflection was solemn.

Yuwen Che stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. The disturbances in the Northern Kingdom and Helian Bobo's murderous intent had completely enraged him. He would never sit idly by and allow anything to threaten Xue'er and the stability of the kingdom.

"Li Dehai".

"Your servant is here."

"Go to Guanju Palace and inform the Consort that I have urgent official business to attend to. I will visit her later and tell her not to wait for me and to get some rest." Yuwen Che's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable determination.

"This servant obeys the decree." Li Dehai bowed and withdrew, understanding in his heart that His Majesty was about to get serious.

Yuwen Che then said in a deep voice to the outside of the hall, "Summon Pei Xuan and bring him to an audience immediately!"

A moment later, Pei Xuan, the commander of the Imperial Guards, dressed in military uniform and looking travel-worn, strode into the hall and knelt on one knee: "Your subject Pei Xuan greets Your Majesty!"

"Stand up and speak." Yuwen Che turned around, his eyes piercing. "Pei Xuan, how is the Northern Border Army doing these days? Tell me about their morale, weaponry, and training."

Pei Xuan's expression hardened, knowing that His Majesty's question was no ordinary matter. He immediately replied solemnly, "Your Majesty, since Your Majesty's victorious campaign, the morale of the northern border troops has remained high. They have ample supplies and provisions, and their training has not been neglected for a single day. They are ready for battle at any time!"

"Good!" Yuwen Che nodded approvingly, then asked, "How are the grain and fodder reserves in various regions? Especially those supplying the northern frontier, how long can they last?"

"Your Majesty, last year's harvest was bountiful across the land, and the granaries are full. The main grain depots supplying the northern border have all been inspected, and the grain reserves are sufficient for our 200,000-strong army on the border for a year! In the event of war, the subsequent supply routes have also been planned in advance, ensuring our safety!"

Yuwen Che walked to the huge map of the Great Zhou territory, pointed his finger at the northern border, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Helian Bobo is still up to his evil intentions, daring to set his sights on my harem and the unborn heir! If I tolerate such provocation, wouldn't the world think that my Great Zhou is easy to bully?"

He whirled around, looking at Pei Xuan with a chilling, murderous glint in his eyes: "Pei Xuan, I order you to secretly transfer 50,000 elite troops to the northern border, effective immediately! Do it discreetly, without alerting them. At the same time, all border troops in the north should be on high alert, ready for battle! Keep a close watch on every move the Northern Kingdom makes!"

Pei Xuan's heart skipped a beat, realizing that His Majesty was preparing to wage war against the Northern Kingdom! He immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming, "Your subject obeys! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

“Furthermore,” Yuwen Che added, his tone chilling, “send people to keep a close watch on the Honglu Guest House. No one from the Northern Kingdom delegation is allowed to leave the capital! I have other uses for them.”

"yes!"

"Go, do it immediately!"

"Your subject takes his leave!" Pei Xuan accepted the order and strode away, his figure carrying a swift and decisive killing intent.

Yuwen Che stood alone before the map of the territory, his gaze coldly fixed on the map of the Northern Kingdom.

Helian Bobo, since you've chosen to court death, then I'll grant your wish! You want to play? I'll play a big game with you! Let's see if your northern cavalry is sharper, or if the might of my Great Zhou army is stronger!

This time, he didn't want to repel or intimidate them, but to completely crush the backbone of the Northern Kingdom, so that they would never dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts again! Any potential threat must be eradicated at its root and prevented from ever recurring!

For the sake of his unborn child, and for the sake of the vast Zhou dynasty, Yuwen Che wouldn't mind becoming a demon once again.

After handling the urgent military affairs, Yuwen Che rushed back to Guanju Palace without stopping. When he entered the inner hall, Su Luoxue was leaning against a soft couch, being served a bowl of warm and nourishing medicine by Fuling. When she saw him come in, her eyes lit up slightly.

"Ah Che, are you done with your work?" She put down the medicine bowl, her voice still weak from her illness.

Yuwen Che walked over and naturally took Fuling's place, sitting down beside her and holding her slightly cool hand. "Yes, some trivial matters have been taken care of." He didn't want her to know about the bloodshed and conflict. His gaze fell on her still pale face, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Have you finished your medicine?"

"I just finished drinking." Su Luoxue nodded obediently, then gently shook his arm. "I was so bored without you here."

Looking at her dependent expression, Yuwen Che's heart softened, and he said gently, "The New Year is approaching, and there are many things to do in the palace. I may not be able to be with you all the time. You must be good, eat well, take your medicine on time, and keep yourself healthy, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Su Luoxue's face fell slightly: "Can't we even celebrate the New Year together?"

"Of course we should go together." Yuwen Che chuckled, his fingertips brushing her cheek. "What I mean is, you need to get enough rest so you can properly celebrate the festival." He paused, then dropped a bombshell, "If you eat well these days and get better, I'll issue an edict to bring your parents and brother Jingxing to the palace to celebrate the New Year with you. How does that sound?"

Su Luoxue's eyes widened suddenly, almost unable to believe her ears: "Really?! A'Che, are you serious? My parents and brother... can come to the palace?"

Since entering the palace, although she has been favored by the emperor, she has rarely seen her family. Especially after becoming pregnant, she has been feeling unwell and has not seen them for a long time, which makes her miss them very much.

"A king's word is his bond." Yuwen Che looked at her eyes, which lit up instantly, and affirmed with a smile, "When have I ever lied to you? So, in order to look radiant when you see your family, shouldn't you obediently listen to me and take good care of yourself?"

"I'll be good! I promise I will!" Su Luoxue quickly promised, her face beaming with the brightest smile she'd had in days, as if even her illness had been dispelled. "I'll eat well and take my medicine properly! A-Che, you're so good to me!"

She nestled happily into his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist, already filled with anticipation: "I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing? How's my brother's studying going? He always says he wants to pass the imperial examinations..."

Yuwen Che held her close, listening to her excitedly chatter about her family, his eyes gentle. Bringing the Su family into the palace was both to soothe her pregnancy and make her happy, and also to further bestow favors upon her, paving the way for his future support of the Su family and for her and their child. Of course, he wouldn't let her know these calculations.

"Everything will be alright," he reassured softly. "Once you're fully recovered, I will arrange a suitable position for your brother so that he can fully utilize his talents."

"Thank you, A-Che!" Su Luoxue looked up and kissed his chin, her heart and eyes filled with dependence and happiness.

Seeing her rejuvenated appearance, Yuwen Che felt that all the effort he had spent dealing with those intrigues and schemes in the Sizheng Hall was worthwhile. His Xue'er should always be carefree like this.

"Alright, it's getting late, it's time to rest." He helped her lie down and tucked her in. "I'll stay by your side while you sleep."

Su Luoxue held his hand, closed her eyes peacefully, and smiled sweetly, filled with anticipation for the upcoming New Year and family reunion. Meanwhile, Yuwen Che silently planned how to ensure the safety of her family during their stay in the palace, ensuring that no potential danger would disturb this hard-won peace and joy.

Just as Yuwen Che had coaxed Su Luoxue to lie down and tucked her in, he saw her suddenly open her eyes again and turn her head to look at Fuling, who was tidying up the medicine bowl.

"Fuling, what day is it today? How long until the New Year?" Su Luoxue asked softly.

Fuling stopped what she was doing, did a quick calculation in her mind, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, today is the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. There are still eleven days until Lunar New Year's Eve and the Spring Festival."

“The eleventh…” Su Luoxue murmured, her long eyelashes drooping as if she were pondering something.

Yuwen Che was about to ask her if she was counting down the days to meet her family when he saw her suddenly raise her eyes, her gaze filled with obvious hesitation and... barely perceptible jealousy, looking at him, her voice muffled:

"Then... A-Che, that princess from the Northern Kingdom... is she also going to stay in the palace and celebrate the Spring Festival with us?"

After asking the question, she seemed a little embarrassed and shrank half her face under the covers, leaving only her dark eyes looking at him, her gaze clearly saying, "I'm not willing."

Yuwen Che was taken aback at first, then almost burst out laughing. His Xue'er was so obviously jealous, yet so adorable. He deliberately put on a stern face and teased her, "Oh? Why does Xue'er ask such a question? The Northern Princess is a guest; it's perfectly acceptable for her to stay in the palace for the New Year to show the hospitality of our Great Zhou."

Upon hearing this, Su Luoxue immediately pouted slightly, stretched her small hand out from under the covers, tugged at his sleeve, and protested softly, "But...but I don't want her to stay in the palace for the New Year...It's our holiday, it'll be so awkward with her around..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, tinged with grievance: "And...and the way she looked at you...I didn't like it."

Yuwen Che finally couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to pull her, blanket and all, into his arms. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his tone full of doting: "Silly Xue'er, when did I ever say I wanted to keep her in the palace for the New Year?"

Su Luoxue lifted her head in his arms and blinked: "Eh? Don't we need to keep it?"

“Of course not.” Yuwen Che’s tone was firm, with a hint of disdain. “What kind of guest is she? Does she deserve to spend the New Year with the royal family of Great Zhou? The Honglu Guest House will make its own arrangements and will not shortchange their delegation’s food, clothing and other necessities, but she will not be included in the palace banquet.”

He looked down at the girl in his arms, whose face had instantly brightened from gloom to happiness, and gently tapped her nose with his fingertip: "Are you relieved now? My future empress?"

Su Luoxue blushed at his address of "Empress," her slight jealousy vanishing in response to his sweetness. She nodded vigorously, snuggling back into his arms, her voice languid with contentment: "Mmm! I'm relieved!"

"Then go to sleep obediently." Yuwen Che patted her back. "Get some rest and wait to see your parents and brothers."

"Okay." Su Luoxue closed her eyes with peace of mind and soon fell into a deep sleep in his reassuring presence.

Yuwen Che gazed at her peaceful sleeping face, his eyes tender. He naturally wouldn't allow anyone unrelated to disturb this important moment between them. The Northern Princess? Merely a pawn about to lose its usefulness, perhaps even… a catalyst for his next plan. But these were things his Xue'er didn't need to know.