Chapter 66 Sewing Tiger Head Hat

In the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, heavy snow fell, turning the palaces and pavilions into a pure silver-white expanse. With the end of the year approaching, the palace was bustling with activity, preparing for both the grand Spring Festival celebrations and the grand ceremony for the investiture of the empress on New Year's Day.

Inside Guanju Palace, however, a warm and tranquil atmosphere contrasted sharply with the harsh cold and bustling activity outside. The underfloor heating was burning brightly, its warmth dispelling all the chill.

Yuwen Che had moved most of his official duties to Guanju Palace. At this moment, he was sitting on a soft couch by the window, with a pile of memorials on a small table in front of him. He held a vermilion brush, sometimes concentrating on reviewing them, and sometimes looking up at the person not far away with a gentle gaze.

Fuling, accompanied by several nimble palace maids, quietly served by her side, adding tea and water, changing hand warmers, their movements gentle and slow, as if afraid of disturbing the tranquility.

On the other side of the inner hall, Su Luoxue was sitting on a low couch covered with a thick velvet carpet, surrounded by two experienced nannies. She held a small embroidery hoop covered with soft cotton cloth and was learning to sew children's underwear and tiger-head hats stitch by stitch, following the nannies.

"Your Highness, the stitches should be made closer together, so they are strong and won't chafe the princes' and princesses' delicate skin," a nanny patiently instructed.

Su Luoxue nodded earnestly, then carefully threaded the needle, her movements a little clumsy but extremely focused.

After Yuwen Che finished reviewing a memorial, he put down his vermilion brush and looked at her with a smile: "When did Xue'er learn this? The Imperial Wardrobe will prepare everything; why do you need to do it yourself?"

Su Luoxue raised her head, her face glowing with a soft light, and gently stroked the soft fabric in her hand, her tone full of anticipation: "The Imperial Clothing Bureau prepared this; it's a mother's heartfelt gift. I want to make a few little clothes for the children myself; they'll definitely be warmer to wear."

She picked up the small tiger-head hat that had just been roughly sewn, held it up to her belly, and said with anticipation in her eyes, "Ache, look, it's so small. Will our child really be able to wear it after he's born?"

Yuwen Che got up and walked over, took the small hat, and held it in his palm, feeling his heart melt. He put his arm around Su Luoxue's shoulder and whispered, "It will definitely fit. My Xue'er is so skillful, the clothes she makes will surely be the best."

Su Luoxue leaned against him, looking at the swirling snow outside the window, and said softly, "When they are born, they will be able to wear the clothes their mother made and see this snow scene."

Yuwen Che squeezed her hand: "Yes, when the time comes, I will hold them and watch them together."

Yuwen Che stayed with her for a while before continuing to review the memorials.

Su Luoxue put down the half-finished garment she was sewing, looked out at the still-falling snow, and suddenly remembered something. She turned to ask Yuwen Che, who was reviewing memorials:

"Ah Che, it's almost the New Year, and the palace and surrounding areas are so lively... So, what do you plan to do about the Northern Kingdom princess and her delegation? Are you just going to let them stay in the guesthouse forever?"

Yuwen Che continued writing, his tone calm and even: "The Court of State Ceremonial provides them with rice, grain, and charcoal according to regulations, so they won't freeze or go hungry."

Su Luoxue frowned slightly: "But... after all, it's the New Year. They've come from afar and are from a foreign country. Won't they feel that our Great Zhou is not treating its guests well?"

Yuwen Che then put down his vermilion brush, looked up at her, and said with a deep gaze, "Xue'er, do you know that they are not true guests?"

Su Luoxue was taken aback: "Weren't we here to pay a visit and arrange a marriage alliance?"

"A marriage alliance?" Yuwen Che's lips curled into a cold smile. "Helian Bobo sent his sister as a gift to lull me into a false sense of security. If he succeeded in making the princess empress and having her give birth to my prince, the initiative would be in their hands. Without losing a single soldier, the Great Zhou would be their Northern Kingdom's domain. Now that the marriage alliance has failed... he has secretly instructed spies to disturb your pregnancy and even plot to harm our unborn child."

Su Luoxue clearly hadn't thought that far ahead. Her hand instinctively covered her lower abdomen, her voice trembling with fear: "They...they actually dared..."

"If I hadn't been prepared, the consequences would have been unimaginable." Yuwen Che walked to her side and took her slightly cool hand. "So, what do you think I should do with them? Invite them to the palace to celebrate the festival together?"

Su Luoxue quickly shook her head and leaned into his arms: "No! I don't want to see her!" She felt a tightness in her chest when she thought of the way the princess looked at Yuwen Che at the banquet.

"Don't worry," Yuwen Che patted her back reassuringly, "They don't deserve it. Letting them stay quietly in the guest house is already an act of mercy from me."

His tone turned cold, carrying the decisiveness of an emperor: "As for how to deal with him after the New Year... it depends on whether Helian Bobo knows what's good for him."

Su Luoxue looked up at him: "Will the Emperor of the Northern Kingdom...give in?"

Yuwen Che's eyes sharpened: "If he were smart, he would know that my holding his sister and the delegation hostage, and eliminating all my spies, is all to wait for him to make his decision. The choice between war and peace is his. However..."

He paused, then said with certainty, "I am certain he will not dare to start a war at this time."

Su Luoxue nodded as if she understood, but as long as the princess didn't show up and interfere with her and A'che's New Year celebrations, she was at ease.

"Let's not talk about them anymore," Yuwen Che pulled her back onto the couch, picked up the little tiger-head hat, and said, "Let me see if our Xue'er's needlework skills have improved?"

Yuwen Che was examining the crooked little tiger-head hat that Su Luoxue had made, a smile playing on his lips.

"The stitches here are a little loose, but it's already very good for the first time," he said, pointing to a spot on the hat.

Su Luoxue leaned closer to look: "Really? Would it be better if I took it apart and sewed it back together?"

“No need,” Yuwen Che carefully put down the hat. “The first thing should be kept as it is. When the children grow up, they can see how much care their mother put in.”

As the two were talking, Li Dehai walked in quietly, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the envoy from the Northern Kingdom, Wuzhu, is once again requesting an audience outside the palace."

The smile on Yuwen Che's face faded. Without even raising his head, he simply said, "I won't see you."

Li Dehai hesitated for a moment: "Your Majesty, this is already their third day..."

“I said I wouldn’t see you,” Yuwen Che interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument. “If you ask again, there’s no need to report back.”

"This servant understands." Li Dehai said no more and bowed as he withdrew.

After he left, Su Luoxue asked softly, "They've been asking to see me every day, is it something urgent?"

Yuwen Che picked up the memorial again, his tone indifferent: "It's nothing more than testing my attitude, or trying to bargain. Let it be."

He looked at her, his eyes softening again: "It's the New Year, let's not talk about these troublesome things. Your brother sent a letter the other day, saying he brought you some local specialties from your hometown, and I have granted him permission to come to the palace to see you tomorrow."

Su Luoxue's attention was indeed diverted, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Brother is coming?"

"Yes, so you should rest early today and get plenty of rest."

When Wuzhu, who was waiting outside the palace gates, received Li Dehai's reply that "His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to receive you," his face turned ashen. He returned to his guesthouse and shook his head at Helian Mingzhu, who was eagerly awaiting his audience.

"Still not going to see him?" Helian Mingzhu's voice was tense.

“Yes, and… the eunuch who delivered the message implied that we don’t need to go there anymore,” Wuzhu said bitterly.

Helian Mingzhu slumped down, saying, "He's determined to trap us here and kill us..."

"Princess, His Majesty has yet to issue any clear instructions, and Yuwen Che refuses to meet with us. We are like the deaf and blind, this..."

"Wait!" Helian Mingzhu interrupted him through gritted teeth. "What else can we do but wait? Wait for our brother's decision, or... wait for Yuwen Che to state his terms."

Gazing at the sky separated from her view by high walls, she felt for the first time how small and powerless she was. This bustling capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty had become, to her, a magnificent prison. And the man's patience was clearly dwindling.