Chapter 124 Attentive Care (The younger uncle looks after the child and loves him more and more)
After leaving Chengqian Palace, Chu Huaiyu's face instantly darkened, his gentle demeanor vanished, leaving only the majesty and ruthlessness unique to an emperor.
Upon returning to Ganqing Palace, Chu Huaiyu summoned Xuan Jin, the commander of the secret guards, and commanded in a voice that left no room for argument: "From this day forward, the defenses of Chengqian Palace will be doubled, and secret sentries will be deployed in all three layers, inside and out."
All those entering or leaving the palace, including imperial physicians, regardless of who they are, must be strictly checked. Not even a fly is allowed to fly in or out at will!
Xuan Jin bowed and accepted the order: "Your subordinate obeys."
“And…” Chu Huaiyu’s gaze was sharp as an eagle’s.
"Double the number of people secretly monitoring any unusual activity in the palaces, especially those palace servants who have had a falling out with the Empress, as well as the henchmen of Xiao Ruoshui, Cheng Tianxiao, and others. If anything seems amiss, do not report it; kill them immediately!"
Chu Huaiyu paused, then said in an even more ruthless tone, "What I want is absolute certainty. If the Empress and her son suffer even the slightest mishap, I will not let them off lightly!"
"Your subordinate swears to protect Her Majesty the Empress and the child in her womb with his life!" Xuan Jin kowtowed heavily, then rose and quietly disappeared.
Then, Chu Huaiyu quickly walked towards the Imperial Hospital, where the head physician was leading the imperial physicians to prepare medicines for pregnancy support overnight. Upon seeing the emperor's arrival, they all knelt down.
"Your Majesty has come, but is there something wrong with Her Majesty the Empress's health?" The Imperial Physician knelt on the ground and asked in a trembling voice.
"No." Chu Huaiyu raised his hand to signal them to stand up, his gaze sweeping over the medicinal herbs on the table one by one.
"I've come to have you devise a personalized pregnancy support plan for the Empress. From diet and rest to medicinal cuisine and recuperation, every detail must be taken into consideration. I need to see the diet list and pulse record every day; not a single thing can be overlooked!"
Chu Huaiyu pointed to the medicinal herbs on the table and said in a serious tone, "These medicinal herbs must be personally selected and repeatedly inspected by you, the Imperial Physician, to ensure that there is not a trace of toxin or any flaw. If there is any problem, I will hold you responsible!"
"Your Majesty obeys!" the Imperial Physician hurriedly replied, his heart already churning with shock. He never expected His Majesty to attach such importance to the imperial offspring in the Empress's womb!
Then, Chu Huaiyu carefully instructed, "The Empress's pregnancy is not yet stable, so her medicinal diet should focus on warming and nourishing the body, and should not be too tonifying or contain any cold or cooling ingredients."
In addition, two imperial physicians were to be stationed outside Chengqian Palace every day on a rotating basis, ready to be dispatched at any time. To the outside world, they were to only say that the Empress was unwell, and no word of it was to be leaked.
"You must examine the Empress's pulse three times a day, record the findings, and present them to me for review every other day."
"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered!" The imperial physicians bowed and accepted the order with respectful expressions, none daring to be negligent in the slightest.
After arranging all this, Chu Huaiyu breathed a slight sigh of relief and then quickly returned to Chengqian Palace.
In Chengqian Palace, Lu Zhaoxue was fast asleep, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were having a dream.
Chu Huaiyu tiptoed to the bedside, leaned down to gaze at Lu Zhaoxue's sleeping face, and gently brushed her eyebrows and eyes with his fingertips, the gentleness of which seemed to seep into the depths of one's heart.
"Zhaoxue, with me here this time, I will definitely protect you and your child. What happened before will never happen again." Chu Huaiyu murmured softly, his voice full of determination and affection.
The little life inside Lu Zhaoxue's belly is quietly growing, waiting to announce her arrival to the world three months later.
Lu Zhaoxue was awakened by the sound of light footsteps outside the window. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that the candlelight in the hall was still flickering. She had actually slept until dark.
It seems the saying that women are prone to sleepiness is indeed true.
Chu Huaiyu was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Lu Zhaoxue's hand with his fingertips, his gaze tenderly fixed on her face.
Seeing that Lu Zhaoxue had woken up, he immediately leaned down and asked in a very soft voice, "Zhaoxue, you're awake?"
Lu Zhaoxue nodded gently, her gaze sweeping over the bloodshot eyes of Chu Huaiyu, and asked, "Why hasn't Your Majesty gone to rest yet?"
"I'm not sleepy yet." Chu Huaiyu smiled and squeezed Lu Zhaoxue's hand.
"I want to see you and the children more. Whenever I see you, my heart is filled with joy, and I can't sleep at all."
As they were talking, the personal maid Haitang came in carrying a warmed pregnancy-preserving medicine and reported softly, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, this is a pregnancy-preserving medicine just delivered by the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. The head of the academy said that a little American ginseng and red dates were specially added to today's medicine. It is gentle and nourishing without being too hot, and it is most suitable for Your Majesty to take now."
Lu Zhaoxue took the medicine to prevent miscarriage, drank it slowly, and her gaze inadvertently swept out the window.
Under the moonlight, she vaguely saw several unfamiliar figures under the corridor, who were clearly the secret guards arranged by Chu Huaiyu.
The number of palace servants on duty outside the palace was twice as many as usual. Each of them wore a solemn expression and walked very quietly, for fear of disturbing the peace inside the palace.
Lu Zhaoxue understood that this must have been arranged by Chu Huaiyu in private. She lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the bowl of medicine for preventing miscarriage that was almost empty, and her fingertips tightened slightly.
She knew that Chu Huaiyu's arrangements were all for her and the child in her womb, and this cherishing and protection was not fake.
Unfortunately, she was no longer the Lu Zhaoxue of the past. From the day he gave up on her, there was no longer any possibility between them...
"What's wrong? Is the medicine for preventing miscarriage too bitter?" Chu Huaiyu asked quickly when he saw her expression change slightly, his tone full of worry.
Immediately, he pulled a bag from his sleeve, which was filled with a lot of candied fruit.
Chu Huaiyu picked up a candied fruit and put it into Lu Zhaoxue's mouth. Lu Zhaoxue looked at him and shook her head: "I am fine. This medicine is not bitter. Thank you for your trouble, Your Majesty."
Seeing that Lu Zhaoxue refused to eat the candied fruit he offered, Chu Huaiyu sighed softly and said regretfully, "I remember you used to love the candied fruit from Shanbaozhai the most..."
Then he shook his head, "But that's true, even my tastes have changed, let alone yours, Zhaoxue... However, it is my duty to take care of you and the child, you don't need to be so polite."
After saying that, Chu Huaiyu reached out and gently stroked Lu Zhaoxue's nose with his finger, saying in a doting tone, "As long as you and the child are safe, that's more important than anything else."
I have ordered the Imperial Guards and Secret Service to guard every corner of Chengqian Palace, and absolutely no one will be allowed to harm you.
Looking at the determination in his eyes, Lu Zhaoxue's guard lessened slightly. She knew that Chu Huaiyu believed the child in her womb was his, so he would definitely not allow anything to go wrong for her.
Regardless of the truth, at least at this moment, Chu Huaiyu is genuinely protecting her and the child.
(The younger uncle is looking after the child and loves him more and more, hahaha)
Lu Zhaoxue put down the medicine bowl in her hand, slowly raised her hand to touch her lower abdomen, and looked up at Chu Huaiyu, a smile appearing in her eyes: "Your Majesty, with you here, your concubine and the child are very at ease."
This statement was not entirely unfounded; Chu Huaiyu's arrangements did indeed alleviate many of Lu Zhaoxue's worries.
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's face lit up with a smile, and he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Lu Zhaoxue's forehead.
"Silly Zhaoxue, it is only right that I do these things. From now on, you just need to focus on your pregnancy and leave everything else to me."
Lu Zhaoxue nodded slightly, leaned on his shoulder, and slowly closed her eyes.
She knew that behind this peace and tranquility lay countless storms, but at least for now, Lu Zhaoxue could temporarily lower her guard and look forward to the arrival of the little life in her womb.
——
PS:
[Just between you and me, the next time Ah Xue and Si Heng meet, Si Heng will be dressed as a woman and sneak into the palace!]
[Please give me a five-star written review! This rating system really leaves me speechless... I've given up trying to write...]
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