Chapter 71 Pregnancy
Chapter Seventy-One: The Pulse of Pregnancy
Before they knew it, it was already the twelfth lunar month. Inside Yongshou Palace, a warm underfloor heating system burned, making the outside air bitterly cold, while inside the palace it was as warm as spring. Su Su had been feeling listless lately, as if she were a snake that needed to hibernate, and was extremely prone to drowsiness.
Since the incident involving Princess Chengbi, the concubines in the harem have become united in their hatred of the enemy, and their relationships have become strangely much more harmonious.
They discovered that the current imperial concubine in charge of the harem was gentle and not competitive. Yongshou Palace not only had exquisite pastries and fine tea, but the warm underfloor heating was also the best place to stay in winter.
Since the emperor's attention wasn't on them, everyone was happy to have some free time, so they all liked to gather around Su Su to play chess, drink tea, and discuss cosmetics, which was quite pleasant.
Although Su Su found socializing quite exhausting, as the person in charge of the harem, maintaining such a harmonious scene was her duty, so she always smiled and made sure to handle it.
On this day, as usual, several noble ladies and beauties were chatting and laughing in the palace. Consort Song enthusiastically took out a box of her carefully prepared perfume powder and invited everyone to taste it.
The scent of the perfume was quite strong. As soon as Su Su took a sniff, an overwhelming feeling of nausea surged up her throat. She immediately turned to the side and began to gag, her face turning deathly pale.
Everyone was startled, especially Consort An, who was offering the incense. She was terrified, fearing that there was something wrong with her incense powder and that she had offended the Imperial Concubine. She was so flustered that she couldn't speak.
Chunlan reacted quickly. She immediately stepped forward to pat Su Su's back while urgently ordering the eunuch to fetch the imperial physician. She also gave Qiuju a look, signaling her to go to the imperial study to report to the emperor.
When the imperial physician rushed over with his medicine chest, Su Su had already vomited for a while and was leaning listlessly against the pillow, with little energy.
The imperial physician held his breath and focused intently. He had barely placed his fingers on Su Su's wrist when his brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Not daring to be careless, he carefully examined her again on the other hand, and finally a look of certainty and joy appeared on his face.
He withdrew his hand, turned around, and solemnly knelt down before Li Qianche, who had rushed over with an anxious expression, and the others in the hall. His voice was filled with barely suppressed joy:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Highness! Your Highness is pregnant!"
Upon hearing this, Su Su froze on the spot, as if she hadn't heard clearly.
Li Qianche's eyes widened as he stared intently at the imperial physician, his voice trembling with nervousness as he asked incredulously, "You... what did you say? Su'er... she's pregnant?"
The imperial physician smiled broadly and replied decisively, "Your Majesty, it is absolutely true! This old minister has examined her twice, and there is no doubt that her pulse is slippery. The Imperial Concubine is already one month pregnant!"
An immense joy surged through Li Qianche's body like a warm current. He looked sharply at Su Su, his eyes filled with indescribable excitement and ecstasy.
Su Su subconsciously raised her hand and gently touched her still flat stomach, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Ever since the imperial physician diagnosed her with a cold constitution and difficulty conceiving, she had been cooperating with the recuperation, but she had prepared herself for a long wait... She never expected that this child would come so unexpectedly and so quickly.
She...has a child? Her child with the Emperor?
Upon hearing this, the other concubines in the hall all breathed a sigh of relief—it was fortunate that the Imperial Concubine was unharmed; if anything had happened because of their presence, none of them could have borne the responsibility. Consort An, in particular, patted her chest, still feeling lingering fear.
Immediately, everyone reacted and stepped forward, offering their congratulations to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine in a cacophony of voices. Li Qianche, however, was completely preoccupied with Su Su and the child in her womb, and had no mind to deal with others. He immediately waved his hand dismissively: "Did you all hear that? The Imperial Concubine needs to rest. You may all return to your own palaces and not disturb her without reason!"
Knowing the gravity of the situation, the concubines quickly and tactfully bowed and took their leave. From then on, the once bustling Yongshou Palace suddenly became quiet—the emperor had strictly ordered that no one should disturb the Imperial Concubine's pregnancy.
Su Su thus began her days of being closely "protected," spending most of her time nestled in the warm bed of her bedchamber. Li Qianche even moved some of the memorials to Yongshou Palace for review, wishing he could be by her side at all times.
However, the hardships of pregnancy also followed. In the first three months, Su Su suffered from severe morning sickness, vomiting almost everything she ate. She visibly lost weight, which worried Li Qianche greatly. He ordered the imperial kitchen to prepare a variety of dishes, fearing that his Su'er and the child would suffer.
On the dining table in Yongshou Palace today were: a bowl of milky white crucian carp and tofu soup, with a few bright green scallions floating on the surface; a plate of crystal shrimp dumplings, their thin skins revealing tender pink shrimp inside; a bowl of golden pumpkin and millet porridge, thick, sticky, and sweet; a plate of goose breast; a plate of stir-fried asparagus tips; and above all, the imperial kitchen's meticulously prepared steamed venison with red dates and goji berries, using the tenderest part of the tenderloin, steamed to perfection, the meat delicate and glistening with an enticing sheen; alongside it was a plate of tender, oil-free poached chicken, made from a plump hen that hadn't laid eggs yet, with a golden-yellow skin and snow-white meat, served only with a light sauce, making it incredibly refreshing. Also present were several exquisitely crafted Suzhou-style pastries.
He was afraid of neglecting his Su'er and their child. That day, as usual, Li Qianche had lunch with Su Su and carefully placed a piece of tender venison in her bowl. Su Su reluctantly put it in her mouth, but the familiar feeling of nausea returned, and she quickly turned away to cover her mouth.
Li Qianche immediately put down his silver chopsticks, patted her back tenderly, brought her some tea to rinse her mouth, and gently wiped her lips with a warm handkerchief. Seeing that she was really uncomfortable, he tried to pick up a piece of steamed fish and gently advised, "If you don't want to eat venison, then try this fish, it's lighter."
Su Su had no appetite at all, and could only weakly wave her hand: "Your Majesty, I really can't eat..."
Li Qianche frowned, picked up a piece of tender chicken, and said in a gentle tone that left no room for refusal, "Then at least use some of this chicken, Su'er, be good, how can your body hold up if you don't eat something?" Looking at his worried eyes, Su Su felt a lump in her throat and finally opened her mouth and slowly ate it.
Seeing that the chicken did not cause any discomfort, Li Qianche was slightly relieved. She coaxed and persuaded her to eat a few more pieces and drink a small bowl of carefully prepared nourishing soup before she could barely finish the meal.
After the meal, Li Qianche carefully led her on a slow stroll along the corridor outside the palace to aid digestion. The wind outside was still cold, but being held tightly in his arms, Su Su felt warm all over.
She suddenly remembered that at this time in her previous life, she was still in that cold and desolate palace, all alone, with an uncertain future.
This year, she not only holds the position of Imperial Concubine and manages the six palaces, but also has a child in her womb, a child with whom she shares blood. The man who once broke her heart is now holding her tightly by his side, his eyes filled with the joy of becoming a father and his tender care for her.
Thinking of this, a warm current mixed with emotion and happiness quietly washed over her, and she couldn't help but lean closer to him.
Li Qianche seemed to sense something, lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her hair, tightening his arms around her. This was probably what peaceful and serene life looked like.
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