Chapter 157 Touching it is just right
"What's wrong? Are you having a nightmare?"
Emperor Zhaoheng gently patted her back, and a worried voice sounded above her head, filled with concern for Narcissus.
A few days ago, after returning to the palace, Emperor Zhaoheng did not visit Lihe Palace for a period of time.
He only dined with Narcissus a few times, but he could vaguely sense that Narcissus was distraught.
She seemed to have something weighing on her mind, and Emperor Zhaoheng asked her about it many times, but she never received an answer.
Now, as he held her in his arms, Emperor Zhaoheng could feel the delicate body in his embrace still trembling slightly, and the stray hairs on her cheeks were damp with cold sweat.
Narcissus nodded gently in his arms, her voice hoarse from crying, and murmured, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty dreamt that... Someone pushed you from behind, and you fell into a deep, cold lake..."
"It was pitch black all around, and I couldn't climb up no matter what I did. I swallowed a lot of water and couldn't breathe..."
She naturally refused to tell Emperor Zhaoheng about the past life she dreamed about, but those painful memories enveloped her like a lake.
Drowning is nothing more than this.
Zhaoheng looked down at her in the faint moonlight filtering through the gauze curtains.
The beauty's eyes were brimming with tears, and her long eyelashes were still wet with tears. Her forehead was indeed covered with a fine layer of cold sweat. He felt a surge of tenderness and pity.
When his gaze fell upon her pregnant belly beneath her nightgown, a wave of pity washed over him.
He raised his hand and touched the smooth curve, the warmth of his palm seeping through the fabric.
Emperor Zhaoheng said in a deep voice, "It's just a dream. With me here, who would dare to touch you in the slightest?"
Narcissus managed to calm down, but due to the nightmare she had just experienced, her body was still trembling slightly.
Emperor Zhaoheng personally got off the bed, picked up the soft handkerchief placed beside the bed, returned to the bed, and carefully wiped the cold sweat from her neck.
He spoke to her softly during his movements, his tone soothing.
Narcissus nestled against him tenderly, like a young animal seeking shelter, completely dependent on him.
Even after wiping away his sweat, Emperor Zhaoheng still felt it wasn't enough.
Emperor Zhaoheng squeezed her hand, then touched her cold calves, his brows furrowing even more as he called out, "Guards!"
The palace servants on night watch immediately entered silently, bowing their heads to obey orders.
"Make the earthen ceiling warmer."
Emperor Zhaoheng ordered, "Prepare another bowl of calming soup."
The palace maid obeyed and quietly withdrew.
Soon, the already warm temperature inside the hall rose a little more, dispelling the invisible chill brought by the nightmare.
Emperor Zhaoheng pulled Shuixian back down to lie down, warming her cold feet between his warm legs, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, letting her rest her head on his arm.
Narcissus nestled in his arms, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, smelling only his scent; the suffocating nightmare seemed to have finally been dispelled.
She reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying herself deeper into his embrace.
The emperor and empress slept in each other's arms, their love filling the tent.
With his beloved woman, who was six months pregnant, in his arms, Emperor Zhaoheng couldn't help but feel tenderness and affection. He lowered his head and placed a few light kisses on her cheek.
Only after the calming soup was brought over and he watched her drink it did they fall asleep again in each other's arms.
The next morning, when Shui Xian woke up, Emperor Zhao Heng had already been away attending court for quite some time.
The bedding beside him still retained warmth and the scent of ambergris.
She supported her lower back as she got up, slipped on her slippers, and sat down in front of the dressing table, where Yinzhu helped her comb her hair.
The woman in the mirror had her hair loosely tied up, and her cheeks looked a little fuller from the nourishment she received during her pregnancy.
The spring sunshine shines down, making her skin glow like snow, with a healthy rosy hue.
Her once slightly thin face now has softer lines, adding to her charming and delicate beauty.
Because she had cried last night, the corners of Narcissus's eyes were slightly red, which gave her a unique, languid charm.
Narcissus looked in the mirror, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. Her fingertips brushed against her noticeably rounder cheeks, her tone tinged with annoyance.
"I've really gained a lot of weight lately, and I've lost all my figure. I'm afraid I'll start to be disliked sooner or later..."
Yinzhu was just putting a red-gold and kingfisher-feather lotus hairpin in her hair when she heard this and quickly smiled and comforted her, "What are you saying, Your Highness?"
"Now that you are carrying twins, a fuller figure is a sign of good fortune! The Emperor values this pregnancy so much that he specially instructed the Imperial Kitchen to take good care of you yesterday. Besides, Your Majesty's beauty is still stunning, only more dignified now."
Just then, a eunuch's announcement came from outside the hall: "The Emperor has arrived!"
It turned out that Emperor Zhaoheng came directly after court.
Shui Xian hurriedly tried to get up to greet him, but Emperor Zhaoheng had already strode in and waved her away, dismissing her formalities.
He had clearly overheard their conversation, and his gaze fell on the face reflected in the mirror, which possessed a unique charm due to pregnancy, with admiration in his eyes.
He walked behind her, naturally placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned down to look at her in the mirror, and smiled as he pinched her soft cheeks.
"What are you thinking about now, Fairy? A plump and smooth figure is best!"
"You need strength to give birth, and my son needs nourishment. I will only be at ease if you are healthy and plump."
He looked at the daffodils in the mirror and smiled, "There's no need to pay attention to those outdated notions that equate thinness with beauty."
"I find you to be very beautiful."
After saying this, Emperor Zhaoheng turned to Feng Shunxiang, who had followed him in, and instructed him: "Relay my message: add two more dishes to Consort Jin's breakfast, namely bird's nest soup and milk almond soup, which she likes."
Then he personally took the jade comb from Yinzhu's hand and gently combed her long hair a few times, his movements full of love and care.
Not long after, during breakfast, Emperor Zhaoheng even personally scooped a spoonful of sweet soup, blew on it to warm it, and handed it to Narcissus's lips.
"Eat more, you're eating for three people now."
Her face flushed slightly as she ate it from his hand.
The palace servants standing in the hall all lowered their heads and looked on meekly, but in their hearts they were all filled with envy and amazement!
The Emperor's affection for Consort Jin grew stronger day by day, and he made no attempt to hide it. Even changes in a woman's figure, which were of utmost importance to her, became admirable qualities in the Emperor's eyes.
......
After breakfast, Emperor Zhaoheng went to the Imperial Study to handle state affairs, while Shuixian rode in a sedan chair to the Empress's palace for her morning audience.
The Empress has recently recovered somewhat, and has been holding her morning and evening greetings at Kunning Palace.
When Shui Xian entered the palace, she noticed that the Empress's complexion seemed worse than yesterday.
He seemed to be forcing himself to accept the greetings from the concubines.
After the routine questioning, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Narcissus sat upright, her gaze seemingly unintentionally sweeping over the other concubines.
When she saw Yi Shuyao standing in a corner of the Kunning Palace, her gaze paused slightly.
Compared to not long ago, Yi Shuyao seems to have become much quieter these days.
She sat in the corner, dressed in a rather simple turquoise palace dress, with only a plain silver hairpin in her hair, without even a decent palace flower. Compared to the jeweled lower-ranking concubines around her, she looked particularly shabby.
When faced with Yi Guichun's occasional whispered instructions, she would only nod blankly, unlike her usual attentiveness. Instead, she would frequently drift off into thought, seemingly lost in thought.
Narcissus felt a slight stirring in her heart, but showed no sign of it on her face.
After the morning audience concluded, all the concubines took their leave.
Narcissus deliberately slowed down her movements and lagged behind.
As she passed by Yi Shuyao, she stopped and took out a small plate of delicate and translucent osmanthus cake from the food box that Tinglu was carrying behind her, and handed it to Yi Shuyao.
"Consort Yao seems to have lost some weight recently. This plate of osmanthus cake is something I always carry with me. It's sweet but not cloying. Would you like to try it?"
Yi Shuyao seemed startled, then snapped back to reality. When she saw it was Shui Xian, a look of panic flashed across her face.
She never expected that Narcissus would bestow something upon her, and she quickly curtsied to accept it, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your gift."
Seeing that she was carrying a plate of pastries and her face was slightly pale, Shui Xian asked softly, "I have heard that General Yi will soon return to the capital in triumph. This is a great joy."
"Consort Yao seems to be preoccupied? Has she offended Consort Yi recently and suffered some injustice?"
She deliberately steered the conversation toward Yi Guichun.
Upon hearing this, Yi Shuyao's eyes reddened slightly.
She glanced quickly in the direction Yi Guichun had left, and only lowered her voice when she saw that he was already far away.
"I have no grievances... I just heard that my brother is about to return to the capital, and I can't help but feel a little worried. But my brother hasn't even mentioned me once in his letters home..."
As soon as she spoke, she seemed to realize her mistake and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at the narcissus again.
Narcissus sneered inwardly, "Just as I thought."
That madman Yi Xingyao, has he ever truly taken Yi Shuyao, his half-sister, seriously?
A look of sympathy crossed her face, and she sighed softly: "General Yi is busy with important military and national affairs, and perhaps he has been negligent for a moment. Your Excellency, please don't be too sad, and take care of your health."
After saying that, Narcissus left without saying anything more, taking Yinzhu's hand and departing.
Yi Shuyao was left standing there, holding the plate of osmanthus cake. She recalled Yi Guichun's usual bossiness and her brother's indifference, and her eyes gradually became complicated.
——
In the evening, Emperor Zhaoheng came over for dinner. The table was filled with a dazzling array of dishes, mostly prepared according to the taste of Narcissus and the needs of her pregnancy.
However, Shui Xian only ate a small portion of rice and picked up a few bites of light vegetables before putting down her chopsticks.
Emperor Zhaoheng noticed and asked in a low voice, "Is it because these dishes are not to your liking? I will have the imperial kitchen redo them."
Narcissus quickly shook her head and forced a smile: "No, Your Majesty, the dishes are all delicious."
She hesitated for a moment, then gently placed her hand on her protruding belly, saying worriedly, "But... I've been feeling heavy lately, and I'm eating more, and I'm getting fatter and fatter..."
"I am afraid... afraid that childbirth will be difficult and harm the baby, and I am also afraid..."
Shui Xian paused, a hint of embarrassment in her voice, "I'm also afraid that if I get too fat and lose my shape, then...then His Majesty won't like me anymore..."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng first chuckled, finding her worries somewhat childish. However, seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, he became serious as well.
"Xian'er, how could I be such a shallow person?"
"Not to mention, where have you gained weight? You were clearly too thin before, but you look just right now."
At this point, Emperor Zhaoheng leaned closer and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"It feels just right to touch."
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