Chapter 190 Xian'er... I am your husband
After Ana asked her question, the palace fell silent.
Would an emperor take a risk for a concubine?
Shui Xian never expected that breaking her constitution would require Emperor Zhao Heng to take such a risk. She lowered her eyelashes slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes.
How could this be...?
"For her sake, I am willing!"
Narcissus looked up in surprise, her astonishment momentarily undisguised, her light brown pupils trembling.
Emperor Zhaoheng... he was actually willing to take the risk for her!
Narcissus struggled to sit up, and at this moment she made no attempt to feign anything, saying in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty... I would gladly die! Your Majesty is the ruler of the nation, your life is tied to the safety of the people. How can you take such a risk for me! If Your Majesty suffers even the slightest harm because of me, I would not be able to atone for my sins even if I were to die ten thousand times! This method... this method cannot be used!"
If something were to happen to Emperor Zhaoheng, who currently has no heir and has not appointed an heir, the world would descend into chaos upon his death!
At this moment, Narcissus even put her own safety out of the question.
In any case, the common people are far more important than her!
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly raised his hand, signaling Feng Shunxiang, Ana, and the others to step back for the time being.
Once only he and Shui Xian remained in the hall, he walked to the edge of the couch and sat down, gently stroking Shui Xian's cheeks, which were flushed with excitement.
His movements were so gentle, as if he were touching the most fragile treasure in the world.
"Xian'er," he called softly, his deep eyes reflecting her anxious expression, the turbulent emotions within them making her heart tremble, "It's merely a risk to damage the dragon's body, and the child you're carrying isn't just yours, it's mine too..."
He leaned down slightly, his forehead almost touching hers.
Ever since Emperor Zhaoheng learned that Shui Xian would surely die suddenly if she gave birth to twins, he has repeatedly recalled the days and nights he spent with her.
She had no family, no wealth, only him.
In recent years, for the sake of his overall interests and his great cause, Shui Xian has suffered countless grievances.
First she gave birth to Yongning, and then she became pregnant with these twins... Emperor Zhaoheng thought that this time, he didn't want Shuixian to suffer any more grievances.
"Xian'er... I am your husband."
Emperor Zhaoheng didn't even use "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor"), but instead used "我" (wo, meaning "I" or "I").
He sighed softly, took her hand in his, pressed his forehead against hers, their profiles intertwined, and uttered words he would never have said before.
"Whatever happens, I'll face it with you, okay?"
No matter what, Shui Xian never expected that Emperor Zhaoheng would give up a part of himself for her.
Even if the emperor yielded half a step for her, it was enough to leave a mark on Narcissus's heart!
She had always known of his love and protection for her, but she never imagined that she held such a heavy place in his heart that he would not hesitate to exchange his own safety, or even his lifespan, for her!
Even the narcissus, whose heart is as cold as iron, felt her heart soften for a moment at this moment.
"emperor……"
Narcissus felt an unprecedented sorrow welling up in her heart, making her choke up and unable to utter a single word. She could only let her scalding tears fall silently.
Narcissus wasn't crying because of the man's care for her, but because after a long, arduous journey alone, a hand was suddenly offered to her from the side.
She held Emperor Zhaoheng's hand in return. At this moment, she didn't want to think about how long the emperor's favor would last; she just wanted to indulge in this tenderness.
Seeing her tears, Emperor Zhaoheng gently wiped away the strings of tears with his fingertips. His voice was slightly hoarse as he comforted Narcissus:
"Don't be afraid, I am the Son of Heaven, and I am protected by Heaven. It's just a little risk, but if it can bring you a lifetime of peace, it's worth it."
He summoned Ana back in, and in front of Narcissus, he exuded imperial majesty and spoke in a low voice.
"Mrs. Ana, please tell me what you need."
"I will immediately send someone to find that precious herb. As for protecting the Consort, I agree. Tell Feng Shunxiang what you need to prepare and what you require. All resources in the palace are at your disposal."
A fleeting, almost imperceptible glint flashed in Ana's eyes before she respectfully bowed her head: "Yes."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty. This ritual requires three days of preparation. An altar must be set up in a clean and high place to draw upon the essence of the sun and moon. In addition, many other items are needed, such as century-old agarwood and snow lotus from the Western Regions, to assist in the ritual."
She rattled off a long list of precious and rare items, all of which were hard to find anywhere in the world.
A few questions crossed Narcissus's mind. The solution to this constitution was too elaborate. She was currently in the imperial palace, where she had access to these rare medicinal herbs and treasures.
What if she's not in the palace? Even if we find Ana and learn the solution, it won't be easy; we'll just have to wait to die.
Logically speaking, the few bowls of herbal soup that Madam Yi drank back then should have made her fertile.
If we want to cure it, shouldn't we use medicine that is as precious as the one that Madam Yi found back then?
Shui Xian didn't understand pharmacology, but she still secretly had doubts about this precious prescription that required so many rare and precious herbs.
"allow."
Without hesitation, Emperor Zhaoheng immediately ordered Feng Shunxiang: "Do as Master Ana says right away, without fail!"
Feng Shunxiang bowed and accepted the order, then hurriedly left.
After all, he was the chief eunuch by Emperor Zhaoheng's side, and he too had some similar questions to Shui Xian's.
Feng Shunxiang appeared respectful, but inwardly he was extremely vigilant. After leaving the hall, he immediately dispatched his most capable bodyguards to secretly surround the palace where Ana was temporarily residing, and ordered them to closely monitor her every move and report any minor details.
Inside the palace, Ana remained as sage as ever. After explaining the necessary procedures for the ceremony to Emperor Zhaoheng, she bid farewell to the imperial concubine with a mysterious smile.
Narcissus leaned against Emperor Zhaoheng's chest, but her gaze involuntarily followed Ana's departing figure.
For some reason, the more she looked at the tall woman named "Ana," the more vaguely familiar she felt.
However, after thinking about it carefully, Narcissus couldn't figure out who she resembled.
Emperor Zhaoheng noticed her absent-mindedness, lowered his eyes to gaze at the confusion in her eyes, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
"......nothing."
Shui Xian gently pressed her forehead. "I was just feeling a little weak, which is why I was momentarily distracted."
She didn't take Ana's inexplicable familiarity to heart, because she had never actually seen Ana's face before.
Shui Xian took it as a coincidence and stopped thinking about it. She leaned against Emperor Zhaoheng's chest and listened as he whispered in her ear about recent anecdotes from Yongning.
——
Inside Kunning Palace.
Unlike her usual weakness, the Empress's complexion has been quite good recently. After Narcissus was temporarily unable to perform the morning and evening greetings due to health issues, the Empress soon regained control of the morning and evening greetings.
Empress Liu Simin said that the sun was shining brightly today, and the fine weather probably made her feel better, so she could return to the inner palace to preside over the daily morning and evening greetings.
On the day Ana came to the palace to see Narcissus, the Queen was in her Kunning Palace courtyard, calmly pruning a pot of white magnolias in full bloom, holding golden scissors.
After listening to the palace maid's whispered report, a faint, yet chilling smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh? The Emperor has indeed agreed, even willing to take on unforeseen risks... Truly, his affection is as deep as the sea."
She trimmed off an extra branch, a fleeting hint of cold sarcasm flashing in her eyes.
"Since they are both willing to hit and willing to be hit, I will grant their wish."
She put down the golden scissors, picked up a snow-white silk handkerchief, and slowly wiped away non-existent dust from her fingertips.
The Empress walked slowly toward the main hall of Kunning Palace. Her trusted maidservant quickly stepped forward and supported her arm.
The Empress gently placed her hand on the maid's hand and said in a soft voice, only audible to herself and her trusted maid:
"When the emperor loses his beloved and is heartbroken, he will naturally understand who is the one who can accompany him to the end."
A breeze blew through her skirt, creating a bright yellow hue in the courtyard that was even more radiant than the high-hanging sun.
A hint of murderous intent flashed subtly in the Empress's voice, "In the end, this harem still needs me, the Empress, to keep it in check!"
——
Another day of sunrise, brightly illuminating the Qianqing Palace.
The glazed tiles gleam with the most noble bright yellow in the world, as if they could dye the sun, making the sunlight falling on the golden bricks in front of the palace even more radiant.
Emperor Zhaoheng had already set off for court, while Narcissus, who had risen late, was having her meal at the round table with her hair loosely tied up.
Yinzhu stayed by her side and served her meals.
Shui Xian noticed a familiar pastry on the table, and Yin Zhu, noticing her gaze, picked it up for her.
The pastries looked fragrant and delicious, and didn't seem to have been tampered with. Shui Xian had only noticed the mandarin ducks on top and thought they looked nice.
The silver pearl was the first time this dessert had been served passively since it was brought over.
Could it be that it only looks appetizing, but tastes terrible?
Shui Xian couldn't help but mutter to herself, but since Yin Zhu had already picked it up, she took a small bite.
Unexpectedly, the glutinous rice flour wrapped around the fillings of jujube paste, walnuts, and other ingredients was a perfect combination, and the care put into its preparation surprised her slightly.
"This snack... I feel like I've had it somewhere before."
Such delicious snacks, even though she had forgotten some of the details, still brought back some memories the moment she tasted them.
Yinzhu replied, "Your Majesty may have forgotten, but this is a 'Unity Cake,' which was sent by someone from Kunning Palace this morning."
Kunning Palace?
With Yinzhu's prompting, Shuixian remembered that she had taken the initiative to get close to the Empress in order to stop Ruan Huan, who was then Consort Li, from taking her child.
On one occasion, she happened to see Granny Sun hurrying by with a stack of cakes in Kunning Palace.
Shuixian had forgotten what exactly was said at the time, but in any case, the Empress had Granny Sun bring her a stack of food.
Back then, the design on these "union cakes" wasn't mandarin ducks, but rather two overlapping circles, which looked quite perfect and cute from afar, and tasted very sweet...
Memories flashed through her mind, and just as Narcissus was about to pick up her chopsticks to finish the remaining pastries, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her.
"I remember now... who does Ana look like!"
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