Chapter 20 I'm so happy, I can't sleep.
The top of the inner side of the bed curtain in Chengming Hall is embroidered with auspicious pomegranate patterns with silk thread.
Narcissus clung to the man's strong arm, feeling that the intricate patterns were almost dazzling to her eyes.
She turned her head away, and heard his increasingly heavy breathing in her ear; the small space around her felt scorching hot.
In a daze, it seemed as if the pomegranate in the pattern had come to life, trembling more and more rapidly, almost rolling off the branches and leaves.
Finally, with a heavy thud from the branches and leaves, the world finally calmed down.
Once she had calmed her breathing, Narcissus turned to her side and found a comfortable position in the man's arms.
The brocade quilt was loosely draped over her body, revealing her exquisite curves. The most eye-catching feature was Narcissus's slender, boneless waist.
Emperor Zhaoheng's strong arm rested on her, holding her tightly in his embrace.
As the intense passion subsided, only the sounds of their intertwined breaths and the crackling of burning charcoal remained in the hall.
After a long silence, Emperor Zhaoheng's deep voice sounded above her head, revealing a rare weariness and vulnerability, completely unlike the dignified and aloof emperor he usually was.
"Xian'er..." he called to her, tightening his arms around her. "Today... I'm actually feeling quite down."
Narcissus nestled in his arms, feeling the rise and fall of his chest and the steady beating of his heart, and nodded gently to show that she was listening.
“Those court officials, and the Empress Dowager… they are pressuring me every day.”
Emperor Zhaoheng sneered, "Forcing me to adopt a son from the imperial clan. You saw Cheng'er today, he's so unruly and spoiled, how can he be fit for such a great responsibility? If I truly have no heir, how can I face my ancestors if this empire falls into the hands of such an incompetent person after my death?"
He took a deep breath and said coldly with self-mockery, "They are like a pack of hyenas that have smelled carrion, just waiting for me to admit... I am childless, I am incapable."
Narcissus's heart skipped a beat.
She sensed the loneliness emanating from him. Today, she helped him out of a predicament and embarrassed the Empress Dowager and Consort Yi, which seemed to have temporarily lowered his guard, making him regard her as the only person in the palace he could confide in.
“Your Majesty…” Shui Xian raised her head and met his deep eyes in the dim candlelight, “You will surely have your own children.”
Emperor Zhaoheng was slightly taken aback, then smiled wryly, gently stroking her smooth shoulder with his fingertips: "Silly fairy, you are kind-hearted, you are just trying to comfort me. I know my own body."
He sighed deeply. "When I was young, leading troops in the north, I led my personal guards in an ambush of the enemy's main force for three days and three nights... The cold seeped into my bones, damaging my very foundation. Over the years, the imperial physicians have come and gone, and I've drunk countless doses of medicine, all saying that I have difficulty conceiving..."
Emperor Zhaoheng paused, a bitter tinge appearing in his voice: "I've always been unwilling to admit it, unwilling to adopt, merely clinging to a sliver of hope. But now..."
Narcissus's infertility made it difficult for Emperor Zhaoheng to deceive himself.
If what Consort Yi said about Narcissus's constitution is true, and he still cannot get someone with a fertile constitution to conceive, then there is truly no way to help him.
He didn't explain, but judging from his expression, Shui Xian had a vague idea.
Shui Xian understood and comprehended Emperor Zhaoheng's distress tonight.
In her previous life, she became pregnant quickly and naturally avoided these setbacks.
In this life, due to Consort Yi's changed mindset, her body was harmed with poison, preventing her from conceiving immediately. Instead, this made the emperor even more convinced of his own problem, plunging him into deeper despair.
“Your Majesty,” Shui Xian snuggled closer into his arms, as if seeking warmth, “do you know that a woman’s pregnancy is not easy, nor can it be accomplished overnight?”
"Hmm?" Emperor Zhaoheng looked down at her.
“When I was in the Yi family, I witnessed something.”
Narcissus's voice softened further, "A young and beautiful concubine has recently been brought into the manor, and the master dotes on her. But after more than half a year, the concubine's belly still hasn't conceived."
"Rumors started circulating in the mansion, saying that she was a barren woman and couldn't have children. The concubine herself was very anxious and secretly wiped away her tears."
"And then what?" Emperor Zhaoheng's curiosity was piqued.
"Later, out of curiosity, I secretly asked the old nanny who had served me and who was also my godmother."
Narcissus continued to weave this half-true, half-false story.
“My godmother said that a woman’s conception depends on chance. The right time, the right place, and the right people are all essential. She said it’s like sowing seeds in spring; not every seed can sprout immediately after being sown.”
"Some people look robust but have difficulty conceiving; others look delicate but are more likely to conceive."
She paused, then adjusted herself into a comfortable position in Emperor Zhaoheng's arms.
"She said that when she was young, she met a woman who had been married for a whole year but had no children. Her husband's family was ready to write a letter of divorce, and her own family was also very anxious."
"But just when everyone was in despair, the woman suddenly found out she was pregnant! Later, she gave birth to two big, healthy boys!"
She spoke vividly, and Emperor Zhaoheng listened quietly, his tense nerves seeming to relax a little.
“My godmother said that these things can’t be rushed or forced. The more you worry, the worse it will be.”
Narcissus spoke with a tone of comfort, "Your Majesty is in good health and exceptionally valiant. The imperial physicians have only said it will be difficult, not entirely impossible. Your Majesty must not lose heart too soon. Perhaps... it's just that the time is not yet right?"
Unlike those noble ladies, she never spoke to him about grand principles from books or stories about narcissus. Her words were simple and unpretentious, which resonated more deeply with Emperor Zhaoheng.
Narcissus gave Emperor Zhaoheng exactly what he needed at that moment:
hope.
“Opportunity…” Emperor Zhaoheng repeated the two words in a low voice, and the heavy feeling in his chest seemed to ease a little.
He lowered his head, found her lips, and kissed her deeply.
"Xian'er is right." His voice was hoarse, but it sounded particularly clear in the quiet night.
"It was I... who was too hasty."
Emperor Zhaoheng rolled over, once again enveloping her beneath him, his hot breath spraying onto her neck.
"Since the opportunity has not yet arrived, then I will try more! One day, the opportunity will favor you and me!"
Narcissus was pinned down by him and rolled into the opportunity once again.
The pomegranate branches on the tent ceiling seemed to tremble violently once again.
Before long, Narcissus's world was turned upside down. She could no longer see the pomegranate, but only the obsession in Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes and the beautiful patterns on the couch.
Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to have gone mad tonight, pestering Shui Xian until she begged for mercy repeatedly.
After a long wait, everything finally came to an end, and a little light shone through the window. Emperor Zhaoheng did not get up and leave as usual.
He still held Narcissus in his arms, fell into a deep sleep, and his breathing was even and long.
The fact that the emperor broke with convention by staying overnight is enough to show how much he adored the narcissus.
Listening to the even breathing beside her, Narcissus was wide awake.
She lay quietly until she was sure that Emperor Zhaoheng had fallen into a deep sleep, then she carefully and slowly moved out of his arms.
Narcissus walked barefoot on the carpet without making a sound.
She quietly walked to the dressing table in the outer room, took off her bracelet, and took out a small brown pill from a hidden compartment inside.
These are pills carefully prepared by Ogawako, which are effective in preventing pregnancy without harming the body, but must be taken as soon as possible after sleeping with the emperor.
Without hesitation, she put the pill in her mouth, picked up the warm tea beside her, and was about to swallow it when...
"Xian'er?" Emperor Zhaoheng's sleepy, slightly hoarse voice suddenly came from the inner room.
He actually woke up!
Narcissus's heart skipped a beat! Her hand holding the teacup trembled almost imperceptibly, causing the water in the cup to ripple.
In a flash, she forcefully swallowed the pill in her mouth! The tiny particle slid down her throat, bringing a slight feeling of something foreign.
She quickly composed herself, silently put the bracelet back on, made sure it blocked the hidden compartment, then turned and hurried into the inner room with the water in her hand: "Your Majesty, are you awake? Are you thirsty? I've poured you some water."
Emperor Zhaoheng sat up slightly, the brocade quilt slipped down, revealing his strong chest.
He rubbed his temples, watching as Narcissus approached with a water cup, her eyes still a little dazed: "I heard a noise... why are you up?"
Narcissus held the glass to his lips and fed him two sips.
After he finished drinking, she sat down on the edge of the bed, not immediately returning to the covers, but with her head slightly lowered, twisting the hem of her nightgown in her hands, a blush rising on her face.
"I...I'm so happy, I can't sleep..."
She quickly raised her eyes to look at Emperor Zhaoheng, then quickly lowered her head again, saying shyly:
"This is the first time Your Majesty has stayed overnight by my side... My heart is pounding like a little rabbit, I lie down and then get up again."
"I just want to... I just want to see His Majesty sleeping a little longer, to feel His Majesty's presence a little longer... Am I being too foolish?"
She buried her face in his hand, which was resting on the edge of the bed, and her voice was muffled.
Narcissus's heartfelt confession instantly touched the softest spot in Emperor Zhaoheng's heart.
The last trace of doubt in his heart dissipated, replaced by pity for her.
He stretched out his long arm and pulled her back into the warm bed, holding her tightly in his arms, his voice filled with a soothing smile:
"Silly fairy, what's there to be so excited about? In the future... I will come often."
Emperor Zhaoheng kissed her forehead and soon fell into a deep sleep again, breathing steadily.
Narcissus nestled in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, but a thin layer of cold sweat seeped out from her back.
That was close!
She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax.
She has been taking antidotes for several days, but the remaining toxins have not yet been completely eliminated.
Only after all the remaining toxins have been cleared can she feel safe getting pregnant...
She believed that would be soon!
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