Chapter 109 I seem to be under a spell cast by Xian'er
The Cold Palace.
The affair has temporarily subsided.
The worn-through curtains couldn't block the sunlight on the couch; the hall was warm and cozy, and the inner room used the finest red charcoal that had been specially brought this time.
Emperor Zhaoheng gently kissed her shoulder, lingering with her affectionately.
"It seems I've been bewitched by Xian'er."
His low, husky voice still carried the lingering arrogance of before. Emperor Zhaoheng gently brushed his high, straight nose against her smooth neck.
For some reason, Emperor Zhaoheng could only truly feel at ease with her.
None of Shui Xian's family members held official positions in the court, and she herself was not even in the inner palace, but in the cold palace.
Now, all her tenderness is reserved for him alone.
It's not for profit or power, but solely for love.
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
Narcissus used his burning arms as a pillow, their hair intertwined, as if they had become a fine piece of dark silk.
She embraced him and whispered, "If the people of the previous dynasty heard this, they would surely accuse me of bringing disaster to the country and its people."
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes darkened as he recalled the increasingly unsightly faces of the previous dynasty.
He pulled the narcissus closer, saying, "Let's not talk about them."
Emperor Zhaoheng pinched Shuixian's increasingly slender arm, feeling that all the weight he had painstakingly gained had vanished again.
He frowned and said, "How exactly are these servants in the Cold Palace doing their jobs? But the food isn't to my liking, so why don't I order the imperial kitchen to send a special portion over here..."
Narcissus nestled in his arms and gently shook her head.
"Those in the Cold Palace are all guilty, so their food is naturally not as refined as that outside."
"Although the meals delivered daily are rather simple, consisting of coarse tea and plain rice, they are still palatable. Your Majesty need not order any more to be sent."
Since Bao Xiaohuai's death, her subordinates have been eager to seek protection and have not had time to deal with her for the time being.
As for the food...
Most of those in this cold palace were once masters who lived in luxury.
For them, being fed ordinary meals is already a punishment in itself.
Narcissus had been a servant since childhood, so she was naturally much more accustomed to it than the others.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng's brows did not relax. He stroked her increasingly thin arm and said with heartache, "Even so, you shouldn't have become so thin..."
Narcissus felt a slight stirring in her heart, realizing the real reason for her weight loss.
It's not because of the food, but because I've been having a poor appetite lately due to my pregnancy.
I don't know why.
When she was pregnant with Yongning, she had very little reaction. Apart from always wanting to be close to the emperor, she had almost no other significant reaction.
This pregnancy has made her feel nauseous and vomity for the past two weeks.
Such a violent reaction reminded Narcissus of the little prince she had conceived in her previous life...
The two pregnancies were quite similar.
Emperor Zhaoheng's words make sense; she has indeed lost a lot of weight, and this might affect the child in her womb.
"Your Majesty, please do not worry."
Shui Xian gave Emperor Zhaoheng a sweet smile, her beautiful eyes reflecting only his image.
Emperor Zhaoheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he was aroused once more, pressing Narcissus deeper into the bed without further ado...
......
However, their sweet moment was interrupted by Feng Shunxiang, who quietly entered.
Feng Shunxiang stood guard outside the tent, not daring to look up and scrutinize the scene. He simply lowered his head and whispered, "Your Majesty, someone from Kunning Palace has gone to Qianqing Palace to report that... Princess Yongning had a high fever in the middle of the night and requests Your Majesty's presence!"
Upon hearing that Yongning was ill, neither Emperor Zhaoheng nor Shuixian had any romantic thoughts.
Shui Xian, wrapped in a brocade quilt, watched as Emperor Zhao Heng quickly got up and left the bed.
Feng Shunxiang hurriedly stepped forward to help Emperor Zhaoheng change his clothes, while Shuixian picked up the inner garment beside the bed and put it on.
"Yongning has a high fever..."
She was in a state of utter confusion, and she only regretted that she was now in the cold palace and could not rush to her child's side.
"Your Majesty...you must send Physician Pei Jichuan to examine Yongning."
Emperor Zhaoheng said reassuringly, "That's natural. I have already appointed Pei Jichuan to take care of Yongning's health."
Actually, that's not all, but now is not the time to say more.
Emperor Zhaoheng treated Yongning like a precious jewel; she was the most treasured person in his heart.
Yongning had twelve servants, including wet nurses and nannies, not to mention the imperial physicians. In addition to the three imperial physicians who took her pulse every day, at least one imperial physician had to be stationed at Kunning Palace to prevent any emergencies.
Upon hearing that his daughter had a high fever, Emperor Zhaoheng was also worried. However, he saw Shuixian wrapped in a blanket and weeping in bed.
He knew that mothers and daughters were of one heart, so he made a point of persuading her before leaving.
"Now that Yinzhu has gone to serve Yongning, I will never allow our daughter to suffer any injustice."
"Xian'er, you must believe in me."
She didn't dare to delay Emperor Zhaoheng's visit to Yongning, so she simply nodded emphatically.
After Emperor Zhaoheng left the Cold Palace under Feng Shunxiang's cover, Xiao Lizi quietly entered, extinguished the red charcoal, and then checked for any traces of the emperor's presence.
After confirming that he would not leave any flaws, he glanced worriedly at Narcissus, who was still sitting on the couch, before quietly leaving the inner room.
On the daffodil on the tatami mat, a small red bib was found out of nowhere.
That was a bellyband that some palace maid took out and used by Prince Duan to frame her.
However, it has been modified by Narcissus and restored to its original appearance.
The small bib was hand-sewn by her for her daughter, but her daughter never wore it for a single day.
My daughter's innocent little face flashed through my mind...
The thought of such a lovely little person being tormented by illness filled Narcissus with sorrow.
She clutched the small bodice tightly, sitting listlessly in the cold winter night.
Gradually, the candle emitted its last flicker of light and then suddenly went out.
Only the cold moonlight remained to accompany her until late at night...
——
When Emperor Zhaoheng rushed to Kunning Palace, the palace was brightly lit and bustling with people.
A faint smell of medicine filled the hall, making the atmosphere tense and oppressive.
Princess Yongning was lying in her cradle, her face flushed red, her breathing rapid, and she occasionally let out a soft moan of discomfort.
The Empress was sitting by the cradle, personally feeding her daughter fever-reducing medicine little by little with a small silver spoon.
Pei Jichuan and the other four imperial physicians stood respectfully to one side, their heads bowed, the atmosphere heavy with solemnity.
Upon seeing the emperor arrive, they immediately knelt down and paid their respects.
"Rise!"
Emperor Zhaoheng waved his hand and strode to the cradle. He bent down and touched his daughter's forehead, finding it burning hot to the touch.
"What's going on?!"
The head of the Imperial Medical Academy hurriedly stepped forward to reply, his tone cautious: "Your Majesty, the princess is young and has a weak spleen and stomach. It is likely that she caught a cold due to the sudden onset of winter, which caused her high fever."
"We have already administered the medicine, and the fever is slowly subsiding. Your Majesty need not worry too much."
The Empress then said:
"Your Majesty, you have the morning court session tomorrow. You must not ruin your health by staying up all night. I will stay here with you. You should go and rest."
Seeing his daughter's distressed state, Emperor Zhaoheng was unwilling to leave.
He shook his head, sat down next to the Empress, and kept his gaze fixed on Yongning in the cradle.
"It's alright, I'll stay here with Yongning."
He turned to the Empress's personal maid and instructed her, "Go and add some more charcoal. The Empress is frail; she mustn't catch a cold."
The Empress was slightly taken aback by Emperor Zhaoheng's concern, but then her eyes welled up with emotion, and she said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Time passed slowly, and the imperial physician would occasionally step forward to take her pulse.
The Emperor and Empress stayed by the cradle the whole time. One looked intently at their daughter, while the other would occasionally pour hot tea for the Emperor or wipe Yongning's forehead with a warm handkerchief.
As dawn broke, Yongning's high fever finally subsided, his breathing became steady, and he wiggled his little bottom and fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Jichuan stepped forward again to check her pulse and confirmed that she was out of danger, and everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.
The Empress had stayed up all night, and her face looked somewhat pale; her body swayed slightly.
Forcing herself to stay alert, she said to Emperor Zhaoheng, "Your Majesty, Yongning is out of danger, and it's almost dawn. I've had breakfast prepared. Would you like to have some before going to court?"
Emperor Zhaoheng was moved by the Empress's tired appearance and nodded in agreement.
So the emperor and empress moved to the outer room for breakfast.
During the meal, the Empress, noticing the lingering weariness between Emperor Zhaoheng's brows, softly suggested:
"Your Majesty, you haven't slept all night. Perhaps you could skip the morning court session? Send Feng Shunxiang to inform Your Majesty that Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance."
When the morning court session was mentioned, Emperor Zhaoheng pictured the aggressive faces of those powerful officials from aristocratic families, and his tone turned cold.
"No need. I want to hear what those old ministers will say about my Yongning today!"
The Empress immediately put down her silver chopsticks, her face showing a protective expression: "Your Majesty! I am Yongning's legal mother, and I absolutely cannot tolerate anyone harming Yongning because of baseless accusations!"
"Your Majesty, I am willing to stand by Yongning's side forever and protect her!"
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said:
"If... if the officials in the court remain stubborn, perhaps... I should write a letter to my father and ask him to speak to them on our behalf, based on our past relationship?"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhaoheng glanced at the Empress and shook his head.
"There's no need to trouble the Grand Tutor."
"He is already very old and has long since stopped attending to state affairs, so why bother him with these matters?"
Although she rejected the proposal, the Empress's unwavering support for Yongning warmed Emperor Zhaoheng's heart considerably.
He reached out and gently grasped the Empress's hand, which was resting on the table. His tone softened considerably: "The Empress is wise and righteous, and she is wholeheartedly concerned for Yongning. I am very pleased with her."
The Empress felt the warmth of his palm, a blush rising to her cheeks. She gently squeezed his hand back and whispered, "This is what I should do."
......
As the time for the morning court session approached, Emperor Zhaoheng set off from Kunning Palace.
The palace servants inside and outside Kunning Palace had already begun their work, sweeping away the thin layer of snow that had fallen the night before.
As the imperial procession passed by, the palace servants all knelt down to make way, not daring to raise their heads.
Not far from Kunning Palace, under the eaves, a young palace maid holding a broom quietly raised her head.
She looked in the direction the emperor's carriage had gone, then glanced at the tightly closed gates of Kunning Palace, a resolute glint in her eyes.
He immediately put down the broom quietly and ran towards the Cold Palace...
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