Chapter 35 Chapter 35 [VIP]
Time flies like water.
In the midsummer, it was Yuan Mu’s eighteenth birthday.
She has a slim figure, so her pregnancy is not very noticeable. Even though she is four months pregnant, her belly is not too bulging.
The summer in the palace is extremely hot, and even in Qingning Palace, which is warm in winter and cool in summer, people have to rely on ice to survive.
Therefore, after entering May, the emperor took his people to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat.
This has been a tradition throughout the dynasties. Due to the urgent war in the past two years, we haven't been there much.
In April, the battle in the northwest was a great victory, and the emperor finally had time to prepare for his trip to the palace.
Emperor Gaozu and the late emperor came here every year, and there was a fixed amount of supplies for all kinds of things. Now that the harem is empty, it is cheaper to arrange them.
The scenery of the palace is very beautiful, surrounded by mountains and water, magnificent and gorgeous.
A large palace complex is located on Mount Li, with pavilions, towers, flowers, trees and unique rocks. The scenery is luxurious and beautiful, and the vision is broad. It is a free scenery that is completely different from the palace city.
The emperor came here several times when he was young, but this is the first time he has come here since he ascended the throne.
He is a person with a strong sense of ritual and cares a lot about first experiences.
The emperor put his arm around Yuan Mu's slender waist and said softly, "I haven't been here for a long time. Do you want to take a hot spring bath tonight?"
The imperial carriage moved fast and steadily, and it looked as graceful as if it had wings on the flat road.
Yuan Mu closed his eyes, and his long eyelashes cast a light golden shadow on his eyelids.
When she first became pregnant, she often suffered from morning sickness, which was very severe and she couldn't eat anything. Her appetite has only recently improved.
But Yuan Mu's sleepiness problem did not improve at all.
She is very sleepy every day and can sleep from afternoon to night with a soft pillow.
Yuan Mu was sleeping when the emperor left Qingning Palace, and she was still sleeping when he came back.
He asked the imperial physician to see him several times, and they all said that this was normal during pregnancy.
But the emperor still didn't expect that Yuan Mu could sleep so soundly in the imperial carriage.
Her breathing was light, and she was wearing a light-colored robe. Her exposed wrists were white, with light pink jade beads, like branches of flowers watered by frost and snow.
Yuan Mu's sleeping posture was also very good. She leaned obediently in his arms without moving her limbs much. Even if he held her in his arms to read documents or discuss things, it would be fine.
Maybe I was too tired before.
Yuan Mu had always had trouble sleeping before. She was depressed, confused, and often had nightmares, so she could not sleep well.
Now that I'm pregnant, many things have settled down and I can gradually sleep well.
What happened that day was too sudden. The emperor was already prepared to send Yuan Mu out of the palace, but he didn't expect the child to come like that.
Only later did he realize how dangerous it was.
A Luo didn't love him and didn't want their child. If she had found out about this in a different way, she might have just thrown the child away.
By now, the emperor had long lost his obsession with having offspring.
There are many descendants of the royal family, so it is very easy to adopt a crown prince.
But this is a child with both of their blood, and is also the last and deepest connection between them.
After Yuan Mu's breakdown subsided, the emperor hugged her tightly and promised her that after the child was born, he would allow her to leave the palace no matter what.
He even wrote a handwritten note for her and placed it in the library of Qingning Palace.
But by then, the emperor was no longer worried about Yuan Mu leaving.
Is there any mother in this world who doesn't love her own child? Yuan Mu doesn't love him, but she will always love their child.
She would not be willing to abandon such a young child completely.
As long as we can stay together often and keep in touch, there will always be other ways.
The emperor's eyes showed a paranoid determination to win, but he did not show it in front of Yuan Mu. Since she did not want to live in Ziwei Palace, he went to Qingning Palace every day.
We have been getting along quite harmoniously these days.
Yuan Mu’s birthday is on the Dragon Boat Festival, which is coming soon.
The emperor had ordered preparations for the grand celebration long in advance. Looking back over the past two years, one thing he regretted most was that he had not celebrated Yuan Mu's birthday properly.
Either there are urgent military affairs or sudden government affairs.
Yuan Mu didn't have many friends in the palace, and this day was so special that even Queen Yuan often forgot her birthday.
Only the maids and eunuchs in Qingning Palace would celebrate Yuan Mu's birthday seriously.
But she herself had no intention of celebrating.
In Yuan Mu's words, "It's an evil month and an evil day, what's there to celebrate?"
She has a severe sense of self-loathing.
The emperor kissed Yuan Mu's forehead and said softly, "But the day you were born was the best day in the world."
He is a cold-hearted and cruel man, but he always pretends to be tolerant and wise in public.
But in the future, when historians review historical materials, they will always realize his indifference and lack of gratitude.
The emperor showed all his tenderness to Yuan Mu, even though she was not so willing to accept it.
Yuan Mu slept all the way until the imperial carriage stopped. She then raised her eyelashes, her watery eyes filled with a dark light.
When she got out of the car, her.
, he kissed her forehead and face gently, and said softly: "We're here, are you still sleeping?"
.
Yuan Mu went to bed very early at night. She went straight to bed after taking a shower before the night turned dark.
After sleeping all the way on the road, she was not so sleepy anymore.
Yuan Mu shook his head and said softly, "I'm not going to sleep anymore."
She is not very energetic and often looks listless, like a wilted flower.
The emperor grabbed Yuan Mu's wrist and led her into the main hall.
The scenery of the Lishan Palace is the best among the several palaces. It can avoid the heat in summer and the cold in winter. When the late emperor was alive, he often brought people here.
Yuan Mu didn't eat much. He had a simple lunch and pushed the plate away.
The emperor frowned slightly, but he didn't say anything. He just wiped Yuan Mu's lips with his handkerchief.
The floor was covered with a soft Persian rug.
Yuan Mu was not wearing shoes or socks. After finishing her meal, she went to the terrace barefoot. The scenery here was so beautiful, with green everywhere.
She was short-sighted and stood in the summer breeze admiring the scenery.
Yuan Mu's light-colored robe was blown up by the wind, making her look like a graceful little fairy.
Compared to her youthful appearance two years ago, her face has grown a little and her stature has grown slightly taller.
But after being blown by the wind for a while, Yuan Mu felt a little pain in her head. She rubbed the blood spot on the side of her forehead, and slowly turned around with boredom and irritation in her eyes.
She is still pregnant and even feels uncomfortable if she is exposed to the wind for a long time.
Seeing Yuan Mu had a headache, the emperor immediately ordered the curtain to be lowered. Then he walked over to her side and asked in a low voice, "Are you feeling uncomfortable? Should I ask the imperial physician to come over?"
After she became pregnant, the imperial physician followed her everywhere.
Yuan Mu shook his head and whispered, "No need."
Even so, the emperor took her back to the inner hall.
The main hall is very large, almost as large as the Ziwei Hall, but its style is much more elegant than the magnificent and luxurious Ziwei Hall.
The curtains are also in soft, light colors.
The color, like the flowing moonlight, gives people the illusion of wandering in a dream.
After lunch, Yuan Mu drank half a bowl of tonic. He didn't feel anything unusual when he was exposed to the wind, but soon after he stepped into the tent, his body gradually became hot.
In theory, you can have normal sex three months after you become pregnant.
But the emperor was very cautious and would at most kiss Yuan Mu. The two of them had never been close until now.
Since Yuan Mu entered the palace, they rarely spent every day together like this, yet were not close.
Yuan Mu bit his lips and closed his eyes tightly.
She didn't want the emperor to see, so she kept her legs tightly together.
The emperor looked at the document for a moment, then looked at the booklet that listed the distribution of the palaces. He held the red pen in his hand, thinking about which hot spring to take Yuan Mu to in the evening.
Behind the main hall there are two large hot spring pools and a special hot spring hall.
Yuan Mu really likes taking hot spring baths. The emperor chose Qingning Palace as her residence because of its secluded location and the hot springs behind the palace.
She always sleeps quietly.
So the emperor looked for a while and then entered the tent. He lifted the curtain and found that Yuan Mu was not asleep.
There was a little hot sweat on her forehead, and the fragrance on her body was so strong that it made people feel dizzy.
Yuan Mu has a slender figure, but her posture has always been beautiful, with undulating snow-white mountains and the tip of her buttocks like soft sweet peaches.
The waist is cinched in, so thin that it can hardly be held in one hand, but it has all the necessary curves.
After the pregnancy, Yuan Mu's girlish figure became more plump.
Full and mature like a ripe flower.
There is a touch of gorgeousness in the coolness.
There were tears in the corners of Yuan Mu's eyes, his robe was half open, his slender white knuckles were trembling slightly, and there was confusion and helplessness in his eyes.
When the emperor drew aside the curtain and looked at her, she couldn't help crying.
His Adam's apple rolled and his voice was hoarse: "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you were not feeling well?"
Yuan Mu's face was slightly red, and tears fell unconsciously.
The emperor was very used to serving Yuan Mu these days. Even at this critical juncture, he did not forget to feed Yuan Mu some water first.
Her mind was in a mess and she drank half a glass of water obediently. She didn't even resist when the emperor picked her up.
The emperor kissed Yuan Mu's forehead, covered her small hand with his big palm, and held her in his arms with a morbid control posture.
After she became pregnant, his patience became surprisingly good.
"Don't be afraid, it's okay," the emperor said in a low voice. "You've done it all before, haven't you?"
He first kissed Yuan Mu's forehead and face, then pried open her lips and kissed her deeper.
Yuan Mu's body trembled, and her tears fell like broken strings.
As she cried, the fragrance on her body became stronger and her face became redder.
The round, snow-white shoulders were all stained with a light powder.
But Yuan Mu did not resist much. She was held by the emperor and walked towards the warm spring water. Her sobs were uncontrollably tinged with sweetness.
All the troubles gradually disappeared.
Yuan Mu's hand climbed up the emperor's neck, she was as weak as a dodder.
The emperor placed his hand on her lower abdomen. He kissed Yuan Mu and coaxed her softly, "Good boy."
The emperor did not leave the tent until Yuan Mu fell into a deep sleep.
The blush on her face gradually faded, but her slender jade fingers were still pink and white.
The emperor's hand was slightly scratched, and he casually applied some ointment, with a slight smile on his lips.
When the Xi brothers and sisters came over, his expression was still good.
Xi Lanyan said in a delicate voice: "Your Majesty, has my sister woken up? My friends and I want to come and play with her."
Yuan Mu has too few friends. She lives alone in Qingning Palace, feeling lonely and bored.
So after the selection not long ago, the emperor deliberately found some friends for her.
They are all gentle ladies from aristocratic families.
Especially the younger sister of Concubine Shu. The emperor chose her to be a female official because he was attracted by her quiet and easy-going nature.
After two months, they got along pretty well.
The emperor said calmly, "I just went to bed, so please keep your voice down."
There was a shallow bloodstain on the back of his hand, and there was a look of blatant satisfaction in his eyes.
Any man can see the deep meaning in the emperor's words at a glance.
Xi Lanyan closed her mouth angrily and whispered, "Is Your Majesty annoyed by us coming to play with your sister every day and is tired of us?"
Not long ago, her brothers were planning to marry her off.
If it weren't for Yuan Mu's intercession, the King of Chu would not have bothered to marry her, and now Xi Lanyan would have become the Princess of Chu.
As luck would have it, not only did they not have to get married for the time being, but in order to find some friends for Yuan Mu, the emperor also made Xi Lanyan a female official.
She is the proudest person now.
The emperor was too lazy to talk to Xi Lanyan and said nonchalantly, "Go out and play by yourself. Come back later."
After saying this, he ordered the palace servants to drive her out.
Xi Rongjing had a smile on his face and ignored his noisy sister.
Ever since Yuan Mu became pregnant, the emperor's temper had become much gentler. He curved his lips into a smile and said meaningfully, "What a foolish child! You should marry her off quickly."
There was a faint fragrance lingering around him.
It looks like a fragrant flower and also like a sweet peach.
That wasn't the scent of ordinary incense.
Xi Rongjing's brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
He smiled helplessly: "I do think so too."
The emperor had originally planned to grant a marriage between Xi Lanyan and the King of Chu, but he didn't expect that one of them didn't want to get married, and the other didn't want to get married. They were both troublemakers.
His mind was preoccupied with Yuan Mu's pregnancy, and he didn't have the energy to care about anything else.
The two chatted briefly and then got back to business.
The palace for meetings in the Mount Li Palace was Feishuang Palace. After Yuan Wei dismissed the Minister of the Chancellery, the new Minister of the Chancellery was the emperor's confidant Li Tao.
When the emperor was the crown prince, Li Tao was an official in the Eastern Palace.
The main branch of the Zhaojun Li family, he was of noble birth, outstanding ability, and most importantly, he was calm and composed, not impatient or irritable, and not scheming too much.
The emperor had always believed that as long as the minister was capable and promising, it didn't matter if his personal morals were poor.
But now his thoughts have gradually changed a lot.
The emperor and Xi Rongjing arrived at Feishuang Palace together. The war in the northwest had not yet completely ceased, and even if they came to the Lishan Palace, there were countless matters to deal with.
Li Tao was the leader among all the officials. He handled things neatly and impartially, and presided over ordinary court meetings seriously and appropriately.
After the emperor arrived, he began to discuss formal matters.
But he kept people keeping an eye on Yuan Mu, and someone would come to deliver a letter in half an hour.
The emperor thought that Yuan Mu had slept for so long that she would not wake up too late, but he did not expect that she seemed to be tired in the afternoon.
He had finished all the affairs on his side, but Yuan Mu was still asleep.
When the emperor returned to the main hall reluctantly, Yuan Mu was still drowsy. After all, it was his first day in the palace, and there would be a simple private banquet in the evening.
He patted her face and called out softly, "It's getting dark. Wake up, A'Luo."
Yuan Mu had a headache from sleeping. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. When she woke up, she realized that she was sitting in the emperor's arms.
She raised her long eyelashes and unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck.
The emperor held Yuan Mu and helped her change her clothes. Then he asked the maid to comb her hair and took her out.
There was a time when he didn't even want Yuan Mu to go out.
But locking someone up too harshly not only did nothing good, but it made her even more upset.
So after Yuan Mu became pregnant, the emperor did not restrict her too much, but everything she did had to be done under his supervision.
The evening banquet was a private banquet.
In other words, they were all the emperor's confidants and their families.
There were both civil officials and military generals, as well as several Hanlin scholars, and people from the inner and outer courts.
Yuan Mu's waist was held tightly by the emperor. Every dish she ate had been tasted by someone, and their food, clothing, housing and transportation were all put together.
When she first became pregnant, she was extremely irritable.
Now I don’t have morning sickness as often, the fetus is gradually stabilizing, and my overall condition is much better.
But Yuan Mu still didn't eat seriously.
They were all her favorite meals, but she lost interest after eating only a few bites.
The emperor patted Yuan Mu's face and said in an indulgent voice, "Then go play for a while."
Yuan Mu rarely socializes with others, mainly because there are almost no people of her age in her world. She is always locked up and naturally has no channels to socialize.
This time, a new group of female officials entered the palace, and she got along quite well with them.
Yuan Mu is now a noble concubine, and the phoenix seal was taken back after Empress Yuan was imprisoned.
Logically speaking, Yuan Mu should be in charge of these palace affairs.
But she knew nothing about it and was pregnant, so the matter was taken care of by Concubine Shu.
Yuan Mu would only occasionally come up with an important idea. Although it was said that she was the one who came up with it, in fact, it was the emperor who forced and taught her to come up with it.
She had more contact with the female officials.
It was only at this time that Yuan Mu realized that the emperor's primary criterion for selecting female officials was that they must have noble moral character, a gentle temperament, and be able to socialize and keep company with her.
He is a man who is usually decisive and ruthless in his actions, but in some matters, he is increasingly acting like a tyrant.
Yuan Mu secretly cursed the emperor.
Fortunately, no one knew about it and the censor did not say anything.
But Yuan Mu had to admit that her mood had improved a lot. When she first became pregnant, she felt like the sky was falling, but now she can live a peaceful life.
Zhou Xiyu stood under the moonlight. When she saw Yuan Mu coming, she raised her eyes.
Xi Lanyan was still drinking fruit wine with her brother. She was not used to drinking alcohol, so she came over to rest.
Yuan Mu was wearing a very beautiful light green robe. She was very thin, with only a slightly bulging belly.
But it doesn't look weird at all, instead it has an indescribable beauty.
Zhou Xiyu held Yuan Mu's hand. Yuan Mu was accompanied by many maids, and guards were also following in secret.
But she still held Yuan Mu's hand gently.
Zhou Xiyu is very knowledgeable. She occasionally accompanies Yuan Mu to read and study, or listen to the teacher's lectures together.
The age difference between the two is not big, and Zhou Xiyu seems a little young because of her pure and quiet personality.
"There are fireflies in the palace," Zhou Xiyu said softly, "Do you want to go to the pavilion to see the moon first, or should we go see the fireflies together?"
Yuan Mu hesitated for a moment, and then she analyzed seriously: "Let's watch the fireflies first. The moon won't move, so you can watch it anytime."
As they were going to take a hot spring bath in the evening, the emperor didn't plan to let Yuan Mu stay outside for too long.
Zhou Xiyu nodded and said seriously, "Okay."
Fireflies gathered at the edge of the grass, like broken stars falling to the water's edge.
Yuan Mu held her face in her hands. She wore a wreath woven by Zhou Xiyu on her head, and her eyes moved with the dancing fireflies.
There was a smile on her lips and her eyes were bright, just like a little child.
The two of them played here for a long time, and then watched the moon together. It was very happy to watch the moon by the pavilion, and those obscure memories seemed to be blown away by the night wind.
The night passed like a dream.
It was not until the emperor came that Yuan Mu reluctantly parted with Zhou Xiyu.
He embraced her body and waved to Zhou Xiyu: "Let's play next time."
The emperor found it funny, pinched Yuan Mu's little face, and said lovingly: "Now that you have a playmate, you even forget your husband."
His habits have always been inhumane, and his greatest interest recently is to make Yuan Mu call him "husband".
She was still pregnant, and he didn't use any strong means, but just slowly urged and tempered her.
Yuan Mu couldn't stand it anymore and called out several times in the chaos.
The private banquet was over, and she went back with the emperor to take a hot spring bath.
The steaming warm spring water gives people the illusion of being back in their mother's womb.
Yuan Mu's body sank. She liked to bury herself under the water and enjoy the tranquility of not being able to hear anything.
But the emperor didn't like it. He always had to pull her out of the water, carry her to the edge of the pool, and kiss her coaxingly.
After all, they are people who have been sleeping in the same bed for a long time.
Not long after they kissed, Yuan Mu's breathing became irregular, her long eyelashes trembled, her hands rested on the emperor's shoulders, and she hummed softly, trying to avoid him.
But he grabbed her wrist and kissed her deeper.
Yuan Mu's elbows were pink, and she was as tender as a newly opened flower bud, a lotus weeping in the dew, so beautiful.
She started crying after a while.
Yuan Mu's tears became unusually frequent, and it seemed as if there was a spring in her body that became extremely abundant and always overflowed with tears.
The emperor put his arm around Yuan Mu's waist and carried her into the palace.
She was still crying, her fingers clenched so tightly that she almost scratched his shoulders.
The emperor coaxed Yuan Mu in a very soft voice, and until she was about to fall asleep, he was still stroking her back and telling her stories.
Her long eyelashes drooped, her body was leaning sideways, half leaning in his arms, looking extremely obedient.
In the past two years, there have been all kinds of coercion, quarrels and confrontations between them.
It's rare to find such peace.
However, this kind of calmness is not true calmness, but more like a mutual compromise.
Deep in the emperor's dark eyes, there was a morbid emotion that was difficult to detect in the daytime. He would never let go, even if Yuan Mu hated him to death in the future, he would never let go.
He didn't want to experience the pain of losing her, even if they were halfway across the city.
-
Yuan Mu’s birthday was a grand occasion, but she herself did not attend for long.
After a brief appearance, he left with the emperor.
She is not only a noble concubine now, but also an undoubted favorite concubine.
The emperor was diligent in his government affairs and was also a frugal person. If Yuan Mu had not been pregnant, it was unknown when he would have remembered to move to the palace to escape the summer heat.
This time I stayed in the palace for nearly two months to escape the summer heat.
When the weather was getting cooler in July, the court officials returned to the court.
Yuan Mu's belly was bulging, and she looked much more pregnant than when she went there.
Once, when everyone was discussing matters in the outer hall, Yuan Mu happened to wake up. She was wearing a platinum robe. When she walked out of the inner hall, the room outside was silent for a full breath.
She was like a fragrant flower, with the temperament of a young woman gradually overshadowing the ignorance of a girl.
She has a stunning appearance and her complexion is as red as rosy red.
It was no longer the gorgeous color that could be concealed by the simple high-necked dress.
The emperor used to hold meetings in the Ziwei Hall frequently.
But from that time on, whenever Yuan Mu was here, he never called anyone to discuss matters in the palace again.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet in August, Yuan Mu was only three months away from her due date.
The emperor never let her leave the palace again, and all the people around her were replaced by his side.
Although the people on both sides were originally his people, the emperor did not hide anything this time.
He slept and ate with Yuan Mu, and had hardly been back to Ziwei Palace in recent days.
Yuan Mu was very sleepy during her pregnancy. She had a lot of fun in the palace and slept less. After she left the palace, she became sleepy again.
Her belly was big, and she didn't like to go out much. At most, she would read a book on the terrace.
Xi Lanyan wanted to come over and play with Yuan Mu, but the emperor didn't agree.
He is now so paranoid about everything that he wants to be with Yuan Mu all the time.
But Yuan Mu ate well and slept well, and sometimes he would feel annoyed when he spent too much time with the emperor.
She lived a very quiet life, except for occasionally reading travel notes.
Yuan Mu tentatively asked the emperor, "After I leave the palace, can I go somewhere else?"
The imperial physician just came to see her and said that the Empress should be relieved of stress and in a better mood.
How could the emperor possibly say no?
He looked into her watery eyes and said softly, "Okay, if you need a travel companion, I..."
But Yuan Mu interrupted him after hearing only the first sentence.
She said softly, "I have always wanted to go to Luoyang and Jiangnan."
Yuan Mu half-closed her eyes and spoke softly about her yearning for the future. The emperor's emotions were fluctuating violently, but there was no abnormality on his face.
What did she take him for?
He is her husband. The child hasn't even been born yet, but she's already thinking about abandoning him and the child?
The emperor didn't dare to say a harsh word. He didn't even dare to let Yuan Mu see the dark evil desire in his eyes.
"If possible in the future," Yuan Mu said softly, "I want to settle down in Jiangnan and open a flower shop."
Her fantasy is simple, even childish.
The emperor tried to suppress his emotion, but he couldn't help asking, "The child is still so young, won't you miss him?"
What he actually wanted to ask was, don’t you have any attachment to me at all?
Yuan Mu seemed to have just remembered the child at this time.
She placed her hand on her belly, her eyelashes drooping, and said softly, "Will you treat the child well?"
The emperor's mood suddenly calmed down. He gently put his arm around Yuan Mu's waist and said in a low voice, "Of course I will treat the child well, and I will treat you well too."
When he said this, his expression was exactly like the person in his memory.
Yuan Mu stared at him, and suddenly kissed his lips as if possessed by a demon.
At that moment, the emperor's expression also changed slightly.
His instincts acted before his reason, and he supported the soft flesh of Yuan Mu's buttocks with his knuckles and held her in his arms.
The two kissed for a long time, from the tender afternoon to the dusk.
Yuan Mu drank water several times, but her throat was still very thirsty. Her eyes were filled with water and her mind was confused.
Her thoughts were in a mess, and she called out in a hoarse voice: "Helan Zhen..."
There was an intense tenderness in the emperor's eyes that could not be melted.
But after hearing this call, the heat surging in my chest seemed to be suddenly poured with cold water.
The tingling pain was sharp and slightly numbing, stirring in the lungs.
The emperor grabbed Yuan Mu's wrist, but did not let her go in the end. Instead, he kissed her lips again, biting her messy call under her lips.
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