Chapter 127 Yuwen Hao Returns to the Palace
After a warm family dinner, the Su family members, though reluctant to leave, knew that the palace rules were strict and it was not appropriate to stay any longer, so they got up to say goodbye.
Su Luoxue held her mother Liu's hand, reluctant to part. Liu's eyes were red as she repeatedly urged, "Luoxue, you must take good care of yourself and make sure you're healthy, okay?"
Su Luoxue nodded with tears in her eyes: "Yes, Mother, I understand. You and Father, please take care of yourselves too."
The mother and daughter exchanged a few more intimate words before slowly letting go of each other's hands at Yuwen Che's gentle reminder.
Yuwen Che gently pulled Su Luoxue, whose eyes were slightly red, into his arms and instructed Li Dehai, "Li Dehai, you personally escort Lord Su and the others out of the palace. Make sure everything is done properly."
Li Dehai bowed immediately: "This old servant obeys the decree."
Su Wenyuan, Lady Liu, and Su Jingxing bowed to the Emperor and Empress again to take their leave. Guided by Li Dehai, they left Guanju Palace, turning back every few steps.
Yuwen Che looked down at Su Luoxue, who was in his arms and seemed a little downcast, and gently comforted her, "Alright, Xue'er, don't be sad. Once you're fully recovered, I'll summon them to the palace to see you, okay?"
Su Luoxue buried her face in his chest and nodded gently.
Su Luoxue and Yuwen Che returned to the inner room, their faces beaming with happiness as they looked at their two children sleeping peacefully in the cradle. Yuwen Che then held Su Luoxue in his arms.
In the blink of an eye, three springs, summers, autumns, and winters have passed.
Inside Guanju Palace, Su Luoxue was sitting by the window reading a book. In the courtyard, three-year-old Crown Prince Yuwen Cheng'an and Princess Yongning Yuwen Tingxue were being carefully watched over by several palace maids, each of them chasing and playing with a specially made small wooden sword.
As Cheng'an ran, he turned back and shouted, "Tingxue! I'm your older brother! You can't hit me!"
The lively and spirited little princess Tingxue, pampered by Yuwen Che, pouted and chased after him relentlessly, brandishing her small wooden sword: "I don't care! Brother, stop! Let me hit you once!"
The palace maids, both nervous and amused, quickly and softly advised, "Your Highness, slow down, be careful not to fall." "Your Highness, please be gentle with your younger sister..."
Although Cheng'an was running, he kept an eye on his younger sister behind him. He deliberately slowed his pace a little, but kept shouting, "No way! I won't let you! Come and chase me if you dare!"
The clear voices and cheerful laughter of the two children filled the courtyard of Guanju Palace.
Su Luoxue put down her book, walked to the window, and looked at her children playing in the sunlight, her eyes filled with tenderness and contentment.
At this moment, Yuwen Che returned after finishing his official duties. As soon as he entered the courtyard, Princess Tingxue saw him at a glance, immediately dropped her little wooden sword, and ran happily over with her little arms outstretched: "Father!"
Cheng'an stopped and stood properly, his little face filled with anticipation: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."
Yuwen Che scooped up his daughter who rushed towards him, then reached out and patted his son's head, his face full of undisguised doting: "Have you both been good and listened to your mother?"
Yuwen Cheng'an looked at his younger sister being held in his father's arms, pouted, and muttered softly, "Father is biased... he only holds my sister..."
Yuwen Che was both amused and exasperated by his son's adorable appearance. He quickly bent down and reached out one hand to him, saying, "Alright, alright, it's all Father's fault. Come here, let Father hug my Cheng'an too, okay?"
Yuwen Cheng'an turned his little head away, hugged his hands, and snorted, "I don't want it now! You'll only hug me if I tell you..."
Su Luoxue walked out of the palace and couldn't help but smile at the scene. She walked to her son, knelt down, and gently opened her arms: "Then... shall Mother give our little Crown Prince a hug?"
Looking at his mother's gentle smile, Cheng'an's aggrieved expression eased somewhat, but he still awkwardly nestled into Su Luoxue's arms, whispering a complaint: "Mother, Father is biased..."
Su Luoxue smiled and picked up her son, gently patting his back: "Father is not biased. Father and Mother both love Cheng'an and Tingxue the most. It's just that your sister is a little younger than you and is a girl, so Father can hold her a little longer. Our magnanimous Crown Prince won't mind, right?"
Holding her father, Tingxue chimed in with her childish voice, "Tingxue loves her brother too!"
Yuwen Che looked at his daughter in his arms, then at his son, who was being held in his wife's arms and whose expression had softened considerably. His heart softened, and he chuckled, "Alright, alright, it was Father's fault. From now on, Father will definitely hold one in each arm, okay?"
Cheng'an nodded gently in Su Luoxue's arms, a smile finally appearing on his little face.
Holding Tingxue in Yuwen Che's arms, her sharp eyes spotted the timid figure standing at the entrance of Guanju Palace. She had never seen this person before and curiously pointed to the entrance, asking, "Father, who is that person? Why is he standing at Mother's palace gate?"
Yuwen Che and Su Luoxue looked in the direction she pointed. Yuwen Che looked at the thin child and didn't recognize him at first.
Li Dehai quickly stepped forward and whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, this...this is the First Prince, Prince An."
Yuwen Che then suddenly remembered, frowned slightly, and asked Li Dehai, "Wasn't he always raised by Consort Duankang in the West Garden? How did he end up here?"
Li Dehai bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Consort Duankang has recently fallen seriously ill. The imperial physician said... she fears she will not live much longer and is truly unable to care for Prince An. The Consort has sent someone to escort His Highness back to the palace, and this old servant... this old servant was just about to report to Your Majesty."
Yuwen Che looked at the child at the door with his head down, his hands nervously twisting the hem of his clothes, not daring to look at him, and remained silent for a moment.
Su Luoxue also looked at the child, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes, and gently tugged at Yuwen Che's sleeve.
Yuwen Che sighed and said to Li Dehai, "Now that he's back, let's arrange for him to stay. Find a few reliable people to take care of him."
He added, "Don't arrange it near Guanju Palace."
"This old servant understands," Li Dehai replied, turning to walk towards the lonely figure at the door.
Tingxue, perched on Yuwen Che's shoulder, still looked curiously at her brother who had been taken away by Li Dehai, and whispered, "Father, is he also my brother?"
Yuwen Che did not answer immediately, but simply hugged his daughter tighter.
Su Luoxue put Cheng'an down from her arms and said to Fuling, "Keep an eye on the Second Prince." Then she walked towards the palace gate.
Looking at the seven-year-old Yuwen Hao who was so thin and frail, and thinking of her own lively and healthy children, she couldn't bear it. She gently reached out her hand to him and said softly, "Hao'er, come, let your mother take you to pay your respects to your father, okay?"
Yuwen Hao timidly raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and then carefully extended his hand, placing it in Su Luoxue's palm. His voice was barely audible: "Thank you... Mother."
Su Luoxue led him into Guanju Palace. As soon as Yuwen Hao saw Yuwen Che holding Tingxue, he immediately broke free from Su Luoxue's hand, knelt down with a thud, and bowed his head, his voice trembling: "Your subject... greets Father Emperor."
He moved too fast; Su Luoxue didn't even have time to stop him.
Yuwen Che looked at his son kneeling on the ground and said calmly, "Alright, get up."
Su Luoxue quickly stepped forward to help Yuwen Hao up, patted the dust off his knees, and noticed his slightly oversized and worn clothes. She asked softly, "Hao'er, these clothes... don't fit you quite right?"
Yuwen Hao lowered his head and answered softly, "It was...it was made for me by the Empress Dowager."
Upon hearing this, Su Luoxue felt a pang of sadness. She turned around and took Tingxue from Yuwen Che's arms. Yuwen Che was reluctant to let go, but Su Luoxue gave him a reproachful glare before he reluctantly released her.
Su Luoxue then beckoned to Cheng'an: "Cheng'an, come to your mother."
Cheng'an obediently walked over. Su Luoxue said softly to Tingxue in her arms and Cheng'an beside her, "Tingxue, Cheng'an, he is your older brother, call him Brother Hao'er. From now on, you should play with him and get along well, okay?"
Tingxue looked at this unfamiliar older brother with curiosity, while Cheng'an also looked up at him. Yuwen Hao, however, kept his head down timidly, not daring to look at them.
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