Chapter 180 Extra: Another Ending 6
Upon hearing the news, the Empress Dowager was so angry that she smashed her teacup: "Outrageous! The dignified Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty actually married outside the palace? Summon that woman to me!"
Granny Qin quickly stopped her, saying, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! His Majesty has abstained from women for many years, but this is an exception. It's clear that this Empress is no ordinary woman. Why would you risk such misfortune?"
The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then waved her hand wearily: "Never mind... Bring the pair of jade mandarin ducks from the storeroom. Tell the Empress that she doesn't need to come to express her gratitude, and just instruct her to serve the Emperor well and to help him produce offspring for the royal family as soon as possible."
Guanju Palace
Yuwen Che was gently pushing the swing, and Su Luoxue's laughter filled the courtyard like silver bells.
When Granny Qin arrived with the brocade box, Su Luoxue was about to get up when Yuwen Che pressed her back onto the swing: "Just sit down."
"The Empress Dowager bestowed upon the Empress a pair of jade mandarin ducks, wishing the Emperor and Empress a love as deep as the sea."
Qin Mama said respectfully, "Her Majesty also said...please focus on serving His Majesty and there's no need to go to Cining Palace to express your gratitude."
Yuwen Che took the brocade box and opened it, revealing lifelike jade mandarin ducks. He chuckled, "Mother certainly knows how to pick gifts."
Su Luoxue tilted her head to look at him: "Does the Empress Dowager dislike me?"
"Whether she likes it or not is not important." Yuwen Che tied the jade to her skirt sash.
The swing gently began to sway again, and he whispered in her ear:
"Tonight... I'll teach my wife how to have children?"
"Ugh! You're so annoying..." Su Luoxue blushed so much that her neck turned pink, and she grabbed the swing ropes and hid to the side.
Yuwen Che laughed at her words.
He picked her up and carried her to his bedchamber: "What did the Empress just say to me? So annoying!"
Su Luoxue hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck, the jade mandarin ducks on her skirt jingling together: "Put me down! The palace servants are watching!"
"Fine, I'll take a look then." He kicked open the palace door.
He gently placed her on the couch covered with brocade quilts. "I dote on my own empress, why should I hide it from others?"
Layers of gauze curtains hung down, and he stroked her flushed cheeks with his fingertips: "You were cursing so smoothly just now... why are you so quiet now?"
Su Luoxue grabbed his collar and pulled it down, whispering coquettishly in his ear, "Oh dear~ My husband is the most annoying..."
In the flickering candlelight, Yuwen Che chuckled and kissed her.
"And there's something even more awful... Madam, you'll get to experience it tonight."
At the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, Yuwen Che was carefully peeling a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) and handed the one with jujube filling to Su Luoxue's lips: "Eat slowly, be careful it sticks to your teeth."
The Empress Dowager caught a glimpse of this scene, shook her head and sighed softly, but a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.
"Ugh..." Su Luoxue suddenly covered her mouth and gagged, and Yuwen Che immediately reached out to catch her.
"Li Dehai! Summon the imperial physician!"
After taking the Empress's pulse, the imperial physician beamed with joy: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Her Majesty the Empress is pregnant, and it's twins!"
The jade chopsticks in Yuwen Che's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".
He grasped Su Luoxue's hand with trembling hands, his eyes slightly red: "Xue'er...did you hear that? This time...it's two children again..."
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but get up and approach: "Emperor, when I was pregnant with you, I also liked to eat sour apricots."
As she spoke, she took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Su Luoxue, saying, "This bracelet can help with pregnancy."
Su Luoxue leaned against Yuwen Che's chest and chuckled, "Mother, does this count as the first time you've acknowledged your daughter-in-law?"
The Empress Dowager turned her head awkwardly: "I value the imperial heir!"
Yuwen Che suddenly picked up Su Luoxue.
He announced loudly to the guests in the hall, "Today's palace banquet is over! I must accompany the Empress back to the palace to rest and prepare for her pregnancy!"
He paused as he stepped out of the palace gate, then turned back and nodded to the Empress Dowager:
"Thank you, Mother."
As the Empress Dowager watched the Emperor and Empress depart, she sighed softly, "The Yuwen family is full of infatuated lovers... Fortunately, the Emperor is not subject to the control of powerful families."
She turned and ordered, "Send all the bird's nest and donkey-hide gelatin from my storeroom to Guanju Palace."
Granny Qin replied with a smile, "Twins are a very auspicious sign!"
When the Empress Dowager arrived at Guanju Palace with tonics, she saw Yuwen Che sitting under a plum tree reviewing memorials.
Su Luoxue was swinging on the swing, holding a sugar painting, her skirt fluttering like a butterfly.
"Xue'er, be careful, don't fall." Yuwen Che looked up and warned.
He didn't care at all when the vermilion ink dripped from the tip of his brush onto the memorial.
As soon as the Empress Dowager stepped into the palace gate, Su Luoxue jumped off the swing to pay her respects. "Mother..."
Yuwen Che strode forward and pulled the person into his arms: "Nonsense! Why are you bowing when you're pregnant?"
Su Luoxue pinched his arm, looking aggrieved: "Mother is watching..."
"Hiss—" Yuwen Che immediately softened his voice, "I know I was wrong."
The Empress Dowager handed the tonics to the palace servants and said calmly, "Take good care of yourself."
As she walked out of the palace gates, she smiled at Granny Qin, "No wonder the Emperor likes her; she has such a sincere heart..."
"I've been fighting for half my life and I'm tired. Now that I see them like this, I think it's not so bad."
In late spring, willow catkins drifted over the palace walls, and the faint sounds of laughter and chatter from the Guanju Palace could be heard.
"Yuwen Che! Your memorial is stuck with sugar painting!"
"It's alright, I was just about to re-approve this flood control plan..."
On the day of delivery after ten months of pregnancy, the midwife urged urgently, "Your Majesty, please don't cry! Push!"
"Get out of the way!" Yuwen Che pried open the Empress Dowager's hand that was holding him, pushed Li Dehai aside, and rushed into the inner room.
The Empress Dowager paced anxiously outside the door.
Granny Qin comforted her, "This is Her Majesty the Empress's first pregnancy, and it's twins at that, so it will take a while..."
"Yuwen Che, you bastard!" Su Luoxue's crying and cursing voice pierced through the door.
"I'm not giving birth anymore! It hurts so much!"
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager breathed a sigh of relief: "He can still curse; it seems he's still in good spirits."
Inside the room, Su Luoxue, her face streaked with tears and sweat, pushed Yuwen Che away, yelling, "Get out! Don't look at me like this!"
"I won't leave." Yuwen Che let her fight back.
She coaxed softly, "Xue'er, save your energy. You can scold me after you've given birth, okay?"
With two loud cries, the midwife wept with joy: "They're twins, a boy and a girl!"
Fuling rushed out to announce the good news: "Your Majesty, it's a little prince and a little princess!"
"Quickly, quickly, I'll go see her!" The Empress Dowager strode into the inner room.
Yuwen Che was wiping the sweat from Su Luoxue's forehead as she weakened.
When she received the swaddling clothes, she was overjoyed: "My grandson..."
Su Luoxue mumbled weakly, "Yuwen Che... if you dare make me have another child..."
"No more children, never again." Yuwen Che kissed her wet eyes.
"Having a son and a daughter is enough for me in this life."
The Empress Dowager gazed at the sleeping baby in her arms and placed the phoenix pendant into Su Luoxue's palm:
"This was passed down from the Yuwen family to their eldest daughter-in-law... Please keep it safe."
Su Luoxue weakly curved her lips into a smile: "Thank you, Mother..."
The Empress Dowager gently tucked the blanket around her: "You have suffered so much for the Yuwen family, it is all only right."
Turning to Yuwen Che, "Have you named the child yet?"
Yuwen Che carefully placed his daughter in Su Luoxue's arms.
He said in a deep voice, "The prince's name is Yuwen Cheng'an, and he will be made crown prince when he is one month old."
He gently stroked his daughter's cheek with his fingertips. "Princess's name is Yuwen Tingxue, and her title is Yongning."
"Yongning..." the Empress Dowager murmured, gazing at her granddaughter.
May she truly find peace forever.
Su Luoxue suddenly chuckled: "Our Cheng'an and Ning'er are back..."
Yuwen Che pulled her and the blanket into his arms, his voice slightly hoarse: "This time, I will protect you for the rest of your lives."
The Empress Dowager gazed at the two embracing, secretly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Just as she turned to leave, she heard Su Luoxue softly call out:
"Mother...you should support the back of your neck when you hold your grandson."
The Empress Dowager hurriedly adjusted her posture, finally breaking into a smile through her tears: "This child... is giving me pointers."
Five years later in the Imperial Garden, the Empress Dowager chased after two small figures, holding a net: "An'er, slow down! Ning'er, watch your step!"
Yuwen Che and Su Luoxue stood hand in hand under the plum tree, watching the three generations of the family playing among the flowers.
"Grandmother!" Cheng'an presented the pink butterfly he had just caught as a treasure, "This is for you!"
Tingxue tugged at the Empress Dowager's hem and said coquettishly, "Ning'er wants a butterfly hairpin too!"
The Empress Dowager squatted down and let the two children stuff wildflowers into her hair, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Yuwen Che gently stroked Su Luoxue's hand: "This time, Mother has let go of her worries, and is actually much healthier than in her previous life."
Su Luoxue leaned on his shoulder and smiled faintly: "It's clear that people need something to look forward to in order to live."
Suddenly, the Empress Dowager's exclamation rang out from afar, "Oh dear, my darling, come down quickly! What if you fall?"
Cheng'an was climbing the tree to pick plums, while Tingxue was cheering him on from below.
The Empress Dowager quickly picked Cheng'an up and gently patted his little bottom twice.
"You naughty child, what if you fall and hurt yourself?"
Tingxue giggled happily from the side, "Spanking brother's bottom..."
The emperor and empress exchanged a smile and walked side by side toward the commotion.
In the glow of the sunset, the Empress Dowager was holding a child in each arm and telling them stories. When she looked up at them, her eyes were filled with a gentle and relieved feeling.
Yuwen Che suddenly whispered in Su Luoxue's ear:
"Xue'er, in the next life, I will still marry you."
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