Chapter 39 Su Luoxue woke up, the Empress Dowager vomited blood and fainted.
Inside Guanju Palace, the air was filled with the fragrance of medicine and the candlelight was warm. Su Luoxue's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly awoke. In the instant her consciousness returned, she remembered hearing the imperial physician say that she was pregnant while she was half-asleep, and that... the baby couldn't be saved. She instinctively reached out to touch her still flat stomach, her voice weak and urgent: "My child... my child..."
Yuwen Che, who had been staying by the bedside and had barely closed his eyes, immediately grasped her cold hand, leaned closer, and said in a low voice with a comforting strength: "Xue'er, don't be afraid, the baby is still here... all is well, all is well."
Su Luoxue's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly, but she still looked at him anxiously. Yuwen Che looked at her pale face and felt a pang of heartache, yet he couldn't help but want to share this good news with her. A gentle smile appeared on his lips as he said softly, "Moreover, the imperial physician's diagnosis said... we have two children."
"Two?" Su Luoxue was stunned, her beautiful eyes widening in surprise as she repeated uncertainly. Twins, while not entirely unheard of in the royal family, were certainly rare.
"Yes, two." Yuwen Che nodded affirmatively, leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her smooth forehead, his tone carrying an undisguised pride, "It seems... my previous hard work has not been in vain."
These explicit words of love instantly dispelled the gloom and worry in Su Luoxue's heart. Two blushes rose on her pale cheeks, and she gave him a shy glare, her voice barely audible: "A-Che...you...you're not allowed to talk nonsense..."
Fuling, the old nannies serving nearby, and the eunuchs at the door, seeing their master out of danger and learning of the joyous news of twins, all showed genuine relief and joy, exchanging gossipy and delighted glances. They all knelt down in unison, their voices filled with jubilation: "This servant/servant congratulates Your Majesty! Congratulations to the Imperial Concubine! Heaven blesses the Great Zhou, double happiness has come!"
Yuwen Che was in a great mood. He waved his hand and announced loudly, "Everyone in Guanju Palace will be rewarded with two years' salary!"
"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" The palace servants were overjoyed, and their kowtows of gratitude filled the air, creating a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere in the hall.
After everyone else had left, only Fuling and a trusted personal nanny remained to attend to her. Fuling brought over a carefully prepared medicine to stabilize the pregnancy, which Yuwen Che took and insisted on feeding her himself. He carefully helped Su Luoxue sit up, letting her lean comfortably against him as if holding the most fragile treasure in the world. Then, with one arm steadily supporting her and the other holding the bowl of medicine, he patiently blew on each sip to cool it before feeding it to her lips. "Here, drink slowly... be careful, it's hot!"
Su Luoxue leaned against his strong and warm embrace, feeling his meticulous care. Her heart was filled with immense happiness and a sense of security. She obediently drank the whole bowl of bitter medicine.
After feeding her the medicine, Yuwen Che gently coaxed her to rest a little longer. "The imperial physician said you need to rest now, how about you sleep a little longer?" Su Luoxue was indeed exhausted, and with the effects of the medicine, she quickly fell into a deep sleep in his arms, her breathing even, and her complexion regained some color.
Once he was sure she was fast asleep, Yuwen Che carefully laid her down, tucked her in, and lingered tenderly on her peaceful sleeping face for a moment.
Only then did Li Dehai dare to approach quietly, lean down to his ear, and report in a very low voice: "Your Majesty, news has come from Cining Palace... The Empress Dowager, upon learning of the Shen family's affair... suffered a stroke from extreme anxiety, vomited blood... and fainted..."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che's gentle expression vanished instantly, a complex cold light flashing in his eyes. He glanced one last time at the sleeping Su Luoxue, making sure she was unharmed, before slowly rising, straightening his robes, his voice low and calm:
"The imperial carriage is prepared for the Cining Palace."
Inside the Cining Palace, the air was thick with the smell of medicine, and the once solemn and majestic hall now exuded an aura of decay. The Empress Dowager leaned against her phoenix couch, her face ashen, her breath weak, as if she had aged ten years overnight.
Yuwen Che, accompanied by Li Dehai, two personal guards, and a group of palace servants, walked in with steady steps. When his figure appeared at the entrance of the inner hall, the Empress Dowager's cloudy eyes suddenly opened, burning with anger, grief, and a trace of disbelief.
She struggled to sit up, her body weak, and pointed a finger at Yuwen Che, her voice hoarse but filled with hatred: "You...you unfilial son! You heartless tyrant! You slaughtered your own clan, tortured your wife...you...aren't you afraid of divine retribution?! How will history record you?! How will posterity condemn you?!"
Faced with the Empress Dowager's vehement accusations, Yuwen Che remained unmoved. He simply stood quietly by the bedside, looking down at his mother, who had once taught and controlled him, but now appeared so old and helpless. His eyes were deep, carrying a chilling insight that seemed to see through everything.
"Tyrant?" Yuwen Che spoke slowly, his voice eerily calm. "Isn't this exactly what Your Majesty... personally taught your son?"
Upon hearing his words, the Empress Dowager's pupils constricted sharply, and she stared at him in disbelief.
Yuwen Che continued, each word like a cold knife, dissecting the bloody past buried by time: "Back then, it was you, Mother, who personally handed me the poisoned wine, telling me that there is no kinship in the royal family, that love is the most useless thing, and that only by holding onto power can one survive. It was you, Mother, who recounted the crimes of my brothers in my ear, making me believe that killing my brothers was a last resort, a way to protect myself, and even more so for the sake of the Great Zhou Dynasty."
The Empress Dowager's breathing suddenly became rapid, and her face turned even more pale.
"And..." Yuwen Che's gaze was sharp as a knife, piercing the deepest secret in the Empress Dowager's heart, "Did the Empress Dowager's favorite concubine, Roujia, really die of illness? Mother, do you really think that I was completely unaware of the tricks you played back then?"
The Empress Dowager's body began to tremble slightly.
Yuwen Che's tone grew increasingly cold, carrying a long-suppressed hatred for the past: "And Father... he was hampered by powerful families his entire life, unable to protect even his beloved concubines, unable to stop his sons from killing each other... Did he truly die a natural death in the end? Mother, you colluded with the Shen family, promising them the position of Empress. What role did you play in all of this? Step by step, you drove him to that point, where he couldn't even control his own life... Do you really think I know nothing about all this?"
He no longer referred to himself as "your subject," but instead used the cold and impersonal "I."
"From the very first day of my ascension to the throne," Yuwen Che's voice suddenly rose, carrying a resolute determination that echoed in the silent palace, "I swore a solemn oath before my father's spirit! I will never be like my father, manipulated by powerful families, unable to protect my beloved, unable to protect this vast empire! I will never entrust my life and death to others!"
His gaze was piercing as he looked at the Empress Dowager, who lay on the bed, pale-faced and speechless, and declared, word by word: "Everything I have done is nothing more than repaying what you taught me, Mother, and what you and the Shen family did to Father... repaying them in kind. Mother, why are you so surprised?"
These words shattered the last vestige of tender affection between mother and son, laying bare the bloodshed and cruelty of the power struggle. The Empress Dowager slumped onto her couch, her lips trembling, unable to utter another word of reproach. She knew her son was telling the truth. She had raised a tiger with her own hands, and this tiger had now broken free of all its shackles and was turning on her.
The Cining Palace became a magnificent tomb, burying the Empress Dowager's power and the twisted bond between mother and son.
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