Chapter 48 The Northern Princess and Consort Chen
For the next two days, Yuwen Che devoted almost all his attention to Guanju Palace.
Aside from necessary court meetings and handling urgent government affairs that could not be delayed, he spent all his time by Su Luoxue's bedside. In court, he made quick and decisive decisions, and once he had finished, he immediately got up and returned to Guanju Palace, unwilling to stay outside for even a moment longer.
News from the Northern Kingdom delegation kept pouring in through the secret guards; the convoy was nearing the outskirts of the capital and would soon enter the city. Yuwen Che coldly ordered, "Proceed as planned. Keep a close watch. Without my decree, no one is allowed to approach Guanju Palace," and then paid no further attention. At this moment, nothing worried him more than Xue'er's condition.
Inside the Guanju Palace, the aroma of medicine seemed to grow even stronger.
Su Luoxue's condition did not improve; she continued to vomit everything she ate and even had difficulty drinking water. She spent most of her time in a daze, and when she occasionally woke up, she was listless. Her already slender figure became even thinner in just a few days, which was heartbreaking.
Yuwen Che sat by the bed, holding her hand, looking at her pale and haggard sleeping face, his brows furrowed, his heart feeling as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, a suffocating pain.
"Xue'er..." he called her softly, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her cold hand, trying to convey some warmth from the past.
Su Luoxue seemed to sense something, her eyelashes trembled, but she couldn't open her eyes. She just unconsciously leaned closer to his palm and drifted off to sleep again.
"Your Majesty, the ginseng soup is ready." Fu Ling approached cautiously, carrying a small, warm jade bowl.
Yuwen Che took the bowl and gestured for Fuling to help Su Luoxue up a little. He scooped up a spoonful of the almost transparent ginseng soup, blew on it repeatedly, and then very carefully fed it to her lips.
The moment the spoon touched her lips, even in her deep sleep, Su Luoxue reflexively furrowed her brows, let out a soft whimper, and turned her head away in resistance.
Yuwen Che's hand froze in mid-air as he looked at the ginseng soup that he ultimately failed to feed the patient, his eyes filled with melancholy.
He silently handed the bowl back to Fuling and waved for her to leave.
Once again, only the two of them remained in the hall. Yuwen Che leaned down, his forehead gently touching Su Luoxue's, feeling her weak breath. An unprecedented sense of powerlessness swept over him. He could command thousands of troops and decide the life and death of countless people, yet he could not bear the pain of her pregnancy for her, nor could he even let her eat a single bite in peace.
“Li Dehai.” He straightened up, his voice slightly hoarse.
Li Dehai, who had been waiting outside the hall, quickly bowed and entered, saying, "This servant is here."
"The imperial edict..." Yuwen Che paused, his tone resolute, "Continue posting it! Inform all the prefectures and counties, double the reward! I don't believe that there is no one in the whole world who can cure this disease!"
"Your servant obeys! Your servant will go and oversee the matter immediately, ordering someone to send the imperial edict to all prefectures and counties with utmost urgency!" Li Dehai dared not delay and immediately agreed.
Yuwen Che turned around, grasped Su Luoxue's hand again, and his gaze was as firm as iron.
He had to find a way, he absolutely had to find one.
The apricot-yellow imperial edict, as if it had wings, swiftly spread throughout the city gates and markets of various prefectures. The news of the doubled reward, like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited even wider discussions.
"Have you heard? The imperial reward has been increased again! In addition to a thousand taels of gold, it also promises high-ranking official positions and generous salaries!"
"My God, if anyone can cure the Imperial Concubine, wouldn't they be on a meteoric rise to power?"
"Ascending to heaven? I think it's even more difficult than ascending to heaven! Even the imperial physicians in the palace are helpless, where would we find a miracle doctor in this poor, remote place?"
"Alas, I wonder just who that Imperial Concubine is, that His Majesty is so concerned about her..."
During leisure time, and in the streets and alleys, the imperial edict and Consort Chen became the hottest topics. At the same time, another piece of news spread like wildfire among the people.
"Hey, have you heard? The princess from the North is coming to our Great Zhou!"
"A princess from the Northern Kingdom? What brings her here? Could she be here for a political marriage?"
"Most likely! I've heard that princess is the emperor's younger sister from the Northern Kingdom, and she's incredibly beautiful!"
"This... Consort Chen is currently ill, and the arrival of the Northern Princess at this time is rather coincidental..."
Someone lowered their voice, their tone tinged with worry and speculation: "Do you think His Majesty might... actually make the Northern Princess Empress? After all, the Imperial Concubine is in such a state now, I'm afraid..."
This remark immediately drew agreement from those around him and sparked an even more heated discussion.
"It's hard to say! A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can a harem remain without a mistress for long!"
“The princess of the Northern Kingdom is of noble status. If she were to be married off, a mere concubine title would probably not be enough to satisfy her.”
"What about Consort Chen? Didn't His Majesty previously dote on her greatly?"
"Pampering is one thing, but Her Majesty is seriously ill now, and it's uncertain whether she can pull through... Your Majesty is, after all, the emperor, and must consider the well-being of the nation, right?"
"I heard that His Majesty has neglected state affairs for the sake of the Imperial Concubine, staying at Guanju Palace day and night. If the Northern Princess were to enter the palace now, there would likely be turmoil in the harem..."
Various speculations, worries, and even some unfounded rumors fermented among the people. Some sympathized with the ailing Consort Chen, lamenting her tragic fate; some felt the arrival of the Northern Princess was timely, as it could solidify diplomatic relations; and others had already begun to secretly speculate on how the court's power structure would change if a new empress were to be established. In the teahouse, the storyteller struck his gavel and began recounting the story of the Northern Princess's impending arrival in the capital, eliciting lively discussion from the audience.
A man dressed in shorts clicked his tongue: "The Northern Princess... I heard she's only eighteen, the perfect age. Our Emperor is young and valiant, wouldn't... be tempted?"
"Hey! What do you know!" A middle-aged man who looked more respectable, like a shopkeeper, immediately retorted. He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide the certainty in his words. "Moved? What could possibly move him? Before our Consort Chen entered the palace, she bumped into His Majesty right here on Zhuque Street! That was true love at first sight!"
These words immediately piqued the interest of those around them, who gathered around.
"Shopkeeper, tell me quickly! What happened?"
"Exactly, how do you know about the government's affairs?"
Seeing that he had attracted attention, the shopkeeper cleared his throat with a hint of smugness: "I have a distant niece who works as an embroiderer in the residence of a vice minister. A few days ago, when she went out to shop, she overheard the ladies and young misses of that mansion gossiping about it! They said that in late spring this year, right here on Zhuque Street, our Emperor made a private visit, wearing a mask, but his imposing presence was impossible to conceal!"
He vividly described the scene: "It just so happened that at that time, the unmarried Miss Su, who is now the Noble Consort Chen, was on the street with her maid... Perhaps she had bought something she liked and was in a good mood, chasing and playing with her maid. Before she knew it, oh dear, she bumped right into His Majesty's arms!"
Everyone listened with bated breath, as if they were witnessing the dramatic scene firsthand.
"That collision was quite something!" The shopkeeper slapped his thigh. "Their eyes met! Just one glance! I heard His Majesty was stunned on the spot, his eyes wide open behind his mask! Miss Su blushed crimson and ran away with her maid. But after His Majesty returned to the palace, he immediately sent people to inquire everywhere, and within a few days, an imperial edict was issued, directly bestowing upon her the title of Imperial Concubine! She was escorted in through the main gate of the palace in an eight-bearer sedan chair! This favor is unprecedented since the founding of the dynasty!"
"My goodness...this is just a story from a folk tale!" someone exclaimed.
"That's right!" The shopkeeper got more and more excited as he spoke. "So what? What Northern Princess? No matter how noble she is, she was forced here from thousands of miles away. How can she compare to the bond that His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine formed on Vermilion Bird Street? The Imperial Concubine is only nineteen years old, six years younger than His Majesty. She is in the prime of her life and is pregnant with the imperial heir. His Majesty dotes on her like the apple of his eye. At this time, let alone a princess, even a fairy might not be noticed by His Majesty!"
"That makes sense!"
"Now that you mention it, it's true! His Majesty's feelings for the Imperial Concubine are truly genuine!"
"Alas, I only hope that Her Majesty can recover quickly and give birth to the little prince safely."
Ordinary people were tempted by the generous reward, but also uneasy about the sudden news of the marriage alliance. The emperor's deep affection and the weight of the country were weighed on an invisible scale by this minor incident of morning sickness and the visit of the princess from the north.
These clamorous discussions, though numerous, somehow reached the ears of some observant individuals, even after passing through the palace walls. However, the towering palace gates remained tightly shut, shutting out all the noise and speculation. Inside Guanju Palace, only the strong aroma of medicine and the emperor's furrowed brows remained.
Yuwen Che paid no heed to the rumors and gossip outside the palace. His entire world consisted only of the pale and haggard face before him. No matter how turbulent the outside world was, no matter whether the Northern Kingdom sent a princess or a fairy, nothing could shake him in the slightest.
His queen has always been only one person. She was, is, and will always be.
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