Chapter 52 Rival Cures Morning Sickness
After drinking half a bowl of warm milk, Su Luoxue still had little appetite, but at least her stomach felt a little warmer, and her spirits improved slightly. She leaned against the soft pillows, looking at the man before her who had set aside his imperial demeanor and was carefully wiping the corners of her mouth.
His brows seemed to still retain a trace of the coldness brought by the imperial court, but the moment he met her gaze, that chill turned into a deep tenderness.
"A-Che..." Her voice was soft and weak from illness, but it also carried a sense of dependence.
"Hmm?" Yuwen Che handed the handkerchief to Fuling, who was standing beside him, and looked at her intently. "What's wrong? Are you feeling nauseous again? Or are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Su Luoxue gently shook her head, forcing a faint smile onto her pale face. She propped herself up slightly, tilted her head back, and placed a soft, feather-like kiss on his slightly tense cheek.
Yuwen Che was slightly taken aback.
Immediately, Su Luoxue leaned back into his arms, stretched out her weak arms to wrap around his waist, buried her face in his firm chest, and gently rubbed against him like a little animal seeking protection.
"I don't want to drink anymore..." Her muffled voice came from his arms, with a thick nasal tone and a hint of coquetry, "It has no taste, and I feel like throwing up if I drink it... I just want you to hug me."
These soft words, filled with grievance and dependence, instantly shattered the last trace of coldness in Yuwen Che's heart caused by the affairs of the court. He tightened his arms, holding her even closer in his embrace, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones, his chin gently resting on the top of her head.
"Alright, I won't drink anymore." He compromised without hesitation, his voice gentler than ever before. "If you don't want to drink, then don't. I'll hold you."
He waved to Fuling to take the rest of the milk away.
Fuling lowered her head, smiled, and quietly withdrew, leaving the couple alone.
The hall fell silent, with only the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats mingling. Su Luoxue leaned comfortably against him, feeling the reassuring warmth and scent emanating from him, and the slight discomfort in her abdomen seemed to lessen considerably.
"Ah Che," she asked softly with her eyes closed, "were you... unhappy just now?"
Yuwen Che's hand, which was stroking her long hair, paused slightly before returning to normal, his tone indifferent: "No. It was just some unrelated people and things, which have already been dealt with."
He didn't want her to know about those filthy and bloody things, to taint her ears, or disturb her peace.
"Oh." Su Luoxue obediently didn't ask any more questions, but simply found a more comfortable position in his arms. "Then hold me a little longer."
"Yes, I'll hold you, and hold you forever," Yuwen Che whispered, as if making a promise.
He looked down at the girl in his arms, so dependent on him, and thought of those in the court who dared to interfere in his harem and even threaten her position. A cold killing intent flashed deep in his eyes. But when his gaze returned to Su Luoxue's pale face, that killing intent was quickly replaced by an overwhelming tenderness.
For the person in his arms, for the peace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was willing to have his hands stained with blood and bear the name of a tyrant. All his iron-fisted methods and ruthless cruelty were only to build an insurmountable wall, firmly protecting her in the center, shielding her from any storm.
“Xue’er,” he suddenly called her softly.
"Hmm?" Su Luoxue responded groggily, the weariness of pregnancy gradually creeping in again.
"It's nothing," Yuwen Che pulled her closer to him, carefully covering her with the quilt. "Go to sleep, I'll stay here with you."
Su Luoxue closed her eyes peacefully and soon fell into a deep sleep in his reassuring embrace and with his gentle, rhythmic pats.
Yuwen Che remained in his embrace, motionless for a long time. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their intertwined figures and creating a tranquil and warm scene.
However, beneath this tender facade, undercurrents still surged. The Northern Princess wouldn't give up easily, and there might still be those in the court who refused to give up. But Yuwen Che knew that no matter what happened outside, his embrace would always be her safest haven. And he would do anything to protect the tranquility of this haven.
As soon as Su Luoxue woke up, Yuwen Che sat on the edge of the bed with a bowl of freshly brewed, steaming hot medicine to help with pregnancy. The moment Su Luoxue smelled that familiar bitter aroma, her brows furrowed tightly, and she instinctively shrank further under the covers, her face filled with resistance.
"Ache... I don't want to drink..." Her voice was hoarse from the early morning and filled with deep grievance, making her sound pitiful.
Looking at her like this, Yuwen Che felt both heartache and helplessness. He tried to coax her patiently, just like he had a few days ago, "Sweetie, just drink a little bit, okay?" But Su Luoxue just closed her eyes and shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together.
Seeing that she was about to refuse to take the medicine, Yuwen Che's eyes flickered, and a plan suddenly came to him. He put down the medicine bowl, leaned closer to her, and spoke with a deliberately feigned concern and... a hint of barely perceptible teasing.
"Xue'er, are you really not going to drink?" he asked in a low voice.
Su Luoxue closed her eyes and firmly shook her head. "I won't drink."
“Sigh,” Yuwen Che sighed, as if he was in a difficult position, “Tomorrow there will be a banquet in the palace to welcome the Northern Kingdom delegation. I was originally hoping that you would accompany me to attend.”
Su Luoxue's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't say anything.
Yuwen Che continued slowly, observing her reaction: "That Northern Princess Helian Mingzhu... still harbors treacherous intentions towards me. The way she stared at me in court yesterday, tsk tsk..." He paused deliberately.
Su Luoxue suddenly opened her eyes. Her gaze, which had been somewhat unfocused due to her illness, instantly sharpened, carrying a hint of wariness and an almost imperceptible... jealousy.
"She...she looked at you?" Her voice rose slightly.
Yuwen Che chuckled inwardly, but on the surface he maintained a serious and helpless expression: "Indeed. The entire court saw it. If I attend tomorrow's banquet alone, wouldn't she feel even more that she has an opportunity? She might even try to get close to me..."
"No!" Su Luoxue blurted out, a strange blush rising on her pale face from excitement. She struggled to sit up. "I have to go!"
Yuwen Che quickly supported her, his smile almost impossible to hide, but his tone was even gentler: "Want to go? But in your current condition, you won't even take your medicine. How will you have the energy to accompany me to the banquet tomorrow? I'm afraid you won't even be able to sit properly. Wouldn't that just make her laugh at us and think my Xue'er is... easy to bully?"
He gently pinched the tip of her nose, his voice tinged with affectionate reproach: "If she really comes closer, should I push her away, or... sigh, I can't be too rude to a princess of a nation..."
Hearing his words and imagining the scene, Su Luoxue felt a pang of sadness and anxiety. She grabbed his sleeve and cried out, "I'll drink it! I'll drink the medicine!"
As if she had made a tremendous decision, she looked firmly at the bowl of dark medicine: "Give me the medicine!"
Yuwen Che then picked up the medicine bowl again, scooped up a spoonful, carefully blew on it to cool it, and held it to her lips, coaxing her softly, "That's right. Let's drink the medicine and rest well so that we'll have the energy to dress up beautifully tomorrow and accompany me to the banquet, so that those irrelevant people can see clearly that my Xue'er is incomparable to anyone, okay?"
Looking into his deep, smiling eyes, and then at the spoonful of medicine, Su Luoxue finally obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the bitter medicine. Although her brows were still furrowed, this time she did not resist.
Yuwen Che patiently fed her the whole bowl of medicine, spoonful by spoonful, and then immediately handed her a piece of candied fruit that he had prepared.
Watching her suckle, her brows gradually relaxing, and her slightly panting against his chest, Yuwen Che felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He knew that using this method to coax her into taking the medicine was somewhat "despicable," but for her sake, he didn't care.
“Ah Che,” Su Luoxue said, having recovered from the bitter taste, she looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes and a rare vitality in them. “Tomorrow… I will definitely dress up nicely and will not embarrass you.”
Yuwen Che lowered his head and planted a kiss on her smooth forehead, his tone resolute: "In my heart, you will always be the best. Tomorrow, I look forward to seeing my Xue'er stun the entire audience."
Upon hearing Yuwen Che's promise to take her to the banquet, Su Luoxue seemed to be injected with vitality. The slight weakness and exhaustion she felt from taking the medicine earlier were instantly forgotten. She threw back the covers and was about to get out of bed on her own.
"Fuling! Fuling!" Her voice became clearer and more urgent. "Quickly, bring out all my newly made clothes! They're the boxes that the Imperial Clothing Bureau sent over recently, the ones I haven't even had the energy to look at!"
Fuling was taken aback at first, but seeing her mistress's unusually energetic state, she immediately replied happily, "Yes, Your Highness! This servant will go right away!"
Yuwen Che was startled by her flustered manner at first, and quickly reached out to support her, afraid that she would fall. Then he was both amused and exasperated. Just a moment ago she was so weak that she couldn't even be fed medicine, but now she has the energy to fuss over her clothes?
"Slow down, or you'll get dizzy," he reminded helplessly, but his tone was full of indulgence.
Su Luoxue steadied herself, grabbed his sleeve, and her eyes shone brightly: "Ache, can you help me decide which one to wear? I haven't worn new clothes in ages, I can't let her outshine me!" It was obvious who "she" referred to.
Yuwen Che was amused by her rare jealousy and competitiveness. He helped her to the outer room and said softly, "Alright, I'll help you choose. Take your time, there's no rush."
Soon, Fuling and several palace maids brought in several large camphor wood chests. When they were opened, the clothes and dresses inside were dazzling, exquisitely embroidered, and made of the finest materials. It was clear that the Imperial Clothing Bureau had put a lot of effort into them.
Su Luoxue picked up each item and compared them, looking at herself in the huge bronze mirror again and again, sometimes frowning, sometimes shaking her head.
"Isn't this color too plain?"
"The embroidery on this piece is beautiful, but the design doesn't seem very original..."
"Ah Che, what do you think of this red one? Isn't it too eye-catching?"
Yuwen Che patiently stayed by her side, watching her face regain some of its radiance, feeling even more exhilarated than if he had won a battle. He carefully examined the dress in her hands and offered his advice: "Red complements your complexion, but you are currently weak, and I'm afraid such a strong color might not be enough to balance you out. I think that moon-white brocade dress with gold-embroidered butterflies and flowers would be quite nice, elegant yet luxurious."
Su Luoxue picked up the moon-white dress and looked at it, still hesitant: "Won't it lack presence?"
Yuwen Che smiled and instructed Li Dehai, who was standing to the side, "Go and bring the gold phoenix crown with filigree and pearl inlay from the inner treasury, along with the matching pearl earrings, the red gold dragon necklace, and the boxes of the best pearl and gemstone hairpins that were newly presented this year, so that the Consort can choose from them."
Li Dehai was secretly alarmed. The phoenix crown was of extremely high standard, almost equivalent to the ceremonial robes of an empress. However, he dared not say anything and immediately bowed, saying, "This servant obeys the decree."
When those dazzling, priceless jewels were presented one by one, even Su Luoxue was stunned.
"This...this is too precious..." she murmured.
Yuwen Che picked up the exquisitely crafted, jewel-studded phoenix crown and gently held it up against her hair, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement and doting affection: "My Xue'er deserves the best. Tomorrow, you will wear that moon-white dress, paired with this headdress. You will be stunningly beautiful without needing heavy makeup. I want to see who dares to rival your brilliance."
The certainty and favoritism in his tone gave Su Luoxue immense confidence. She looked at herself in the mirror, thin but still with delicate features, then at the man beside her who held her in the palm of his hand, and nodded vigorously.
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
She rekindled her fighting spirit, not to compete with anyone, but because she didn't want to let him down, and she wanted everyone to know that Yuwen Che's choices were never wrong.
Yuwen Che watched her carefully selecting her outfit, a gentle smile always playing on his lips. As long as she was happy and cheerful, he would do anything for her, even if she wanted the stars or the moon.
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