Chapter 74 Yuwen Hao's Birthday
Inside Guanju Palace, Su Luoxue leaned against a soft couch. Although she had been crowned Empress and a coronation ceremony had been held, she was pregnant with twins and lacked energy. Most of the trivial matters of preparing for the palace banquet were handled by Fuling and several capable nannies, and she only occasionally inquired about a few key points.
Fuling was sitting at a small table to the side, checking off account lists. Meanwhile, an old nanny who had served in the palace for many years stood behind Su Luoxue, skillfully massaging her shoulders to relieve her pregnancy fatigue.
As she continued to massage, the old woman slowed down, and several times a hesitant expression appeared on her face.
Su Luoxue noticed the hesitation on her shoulder, turned her head slightly, and asked softly, "Granny, what's wrong? Has something gone wrong with the preparations for the palace banquet?"
Upon hearing this, the old nanny immediately stopped what she was doing, walked around to Su Luoxue's side, and respectfully bowed. With a hint of hesitation on her face, she carefully considered her words before speaking: "Your Majesty, the palace banquet went smoothly without any mishaps. However... this old servant has remembered something, but I don't know if I should say it."
Su Luoxue looked at her gently: "Please speak freely, Granny."
The old nanny then cautiously said, "Your Highness, the day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Besides being a festival, it is also... His Highness the First Prince's fourth birthday."
Su Luoxue was slightly taken aback; she didn't know that.
The old woman continued, "But... His Majesty has never inquired about this matter in previous years, and... seems not to care much. When the deposed Empress Shen was in power, she knew that His Majesty disliked the eldest prince, so... she also wouldn't ask about these things. Consort De is gentle by nature and knows that His Majesty has some reservations about the eldest prince's existence, so naturally she dares not mention it. Every year, she would quietly cook a bowl of longevity noodles for the eldest prince in her own palace and that would be it."
She glanced at Su Luoxue's face, and seeing that she showed no displeasure, she continued, "Now that Your Majesty has been established as Empress, the mother of the nation, and according to the rules... you are also the legitimate mother of the First Prince. This old servant was thinking... for this year's birthday, should we... make a small celebration to show our favor?"
After listening, Su Luoxue remained silent for a moment. She thought of the child at the banquet who had looked longingly at the desserts and timidly called her "Empress Chen," and her heart softened. That child had indeed never experienced much of his father's love.
She looked at the old nanny and nodded: "The old nanny is right. Now that I am the Empress, this child... also calls me Mother Empress. His birthday can't be celebrated quietly like in previous years."
She hesitated for a moment, then instructed, "Go to Consort De's palace and inform her of this matter, saying it's my intention. At the New Year's Eve banquet, add a few of the children's favorite snacks, and... prepare a birthday gift for the First Prince in my and His Majesty's names. It doesn't need to be extravagant, but it should be thoughtful. As for His Majesty..."
She paused, thinking of Yuwen Che's complicated attitude towards Hao'er, and said softly, "I will speak to him myself."
The old woman smiled with satisfaction and bowed quickly, saying, "Your Majesty is kind. This old servant will take care of it right away."
Just as the old woman turned to leave, footsteps sounded outside the palace gate. Yuwen Che stepped in, followed closely by Li Dehai, who took his snow-covered black cloak and silently stepped aside.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Fuling, the nanny, and the palace maids in the hall hurriedly bowed and paid their respects.
Yuwen Che casually raised his hand, his gaze falling on Su Luoxue on the soft couch. He naturally walked over and sat down beside her: "What were you talking about just now? I think I heard Hao'er outside?"
When Su Luoxue heard him ask, she replied softly, "It was the nanny who told me that the day after tomorrow is New Year's Eve, which is also Hao'er's fourth birthday. The nanny asked me... if I wanted to make some preparations. I've never experienced these things before, and I don't know what to do, so I thought I'd just do a simple celebration first and ask you later. Who would have thought you'd come right after I gave the instructions?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Che's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned to look at the respectful old woman standing to the side, his tone tinged with uncertainty: "His birthday... is New Year's Eve?"
He had never consciously remembered his son's birthday. To him, the child was more like an unexpected symbol; if it weren't for Consort De's relatively well-behaved behavior and the child's occasional appearances at palace banquets, he would have almost completely ignored his existence. If Yuwen Hao were thrown into a group of children of similar age, dressed in the same clothes, he probably wouldn't even recognize him.
When the nanny saw His Majesty ask the question, she quickly bowed and answered cautiously, "Your Majesty, yes. His Highness the First Prince does indeed have his birthday on New Year's Eve. However... in previous years, Consort De would secretly cook a bowl of longevity noodles for His Highness the First Prince in Chengqian Palace, and that would be it... without making a fuss."
After listening, Yuwen Che remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Su Luoxue without immediately expressing his opinion.
Seeing that Yuwen Che's expression was off, Su Luoxue immediately gave a wink to the nanny and Fuling. The nanny knew that His Majesty had a grudge against the eldest prince, so she dared not say anything. She quickly led all the palace maids out quietly with Fuling and carefully closed the palace door.
Only the two of them remained in the inner hall.
Su Luoxue gently grasped Yuwen Che's hand, feeling the stiffness and coldness of his palm. She softened her voice, her tone soothing:
“Ache… I know you have something on your mind. But Hao’er… he is, after all, your own son, the esteemed eldest son of the Great Zhou. Moreover, after the pear soup incident, he suffered so much, and you personally issued an edict to promote him to Prince An, didn’t you? So shouldn’t we… at least show our appreciation for his birthday?”
Yuwen Che's expression grew increasingly somber with each word she spoke. He pressed his lips together tightly, his chest rising and falling slightly, clearly struggling to control his turbulent emotions. He gripped Su Luoxue's hand firmly in return, his grip heavy, as if drawing strength from it.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a deep sense of humiliation and anger:
"Xue'er...you don't understand. His existence...is a constant reminder that I was once...tricked by my own birth mother!"
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with icy coldness:
"And in that way... which I find utterly filthy! Drugging my wine! Making me lose control... and fall in love with... a night watch maid whose face I can't even remember!"
His voice carried an barely suppressed disgust and a deep-seated anger at his own loss of control.
"Then... she became pregnant and gave birth to the eldest prince! I... had no choice but to bestow upon her the title of Consort De... She and Hao'er... their existence is like a constant reminder of how incompetent I was back then! I couldn't even control my own harem, and was manipulated by my closest relatives using such despicable means!"
He gripped Su Luoxue's hand even tighter, as if she were his only lifeline:
"Xue'er, how am I supposed to face them? How am I supposed to celebrate the birthday of a child who constantly reminds me of that shameful past?"
Su Luoxue was deeply shocked by the profound pain and struggle in his eyes. She had never known that A-Che harbored such a heavy burden in his heart.
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