Chapter 85 Yuwen Che worries about the dangers of twins
Yuwen Che spent another half an hour reviewing memorials in the Sizheng Hall, making proper arrangements for the military affairs of the northern border and the affairs of the mission, before getting up and returning to Guanju Palace.
The bedchamber was dimly lit, and Su Luoxue was still fast asleep, breathing evenly, though her face still looked somewhat pale in the candlelight.
Yuwen Che waved for the palace maids on night watch to leave, leaving only Fuling behind.
"Go and fetch Granny Zhang," he ordered in a low voice, his gaze never leaving Su Luoxue's face.
"Yes," Fuling replied, and quietly withdrew.
Before long, Zhang Mama, who had been serving Su Luoxue closely, followed Fuling in quietly and bowed, saying, "This old servant greets Your Majesty."
Yuwen Che raised his hand to gesture for her to dispense with the formalities, then walked to the outer room before speaking in a deep voice: "Granny, you are an old servant in the palace. I ask you, why has the Empress been looking unwell lately? She seems even more tired than before. Have you noticed anything amiss?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed across Zhang Mama's face. She had given birth herself and had delivered babies for many of the late emperor's concubines, so she was very experienced. The empress's pregnancy seemed stable, but her belly was rather large, and although her pulse was steady, it seemed to be sluggish... She knew in her heart that twins were inherently difficult, and the empress was slender, so the delivery would likely be a matter of life and death.
She hesitated, her lips trembling, before finally bowing even deeper and cautiously replying, "Your Majesty, the Empress is carrying twins, which takes a toll on her energy and blood more than ordinary women. Naturally, her body feels heavier, and it's understandable that she doesn't look well."
Yuwen Che frowned slightly, clearly not entirely satisfied with the answer: "Is that all?"
Feeling the emperor's imposing presence, Zhang Mama lowered her head even further, forcing herself to continue, "Furthermore... Your Majesty, if this old servant may be so bold, although Her Highness is only five months pregnant, twins... the risks of twin births are ultimately much greater than those of single births. The labor is longer, more strenuous, and more prone to bleeding... While the midwives in the palace are excellent, it is still necessary to seek out those with exceptional experience beforehand, to prepare them early, so that... there is no cause for concern."
She dared not speak of the worst-case scenario, and could only steer the conversation toward preparing midwives.
Yuwen Che was an extremely astute man, and he immediately discerned the underlying meaning in Zhang Mama's hesitant and evasive reply. His face instantly darkened, his eyes sharp as knives as he stared intently at Zhang Mama: "Mama, tell me the truth, what dangers lie ahead for the Empress's pregnancy?"
Granny Zhang knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling: "Your Majesty, please understand! This old servant... this old servant is only worried about Your Majesty's health. Twin births are indeed not easy. This old servant is afraid... afraid that something might go wrong... therefore, I implore Your Majesty to make thorough preparations as soon as possible!"
She ultimately didn't dare utter the words "life in danger," but the atmosphere in the hall had already become stagnant.
Yuwen Che remained silent for a moment, his aura chillingly cold.
He waved his hand, his voice devoid of emotion: "I understand. You may leave now and take good care of the Empress."
"This old servant obeys." Zhang Mama felt as if she had been granted a pardon. After kowtowing, she almost staggered out.
Yuwen Che stood alone in the outer hall, his hands behind his back unconsciously clenching. He recalled the imperial physician's subtle warning, Luo Xue's increasingly heavy body and pale face, and combined with Zhang Mama's fearful reaction just now... a possibility he didn't want to think about surfaced in his mind.
Could it be...?
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear and violence in his heart.
Absolutely not! His Xue'er will be alright!
He turned and walked back into the inner room, sat on the edge of the bed, and gazed at Su Luoxue's peaceful sleeping face with a deep and unfathomable look.
It seems that we need to be wary not only of the open and covert attacks from the north, but also of the production process itself, which is a perilous hurdle.
He gently took Su Luoxue's hand, which was placed outside the brocade quilt; her fingertips were icy cold.
"Xue'er," he murmured to himself, "I will never let anything happen to you. No matter the cost."
Yuwen Che gently stroked Su Luoxue's swollen belly, feeling the warmth and life-pulsating pulse beneath his palm. Yet his fingertips were icy cold.
Zhang Mama's words echoed repeatedly in his ears: "The risks are ultimately much greater than those of ordinary women giving birth," and "It's better to be prepared."
Yes, she's so thin, her waist is barely a handful, yet she has to bear the weight of two children. She's already been through a lot of fright and nearly miscarried, so her body is weaker than the average pregnant woman… What if… what if she runs out of strength and can't make it through that day?
This thought, like a venomous snake, suddenly darted into my heart and bit me viciously.
He abruptly withdrew his hand, as if he had been burned.
"Your Majesty?" Fuling, who was standing guard by his side, noticed his unusual behavior and called out softly.
Yuwen Che did not respond. He just stared intently at Su Luoxue's still slightly furrowed brows as she slept. He could command thousands of troops, suppress court disputes, and eliminate all enemies, both overt and covert, but faced with her childbirth, a life-threatening ordeal, he felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
The young emperor, so decisive and ruthless, now had a barely perceptible hint of fear flicker in the depths of his eyes.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, he had regained his usual cold and stern expression.
"Poria cocos".
"This servant is here."
"Pass on my decree to the head of the Imperial Medical Academy," he said in a low voice, his tone chilling and unquestionable, "that he compile all medical cases concerning twin births, both ancient and modern, especially those involving difficult labor or postpartum hemorrhage, including all related treatment strategies, taboos, and even folk remedies. I want to see them first thing tomorrow morning."
Fu Ling's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly replied, "Yes, this servant will go right away."
“Also,” Yuwen Che added, glancing at Su Luoxue, “go and retrieve that three-hundred-year-old ginseng from the warehouse, and have the imperial physician decide whether to add it to the Empress’s usual pregnancy-supporting and qi-tonifying soup.”
"yes."
Fuling accepted the order and hurriedly withdrew to make arrangements.
Once again, only the two of them remained in the bedchamber. Yuwen Che simply took her hand, which was sticking out from under the covers, and wrapped her slightly cool fingers in his warm palm.
He looked at her sleeping face with a complex expression, filled with deep affection and unspeakable worry.
"Xue'er," he leaned down and whispered in her ear, his voice so soft as if afraid of disturbing her, yet so heavy as a vow, "Listen, you must hold on for me. If anything happens to you... if you dare to abandon me..."
He didn't say the rest.
But the tightly clenched hands and the turbulent undercurrent in their eyes said it all.
He cannot lose her. Never.
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