Chapter 97 The Empress Dowager was buried with the late Emperor.
Inside the main hall, the Minister of Rites, holding the drafted funeral regulations, respectfully asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, we have drafted the posthumous title and funeral arrangements for the Empress Dowager. Please review them. However… regarding the Empress Dowager's mausoleum, we would like Your Majesty to instruct us on where she should be buried."
The ministers held their breath, awaiting the emperor's decision. After all, the empress dowager had a strained relationship with the emperor during her lifetime, and had even been... semi-confined. The arrangements for her passing were indeed a sensitive matter.
Yuwen Che's gaze swept over the intricate ritual procedures in the memorial, and he remained silent for a moment. The hall was so quiet that the flickering candlelight could be heard.
He raised his head, looking at the gray sky outside the hall, his voice calm and even, revealing no emotion, only a sense of calm acceptance.
"Proceed according to the highest regulations. As for the mausoleum..."
He paused, and under the probing gazes of several ministers, slowly uttered six words:
"Let him be buried with the late emperor."
Upon hearing this, several senior officials were slightly moved. The Minister of Rites couldn't help but confirm, "Your Majesty... do you mean to bury the Empress Dowager in the late Emperor's mausoleum?"
"Hmm." Yuwen Che withdrew his gaze and focused on the imperial desk, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "She was my birth mother, the late emperor's empress. All that happened in her lifetime is in the past. After her death... let her accompany the late emperor."
This decision surprised some, yet it was also quite reasonable. It fulfilled both filial piety and royal dignity, and seemed to bring a proper end to the mother-son relationship that was full of calculation and estrangement.
"Your Majesty, we obey." The Minister of Rites and the Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs exchanged a glance, then bowed and accepted the order.
Yuwen Che waved his hand, looking slightly tired: "Go and do it."
"Yes, Your Majesty, we take our leave."
The ministers withdrew. Yuwen Che sat alone in the hall.
Su Luoxue then slowly walked out of the side hall and came to the imperial desk.
She looked at Yuwen Che's slightly tired profile and said softly, "A-Che... if you're feeling down, you don't have to..."
Yuwen Che didn't turn around, but simply reached out and grasped her slightly cool fingers, holding them tightly in his palm.
His voice was deep, with a hint of barely perceptible dependence: "Xue'er..."
He placed her hand on his forehead, closed his eyes briefly, and when he spoke again, his tone was almost pleading:
"Just like that, you stayed with me, forever..."
Su Luoxue looked at her beloved husband and said, "Okay, I will always be with you, always."
She didn't ask any more questions or say anything more, but simply stood quietly beside him, letting him lean on this silent warmth.
After a long while, Yuwen Che finally raised his head. The weariness in his eyes hadn't faded, but they were much clearer. He looked at her and said, "Xue'er, you're all I have left."
Su Luoxue smiled gently, stroking her belly: "You still have them. We will always be with you."
Yuwen Che finally revealed a genuine smile, gently pulling her into his arms, carefully avoiding her abdomen, and whispered, "Mmm."
The two embraced quietly for a moment, then Yuwen Che suddenly remembered something and said, "On the day of the Empress Dowager's funeral, the scene will surely be chaotic and the air will be cold, so you don't need to go."
Su Luoxue was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, and looked up at him: "But as the Empress, if I don't attend, it might be against etiquette, and what will the court officials think..."
Yuwen Che interrupted her, his tone gentle yet authoritative: "It's alright. If I say it's okay, then it's okay. Nothing is more important than you and the child in your womb. Those formalities are nothing to worry about."
He gently stroked her swollen belly and continued, "The most important thing for you now is to take good care of yourself and have a smooth delivery. After you have recovered and the children have been born safely, I will accompany you to the mausoleum to pay our respects on the anniversary of your mother's death, so that we can do our part."
Seeing the concern and determination in his eyes, Su Luoxue knew he genuinely cared about her and the child, and a warm feeling washed over her. She stopped insisting and obediently nodded, "Okay, I'll do whatever A-Che decides."
She placed her hand on the back of his hand, feeling the movement of the baby in her womb together, and whispered, "I and the baby will be fine, and you must be fine too."
Looking at her docile appearance, Yuwen Che felt a slight dissipation of the gloom brought on by the Empress Dowager's death and the turmoil of state affairs. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her eye: "With you all here, I will naturally be fine."
Yuwen Che's expression relaxed considerably, and he gently squeezed her fingers: "Alright, it's chilly here. You should go back to Guanju Palace and rest. I'll come and keep you company after I finish these official duties, okay?"
Su Luoxue looked at the lingering weariness on his brow and felt a pang of heartache. She looked up and placed a soft, brief kiss on his lips, as light as a feather.
“Okay,” she replied softly, looking at him with pleading eyes. “Then don’t overwork yourself, okay? Remember to eat on time.”
Yuwen Che was soothed by the sudden kiss and gentle instructions, and a genuine warmth welled up in his eyes. He nodded and said, "I promise you, I will eat on time and finish my work as soon as possible."
He turned to Fuling and instructed her, "Take good care of Her Majesty on her way back. Walk slowly and carefully."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Fuling replied quickly.
With Fuling's help, Su Luoxue slowly left the Sizheng Hall, turning back every few steps.
Yuwen Che watched her figure disappear outside the palace before turning his gaze back to his desk. He raised his hand and gently touched his lips, where the soft warmth and faint fragrance of her still lingered, dispelling much of the melancholy brought on by court affairs.
He took a deep breath, rallied his spirits, and picked up the vermilion brush again.
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