Chapter 110 Sensing the Child Move
Seeing that although she had laughed, a faint trace of concern lingered in her eyes, Yuwen Che knew she was sensitive and didn't want her to overthink it. He naturally took the warm water Fuling offered and carefully fed it to her lips, explaining gently:
"Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Consort Xian and Consort Shu have connections with the Lin and Yang families, and they still have some influence in the court. If I were to clear out the harem all at once, those old ministers would probably kneel outside the palace again, grumbling about the lack of imperial heirs and the impropriety of the ceremony."
He watched as Su Luoxue obediently drank the water and continued, "Right now, you are about to give birth, and all my attention is on you. I don't have the time to listen to those old stubborn people nagging. After some time, once you have given birth smoothly and recovered, I will naturally find a reason to arrange a good place for them, and I will never let them get in your way."
He squeezed her hand, his tone reassuring yet authoritative: "In short, remember this: this harem, now and in the future, will only have you as its mistress. The others are merely temporary decorations; I will handle them properly, hmm?"
Hearing his words, which were both frank and laced with imperial scheming, Su Luoxue's last bit of unease dissipated. She leaned back into his arms and softly replied, "Yes, I understand."
She understood that her A-Che was not only her husband, but also the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Some things required careful consideration and the right timing. All she needed to do was trust him with peace of mind.
Seeing that her brows had completely relaxed, Yuwen Che was relieved and turned his attention back to her, carefully asking Su Luoxue, "Xue'er, what would you like for dinner? I'll have the imperial kitchen prepare it."
Su Luoxue frowned, leaning against the soft pillows, looking conflicted: "I...I don't know either. It seems like there's nothing I particularly want to eat..." She paused, then added softly, "But...it seems like I want to eat a little bit of everything."
Yuwen Che was somewhat bewildered by her words, and tentatively asked, "Then... should we have the imperial kitchen prepare some of their signature dishes?"
Su Luoxue immediately shook her head: "No, there's too much, it's too cloying to look at."
"Then... plain congee and side dishes?"
She pouted again, "My mouth tastes bland, I don't want to eat."
Yuwen Che was truly stumped now, and looked helplessly at Zhang Mama beside him.
Seeing this, Zhang Mama quickly explained with a smile, "Your Majesty, this is a normal reaction for Her Highness. Women carrying twins have a heavy burden on their bodies and consume a lot of energy, so they naturally get hungry faster than ordinary pregnant women, and their tastes are more likely to change. It is common for them to have the same thing at one time."
She stepped forward and said softly to Su Luoxue, "Your Majesty, this old servant thought the chicken and bird's nest soup you had for lunch was quite good. How about we ask the imperial kitchen to make another bowl? And also have a plate of freshly steamed milk-flavored buns that you said were quite good a few days ago, to tide you over?"
Su Luoxue thought about it for a moment, and seemed to think the suggestion was acceptable, so she finally nodded: "Okay, let's leave it at that for now."
Yuwen Che breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said to Fuling, "Go and deliver the message!"
He turned to look at Su Luoxue, shaking his head with a helpless yet indulgent smile, "My Xue'er is really hard to please these days."
Su Luoxue glared at him playfully, gently stroking her protruding belly with a hint of smugness: "It's your son and daughter who are hard to please, not me."
Yuwen Che readily complied, leaning down to look at her belly and saying seriously, "Did you hear me? You two little things, you're not allowed to bother your mother anymore."
Seeing his expression, Su Luoxue finally couldn't help but laugh, filling the hall with a warm atmosphere.
Su Luoxue gently placed her hand on her swollen belly, and suddenly, she felt a clear, gentle movement inside, like a small fish swimming by.
Her eyes lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Yuwen Che's hand beside her: "A-Che...it moved!"
Yuwen Che was looking down at her when he heard this and paused for a moment, not quite understanding: "What moved?"
Su Luoxue pulled his large hand over and gently placed it on her belly, her face radiating maternal tenderness, her voice filled with joy: "It's the baby, the baby is moving! Can you feel it?"
Through his clothes, Yuwen Che clearly felt the strong fetal movement in his palm, as if his child was greeting him. His face instantly lit up with immense joy, and he almost held his breath: "Really?! I...I felt it!"
He immediately bent down, carefully placing his head against Su Luoxue's belly, focusing intently on feeling her. When he felt the pulse of life again, his eyes welled up with tears of excitement.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Su Luoxue, then lowered his head to her belly, and spoke in a voice as gentle as ever, a voice so tender it could melt hearts:
"It really happened... My sons, whether you are the little prince or the little princess, you must behave yourselves and not cause any trouble for your mother, understand?"
After saying that, he placed a tender, loving kiss on Su Luoxue's belly, as if soothing two mischievous little ones, and whispered:
"good."
Seeing his overjoyed and cautious expression, Su Luoxue's heart was filled with immense happiness. She gently stroked his hair and said softly, "They will definitely understand Father's words."
Yuwen Che straightened up, still holding her hand tightly, his gaze lingering between her and her abdomen, his eyes overflowing with smiles and anticipation.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so low-ranking concubines who had been chosen were placed in a side hall, and inevitably gathered together to discuss things in private.
"Sisters, what are your plans?" the youngest of the concubines asked timidly.
A more composed scholar sighed, "Going to a temple for quiet cultivation, though it involves only the flickering lamp and ancient Buddha, at least one retains their status and has no worries about food and clothing; it can be considered a peaceful refuge."
The other woman, however, had a glint in her eyes and lowered her voice: "But... His Majesty has allowed us to leave the palace and marry other men! We'll receive a generous dowry, change our names, and although we'll lose this empty title, perhaps... perhaps we can live the life of an ordinary couple, have children..."
These words stirred something in many hearts. They had been living like widows in the palace for years, and now a path to a free life outside the palace was laid out before them—the temptation was considerable.
"But...but will this work? What if we get caught..."
"Manager Li said to just say we went out due to a sudden illness. As long as we're careful and our family makes proper arrangements, who will know?"
The crowd discussed amongst themselves, their opinions gradually shifting.
At the same time, some well-informed ministers with spies in the palace vaguely heard rumors that Yuwen Che planned to send away more than ten low-ranking concubines at once.
An old minister, known for his rigidity and conservatism, was in his study when he heard his trusted steward's report. He was so anxious that he stamped his feet repeatedly, and his white beard stood on end.
"Oh dear! Oh dear! How foolish! Your Majesty's actions are truly foolish!"
He said to the steward with great distress, "Even if you don't like it, you can just keep it in the palace! Why go to such lengths? Is this the behavior of a wise ruler? How will the people view His Majesty? How will they view the imperial family? The Empress is about to give birth; at this time, His Majesty should be showering her with blessings to ensure the prosperity of the imperial heir—that is the right thing to do!"
He grew angrier and angrier as he spoke, and resolved to write a letter of advice the next day.
Outside the palace, Yuwen Che's unconventional move has begun to stir up trouble.
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