Preparing for pregnancy
Li Zhi's fingertips gently brushed across her cheek, carrying the warmth of the early summer sun.
"Your Majesty, do you know..." she said softly, as if talking to herself, "that I am most afraid of pain."
Li Zhi paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.
He took her hand and placed it against his chest, feeling her steady heartbeat through her clothes.
"I will protect you." His tone was solemn, as if making a vow. "Have the Imperial Pharmacy prepare all pain-relieving remedies, and lay twelve layers of brocade quilts in the delivery room. If the pain persists..."
He paused, a hint of youthful awkwardness in his voice, and said, "You will hold my hand."
Wu Meiniang suddenly remembered the rainy night three months ago.
She caught a cold, and Li Zhi, having finished reviewing memorials, came to visit her despite the rain, even though it was already past midnight.
His boots and socks were soaked, but he first checked the temperature of her forehead.
(Perhaps history books won't record these things...)
She reached out and smoothed out his slightly wrinkled collar, a gesture that made her realize how well she knew everything about him.
Those late nights spent reviewing memorials together, those mornings spent standing side by side before maps, had long since transformed the bond between "partners" into a unique connection.
Okay, let's refocus on Wu Zetian's pre-pregnancy preparation stage between "deciding to have a child" and "confirming pregnancy," depicting this daily life full of anticipation and subtle changes.
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Since that heart-to-heart talk in the warm pavilion, after she agreed to bear his children, Wu Meiniang discovered that Li Zhi's treatment of her, in addition to his previous reliance and love, also contained a more cautious expectation.
In his spare time, he no longer always discussed those heavy national affairs with her, but instead made more seemingly trivial arrangements.
On this day, the Imperial Physicians came to check on Consort Zhao's health as usual. After a careful examination, they did not leave immediately as usual, but respectfully presented a prescription with the ink still wet: "His Majesty has decreed that we have formulated this nourishing and conditioning prescription based on Consort Zhao's constitution, with the aim of strengthening the foundation, nourishing the vital energy, and harmonizing the qi and blood."
Wu Meiniang took the prescription and saw that, in addition to several common tonic herbs, it also specifically noted the combinations and contraindications of the medicinal diet.
(Inner monologue: Boss's execution is amazing... The project hasn't even been officially launched yet, and R&D and logistical support are already in place.)
Li Zhi even began to pay attention to her dietary preferences.
Knowing that she had recently developed a craving for sour foods, the Imperial Kitchen quietly added hawthorn cake, plum drink, and other snacks to the daily menu.
He would also personally bring her a cup of warm milk during breaks in her reviewing memorials, saying casually, "The imperial physician said this has a calming effect."
(Inner monologue: It's really tough on him, having to deal with those old ministers in the court while also keeping track of these trivial matters.)
These meticulous acts of care, like spring rain, nourish silently.
Wu Zetian found herself beginning to change subtly as well.
She no longer devoted all her energy to endless political affairs and calculations as she had in the past. Instead, she paid attention to the schedule instructed by the Imperial Hospital, took a short nap in the afternoon, and truly relaxed to appreciate the shimmering waves when Li Zhi took her for a walk by the Taiye Pond.
She continued to manage the six palaces, but her methods became increasingly sophisticated.
When faced with Consort Xiao's occasional probing, she responded with even more meticulous etiquette, leaving no room for criticism.
She knew that stability was paramount during this critical period.
(Inner monologue: The internal environment must be harmonious; we cannot give competitors any opportunity to exploit the situation.)
Sometimes, when the night was still and quiet, she would nestle in Li Zhi's arms and feel his palm gently resting on her lower abdomen, carrying a silent question and expectation.
At that moment, a strange tenderness would rise in her heart, no longer out of consideration for interests, but a pure, throbbing feeling belonging to the identity of "Wu Zetian" itself.
She began to truly look forward to the arrival of a little life that would be a fusion of their bloodlines.
That night, the moonlight was as clear as water.
After finishing his official duties, Li Zhi returned to Chengxiang Palace and found Wu Meiniang lost in thought, staring at a copy of the Book of Poetry.
He walked over, embraced her from behind, gently brushed his chin against her temple, and whispered, "What are you looking at?"
“The Book of Si Gan,” Wu Meiniang leaned against him, her fingertips tracing the sentences on the pages, “'When a boy is born, he is laid on a bed, clothed in garments, and given a jade scepter to play with… When a girl is born, she is laid on the ground, clothed in swaddling clothes, and given a tile to play with.'” Her voice was soft, tinged with longing, “Does Your Majesty wish for a jade scepter or a tile?”
Li Zhi hugged her tighter, his laughter coming from his chest, making her ears tingle slightly: "As long as it is our child, every piece of jade is a treasure."
He paused, his tone becoming solemn and warm, "I only wish that he/she could be as wise and peaceful as you."
The flickering candlelight inside the hall cast their embracing figures onto the wall, creating a warm and tranquil atmosphere.
Wu Meiniang closed her eyes, feeling the steady heartbeat and the heavy expectation coming from behind her.
(Inner monologue: Perhaps, in this deep palace full of power struggles and scheming, the very act of nurturing the hopes of an ordinary couple is the most extraordinary kind of happiness.)
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