No one knew where the rumor came from, but it flew wildly with the snow. Rumors that Concubine Li was unruly and unfaithful to her husband spread throughout Yandu and also reached the palace.
"Have you heard? Concubine Li had an affair with a scholar before entering the palace. It is said that the child in her belly is not the emperor's blood."
"I also heard from the eunuchs in the palace that Concubine Li was a promiscuous person in the past and liked to flirt with other men."
"I also heard that Concubine Li grew up with a group of men since she was a child. She might have been unclean for a long time."
"Why does the emperor like such a woman? The queen is obviously virtuous, but she is not favored."
Several palace maids were walking and talking, but after taking a few steps, they ran into Chu Shaoqin who came out from the corner of the corridor.
Chu Shaoqin took Li Qiuxue out for a walk, but rumors were spreading in the palace for some unknown reason. Li Qiuxue, who was standing beside him, held his hand tightly, and seemed to be feeling very uncomfortable.
"What were you guys talking about just now?" Chu Shaoqin asked coldly.
When several palace maids saw that it was the emperor, they were so frightened that their faces turned pale and they knelt on the ground trembling, not daring to look up.
"Your Highness."
"If you let me hear what I just said again, be careful with your head!"
"Your Majesty, please spare me. I will never dare to do that again. Your Majesty, please spare me..."
"roll!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." The palace maids kowtowed quickly, stood up and trotted away.
In this palace, besides the palace maids' gossip, there are many other things that Chu Shaoqin cannot control. For example, the ministers in the court, since the rumor spread, every morning at the court, the ministers would talk about the baby in Li Qiuxue's belly, begging Chu Shaoqin not to make Li Guifei's child the crown prince, so as to avoid disrupting the government. Every time Chu Shaoqin heard these advices, he would get angry. They didn't even know whether the baby in Xue'er's belly was a boy or a girl, but they were so opposed, simply not taking him seriously.
"This is outrageous. Who is spreading rumors?" Chu Shaoqin had no place to vent his anger, so he punched the wooden pillar of the corridor.
"Shaoqin, as long as you believe in me, I don't care what others say." Li Qiuxue put Chu Shaoqin's hand against her cheek and smiled. Chu Shaoqin pinched her cheek lovingly and couldn't help laughing.
"Shao Qin, I want to go see An Qing." Ever since the assassination, An Qing had been placed in the corridor north of Xiyang Palace by Chu Shao Qin to recuperate. A new batch of guards and maids had been replaced in Xiyang Palace, all of whom were personally selected by Chu Shao Qin. Li Qiuxue's fetal condition was now stable, and she wanted to go see An Qing's injuries, after all, An Qing was injured for her.
"Xue'er, you are pregnant now, you should take good care of the baby." Chu Shaoqin said unhappily, "Now there are rumors everywhere in and outside the palace that insult you. You don't stay in Xiyang Palace, but go to see a little guard. How do you want others to see me?"
"An Qing saved me three times. He is very kind to me. I should repay the kindness."
"Repay a favor? Many people in the palace have said that you and An Qing have an affair. You are so anxious to see him. Is it true that, as people in the palace say, you have other feelings for him?" A feeling of jealousy filled Chu Shaoqin's heart. Although he knew that Li Qiuxue would not betray him, he was the king could not tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes.
"Shao Qin, are you doubting me?"
"An Qing likes you, everyone in this palace can see it! Can't you see it? The way he looks at you is full of love. I am a man, and I cannot accept other men having intentions towards you. Xue'er, I tell you, if it wasn't for him saving you, I would have killed him long ago!"
"If you really care that much, don't come to Xiyang Palace again." Li Qiuxue touched her belly, turned around and left in the opposite direction.
"Li Qiuxue, don't disrespect me so much!" Chu Shaoqin yelled at the figure from behind.
Li Qiuxue shuddered all over and stopped walking. After a while, she sneered and continued walking forward.
"You are the emperor. No one dares not to take you seriously."
Hua Yu stood on the corridor not far away, watching them quietly. A faint smile flashed across her lips, and she continued on her way. Several palace maids following behind her began to defend her and discuss with dissatisfaction.
"What's so good about Concubine Li? She can't play the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and she's not as pretty as the queen. How can she be favored by the emperor?"
"That's right, how can Concubine Li compare to our queen?"
"There is still a long way to go, and it is still unclear who the emperor will favor in the future." Hua Yu smiled faintly, turned around and walked through the stone archway.
When Li Qiuxue went to the corridor to visit An Qing, An Qing was changing his own bandage. Although the wound on his abdomen had healed, a scar could still be seen. He clumsily applied the ointment on himself and unwrapped the gauze next to him and wrapped it in circles.
He was the only one in the corridor room, without any maids or servants, and he had been taking care of his daily life by himself these days. He was injured and it was inconvenient for him to do anything, but he never bothered Li Qiuxue.
"Let me help you." Li Qiuxue stood outside the half-open door for a moment, and finally pushed the door open reluctantly. She walked to An Qing's side, took the gauze from his hand, and carefully bandaged his wound.
"My lady, I can do it myself, no need to bother you." An Qing took back the gauze from Li Qiuxue's hand and politely rejected her kindness. Li Qiuxue was startled, as if she heard a clue from his changed address.
"Is it Chu Shaoqin who is making things difficult for you?"
An Qing did not answer. Ever since he was injured, Chu Shaoqin no longer allowed him to appear in front of Li Qiuxue or call Li Qiuxue by her name, otherwise he would be expelled from the palace.
"Shao Qin is like this, childish. You should call me Qiu Xue. I'm used to you calling me that." Li Qiu Xue sat next to An Qing, touching her bulging belly. Before she knew it, she was already four months pregnant.
"I heard that you had a fight. Was it because of me?" An Qing spoke again.
Li Qiuxue was silent for a moment and did not answer. She continued to touch her belly and smiled foolishly. Her biggest hope now was the baby in her belly. As long as the baby in her belly was born safely and grew up healthily, she would be satisfied.
"Qiuxue, I really regret bringing you back to Chu Shaoqin." An Qing suddenly grabbed Li Qiuxue's hand, not letting her pull away. "If you want to leave the palace, I will take you away. I will take you to a place where you can live freely and away from trouble."
Chu Shaoqin, who had just walked to the door, stopped knocking. He stood quietly outside the door, listening to the conversation inside.
"If I leave, what will happen to the baby in my belly? I don't want my child to be born without a father." Li Qiuxue smiled bitterly. Her heart turned cold when she thought of Chu Shaoqin treating her like an emperor.
"If you want, I can be the father of the child. Qiuxue, I like you. I have liked you since the first time I saw you. If you are willing to leave the palace, I can take you away. No matter whose child you are carrying, I will take care of you."
"An Qing, Chu Shaoqin and I have been through a lot to get to where we are today. An Qing, I know you like me, but I'm sorry..."
"Qiu Xue, I respect your choice. But please remember, in this palace, besides Chu Shaoqin, you also have me. I will always be by your side..."
"What a passionate love." The moment Chu Shaoqin opened the door, Li Qiuxue quickly pulled her hand back. This subtle movement was seen by him, and although he was displeased, he only frowned slightly.
"Shao Qin, why are you here?"
"I originally wanted to come and see An Qing's injuries, but I didn't expect to hear such a sentimental conversation." Chu Shaoqin smiled, walked up to An Qing, and pulled Li Qiuxue into his arms.
Chu Shaoqin looked at him and sneered: "How could my queen be interested in a lowly person?"
"Shao Qin, what are you talking about? An Qing has saved me time and time again..." Li Qiuxue didn't finish her words, because Chu Shao Qin was looking at her with angry and murderous eyes. She suddenly became afraid of such a look, afraid that Chu Shao Qin would become a cruel king.
"An Qing, there have been barbarian invasions outside the Great Wall recently. I plan to give you a chance to make a contribution." Chu Shaoqin looked coldly at An Qing who was kneeling on the ground.
He is the king and An Qing is the minister. The decision he makes cannot be disobeyed by An Qing. Chu Shaoqin sneered and did not explain. Instead, he dragged Li Qiuxue out of the corridor.
The next day, An Qing received an imperial edict. Chu Shaoqin ordered him to be a general and lead 3,000 elite soldiers to guard the border. Without his permission, he was not allowed to step into the palace again in his life.
Li Qiuxue was told about this by the maid on the day An Qing left the palace. She stroked her big belly and ran up the high city wall, ignoring the maid's dissuasion. She looked at An Qing in armor, riding a horse in front of the army. She called out his name, but An Qing, who was gradually going away, could not hear the shouts on the city wall at all. He disappeared at the end of the road with the soldiers and horses, and disappeared into the distance that Li Qiuxue could no longer see.
An Qing used to be a rich young man, but now he has to give up writing and join the army because of her. He puts on heavy armor and goes to the battlefield. If An Qing can't even beat her, how can he face thousands of troops? Chu Shaoqin wants An Qing to die and never come back.
"An Qing, I'm sorry, An Qing..." Li Qiuxue knelt beside the city wall, tears streaming down her face. The people around her who loved her, cared for her, left one by one, and the pain was like a knife cutting her.
"Your Highness!" The maid who came over hurriedly supported Li Qiuxue who had suddenly fainted, "Hurry up, someone, the Queen has fainted."
Xiyang Palace was cold and solemn. The imperial physician who had finished diagnosing Li Qiuxue walked out from behind the beaded curtain. Chu Shaoqin, who looked gloomy, sat at the tea table outside the beaded curtain. When he heard that his beloved woman fainted on the city wall because another man left her, he angrily smashed all the ornaments in the bedroom. He was like a madman, wishing to destroy everything. But he couldn't bear to see Li Qiuxue in pain, so after he vented his anger, he hurried to Xiyang Palace.
"Speak!" Chu Shaoqin looked the imperial physician who had been kneeling in front of him and hesitating for a long time.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty is suffering from liver qi stagnation, which has hurt her lungs."
"Liver Qi stagnation?"
"Your Majesty had a miscarriage earlier, so you can't continue to be angry and sad. Your Majesty, please forgive me for being blunt, but Your Majesty should not be provoked again. If you are provoked again, I'm afraid that both you and the baby in your belly will not be saved."
"Asshole!" Chu Shaoqin frowned, slammed the table and stood up, scaring the imperial physician and palace maids so much that they trembled.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"An Qing, An Qing..." In Li Qiuxue's dream, An Qing had his arms chopped off and his heart pierced by thousands of arrows. She could only watch him die in front of her from afar, powerless to do anything.
"No!" Li Qiuxue suddenly woke up from a nightmare. She sat up with cold sweat on her forehead. Beside her bed, Chu Shaoqin looked down at her. His face was ugly and his eyes were sinister, like a ruthless King of Hell.
"Shao Qin, you can't send An Qing to such a dangerous place. An Qing is not good at martial arts, and he will die." Li Qiuxue grabbed Chu Shaoqin's sleeve and begged him. But Chu Shaoqin did not change his expression and pushed her hand away without hesitation.
"What if I tell you that I want him to die?"
"If you kill him, I will hate you for the rest of my life." The originally solemn atmosphere was broken by Li Qiuxue. She looked at Chu Shaoqin who suddenly became a stranger and said firmly.
"Hate me forever?" Chu Shaoqin took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart.
The words of the imperial physician lingered in his ears. He clenched his fists, said nothing more, and turned away. Before walking out of the gate of Xiyang Palace, he ordered the guards and palace maids guarding Xiyang Palace that no one except him was allowed to enter or leave Xiyang Palace.
On the second day after Chu Shaoqin left, Hua Yu suddenly fainted while walking in the Imperial Garden. The imperial physician diagnosed that she was pregnant. This news shocked the whole city overnight, like air, floating in every breath of people.
Hua Shenghe was delighted by the news that Hua Yu was pregnant. Before Chu Shaoqin visited Hua Yu, Hua Shenghe sent people to deliver various precious medicinal materials and rare treasures. In addition, he also specially ordered people to pray for Hua Yu to be pregnant with a boy.
Hua Yu sat in a rocking chair, wearing a red fur coat, looking at the gifts in Dongxiang Palace, and couldn't help but raise the corners of her lips. The imperial physician said that judging from her pulse, it was most likely a boy.
"Now that the queen is pregnant with a dragon seed, the emperor will surely love her even more." The maidservant who served Hua Yu hurriedly congratulated her, and another maidservant followed suit.
"Yes, madam, I heard that the emperor is on his way to see you."
"You all may go down. Oh, and take away the tea the Emperor sent. I don't like to drink it."
"Yes, madam."
When the maids took away the tea brought by Chu Shaoqin, Chu Shaoqin just stepped into Dongxiang Palace. He looked at the tea taken away by the maids thoughtfully. Hua Yu was a smart person, she probably noticed something. It seemed that her pregnancy this time was also planned.
"Your Highness." Hua Yu stood up and knelt respectfully after seeing Chu Shaoqin. Chu Shaoqin supported her as she half-knelt down, fearing that she would hurt the fetus in her belly.
"You are pregnant, so you don't have to perform formalities when you see me in the future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Don't you like the tea I gave you?"
"I have never been a tea drinker, and now that I'm pregnant, I dislike tea even less, so I asked the palace maid to take it away." Hua Yu took a step forward, put her hands around Chu Shaoqin's waist, gently embraced him, and leaned against his chest.
She had always been very affectionate to him, never disobeyed him, and never said "no". Chu Shaoqin sometimes felt guilty for her, letting her marry a man who didn't love her and live a lonely life in this cold harem. He didn't let her get pregnant because he was afraid of Hua Shenghe. But now, he seemed to have no choice but to accept the fact.
"Your Majesty, can I call you Shao Qin?" Hua Yu raised her head, her eyes shining with water like a pool of clear water.
"You are the master of the harem, it seems a bit inappropriate to call me by my name, right?" Chu Shaoqin chuckled and gently pushed away Hua Yu's hand. Chu Shaoqin never thought of making Hua Yu the queen, Hua Yu was just a bargaining chip for Hua Shenghe to help him, so he never had any feelings for Hua Yu.
"Your Majesty, can you stay with me tonight? I have prepared fine wine and delicious food, as well as a small gift." When talking about the small gift, Hua Yu laughed. Her laughter was like the wind in the mountains, which could turn into a dazzling scenery in anyone's eyes.
After thinking for a while, Chu Shaoqin nodded.
Hua Yu stood on tiptoe and kissed Chu Shaoqin's eyebrows.
Chu Shaoqin was stunned, staring blankly at Huayu, who was smiling like a lotus. If Li Qiuxue had half the tenderness and delicateness of Huayu, they wouldn't have gotten to the point where they couldn't see each other. Chu Shaoqin couldn't help but sigh, turned around and left Dongxiang Palace.
In the evening, after reviewing the memorials, Chu Shaoqin went to Dongxiang Palace alone. Huayu in Dongxiang Palace had prepared a table of delicacies. Chu Shaoqin opened his mouth slightly after entering the threshold. His eyes had never left Li Qiuxue who was sitting next to Huayu since the moment he entered the door.
How could Xue'er be here? Just as Chu Shaoqin was stunned, Hua Yu smiled and walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck: "Your Majesty, you are here?"
Hua Yu followed his line of sight to Li Qiuxue who was sitting there like a log, and continued, "Your Majesty, Sister Xueer heard that I was pregnant, so she came to visit me. I thought that Sister Xueer hasn't seen Your Majesty for many days, so why not have a meal together and chat about family matters."
"Xue'er, is that so?"
Li Qiuxue looked up at Huayu, who had a cruel smile on his lips, as if warning her of something. Li Qiuxue retracted her gaze and nodded slightly: "Yes."
An hour ago, Li Qiuxue was sewing clothes for her unborn child. She was humming a ballad, but suddenly a needle pierced her finger. Bright red blood oozed out of her skin and stained the silk. The maid came and handed over the letter sent by Hua Yu. Hua Yu invited her to Dongxiang Palace for a gathering. If she didn't go, she would make her An Qing have no way back.
"Come here, escort the Imperial Concubine back to the palace." Chu Shaoqin ordered, and led Huayu towards the green gauze tent. The guards and palace maids outside the door hurried in to escort Li Qiuxue back to the palace. Chu Shaoqin looked back at her and said coldly, "I only want to be with the Queen tonight. In the future, Imperial Concubine Li should stay in Xiyang Palace when she has nothing to do! I don't want to see you again!"
Li Qiuxue was helped by the palace maid to leave Dongxiang Palace. She could no longer tell whether Chu Shaoqin was protecting her or hating her. She turned her head and met Hua Yu's gaze. Her eyes were cold, but there was a playful smile on her lips.
In this palace, Hua Yu is the dominant person. Li Qiuxue is just a stumbling block that hinders them.
"Your Majesty, I always feel like someone is following us." A-Bi said as she followed Li Qiuxue on the way back to Xiyang Palace.
A-Bi was a new palace maid, and Li Qiuxue kept her by her side because she was simple and kind.
It was dark, and although they were walking with lanterns, they could still feel the restlessness behind them in the cold wind. Li Qiuxue had practiced martial arts since she was young, so she naturally knew that someone was following her. She remained silent because she didn't know whether the person was sent by Chu Shaoqin to protect her or by Huayu to kill her.
until--
"My queen, be careful!" Ah-Bi opened her arms to block Li Qiuxue's back, and an arrow pierced her chest. Li Qiuxue just watched Ah-Bi fall in front of her, and died with her eyes wide open.
"Abi!" Li Qiuxue trembled, unable to accept the fact that Abi died tragically in front of her. The guards who escorted her back to the palace surrounded her and protected her. The guards who gathered from other locations chased in the direction of the assassin.
When A-Bi died, Li Qiuxue was sad and terrified. In this palace, everyone wanted her dead. Hua Yu wanted her dead, Hua Shenghe wanted her dead, and those ministers who looked down on her said that she seduced the emperor and wished she was dead. What should she do? She had no power, how could she gain a foothold in this palace? How could she protect herself and the baby in her belly?
When Li Qiuxue looked up, a snowflake fell from the sky and landed quietly on her cheek. The snowflake melted into water and flowed over.
The first snow of winter fell in the dead of night, melting into the deathly silence. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the palace, and the sound of weapons clashing lingered in her ears. Li Qiuxue smiled infatuatedly, looking up at the stars and the snow melting at her fingertips. She opened her arms and embraced the snow, and she smiled and sang a childhood ballad. Everything in the palace seemed to have nothing to do with her. She smiled, cried, and walked back to her bedroom alone, leaving the chaos behind her.
Snow fell for three months in a row. The eaves of the entire palace were covered with snow. It was a bleak white. During these three months, Chu Shaoqin never went to see Li Qiuxue again. He occasionally passed by Xiyang Palace, but never went in. Li Qiuxue in the courtyard would always hear the eunuch outside say this: "Your Majesty, why don't you go in and see Concubine Li?"
"No, let's go." Chu Shaoqin looked at the words "Xi Yang Palace" and turned to leave.
Li Qiuxue stood in the courtyard, watching the snowflakes, listening to the footsteps outside the courtyard getting closer and farther away, farther and closer. Since that time, she has never stepped out of Xiyang Palace again. Xiyang Palace is full of guards and imperial guards inside and outside. They seem to be protecting her, but also imprisoning her.
"My queen, there is a letter sent to you by General An." A young eunuch came in from outside Xiyang Palace and was searched by several guards. Li Qiuxue hadn't heard An Qing's name for a long time. When she saw the letter, she seemed to see An Qing. A bitter smile appeared on her lips, and she was busy opening the letter to see if An Qing was okay now.
In the letter, An Qing told her that he was safe and asked her not to worry. An Qing had improved his martial arts skills during the past few months outside the border, and he had no problem going into battle to kill the enemy. However, he was still worried about Li Qiuxue in the palace, so he bribed the messenger to send her a letter to tell her that he was safe.
"If your Majesty has nothing to do, I will first report..."
"Wait a moment." Li Qiuxue turned around and walked back into the house. She wrote a letter and gave the most valuable bracelet in the jewelry box to the eunuch who delivered the letter. "Please pass this letter to An Qing for me. This bracelet is for you."
"I will definitely deliver it." The eunuch who received the jade bracelet put the letter into his sleeve and retreated respectfully. Just as he walked out of Xiyang Palace and stepped onto the garden path, he ran into Chu Shaoqin head-on.
"Your Majesty, long live the emperor." The young eunuch knelt down hastily, and the jade bracelet hidden at his waist was exposed at an inopportune time. He hurriedly covered it with his sleeve, but it could not escape Chu Shaoqin's eyes.
"Where did the bracelet around your waist come from?"
"Yes...I picked it up on the road."
"You're lying! That bracelet was given by me to Concubine Li. How come it's here with you?"
"Your Majesty, please spare my life. The bracelet was given to me by the Imperial Concubine. She asked me to deliver a letter to General An. I am only following orders. Please spare my life, Your Majesty." The young eunuch was frightened and kowtowed to beg for mercy. He was trembling all over and hurriedly handed the letter hidden in his sleeve to Chu Shaoqin.
Chu Shaoqin opened the envelope and there were only three words written in it - take me away.
"Go to Xiyang Palace!" Chu Shaoqin tore the letter in his hand into pieces and threw it in the wind. Several palace servants behind him hurriedly followed Chu Shaoqin and walked towards the direction of Xiyang Palace.
Li Qiuxue was pacing back and forth in the courtyard of Xiyang Palace, clutching the silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, feeling uneasy. The baby in her belly was about to be born, and more and more people in the palace were targeting her. She didn't know if she could live to see the baby's birth. In order to save the child, she had to take action.
"The Emperor has arrived!" Guards knelt outside Xiyang Palace. "Long live the Emperor!"
The handkerchief accidentally fell into the dust. Li Qiuxue staggered back a few steps and was supported by the palace maid behind her.
Chu Shaoqin stepped into the yard, walked up to her, and slapped her in front of everyone. This was the first time he hit her, and he looked at the red finger marks on her face and soon regretted it.
"Xue'er, I..." Chu Shaoqin stretched out his hand but paused in mid-air, afraid to touch the face that he had injured.
"How has the emperor been these past few months?" Li Qiuxue sneered and asked coldly. In these past few months, he never came to see her, and whenever he came, he would come to question her.
"What did you call me?" Chu Shaoqin clenched his fists as if to vent all his anger. He looked at Li Qiuxue, watched her smile coldly, and then repeated the word "Emperor" coldly.
Since when did they become so estranged? He clearly wanted to protect her, and he transferred the best guards and imperial guards to Xiyang Palace to protect her at all times. But she never appreciated it.
"I am the emperor, so what is An Qing? In your heart, what is An Qing?" Chu Shaoqin grabbed Li Qiuxue's shoulders, and his strength seemed to be able to crush her bones.
"An Qing is An Qing! She will always be just An Qing!" Li Qiuxue's scream startled Chu Shaoqin. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lip to prevent them from falling. "And the Chu Shaoqin I once loved is no longer here. The one in front of me now is the emperor who is above all others, the one who forcibly possessed me and imprisoned me."
"Okay, Li Qiuxue, listen carefully. From today on, I will imprison you in Xiyang Palace forever!" Chu Shaoqin loosened his hands and tried to keep himself calm. He turned and left, leaving behind a cold back.
Just as he reached the gate, he heard the maid's exclamation behind him -
"Someone come quickly, the queen is bleeding!"
Chu Shaoqin trembled all over, turned around and ran back to Li Qiuxue. Blood flowed down the inside of her thigh, and she was trembling. The severe pain and fear made her hold Chu Shaoqin's hand tightly.
"Xue'er, Xue'er, what's wrong with you? Someone, call the imperial physician quickly!" Chu Shaoqin held Li Qiuxue's hand tightly, hurriedly carried her back to the bedroom, and summoned the imperial physician.
"Shaoqin, save, save the child!" Li Qiuxue endured the severe pain and grabbed Chu Shaoqin's hand, her palms oozing with cold sweat. She watched Chu Shaoqin being dragged out by the palace maids and eunuchs, and watched the wooden door gradually close, leaving a faint smile.
Chu Shaoqin, who was forcibly pulled out of the dormitory, stood still. Li Qiuxue's smile seemed to be saying goodbye to him.
"Your Majesty, the queen has been stimulated and may be in premature labor."
"Your Majesty, the Queen is having a difficult birth."
"Your Majesty, are you saving the adults or the children?"
There was a buzzing in his ears, and at this moment, Chu Shaoqin seemed to be unable to hear anything. He stood in the heavy snow outside the courtyard, his eyes blurred, as if he could not see any images in this icy and snowy world. Until the palace maid in the bedroom ran to him and asked anxiously: "Your Majesty, the queen is having a difficult delivery, and the imperial physician asked, should we save the mother or the child?"
"I want mother and child to be safe!" Chu Shaoqin came back to reality from his confusion. He walked to the door of the bedroom and shouted to the imperial physician inside, "Listen to me, my Xue'er cannot die!"
The snow kept falling, from the last ray of light disappearing in the sky to the bright candlelight. In the bedroom, intermittent groans of pain were heard. Chu Shaoqin stood in the snow, and the eunuch behind him put a fur coat on him and advised him to go back to the palace to rest.
"Xue'er, I won't allow you to die. If you die, I will never live in vain!"
"Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot do this. Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a country, how can you say such things for a woman?" The eunuchs and palace maids behind him knelt down hurriedly to dissuade him.
Li Qiuxue was exhausted lying on the bed. She could no longer feel her own temperature, only the tearing pain spreading throughout her body. Sweat soaked the pillow and bedding, and her consciousness gradually became blurred. Just when she was about to give up, the door of the dormitory was kicked open from outside.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you can't go in."
Chu Shaoqin broke into the bedroom despite the eunuchs and palace maids' obstruction.
"Xue'er, you must survive. As long as you survive, I will promise you everything!"
Li Qiuxue looked at the figure swaying outside the bead curtain in a daze. Chu Shaoqin broke into the bedroom, but was entangled by dozens of eunuchs. They didn't let him get close to the bed behind the bead curtain, and the several palace maids who were originally guarding her delivery also hurriedly blocked the bead curtain. Li Qiuxue heard Chu Shaoqin's voice and saw his desperate figure, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.
Li Qiuxue clutched the quilt tightly with both hands. She used all her strength, her whole body convulsing and her body heaving violently.
"ah--"
The cry of the baby was followed by a scream, and everyone held their breath and stopped moving.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. The Imperial Concubine has given birth to a princess, and both mother and daughter are safe." The imperial physician came out from behind the pearl curtain to congratulate, and the palace maids inside and outside the bedroom also knelt down to congratulate.
"Xue'er!" Chu Shaoqin did not go to check on the baby girl in the cradle first, but walked to the bedside and guarded the person he loved most.
Li Qiuxue was breathing weakly, her hair was stuck to her face with sweat, making her look extremely pale.
"Xue'er, I'm sorry. I just said those words in anger. I..." Chu Shaoqin choked up, "I'm just too afraid of losing you..."
"Shaoqin, I want to see our child." Li Qiuxue looked at the baby girl in the cradle, and the palace maid was wiping her body.
Chu Shaoqin carefully carried the baby girl to the bedside and let her see her.
Li Qiuxue looked at the baby girl's pink and tender face and couldn't help but smile. She bent down and kissed the baby girl's face, and was very moved when she saw her moving her hands.
Fortunately, it was a girl, so it would not threaten the status of the fetus in Huayu's belly, and Huayu would not easily harm them mother and daughter.
"Xue'er, look how much our daughter looks like you."
"Shao Qin, give the child a name."
"How about calling her Lianzhu? Chu Lianzhu." Chu Shaoqin gently stroked the baby girl's face and named her Chu Lianzhu.
Li Qiuxue smiled slightly and nodded.
"Shao Qin, you said that as long as I survive, you will agree to whatever I say. Is that true?"
Chu Shaoqin paused, his smile froze, as if he had guessed what she wanted to say.
"Shao Qin, since my father and the people from the escort agency passed away, I have been helpless. An Qing is like a relative to me. I know you don't like him and you are afraid of losing me. But Shao Qin, I really don't want to see you hurt innocent people because you are afraid of losing me." Li Qiuxue put her hand on the back of Chu Shaoqin's hand and gently held his hand. "Shao Qin, I wrote that letter on purpose. Because I knew you would receive the letter before An Qing, and you would come to find me."
"Are you trying to irritate me?"
"I just want to see you so much." Li Qiuxue smiled faintly, but Chu Shaoqin opened his mouth without knowing what to say.
"Shao Qin, we are only separated by a wall, but we never see each other."
"Shao Qin, do you know why I am afraid of An Qing's death?" Li Qiuxue said with a wry smile, "Too many people died because of me. I feel like a sinner, and my hands are stained with their blood. I am afraid to see those who died because of me in my dreams. I am afraid... I am afraid that all the people who are good to me will die one by one..."
"Xue'er, I promise you, I will let An Qing come back."
"Shao Qin, thank you..."
"Xue'er, I will come to see you often in the future. Let's not quarrel anymore, okay?"
"Hmm..." Li Qiuxue snuggled in Chu Shaoqin's arms. She looked at the snow outside the window and closed her eyes to rest quietly. In her dream, they returned to the snowy valley. They lost their way, and the escort agency found them. They sang ballads in the snow...
In April and May, the snow had melted, and the coldness in the palace was gradually replaced by the breath of spring. Chu Shaoqin would go to Xiyang Palace to accompany Li Qiuxue and her daughter every morning after the morning court. When the pear trees bloomed in April and May, the courtyard of Xiyang Palace was covered with white petals. Chu Lianzhu, who could not walk yet, was making a fuss in Chu Shaoqin's arms, as if bullying him.
Li Qiuxue took Chu Lianzhu in her arms and said she was naughty, then asked the nanny to take her to take a nap.
In the months when Li Qiuxue gave birth to Chu Lianzhu, Chu Shaoqin had never been to Dongxiang Palace, as if the people living there were never important. Although Li Qiuxue had advised Chu Shaoqin to go see Huayu when he had time, Chu Shaoqin always smiled and asked back: "Aren't you afraid that if I go there, I won't come to your place anymore?"
"If you don't come, I will make Lianzhu stop calling you daddy."
"Lianzhu never called me dad, she had to call me father, hahahaha..."
"You're being a rogue again."
"I was originally a rogue, and the other brothers in the palace were..." Chu Shaoqin suddenly thought of his brothers and sisters in the palace, and a hint of sadness appeared in his eyes.
In the blink of an eye, all his relatives were gone.
"They were all killed by Chu Ji... they are all gone..." At that moment, Chu Shaoqin's heart seemed to have a big hole. In the hole was a bottomless darkness. It turned out that he had always been the loneliest person. It turned out that a long time ago, the people and everything he was familiar with were gone.
"I'm still here, Lianzhu is still here, we're all still here, Shaoqin, you're not alone." As if seeing through what Chu Shaoqin was thinking, Li Qiuxue held his hand. She put her ear against his chest, quietly listening to the heartbeat coming from there, "We are here to accompany you..."
People will feel lonely and sad in the sudden memories, and they will also feel warm and touched inadvertently. Chu Shaoqin realized his loneliness and sadness because he found that he had nothing except Li Qiuxue. And he felt warm and touched because Li Qiuxue was always by his side, giving him all her love. He hugged the person in his arms, and a warm and sad smile appeared on the corner of his lips.
When the pear blossom season ended, news came from the palace that An Qing was returning. Li Qiuxue knew that An Qing was coming back, so she collected a lot of pear blossom petals early on. She made the petals into dried flowers and waited for An Qing to come back to appreciate them.
"Your Majesty, General An is here." A palace maid walked into the room where Li Qiuxue usually drank tea. She lowered her head slightly, as if there was something she dared not say.
Li Qiuxue, who was singing beside the cradle to coax Lianzhu to sleep, was overjoyed. She was about to get up and go out to greet her, but she found that the palace maid at the door had a wandering look in her eyes.
"Did something happen to An Qing?"
"General An returned safely, but..."
"Just what?" Li Qiuxue asked. Before the maid could answer, An Qing walked in through the door. His eyes were covered with white gauze, which was faintly stained with a hint of red.
Li Qiuxue watched An Qing feel his way in through the door, and suddenly burst into tears. She covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from crying out loud. She vaguely heard the palace maid say, "General An is blind..."
"Qiuxue, are you there?" An Qing used both hands to identify the direction, but accidentally tripped over the chair under his feet. If Li Qiuxue hadn't rushed forward to hold him up, he would have fallen to the ground.
"An Qing, your eyes?" Li Qiuxue gently stroked the gauze on An Qing's eyes with heartache. Her hands were shaking, and she couldn't accept this fact for a long time.
"It's just that I can't see it anymore, it's not a big deal. But I won't be able to watch the pear blossoms bloom with you anymore." An Qing smiled bitterly and quickly changed the subject, "I heard from the people in the palace that you gave birth to a little princess."
"Yeah." Li Qiuxue helped An Qing walk to the cradle. She picked up Chu Lianzhu from the cradle and let An Qing touch her face. An Qing's hand stroked Chu Lianzhu's hair and felt her outline with his hand.
"Her name is Chu Lianzhu, and she can only crawl on the ground now."
"It must be very similar to you."
"I heard that General An was in Xiyang Palace, so I came here specially to see him." Chu Shaoqin's voice came from outside the door. He emphasized the word "I", as if he was intentionally reminding someone of something.
An Qing withdrew his hand that was stroking Chu Lianzhu. He used his ears to determine the direction of the sound, turned around and knelt.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you."
"No need to be polite." A hint of pride flashed across Chu Shaoqin's lips. Although he agreed to An Qing's return to the palace, there was still a thorn in his heart. In order to remove this thorn, he allowed An Qing to return to the palace on the condition that he would keep his eyes. He originally thought that An Qing would retreat in the face of difficulties, but he really blinded his eyes. Even if he had to spend his whole life in darkness, he would return to Li Qiuxue.
"I hope the emperor can keep his promise." This is what An Qing said when he left his eyes, without hesitation and without looking back. Chu Shaoqin was frightened by such arrogance. He kept his promise and let An Qing return to the palace and continue to be a guard of Xiyang Palace. Because he believed that An Qing was the only person in the palace who would not hurt Li Qiuxue.
"Shaoqin, why are you here?" Li Qiuxue put Chu Lianzhu back into the cradle and walked towards Chu Shaoqin.
He smiled gently and walked around An Qing to the cradle.
"Let me see my lotus beads."
Although An Qing couldn't see, he could tell that they were very happy.
During the Double Ninth Festival, Hua Yu suddenly had abdominal pain. When Chu Shaoqin arrived, Hua Yu had already given birth to a son. Everyone in Dongxiang Palace knelt down to congratulate the emperor, but Chu Shaoqin was in a very complicated mood. He walked through the crowd and opened the door of the bedroom. In the bedroom, the midwife was wiping the baby's body. Hua Yu sat on the bed and looked at the baby. Her expression was neither sad nor happy, which made it difficult to guess.
Chu Shaoqin walked towards the palace maid holding the baby. He looked at the fair-skinned boy in the cradle and raised the corners of his lips involuntarily. The boy was very similar to Hua Yu, but he was not like him at all.
"Your Majesty, please give the child a name." Hua Yu smiled gently, as if she didn't blame him at all for never coming to visit her.
"Shijie, just call me Shijie."
"Chu Shijie, it's a good name." Hua Yu smiled lightly and took the baby boy handed to her by the palace maid. This was her biggest bargaining chip in the palace. With him, it didn't matter even if Chu Shaoqin didn't favor her.
"I still have memorials to deal with. You should have a good rest. I will come to see you when I am free." After Chu Shaoqin named the child, he left Dongxiang Palace. The so-called "come back when I am free" was just a polite remark. Hua Yu knew that he would not come to Dongxiang Palace unless there was something important.
"I told you, even if you gave birth to a boy, Chu Shaoqin wouldn't even look at you." Not long after Chu Shaoqin left, Hua Yu dismissed all the palace maids in the bedroom.
After the maid left, Xue Shaoheng came out from behind the screen. He had been hiding behind the screen, watching their every move. Xue Shaoheng was a frequent visitor to Dongxiang Palace, and would have been a scandal in the palace, but because Chu Shaoqin never cared about Hua Yu, no one paid attention to him.
"You've already seen the child, you can go." Hua Yu admired the child in her arms, but spoke in a cold tone.
"You are a woman who knows how to use others." Xue Shaoheng unfolded his folding fan and walked to the bed. He raised Hua Yu's chin, leaned over and kissed her, and looked at Chu Shijie meaningfully, "This child is mine. When you become the crown prince in the future, don't forget me as your biological father."
"This child is the prince, so naturally he has nothing to do with you." Hua Yu snorted and gently moved the baby boy in her arms and placed him next to her. "Don't show up again in the future, lest the emperor misunderstand."
"You are destroying the bridge after crossing it!"
"So what? You got the beauty, I got the child, we each got what we wanted, right?" Hua Yu looked at Xue Shaoheng with disdain, as if looking at a dog. Such a look made Xue Shaoheng feel humiliated.
"If you want to kick me away, you have to think carefully about what will happen when Chu Shaoqin knows that this child is mine." Xue Shaoheng laughed wildly, as if he was determined to fight to the death.
Hua Yufeng smiled faintly: "You are the child's biological father, so you will naturally benefit from it in the future."
"After we join forces to kill Chu Shaoqin, I will be the emperor and you will still be the queen, my most beloved woman." Xue Shaoheng hugged Hua Yu, smelled the sweat in her hair, and kissed her shoulders.
Hua Yu tilted her head and kissed his lips in response.
When Xue Shaoheng was completely unprepared, a dagger pierced his abdomen. He didn't even have time to scream before Hua Yu stabbed the dagger all the way in.
Blood flowed out of Xue Shaoheng's mouth. He staggered back, looking down at his bloodstained clothes. He took a few steps back and heard the sound of a chair falling. He tripped over the chair behind him and fell to the ground. He twitched all over and raised his finger to point at Hua Yu, who was smiling evilly. He wanted to speak, but his throat was blocked by the overflowing blood.
The baby started crying, Hua Yu picked up Chu Shijie and let the child face Xue Shaoheng.
"Take one last look at your son before you die." Hua Yu smiled contemptuously, and Xue Shaoheng twitched all over, and soon there was no movement.