Chapter 455: 12.63

Huang Shu resumed the morning court three days after. He had stayed with his wife for three days, only leaving when he had to take a bath or when there was an urgent report he had to clear.

The imperial physician told him that Yunyu's condition had stabilized after three days. However, he still hadn't recovered his consciousness, but at least, Yunyu wasn't in critical condition anymore. 

Huang Shu rubbed his weary eyeballs and then kissed his wife's forehead, "Wake up soon, my beloved. I'm going to the morning court now. I will see you in the evening, okay?"

Huang Shu left Yunyu alone. He returned after three days of missing in the morning court. He looked weary, tired, and dispirited, but he still carried out the judgment upon each problem carried by the ministers. 

After the morning report has ended, few ministers stayed under the dragon throne. 

Emperor Xianliang frowned and asked them, "Why are you still here? Is there anything you want to report?"

One minister slowly walked in front and cupped his hand to pay respect, "Your Majesty, it seems that you're not in good condition nowadays. We've also heard about the banishment of Empress Dowager to the Cold Palace. May we know about the reason for this?"

Emperor Xianliang's gaze cooled down. He saw the ministers, including Prime Ministers, and realized that most of them were his Mother Empress' followers. 

Emperor Xianliang chuckled and then replied with a sneer, "Because my mother, Empress Dowager Aixi, tried to do the unthinkable… and she succeeds."

"She poisoned my wife and future Empress, Master Bai Yunyu, with Buyun leaves. Now, my wife has yet to recover from her poisoning, and we had lost our unborn child."

…

The atmosphere became awkward and quiet after Emperor Xianliang replied. The ministers dared not trying to help his Mistress Empress Dowager because the Emperor didn't seem to be open for discussion.

Besides, what she did was too obvious and too much. Poisoning the future Empress blatantly so she would lose her baby, especially with Buyun leaves, so the pain that Bai Yunyu had to bear was tremendous. 

The ministers excused themselves and retreated with other ministers until there was only Prime Minister Xi left. 

The old Prime Minister was concerned over the affair of his granddaughter and the position of the Empress. 

At first, he already yielded when Emperor Xianliang bestowed marriage to his granddaughter with Fu Shipeng, thinking that there was no place for Xi Yue since Emperor Xianliang loved his wife so much, and also because the future Empress was pregnant before. 

But now, since the future Empress had lost his baby and had lost his fertility from the insider information, this was a good chance for Prime Minister Xi to shift the Emperor's love to Xi Yue.

His granddaughter fitted to be the Empress, and Emperor Xianliang was a vigorous and powerful man with a lot of energy. There was no way he would decline a chance to marry such beauty like Xi Yue. 

Prime Minister came forward and then paid respect to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I heard that Bai Yunyu's condition is not good right now. May this Prime Minister knows the current condition of the future Empress?"

Huang Shu stared at the Prime Minister. He weighed whether it was good to talk a bit with Prime Minister Xi. Because he still had a connection with his Mother Empress.

But he did need someone to talk with, at least right now.

"Yes, Prime Minister, my wife has lost his unborn baby, and he… he also lost his fertility. It will be difficult to cement his position as the future Empress because of this. But I can always adopt from the branch family. I don't want my wife to be sad."

Prime Minister nodded. He praised Emperor Xianliang for his loyalty. Though, as the Emperor, he shouldn't be loyal to anyone but the country for his duty to serve the nation. 

"This minister understands Your Majesty's worry, especially about the future Empress, but… Your Majesty, if the future Empress is barren, and you refused to add concubine in your harem, how can you secure the throne for the future?"

"You may want to adopt a child from the branch family, but we don't know if that child will turn out good or not because he doesn't have your bloodline."

"What do you intend to say here, Prime Minister?" Emperor Xianliang frowned. He caught a glimpse of what Prime Minister Xi truly wanted to say, but he still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

"Your Majesty, isn't it wiser for you to add concubine to the inner palace? This is good to strengthen the relationship with neighboring countries, vassal countries, or even the high-ranked nobles in our nation. There is no harm in it."

"I don't want to. My wife will be sad if he found out about it," Emperor Xianliang said without hesitation. He understood Yunyu's true nature before. He was a jealous man who would throw a huge fit if Huang Shu was caught having an affair or adding concubine to the harem. 

"Ah, this minister knows that Your Majesty is a loyal man and a good husband for Bai Yunyu. But I think Bai Yunyu will understand because this is for the future of the nation, right? He married the Emperor, so he must've understood the risk."

"Just give it time, and this minister believes he will understand that the nation's importance far outweighed personal feeling. Your Majesty, please reconsider this. I also recommend my granddaughter Xi Yue. She has been in love with you for so long, she doesn't want to be an Empress. She doesn't even mind being your concubine, as long as she could stay with you."

The prime minister planned to put Xi Yue in the harem and then slowly corrode Bai Yunyu's position, so the Empress seat would be empty for a while. Xi Yue would be the only contender. 

Emperor Xianliang kept his silence and dismissed the Prime Minister. He walked to the Palace of Serene Harmony, followed by his entourage in the evening. He kept thinking about what Prime Minister Xi was saying. 

'So I have to put aside my personal filing for the nation… it's not wrong. The importance of the nation far outweighs the personal feeling of me as the Emperor, or Yunyu as the future Empress.'

'But is it what I truly wanted?'

'To abandon my own feeling for a position that came because of that feeling in the first place?'

Huang Shu entered Yunyu's room alone with his food that had been served by the maid. He sat at the edge of the bed and carefully fed Yunyu with the porridge.

He kept staring at his wife and then asked, "Yunyu, do you think the nation is more important than our feeling? Is it really the only way for us to be happy?"

"I've come to realize from the previous timeline, and this timeline... being the Emperor, having everything I want… it's not worth it. Everything is not worth it when you're not with me."

"Yunyu… all I want is to be with you forever. But why is it so difficult?"