Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 406 Good News Arrives

As the cicadas began to sing, on the busiest Zhuque Street in the Western Regions capital, Yageli led Gu Wenxuan, Nazai, and Ayiguli to a stop in front of the "Daxia Yipin Hot Pot Restaurant".

Above the vermilion lintel of the shop hangs a gilded plaque, gleaming in the sunlight. The white steam rising from inside, carrying the rich aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and butter, is like an enticing torrent, drawing the mouths of passersby from afar.

"I heard that the soup base in this restaurant's copper pot is made by simmering yak bones from the Great Xia for three whole days and three nights. Wenxuan, you must try it!" Yageli said enthusiastically, taking her daughter-in-law's hand with a big smile.

However, before she could finish speaking, Gu Wenxuan's face suddenly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color. That familiar yet unfamiliar pungent smell, like a sharp sword, pierced straight through his nasal cavity, causing his stomach to convulse violently, and acid gushing up his throat like a spring.

Gu Wenxuan staggered back two steps, his fingertips gripping the carvings on the pillars as if they were his only support. Fine beads of sweat rolled down his forehead like broken pearls, soaking his clothes.

"Your Highness!" The maid Chun Tao swiftly caught the swaying Gu Wenxuan, and asked in alarm as she looked at her bluish lips, "Have you been ambushed?" Gu Wenxuan waved her hand with difficulty, and words escaped her throat in broken sentences: "No... I'm fine, it's just... I think I'm pregnant... Quick, take me away..." Before she could finish speaking, she had already turned and stumbled towards the carriage, the sound of her skirt brushing against the bluestone pavement startling the sparrows under the eaves.

The silk handkerchief in Ya Geli's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and her face drained of color. As someone who had been through it all, she was all too familiar with this sudden onset of morning sickness. "Prepare the carriage! Return to the palace immediately!" She made a decisive decision, all her previous enthusiasm gone. As she turned, the agate hairpin in her hair swayed violently. "Ayiguli, go immediately and summon all the doctors in the capital of the Western Regions' Medicine King Valley, especially those skilled in treating women's morning sickness!"

Inside the palace, the gilded incense burner emitted a calming sandalwood fragrance, yet it couldn't mask the tense atmosphere. Ya Ge Li, worried the incense might harm Gu Wenxuan, extinguished it all and opened the windows for ventilation. Twelve renowned physicians from Medicine King Valley stood side-by-side, their white robes fluttering, their expressions grave. Qiu Shuang, Gu Wenxuan's personal maid from the Great Xia Dynasty, clutched her mistress's sleeve, her fingertips trembling slightly. Behind her were several other highly skilled personal maids from Medicine King Valley. The leading physician, after taking her pulse for a moment, suddenly widened his eyes, nearly dropping the silver needle: "Congratulations, Empress Dowager! Your Majesty is pregnant, and it's twins! However, the pregnancy is still early, and it's difficult to determine the gender." The others, hearing his diagnosis, echoed his assessment, confirming that Her Majesty was alright.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the palace, reaching even the most daring climbers. Upon hearing it, Ouyang Lie was frantic with worry. Without even changing out of his court robes, he immediately spurred his horse and galloped back to the palace.

His dark brocade robe fluttered in the wind, as if it were shouting in response to his anxiety. When he finally arrived at the bedchamber, a thin layer of sweat had already beaded on his forehead, but he paid no attention to it; all his attention was focused on Gu Wenxuan inside the bedchamber.

The moment Ouyang Lie pushed open the door to the bedchamber, he saw Gu Wenxuan's pale yet smiling face, and his eyes instantly reddened.

“Wenxuan…” Ouyang Lie grasped his wife’s hand with trembling hands, his voice choked with sobs, “You’ve worked so hard.”

Just then, Nazai and Ayiguli also rushed over. They were carrying brocade boxes filled with candied fruit and red dates, clearly prepared for Gu Wenxuan.

"Quickly pop a green plum into your mouth." Nazai hurriedly unwrapped the candy and gently stuffed the candied fruit into Gu Wenxuan's mouth. "When I was pregnant with this child, I felt nauseous all the time, and I relied on these things to keep my appetite alive."

Aygul carefully handed a cup of warm jujube tea to Gu Wenxuan and said gently, "This is made with snow dates unique to the Western Regions. It's perfect for nourishing blood and qi. Please have a sip."

Ya Geli waved for everyone to leave, leaving only her and her daughter-in-law Gu Wenxuan in the large room. She slowly walked to the bedside, gazing quietly at her daughter-in-law's slightly pale face, a feeling of tenderness welling up in her heart.

She gently reached out and softly stroked Gu Wenxuan's temples, feeling the silky smooth hair. The touch reminded her of her own youth, when she wandered amidst war, living a life of extreme hardship. When she was pregnant with Ouyang Lie, she often struggled to even get a hot meal, surviving only on wild vegetables and coarse grains.

Now, her palms touch soft bedding and the lustrous jade bracelet on her daughter-in-law's wrist. These things silently tell her that time has passed and everything has changed.

Yage Li sighed softly, turned to the attendant standing beside her, and instructed, "Go and fetch my treasured thousand-year-old wild ginseng, and also prepare some bird's nest from the Southern Frontier." Although her voice was calm, the concern it contained was obvious.

After arranging these things, she turned back to the couch, slowly sat down, and then turned her gaze to Gu Wenxuan lying on the couch. Gu Wenxuan's face was pale and he looked a little haggard, but his big eyes were still bright and spirited.

She reached out and gently stroked Gu Wenxuan's face, saying tenderly, "Child, just focus on your pregnancy and don't worry about anything else. Tell me what you want to eat or play, and I will definitely satisfy you."

Gu Wenxuan smiled slightly and said softly, "Mother, I'm just pregnant, not seriously ill. You don't need to worry so much. If it weren't for the smell of mutton today, I probably wouldn't have even noticed."

At this point, Gu Wenxuan suddenly frowned, revealing a pained expression. She covered her mouth, as if she wanted to vomit.

"What's wrong, child? Are you feeling unwell?" The Empress Dowager asked with concern upon seeing this.

Gu Wenxuan shook his head, took a breath, and said, "It's nothing, Mother. It's just that I don't want to eat any mutton with a strong smell anymore. Just thinking about mutton makes me feel nauseous. It's really strange."

Empress Dowager Yageli said, "It seems there's a high probability that this pregnancy is a boy. Girls are less likely to experience nausea in the early stages. I've noticed that the concubines in the palace who are pregnant with girls don't have such strong reactions in the early stages." Gu Wenxuan smiled and said, "But from a medical perspective, that's not true, is it, doctors?" The people from the Immortal Valley of Physicians nodded in agreement, indicating that one couldn't determine the sex of a baby based on pregnancy symptoms. Yageli had no choice but to agree, but she remained convinced that Wenxuan was definitely carrying a boy.