The Imperial Palace.

Gu Yanxi was carrying a dossier on his way to the Imperial Study, just about to request an audience, when an amused voice came from behind him. “These days, my head starts to hurt the moment I lay eyes on you. Please tell me something hasn’t gone wrong again.”

Gu Yanxi turned around, already prepared to respond, but the moment he saw what the Emperor was wearing, his brow furrowed. This was certainly not the Emperor’s usual court attire.

“You left the palace?”

“I haven’t set foot outside the palace gates in a long time. I went out to take in a bit of the world.” The Emperor strolled past him into the room with casual indifference. Lai Fu kept his head bowed, not daring to cast so much as an extra glance. The Emperor had gone out today without taking him along, and it left him deeply unsettled. Surely the Emperor wasn’t done with his services?

Gu Yanxi didn’t dwell on it, and followed him inside. “You should have had Shao Yao with you.”

“If she heard you say that, just watch whether she’d come pick a fight with you.” Just thinking about how Shao Yao had clung to the door that day, refusing to budge, made the Emperor laugh helplessly. The girl was a character — her complete lack of enthusiasm for standing watch over him was written plainly all over her face. In truth, he didn’t strictly require a physician at his side every moment, but he genuinely enjoyed watching her sit there looking bored, entertaining herself.

Gu Yanxi steered the conversation firmly back to business. “I’ve just received word that an epidemic has broken out in the south.”

The Emperor’s laughter faded. “Xiangyang?”

“Yes.”

The Emperor slammed his palm on the table. “I told them again and again to handle the relief work properly, and this is how they handle it? After every major disaster comes a major epidemic — history has recorded this more than once or twice. Have they read all those books and fed them to the dogs?”

“Please don’t agitate yourself — the epidemic has already been contained.” Gu Yanxi took the tea from Lai Fu’s hands, tested the rim of the cup, and passed it to the Emperor. “You should also know that His Highness the Sixth Prince is currently in Xiangyang. The epidemic was brought under control through their efforts.”

The Emperor was momentarily taken aback. Having conducted investigations, he was naturally aware that Xiao Liu had been staying with the Hua Family for a spell and had set out on a journey with the Hua Family’s young man back in the seventh month. But for an epidemic to be reported all the way up to him, it could not have been a minor one. And yet, Xiao Liu had actually…

“Has he exposed his identity? Is he in any danger?”

“The Sixth Prince has been very careful — his identity has not been revealed.” Gu Yanxi presented the dossier. The Emperor snatched it up eagerly, just as eager as Gu Yanxi to understand how Xiao Liu had managed it.

Gu Yanxi kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, eyes revealing nothing. He had deliberated at length before bringing this dossier before the Emperor. With the First Prince and Second Prince both having forfeited their chances, it was time for Xiao Liu to show his face — and show it in a spectacular fashion. Containing an epidemic was an unquestionable achievement of great merit.

“To think that quicklime could be put to such use. And their decisiveness was to their credit as well — if it had spread on a large scale, it would never have been contained so easily.” The Emperor set down the dossier, marveling, and then asked with an air of idle curiosity, “Was this truly Xiao Liu’s idea?”

“I have only received this much information at present, and cannot say for certain what the precise circumstances were.”

The Emperor neither confirmed nor denied anything. He closed the dossier and set it to one side. “Since Xiao Liu is there, send him a letter from me. I want a full account of everything relating to the relief efforts to come directly from him. If anyone dares to step out of line, I am granting him the authority to act first and report afterward.”

Gu Yanxi was not entirely in agreement. “Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is still young. Would it be inadvisable to push him into the open like this?”

“Mm, fair point. Tell him to keep things quiet about it then.”

“…” Gu Yanxi was at a loss. He had no idea what his Imperial Uncle meant by that rather playful instruction.

The Emperor pointed at Gu Yanxi and burst out laughing. “The ones carrying the message are your people — it’s not as though they’ll go spreading it around, and no outsiders will ever find out.”

“Yes. This subject will comply.”

When Gu Yanxi moved to take his leave, the Emperor called him back and struck up casual conversation. “Do you visit the Empress Dowager regularly to pay your respects?”

“Yes, I do.”

The Emperor laughed at himself. “She’s grown unwilling to see me these days. Visit her more often, and whatever you need, just go to Lai Fu for it.”

“Grandmother currently sees Shao Yao the most. She’s not particularly fond of seeing me either.”

“That does seem to be the case. Shao Yao runs to the Empress Dowager whenever she’s trying to avoid me.” The thought of Shao Yao made the Emperor smile again. She would time her arrivals perfectly for taking the pulse, then hover at the door, reluctant to even step inside. “From now on, just let the imperial physicians follow you. I’m going to move in and live with the Empress Dowager.”

The Emperor laughed all the harder. Gu Yanxi walked over to the door, peeled the girl off it, and walked her to the Emperor by the back of her collar. “Take the pulse.”

Shao Yao was not particularly pleased about this, but she gave a disgruntled little sound and pressed her fingers to the Emperor’s pulse. After a moment, she solemnly declared, “You should laugh a little less. Your body won’t be able to bear the strain.”

The Emperor gave her a light flick on the forehead. “I’ve only ever heard that laughter keeps you young. I’ve never heard that laughing too much is bad for you.”

Having failed to trick anyone, Shao Yao was not amused. She jotted a few notes in the ledger hanging at the side of the imperial desk, hoisted her medicine case onto her back, and turned to leave — only to see Shadow Guard One step in from outside. “Your Majesty, the person has been brought.”

The Emperor made a sound of acknowledgment, and with his gaze resting on the still-swaying ledger, said, “Both of you, go wait in the inner chamber. You are not to come out unless I say so, and you are not to make a sound.”

Gu Yanxi and Shao Yao exchanged a glance. Neither of them knew what the Emperor was playing at, but an undefined sense of unease came over them. They did not dare disobey, and went into the inner chamber one after the other.

“Lai Fu, go in and keep them company.”

Lai Fu shuffled over with a bow. Meeting the Shizi’s gaze, he could only shake his head. He truly did not know what had happened.

At the moment the door drew shut, Lai Fu caught a glimpse of who was being escorted in from outside. It was Hua Zhi. He clapped a hand over his mouth and turned back to look at the Shizi, his eyes wide with shock and dread.

Gu Yanxi suddenly understood. On instinct he took a step forward, then stopped himself. It was A’Zhi — the Emperor had summoned A’Zhi into the palace! He forced himself to stay calm and cast his mind back, trying to remember any moment where he might have given himself away. Yet no matter how he thought about it, he had never gone out of his way to advocate for anything involving the Hua Family. The only time he had openly mentioned A’Zhi was the matter of their joint business venture. Could it have been that which aroused the Emperor’s suspicion?

Shao Yao had still been trying to piece together what was happening, but the moment she heard Hua Hua’s voice outside, she lost her composure entirely. She grabbed Yanxi’s arm with both hands and was about to cry out — but Gu Yanxi’s hand was over her mouth before she could make a sound.

Shao Yao caught herself, and slapped herself across the face with her own hand. She mouthed silently: Why is Hua Hua in the palace?

Gu Yanxi pressed her down onto a seat, expression grim. He wanted to know the answer to that too.

Outside, Hua Zhi knelt with her forehead to the floor. Every palace attendant had been dismissed from the room, and the door closed behind her.

“Lift your head.”

Hua Zhi quietly drew a slow breath, straightened her back, and raised her head — though her gaze remained lowered, not turned upon the imperial countenance.

The Emperor smiled with a faint edge to it. “I was almost starting to think the eldest daughter of the Hua Family truly was such a proper and well-mannered young lady.”

“This commoner is deserving of ten thousand deaths.”

“No need for ten thousand — one will be quite enough.” The Emperor leaned forward. “Today, at your newly opened establishment, you told that scholar who came to make trouble that he gave himself away by being too composed. Hua Zhi — you are exactly the same. Even the officials attending court before the Emperor for the first time are not as composed as you.”

“This commoner is deserving of ten thousand deaths.”