Late October was already considered the beginning of winter. In the capital, fierce winds capable of shaking tree branches blew continuously, and the sun hid behind clouds, making the daylight dim.

The heated floor system burned in the inner chamber of the prince’s mansion. The ice basins used to hold ice in summer had been brought out again, this time filled halfway with water to prevent the room from becoming too dry.

Yao Huang slept until daybreak.

A’Ji and several senior maids came in to attend to her. A’Ji conveyed Prince Hui’s instructions from before he left at dawn: “His Highness said the wind is strong today and told Your Highness not to go strolling in the garden.”

Yao Huang didn’t need to go outside—sitting on the bed, she could hear the cold wind howling outside the window.

In such terrible weather, even if Prince Hui had hidden a chest of gold ingots in the rear garden, Yao Huang would be too lazy to personally search for it. At most, she’d send out her four senior maids plus Jinbao.

It was cold outside, so Yao Huang summoned Nanny Jin, Nanny Liu, and Eunuch Cao to play cards with her. The four senior maids like A’Ji were too familiar—what they could chat about were just those same things. Not as good as these three eunuchs and nannies whose ages added up to over one hundred fifty and who had experienced much more. Yao Huang could pick any topic and the three of them taking turns talking could fill a basket. Moreover, the three received generous monthly allowances, so Yao Huang didn’t need to worry about them feeling bad if she won one or two qian of silver from them.

When she got tired of sitting, Yao Huang would walk a few circles between the inner chamber and the main hall. There were no thresholds, so no one needed to worry about her tripping.

In the imperial palace, after morning court, Prince Hui went to the Work Ministry for the morning meeting held every first and fifth day of each ten-day period.

Approaching the end of the year, officials both large and small in the capital and provinces would undergo annual evaluations. Each ministry and department also had to summarize this year’s work and submit it to the emperor for review. So from now until the twelfth month, officials would become increasingly busy.

Prince Hui had no pressure from salary considerations or promotions and transfers. Combined with his youth, whether in complexion or spirit, he was the best in the Work Ministry.

Qing Ai pushed Prince Hui to the seat beside Minister Yan Lun, then respectfully withdrew.

Other officials arrived successively. Yan Lun arrived relatively late, holding a stack of documents. Just as he reached his seat and was about to nod in greeting to Prince Hui, his nose suddenly itched. He quickly turned away and let out an extremely loud sneeze—three in a row.

After finishing, the old minister pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his nose, then tucked it back into his sleeve. Turning around with an apologetic expression, he said, “Getting old—every winter I catch a cold a few times. My apologies for the spectacle.”

The officials below all smiled, expressing understanding.

Prince Hui looked at Yan Lun’s reddened nose. His hands on his knees moved slightly, but ultimately he did nothing.

During the two-quarter-hour morning meeting, besides Yan Lun’s increasingly nasal voice, two other officials would intermittently cough as well.

Returning to his own office, Zhao Sui instructed Fei Quan, “Have the kitchen boil a pot of ginger soup. Once it’s ready, immediately send a bowl each to me, Minister Yan, Li Yu, and Gao Zhi. At lunch, everyone should have a bowl to ward off the cold.”

Fei Quan immediately went.

Zhao Sui recalled that the Left Minister had also coughed twice during court. He picked up his brush to write a greeting memorial to Father Emperor, tactfully reminding him to take precautions when discussing matters with various ministers.

Mainly, since he had already looked after the Work Ministry officials, if he didn’t give Father Emperor a reminder and word somehow got back, Father Emperor might become suspicious.

In the imperial study, when Emperor Yongchang opened his second son’s memorial, the Left Minister was standing before him with his head lowered giving a report. His position was indeed farther than usual—clearly also afraid of passing illness to him.

After the Left Minister left, Emperor Yongchang had Eunuch Wang open the windows to air out the room.

Eunuch Wang first used paperweights to hold down the memorials on the emperor’s desk, then went to open the windows. A fierce gust of wind suddenly rushed in, forcing Eunuch Wang to close his eyes. Emperor Yongchang sitting by the desk also felt a bone-chilling cold.

With the strong wind, the air exchanged quickly. Eunuch Wang rapidly closed the windows.

Emperor Yongchang looked at his second son’s memorial again and wrote in reply: Every winter, officials take turns catching colds. Why haven’t I seen you concerned about me in previous years?

A young eunuch braved the cold wind to deliver the memorial back before Prince Hui.

Since Father Emperor asked, Zhao Sui could only answer truthfully: In earlier years, your son did not fear colds and minor illnesses, so he did not take others’ colds to heart. Now that my princess consort is pregnant, your son fears bringing illness back to her. Whenever officials around me cough or sneeze, your son becomes alarmed. Since your son knows he should be a loving father, he should also be a filial son, slightly making up for his shortcomings in youth.

The young eunuch waiting outside delivered the memorial back to the imperial study.

After reading his son’s words, Emperor Yongchang smiled.

He too had come through youth. In his youth, entangled with studies and playfulness, how could he understand the late emperor’s hardships? After the late emperor passed away, he immediately took over the empire. When stealing moments from his busy schedule, he favored consorts as entertainment. When the consorts bore princes and princesses, he only held them and tested their studies when he had leisure—most of the time leaving them to consorts and civil and military tutors.

Therefore, in his youth he knew no filial piety, in middle age no paternal love. Only in old age, when his favored heir candidate was severely injured in battle, did he finally develop some fatherly feelings.

His second son was better than him—he had time to accompany his wife in having children and opportunities to show filial piety to his father above.

Sentiments aside, Emperor Yongchang had no regrets. Without his thirty years of diligent governance, how could his children have this current stability?

Because of this cold sweeping through the Work Ministry and even the entire court’s officials, Zhao Sui didn’t dine with his princess consort or stay overnight for several days straight. When he returned, he only met her in the courtyard—he sat inside the covered walkway while his princess consort stood outside the walkway at a distance of about ten steps. When his princess consort complained he was overly cautious, Zhao Sui would rather endure her glares than let her be touched by even a trace of illness.

Perhaps because Prince Hui had his own office and rarely interacted with other officials, he was not afflicted by the cold. However, Emperor Yongchang developed a fever.

It started in the evening. Emperor Yongchang wouldn’t let Eunuch Wang disturb others, only summoning one imperial physician and requesting Empress Zhou’s presence.

The physician wrote a prescription. After the imperial kitchen sent the medicinal soup, Empress Zhou fed Emperor Yongchang spoonful by spoonful.

Emperor Yongchang only felt his head was foggy. Looking at the empress sitting bedside, he said self-mockingly, “When Second Son hears others cough, he fears contracting illness and passing it to his wife. I’ve fallen ill, yet still summon you to care for me. Clearly in terms of cherishing one’s wife, I’m inferior to Second Son.”

Empress Zhou smiled, “Yaoyao is pregnant—of course Prince Hui would be anxious. If I were pregnant, tonight Your Majesty would absolutely not have called me.”

Emperor Yongchang grasped her hand: “You’ve worked hard.”

Empress Zhou understood he was referring to children matters. She shook her head and continued gently feeding him the medicine.

After finishing, Emperor Yongchang indicated for Empress Zhou to lie on the inner side of the bed, sighing, “Second Son says he previously didn’t fear colds. Never mind that he’s only in his twenties—when I was in my forties, I also didn’t take colds seriously. But once past fifty, my courage has clearly become smaller and smaller.”

Fearing a cold would lay him low, fearing that one day he’d suddenly have a stroke like some officials in their fifties and sixties.

Therefore, the older he got, without needing officials to urge him, he himself knew to designate the heir early, lest after a lifetime of wisdom, he leave troubles for the realm when departing.

Empress Zhou leaned into his embrace, gently stroking his chest: “It’s just a cold. The palace has so many physicians. Your Majesty, don’t overthink. Sleep early, sweat it out during the night, and you’ll be better by morning.”

Emperor Yongchang nodded. After embracing Empress Zhou for a while, he fell into deep sleep.

Empress Zhou dared not sleep too deeply. She checked on Emperor Yongchang’s condition periodically. In the middle of the night, Emperor Yongchang finally broke into a sweat. His burning forehead gradually returned to warmth. Only then did Empress Zhou’s long-suspended heart settle back down.

Dawn broke. When Emperor Yongchang woke, he felt completely refreshed.

Empress Zhou smiled, “Your Majesty’s dragon body has returned to perfect health. This is Your Majesty’s own blessing and also the blessing of all the people under heaven.”

Not bedridden with lingering illness, Emperor Yongchang was also very happy. After breakfast, he had Empress Zhou quickly go rest while he continued handling government affairs.

In mid-November, Prince Kang returned to the capital with Di Xian.

In the dead of winter, continuously traveling for over twenty days—fortunately Prince Kang usually persisted in martial practice and Di Xian had developed a robust physique from six months of wind and sun building the canal. Otherwise, at least one of them would have fallen ill.

Emperor Yongchang had Di Xian rest at the official lodgings first and attend court in two days to receive his reward. Prince Kang’s status was different—upon returning, he could immediately enter the palace for an audience.

In the imperial study, Emperor Yongchang carefully examined his eldest son who had been away for two months. He discovered his eldest had become darker and thinner, but his eyes were exceptionally spirited. When speaking of the wasteland and common people seen in Qingxia County, his eldest’s eyes and voice were full of compassion. When speaking of the completed canal, his eldest had a simple joy as if he too would live a good life relying on the new canal.

Emperor Yongchang felt gratified, also somewhat guilty. He tactfully advised, “You see, Father Emperor knows what you excel at. This assignment you handled very well. For things like competing in hunts, you can watch the excitement with those civil officials. Father Emperor won’t look down on you, because there truly aren’t many people in this world who are genuinely talented in both civil and military matters. Being able to fully display the talents you possess is already quite excellent.”

Prince Kang humbly replied, “Father Emperor speaks truly. Your son will certainly do well in every duty within his responsibility.”

Emperor Yongchang looked at his eldest’s still spirited elongated eyes and dismissed him to pay respects to Consort Xian.

Upon seeing her son, Consort Xian first asked about her son’s assignment in Liangzhou, then inquired what Emperor Yongchang had said to him.

This was the first time Prince Kang had been praised by Father Emperor for such a long passage. Both happy and restrained, he repeated it once.

Consort Xian listened with a smile throughout, smiled as she told her son to return to his mansion and rest. However, once her son left, her smile disappeared.

Knowing what eldest excels at, so having her son handle the straightforward labor assignment of inspecting canals?

Just telling eldest not to compete in hunting, or was it also unnecessary to compete in other areas?

On the eighteenth of November, Emperor Yongchang convened court again.

The cold wind was bitter. Outside the great hall was icy cold. When it was time to enter the hall, inside there were only rows of lamps, no heated floor system.

First, they discussed important matters of each ministry. After all the officials had reported what needed reporting, Emperor Yongchang summoned Di Xian into the hall.

At this year’s March Wenxi Banquet, the civil officials in the hall had almost all seen the newly ranked scholar Di Xian and remembered Di Xian’s spirited discourse on canals before the emperor. Now looking back, they were shocked to discover that the fairly fair-skinned scholar had become someone with wheat-colored skin and a sturdy, robust build—looking like a farmer or laborer.

“Your humble servant Di Xian pays respects to Your Majesty, may you live ten thousand years!”

Kneeling in the center of the great hall, only the clear and resounding voice remained of the former scholar.

Emperor Yongchang told him to rise, descended from the imperial platform, and circled around Di Xian. He pinched Di Xian’s shoulder and smiled, “No need to say more. Just seeing you standing in this hall today, I can see your diligent figure personally supervising construction at the canal for half a year.”

Di Xian said, “Thanks to Your Majesty entrusting me with this important task, your humble servant dared not be anything but wholehearted.”

After an exchange of praise and humility between sovereign and minister, Emperor Yongchang awarded Di Xian one thousand taels of silver, decreed that a monument be erected at the head of the Fengyan Canal to record the Di father and son’s achievements, and had Di Xian temporarily return to Qingxia to continue serving as county magistrate. After completing his three-year term, he would receive exceptional promotion.

Di Xian and all the officials understood. After all, this year only saw the canal’s completion. In the next two years, if Di Xian truly irrigated those forty thousand qing of wasteland into fertile fields and truly helped the local people turn from poverty to prosperity, only then would this great political achievement be realized.

After rewarding Di Xian, Emperor Yongchang ascended the imperial platform and returned to the dragon throne, then rewarded Prince Kang for his merit in inspection.

Prince Kang respectfully expressed his gratitude.

At this moment, Emperor Yongchang looked toward Work Ministry Minister Yan Lun and said, “The ancients said: When there are horse connoisseurs in the world, only then are there thousand-li steeds. Di Xian’s father Di Yong was born at the wrong time—he had talent but could not display it. Now Di Xian can fully realize the ambitions of both father and son thanks to Yan Lun’s recommendation. In governing all under heaven, I need great talents like the Di father and son, but I also need wise minister-connoisseurs like Yan Lun who can recommend such great talents to the court. Therefore, today I must also reward Yan Lun for his merit in recommending talent…”

“Your Majesty’s favor—this old minister receives it with shame!”

Minister Yan Lun, who was being envied by all the officials, suddenly walked quickly to the center of the great hall and knelt down with a thud.

Zhao Sui slightly tightened his left hand and raised his eyes toward the dragon throne.

Emperor Yongchang looked at Yan Lun with puzzlement: “What do you mean by this, Minister Yan?”

Yan Lun used his sleeve to wipe away tears of shame from the corners of his eyes, then with tear-filled eyes looked toward Prince Kang… and the wheelchair mostly hidden behind him. He spoke each word clearly and distinctly: “This old minister is busy all day with various construction projects. How could I remember a minor Qingxia county magistrate from several years ago? This person Di Xian was actually recommended by Prince Hui, who entrusted this old minister to recommend him to Your Majesty!”