Li Gu finished handling affairs of state swiftly today and came at a measured pace to the back hall, only to find Xie Yuzhang and Li Weifeng sitting across from each other in casual conversation.

Xie Yuzhang’s face held a smile, her complexion luminous and her brow at ease.

Li Gu’s footsteps slowed for just a moment.

Xie Yuzhang saw him first and stepped down from the couch, saying: “Has Your Majesty finished with the affairs of state?”

Respectful and deferential — one could find no fault with her. Only her manner was entirely different from how she had been just now, chatting freely with Li Weifeng.

Li Weifeng also stood: “So early today?”

Li Gu said: “Not much going on.” He walked over and sat down in the spot Li Weifeng had just vacated.

Fu Chun directed one of the young eunuchs to bring Li Weifeng a drum stool.

Li Gu asked: “What were you talking about?”

Xie Yuzhang sighed: “Listening to Seventh Elder Brother tell me about the state of Yunjing now. Many of the families I knew before are gone. War and its devastation are truly brutal.”

She then added: “And it is all thanks to Your Majesty’s capture of Yunjing and rescue of the people from such suffering. I wonder how many households in Yunjing have set up longevity tablets for Your Majesty, praying for you day and night.”

Here it comes, Li Weifeng thought. Here it comes again.

Formerly he had not known this about her. Yet her way with words was something exceptional. The few words she had said in the past had been remembered so clearly, right up to now.

Li Gu’s expression remained neutral. He asked: “Are you settled in by now?”

Xie Yuzhang answered dutifully: “The residence’s storehouses and food cellars are all fully stocked — nothing is lacking. Everything is settled. As for the others, once my household steward has assessed the manor estates, he will arrange for everyone to be resettled in a unified way. In the meantime, they will camp outside the city walls. The conditions here are so much better than the steppe — and the weather is turning warmer as well. They have nothing to be dissatisfied about and will certainly not cause any trouble for the Jingzhao magistrate’s office.”

Li Gu let out an affirming sound.

Xie Yuzhang finished speaking, then reached over and poured a cup of the warm drink for Li Gu.

Li Weifeng and Fu Chun wanted to stop her but it was already too late. Fu Chun moved his foot slightly as if to take a step forward to say something, but Li Weifeng shifted his gaze and stepped on him.

Xie Yuzhang went on: “There are also a few minor matters I had no time to bring to Your Majesty’s attention the other day.”

Li Gu said: “Speak.”

As he said this, he lowered his head and raised the cup and took a small sip — then his brow furrowed slightly.

Li Weifeng stifled his laughter.

Xie Yuzhang continued without changing her expression: “The first matter — yesterday I have already gone to the Xiaoyao Marquis Estate to visit my father and brothers. In a few days, I would also like to go to Xie Family Village to call upon them, if that would be permissible.”

In her heart, she noted: so Li Gu does not like sweet things.

Li Gu’s brows drew together: “You are not a prisoner — go wherever you wish.” That said, he proceeded, just as Li Weifeng had done, to drain the entire cup of sweet drink.

Li Weifeng and Fu Chun both blinked.

Xie Yuzhang said: “Thank you, Your Majesty. The next matter is — my younger sister in the Xiaoyao Marquis Estate has not yet reached the age of the hairpin ceremony. My sister-in-law has five children under her care, and I fear she cannot attend to all of them. I would like to bring my younger sister to stay with me in my residence and take care of her — I humbly ask for Your Majesty’s grace.”

Li Gu set down his teacup: “Granted.”

“One more matter.” Xie Yuzhang said. “There is a nanny in my household who was originally the Chief Lady-in-Waiting at my mother’s side. She left the palace many years ago, and out of devotion to me, chose of her own accord to follow me to Mobei. She passed away from the toil and hardship there. Her loyalty to my mother was absolute. I have brought her ashes back with me, and I wish to have her buried beside my mother.”

Xie Yuzhang inclined herself in a slight bow: “I humbly beseech Your Majesty’s grace.”

Throughout history, when one dynasty succeeded another, there had been an unspoken and customary rule: the new dynasty would offer protection to the former dynasty’s mausoleums. And the standard of this protection was no small matter — it was comparable to the level of guard placed over the new dynasty’s own imperial mausoleums.

This was also a matter of mutual consideration. No ruling house wished to see its own future tomb sites desecrated. And so, by protecting the previous dynasty’s mausoleums, they set an example for those who would come after. This practice, passed down over centuries, had become an unspoken rule observed by every dynasty.

Therefore, for Xie Yuzhang to open her family’s imperial mausoleum, she required Li Gu’s consent.

Li Gu said: “Such a loyal servant is worthy of commendation. Report her name and origins to the proper authorities, and she will be given a formal citation of honor.”

What Nanny Xia had pursued throughout her life was the recognition of her “loyalty.” To receive a citation for loyal service was a posthumous glory.

Xie Yuzhang’s eyes grew faintly red. Suppressing the urge to cry, she said: “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Li Gu’s gaze rested on her face, and he let out a soft affirming sound.

Li Weifeng, in truth, was also getting his first close look at Xie Yuzhang’s varied expressions today, and thought to himself: heavens — no wonder Shiyi Lang couldn’t hold out against her.

Li Gu then asked: “I hear there is a Lin Shi in your company — the younger sister of Secretariat Drafter Lin Zhongxun?”

Xie Yuzhang was taken aback.

Her mind raced quickly: Why is he asking about Lin Fei? But her mouth had already answered: “Yes, she is the one my Second Elder Brother has feelings for.”

Li Weifeng said: “Oh?”

Xie Yuzhang said: “She comes from the Hedong Lin clan, and is exceptionally learned. Second Elder Brother has long admired her, and had intentions of proposing marriage while in Mobei. Only, as Your Majesty knows, my Second Elder Brother — the few brushstrokes of learning he carries about inside him are good enough for playing the part of a dashing young man about town, but they simply cannot pass muster before the Lin Shi. And so she has not yet agreed, and is still considering.”

Her expression did not change as she spoke.

But Li Gu perceptively noticed that the soft and yielding posture Xie Yuzhang had maintained throughout suddenly vanished. From the moment he brought up this Lin Shi, she was like a mother beast protecting her young — not provocative, yet quietly gathering her strength, imperceptibly extending her claws and assuming a defensive stance.

He could not understand where this hostility of hers was coming from, and was perplexed by it, a slight frown forming on his brow.

Li Weifeng said: “Oh ho ho! No wonder your maternal uncle wants to arrange a match for Jingshan — Jingshan ran off to hide at my place. Turns out he has someone on his mind — ha ha ha! I thought it was the same as me before, just not wanting to get married. I told him I’d share a couple of my beauties with him, and he wouldn’t even take them.”

Li Weifeng, this man, had already married Zhang Fen yet still dared harbor tender thoughts toward Xie Baohua. Xie Yuzhang spoke to him with the warmest gentleness, in a tone of soft reproach: “Since they were bestowed by the emperor, how can one just casually give them to another? It is a mark of His Majesty’s regard for you, Seventh Elder Brother — you ought to treat them well.”

As for my poor, frail Dahu elder sister — please get yourself far away, and do not let Zhang Fen anywhere near her!

In her former life it was precisely because someone like Zhang Fen had presided over the rear palace that her Dahu elder sister had been ground down until the last of her strength was spent, and she had died so young!

At the mention of Zhang Fen, Li Weifeng couldn’t be bothered to say another word.

If only one looked at Xie Yuzhang’s exterior and did not peer into what lay at her core, she was genuinely charming and tender. Her warm smile of gentle reproach, her lively and expressive eyes — Li Weifeng thought: heavens, never mind Shiyi Lang, even I am about to give in.

Catching a glimpse of Li Gu’s expression, which was not quite right, Li Weifeng gave a dry laugh and said: “Yes, yes, yes.” Not daring to say another word.

In his heart, he could not help comparing Xie Yuzhang with the person in Xie Family Village. That person, ever since her true face had been exposed, had not spoken to him with any more deference — she always showed courteous disdain, and refined mockery. You could sense that she was right there before you, and yet there were ten thousand leagues, hundreds upon thousands of mountain ranges between you.

And yet he still just wanted to hear her speak.

Xie Yuzhang finished what she had to say and turned back to smile at Li Gu: “May I ask why Your Majesty brought up the Lin Shi?”

As she spoke, her soft white hands — delicate as snow — picked up the bamboo-green secret-glaze porcelain pot and poured another cup of the cloyingly sweet warm drink for Li Gu.

Li Gu, for the life of him, could not figure out where Xie Yuzhang’s hostility was coming from and could make no sense of it no matter how hard he thought.

But he reflected: Xie Yuzhang certainly could not know that he disliked sweet things — how would she have had any opportunity to learn what he liked and did not like? It must be that he had drunk the last cup too quickly, leading her to assume he enjoyed it.

And yet those slender, snow-white hands that had once clutched at his garments — and that he had once clasped tightly in his own — placed the secret-glaze teapot down and extended toward him, nudging the teacup in his direction.

Li Gu then, under the complex gazes of Li Weifeng and Fu Chun, drank down this cup of warm sweet drink as well.

He said: “I heard Fu Chun speak of her — that she starved herself to force the Second Young Master’s hand and insisted on following you all the way to Mobei. Her grandfather was a man of unyielding principle, and she herself is no less. Her elder brother is also a man of great vision. The Lin Family, as a whole, is truly admirable. I would like to grant her a formal citation of honor as well.”

When he finished speaking, he noticed that the mother-beast wariness Xie Yuzhang had been showing dissolved suddenly and entirely, and she became not only yielding but positively warm.

“Your Majesty truly has the eye to recognize talent! The gifts of an emperor!” She smiled like a blossoming flower. “Then this subject shall thank Your Majesty on behalf of the Lin Shi.”

Li Gu: “…”

Li Weifeng: Here it comes again.

All the matters Xie Yuzhang had needed to raise had been raised. Li Gu therefore said: “Let us go and see the Noble Consort.”

It transpired that Li Weifeng had also come to see Li Zhenzhen, which was why he had been idling there chatting with Xie Yuzhang to pass the time. The three of them went together toward Li Zhenzhen’s palace.

Along the way, naturally Li Gu walked ahead, while Xie Yuzhang and Li Weifeng walked side by side behind him.

Xie Yuzhang glanced at Li Gu’s figure from behind and lowered her voice to ask Li Weifeng: “Is His Majesty even taller than when we first met back then?”

“Is he?” Li Weifeng said. “Possibly — he had not yet come of age at that time. They do say that at twenty-three, one tends to shoot up a bit more.”

He then laughed and added: “Your Highness is also quite a bit taller than you were then.”

“Of course.” Xie Yuzhang said. “I had not yet come of age then either. Naturally I was going to grow.”

Those two in the back were chattering and murmuring about something. Their voices were pressed very low, and by the time they drifted to Li Gu’s ears the words had become indistinct, barely brushing his earlobes with a faint tickle.

Li Gu gazed at a row of crossbeams along the corridor ceiling, and without turning around, simply lengthened his stride.

Xie Yuzhang suddenly noticed that the emperor had quickened his pace. Li Weifeng was all right — he was also a tall man, and with his long legs swinging out, keeping pace with the emperor was effortless. But Xie Yuzhang and the eunuchs following behind all found themselves obliged to hurry their steps.

Upon arriving at Li Zhenzhen’s palace and exchanging the formalities of greeting before settling into their seats, Li Zhenzhen smiled and said: “Yongning is still young — look at that color in your cheeks, so lovely.”

Having walked that long stretch at a brisk pace, Xie Yuzhang’s cheeks were tinged with the color of begonia blossoms — and indeed she was lovely.

It was just the midday meal hour, and Li Gu gave instructions for the meal to be taken here in Li Zhenzhen’s palace. After eating, the four of them sat and talked.

Li Zhenzhen took Li Weifeng to task: “How long has it been since you came to see me? Still out there wandering around like before, not staying home.”

Li Weifeng responded with various ha ha ha’s of deflection.

Xie Yuzhang thought to herself: Li Weifeng is an outside man — how could he be expected to come frequently to the inner palace?

Li Zhenzhen then turned on Li Weifeng: “Or just have someone else sire them for you. The title is no concern — with Shiyi Lang around, even a son born of a concubine, as long as he is your son, wouldn’t Shiyi Lang let him inherit the title?”

Li Gu also said: “Eldest Sister is right — Seventh Elder Brother, don’t be so stubborn.”

Xie Yuzhang felt a faint warmth on her forehead. How were they discussing such things right in front of her? What was Li Weifeng supposed to do with his dignity?

But to her surprise, Li Weifeng was utterly carefree and unfazed. His reputation for being “no use in that department” had already spread throughout Yunjing — he had long since given up trying to maintain any pride about it, and simply said: “We’ll see, we’ll see,” in a thoroughly perfunctory way.

Li Zhenzhen’s attention then shifted to Xie Yuzhang: “Your Majesty, say something to Yongning — I told her to come to the palace more often to see me, and she just won’t agree to it.”

Li Gu’s gaze turned toward her.

Xie Yuzhang knew there was no escaping it and could only say: “This subject has recently been widowed…”

Li Gu, however, said: “Mobei has no mourning customs.”

Xie Yuzhang could not continue with that line of argument. After all, how she had come to be a widow — Li Gu knew the truth of that. There was simply no way to fabricate a plausible excuse.

With no other option, she lowered her head: “Yes. This subject has been narrow-minded.”

Li Zhenzhen then chatted with Xie Yuzhang on everyday topics, telling her about the current fashions and trends. Li Gu did not interject, only listening quietly.

“I will have someone send over some fashionable fabric to your residence,” Li Zhenzhen said.

Xie Yuzhang demurred: “His Majesty has already bestowed gifts.”

Li Zhenzhen laughed: “What do men know about these things — let me at least preserve our emperor’s dignity here… I had better pick some things out for you myself.”

Li Weifeng roared with laughter.

Li Gu had not yet established an empress, which meant that among all the women in the realm, Li Zhenzhen was of the highest status. Xie Yuzhang had no choice but to thank the Noble Consort for her generosity.

Her gaze lifted, and met Li Gu’s head-on. The two held each other’s gaze for several breaths, then each looked away.