After mid-afternoon, Gu Yi returned from the Imperial Garden to Pingcui Palace in the Western Garden.

She merely waved at Tao Jia, who hurriedly came out to greet her. Upon entering her bedchamber, she immediately took off her embroidered boots and collapsed onto the wooden couch.

After a muffled thud, Gu Yi buried her head in the soft brocade quilt.

Tao Jia followed her to the bed curtain and said with a beaming smile, “Congratulations, Concubine! Congratulations on winning the polo match today and being promoted!”

Gu Yi let out a weak “Mmm.”

Concubine rank.

One thousand taels.

According to a Concubine’s monthly salary, if she wanted to save up one thousand taels, it would take her exactly one hundred years.

A hundred years was too long!

Time waits for no one!

She still couldn’t believe that she had just missed out on one thousand gleaming taels of silver like this.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

It was like working hard for an entire year, finally reaching the day when a generous year-end bonus would be paid, only for the boss to suddenly announce that there would be no bonus this year, just verbal recognition…

Ahhhhhhh…

Tao Jia watched as the Concubine on the couch kicked her legs randomly, but couldn’t understand why, despite being promoted, she was still so listless.

After pondering for a moment, she could only offer words of comfort, “This servant… will go to the kitchen to see about getting a plate of the shortbread that Concubine used to enjoy… since being demoted to Talented Lady, Concubine hasn’t tasted it yet. I’ll also request a bowl of soup that Concubine likes… perfect for the autumn season…”

I don’t want to eat.

Gu Yi thought lifelessly, but couldn’t even be bothered to speak.

Seeing no response, Tao Jia simply curtseyed and left.

After some time had passed, Gu Yi heard footsteps in the bedchamber again.

With her head still buried, she said, “I don’t want to eat shortbread, just leave it there.”

Eunuch Gao was about to announce himself but was silenced by the Emperor’s gesture.

He had no choice but to retreat outside the door.

Xiaoyan stepped past him, walked around the screen, and drew closer. He noticed that the crystal bead curtain in front of the couch had been replaced with blue gauze drapes.

Through the gauze, he saw Gu Yi lying on the wooden couch, her limbs motionless, but upon closer inspection, her shoulders seemed to be trembling slightly.

His heart sank, and he couldn’t help but lift the curtain, reaching out to grasp her shoulders and turn her over.

Frowning, he asked, “Are you crying?”

Gu Yi looked up and saw it was him.

Anger immediately rose from her heart.

Crying my ass!

I’m trembling with rage!

Xiaoyan saw her eyes suddenly become startlingly bright, as if fury had suddenly surged, but a moment later, it subsided, and she just stared at him with wide eyes.

Gu Yi sat up, secretly taking a deep breath, “Your Majesty’s health. Why has Your Majesty come?”

Xiaoyan observed her expression, “I know you might be unhappy today… so I came to see you.”

“Your Majesty is compassionate. This concubine is not unhappy…” She was very unhappy!

Xiaoyan saw that the hair at her temples was already disheveled, with several loose strands falling in front of her eyes. He wondered how long she had been lying on the couch to be in such a state.

It seemed… she must feel quite resentful.

He softened his tone, “Today’s polo match was merely an autumn diversion. There’s no need to be so concerned about winning or losing.”

Gu Yi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling.

“This concubine was not concerned about winning or losing. I’m just heartbroken…” One thousand taels—the pain was too great to express!

“This concubine practiced polo for months, finally won first place, only for it all to be in vain. Although I was promoted—Your Majesty’s kindness makes this concubine humbled—what I wanted was merely the prize money. The prize was established for the polo match; this concubine won, so why didn’t I receive it…”

By the end, Gu Yi was feeling wretched again.

Xiaoyan watched her speak pitifully, and by the end, the corners of her eyes had drooped as if she were truly about to cry.

He moved to reach out but stopped, “I did not award the prize today for the sake of fairness. Do you understand?”

Gu Yi understood nothing of the sort and shook her head, “For this concubine, this is not fair. I made no mistake, so why am I being punished? This concubine only wanted the prize money…”

Xiaoyan gazed at her wide apricot eyes and said slowly, “In contests of victory and defeat, the size of the stakes determines whether it’s a good match. Victory and defeat are ultimately about fairness. In today’s polo match, although you scored, Concubine Wan also scored. If she cheated and both of you were rewarded, it would dishonor your diligent efforts. If today only you were rewarded, but later it was proven that Concubine Wan had been falsely accused, then it would be unfair to her.”

After listening, Gu Yi furrowed her brow and said, “Why doesn’t Your Majesty award this concubine five hundred taels first? If it’s later proven that Concubine Wan made no mistake, give her five hundred taels as well. If it’s later proven that she did make a mistake, Your Majesty can give this concubine the other five hundred taels?”

“Sophistry,” Xiaoyan laughed lightly.

This seems completely reasonable. How is it sophistry?

Gu Yi was unconvinced but heard Xiaoyan continue, “An emperor’s word cannot be taken lightly. The polo match was today’s event. If it was unfair, it can only be nullified.”

Seeing the dissatisfaction in her eyes, Xiaoyan lowered his head and smiled slightly, “Let me give you another example. Years ago, Yang Deng and Wang Shu from Shaozhou participated in the imperial examination. Both were quick-witted, their essays brilliant. The Emperor personally tested them in court, and both answered the questions fluently. Later, the Late Emperor discovered that Wang Shu had bribed a Hanlin Academy scholar to learn the examination questions in advance, which was how he won first place. That year, no one was selected in the imperial examination.”

This is the real sophistry.

Although Gu Yi’s heart skipped when she heard that Wang Shu had obtained the questions in advance—after all, she had seen the polo field layout in the previous timeline—she still disagreed with his argument.

“The example Your Majesty gives simply means that if a contest is unfair, it’s difficult to determine winners and losers. But in today’s polo match, apart from Concubine Wan’s ball being slightly heavier, none of the others made any mistakes. So why…”

“What if all the others had made mistakes as well?”

Gu Yi was stunned for a moment, “Your Majesty suspects this concubine? This concubine did not…”

“I don’t suspect you…” Xiaoyan interrupted her, “I suspect others. If someone malicious set a trap, how do we know no one was hiding their skill, giving you two the victory…”

Gu Yi blinked.

She suddenly felt that Xiao Gouzi had too many thoughts, while she had too few.

Probably in his eyes, she was just a simpleton who didn’t deserve one thousand taels… perhaps…

She heaved a long, dejected sigh.

Forget it. No matter what else she said, it wouldn’t change anything now.

Goodbye, one thousand taels.

Goodbye, my wealthy woman’s life.

Xiaoyan saw her bitter smile, a look of utter despair on her face.

Puzzled, he said, “The polo match doesn’t happen just once. Next year, the year after, and the year after that—year after year, it’s always the same. Next year, if you win, I will reward you…” He saw her look up at him once, seemingly unmoved, so Xiaoyan said in a deep voice, “I’ll reward you with ten thousand taels.”

Gu Yi stared at him for a moment, and asked half-believing, half-doubting, “Your Majesty, do you mean it?”

“Of course I mean it.”

Gu Yi mumbled, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

But she didn’t feel happy.

According to the plot, by this time next year, the six palaces would already be disbanded.

By then, she would probably have already left the palace and be living a life of poverty.

How could there be “year after year, always the same”?

How could there be ten thousand taels?

Better not to mention it.

Xiaoyan saw that her brows were still furrowed with worry, so he fell silent.

Just then, Tao Jia returned with refreshments.

Xiaoyan rose and went to sit in the flower hall, and Gu Yi had no choice but to get up and join him for tea and snacks.

He stayed at Pingcui Palace until early evening.

A palace attendant from Tianlu Pavilion came to report that a letter from Dengzhou Prefecture had arrived.

Only then did Xiaoyan rise to return to Tianlu Pavilion.

Halfway there, dark clouds suddenly gathered overhead, autumn winds rose, and rain poured down in torrents.

Eunuch Gao had not brought an umbrella, so he sent one of the accompanying attendants running to borrow an umbrella from Luoying Palace ahead.

The Emperor walked quickly, with Eunuch Gao struggling to keep up.

When they reached the outside of Luoying Palace, the attendant who had gone to borrow an umbrella came running out with a dark blue oilpaper umbrella, holding it over the Emperor’s head.

Raindrops fell like a curtain along the umbrella’s edge. Xiaoyan turned his head casually to look.

He saw a figure in dark blue kneeling on the stone steps outside Luoying Palace.

The pouring rain had drenched the person completely.

But the figure’s back was very familiar; he had seen this person before.

Xiaoyan looked more carefully.

Zhao Wan.

Eunuch Gao noticed the Emperor pause and, not understanding, followed his gaze and also saw Concubine Wan kneeling on the ground.

“If Your Majesty pities Concubine Wan, this servant will immediately send someone to help her up and escort her back to Xiu Yidian…”

“Go ahead.”

Zhao Wan had been kneeling there for an hour. A quarter of an hour ago, heavy rain had suddenly fallen, water pouring from her head down to her knees, forming a small puddle in front of her legs. Her entire body was soaked, as if she had been pulled from water, cold to the bone.

She heard hurried footsteps behind her and wiped the rainwater from her face before turning to look.

It was two blue-robed, purple-sashed eunuchs from the imperial presence.

The two came through the rain, took her by the arms, one on each side, and pulled her up from the ground.

Zhao Wan’s knees buckled, and she began to fall, but fortunately, the two steadied her.

One whispered in her ear, “Concubine Wan, please stand firm. His Majesty pities you, and we will escort you back to Xiu Yidian immediately.”

Hearing this, Zhao Wan was startled and strained to look into the distance. Through the heavy curtain of rain outside the vermilion palace gate, she seemed to see a figure in imperial yellow pass by.

She hurriedly bowed and said, “This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your mercy.”

In Luoying Palace, the maid Dongcao saw Zhao Wan being supported away by two imperial attendants and rushed to the bedchamber to report, “Your Highness, it seems His Majesty has ordered someone to send that Concubine Wan back.”

Noble Consort De rose abruptly, “Really? Did you see His Majesty?”

Dongcao shook her head, “No, I only saw two imperial attendants. But someone just came to the hall to borrow an umbrella, so His Majesty must have passed by just now?”

Noble Consort De said angrily, “Why didn’t you report this to me earlier?”

Dongcao knelt, “Your Highness, please calm your anger. This servant, this servant only just saw it…”

Noble Consort De paced back and forth restlessly for a few steps.

During today’s polo match, the Emperor had already grown suspicious.

The Reception Office people wouldn’t speak carelessly, but that person from the Craftsmen’s Office…

She looked at Dongcao and said softly, “You may rise…”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy.”

“Has everything been arranged with the Craftsmen’s Office?”

Dongcao nodded, “As Your Highness instructed, this servant sent someone again. The ball maker has already been transferred elsewhere… Your Highness can rest easy…”

Noble Consort De felt somewhat relieved.

It was merely about punishing a small Concubine. Would His Majesty make such a fuss about her…

Noble Consort De didn’t believe so.

Xiaoyan returned to Tianlu Pavilion as the sudden rain stopped.

The hem of his robe was stained with rain, so he went to his bedchamber to change into a set of dark blue casual clothes. Then he saw Eunuch Gao bring in several letters.

Placed on top were two urgent letters with official seals.

Xiaoyan first opened the letter from Dengzhou Prefecture.

Qi Wei had submitted a memorial requesting retirement and to lay down his official duties.

Xiaoyan laughed softly, burned the letter in the candlelight until only gray ashes remained.

Eunuch Gao stood holding the tray, head lowered, as still as a stone statue.

Xiaoyan glanced sideways at the other letter on the gold-lacquered tray. It had come from Fuzhou, with the small seal of Gu Changtong, the Prefect of Fuzhou, on the envelope.

Fuzhou administered two counties and was just a prefectural office.

Urgent letters were mostly military matters, or at the very least from provincial governors or offices at or above the prefectural level sending urgent communications to the capital.

Without major military or state affairs, local authorities could not use the imperial post horses without reason.

Xiaoyan frowned with displeasure before opening the letter to read.

A thin page with just a dozen or so lines.

He read it several times.

After finishing, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Bring ink and paper. I want to personally reply to Prefect Gu.”