She fell into a drowsy sleep, then awoke in the same hazy state.
Outside it was already bright. The thin gauze curtains could not block the sunlight streaming through the gaps, casting a faint glow on the smooth brocade bedding, with specks of brilliance.
No one was beside her.
She hugged the thin quilt, knowing he had gone to court and had not yet returned, and was not at all surprised that he hadn’t called her to rise and attend court as well.
After last night, today’s morning court session would certainly be discussing northern border affairs, and her mission as an envoy to the North would likely be officially decreed. As for the rest, she no longer had the heart to concern herself with it.
She might as well claim illness for a day. Since he cherished her so, she would indulge herself and enjoy this imperial favor just this once.
She dozed off again for a while, dreaming shallowly of standing in a downpour in the wilderness, her body soaking wet, frozen to the bone, and then she awoke trembling.
She pushed aside the curtains and got out of bed, running to the window to press her hand against the sun-warmed window frame, and only after a long while did she catch her breath.
He wasn’t there, and naturally, the palace attendants didn’t dare enter to disturb her.
This was where he normally handled state affairs and slept at night, yet he had left her alone here with such trust, not at all worried about whether she might do something inappropriate.
She decided to follow her inclinations and boldly wander alone in this empty hall of governance.
The memorials on the imperial desk were neatly arranged—vermilion ink, purple brushes, paperweights, and porcelain brush-washers all in perfect order.
She casually flipped through a few of them, seeing his vermilion annotations written in a bold and powerful hand, and sighed softly before turning to look at the black lacquered wooden shelves nearby.
In the innermost compartment, there was a thick stack of memorials placed separately, arranged meticulously one by one.
She was curious, wondering what important documents these might be, and boldly pulled one out to look.
As soon as she opened it, she was stunned, then pulled out several more and looked at them, her eyes growing moist.
These were all the memorials she had submitted over the years.
Most were ones he had not returned with annotations, along with some imperial edicts concerning her, all preserved so neatly.
From her first entry into the Hanlin Academy until now in the Two Departments, from when he was still the Crown Prince until now seated on the imperial throne—every detail of their interactions at court was vividly displayed before her eyes.
She sat down quietly and went through them one by one. Occasionally she saw that some memorials had his vermilion annotations, though for unknown reasons they were never returned to her, and those annotations revealed his rarely seen personal feelings.
There was joy and anger, praise and rebuke, yet ultimately he had never let her know.
As she continued reading, she couldn’t help but shed tears, then quickly worried about staining the memorials, so she carefully returned them to their original order. She wiped her eyes and walked back to the inner chamber.
Everything in the inner chamber was neat and orderly. His robes and imperial garments were all stored in one place, all in somber colors—black, gray, blue, and brown. The silks, brocades, and satins were magnificent yet not at all ostentatious.
She reached out to touch them one by one, then buried her face in these clothes, gently inhaling the unique scent of his attire.
On the other side lay his imperial bow and long sword. The gilding was dazzling, the cold gleam piercing. Heavy armor, exuding authority, and ferocity, was piled nearby. Some quivers had already faded with wear but were still polished to a brilliant shine.
She grasped the bow handle, recalling the scene of him personally teaching her horseback archery, that phrase “my woman” still clear in her ears, so vivid it made her heart flutter.
The long sword beside it was blue-black and intimidating, its plain scabbard extremely heavy. Though without any decorative patterns, it was a supreme blade among swords.
Although she rarely saw him wearing this sword, it was not at all dusty, suggesting that he frequently polished and practiced with it during his leisure time.
She carefully grasped the hilt and drew the sword. The blade was entirely black, without any pattern, with a dark glossy light reflecting from both edges.
Looking closely, she discovered two lines of extremely small characters engraved on the blade.
She frowned slightly, lifting the sword to examine it slowly. When she finally made out the text, she was startled.
“Above the nine heavens, I let you go; beneath the nine springs, I will wait for you.”
These fourteen characters were so brief and simple, yet so powerful and soul-stirring that she felt her back tighten, completely forgetting what she had been thinking about before.
Suddenly, the hall doors were pushed open from outside. She turned at the sound and saw him striding in with firm steps.
“Your Majesty.” She held the long sword, watching him walk toward her with broad strides. She curved her lips into a bright smile, set down the sword, and threw herself into his embrace, hooking her arms around his neck and saying, “Your Majesty was not here, so your subject has been presumptuous.”
He lifted her in one motion and placed her on the long table, his hands supporting her on the table behind her, and lowered his head to kiss her face. “Be as presumptuous as you wish.”
She turned her face away and laughed softly.
He noticed the sword on the table, raised an eyebrow slightly, and immediately returned the sword to its scabbard, saying, “Someone who doesn’t know how to use a sword isn’t afraid of cutting herself?”
She blinked her bright eyes. “This sword is truly beautiful.”
His sharp features suddenly softened, his thin lips curving slightly. “This sword was given by my royal father to my imperial mother in those years, and later passed on to me.”
Her brow furrowed slightly as if she somewhat understood why those characters were engraved on both sides of the blade. She murmured, “Above the nine heavens, beneath the nine springs…” She glanced up at him. “These words truly touch one’s heart.”
His hand gripping the sword tightened momentarily, then relaxed. “Back then, after defeating Middle Wan, my father knew his injuries were severe and unlikely to heal. Fearing that after his passing the realm would again be engulfed in warfare, plunging soldiers and common people into the chaos of war, he devised this strategy.” His eyes suddenly filled with warm light. “But though he calculated everything, the one thing he didn’t account for was that he didn’t die.”
How many people today could clearly explain the events of those years? People all believed that his father had relinquished the realm and all under heaven for the sake of his beloved, but who knew what the realm was, what all under heaven was, and what this life and death, love and hatred truly were?
His father had been valiant all his life—how could he be someone who would surrender country and realm for a woman? If it weren’t for the uncertainty of life and death, if he hadn’t been concerned for the welfare of all people, if the other party hadn’t been his imperial mother, his father would likely never have done such a thing, even unto death.
She reached out to touch the sword again, her expression becoming somewhat sorrowful. She nodded gently and said, “King Ping was truly a man among men. If it were your subject, your subject would certainly have done the same.” She withdrew her hand and looked at him again. “In the struggle for territory and imperial position, it is always the common people who suffer. Knowing that one would die, entrusting one’s empire to the hands of a loved one to spare the people from the ravages of war—what wrong is there in that?”
Seeing the moisture in her eyes, he frowned involuntarily and reached out to caress her face. “But in the end, he didn’t die. He remained with my imperial mother until the end, enjoying the reverence of all under heaven, and his prestige will be celebrated for generations to come.”
She swallowed her tears and smiled, raising her hand to hold his palm. “Yes, your subject was momentarily confused.” She composed her expression, moved off the table, and said with upturned lips, “Your subject is very hungry. Your subject was confused from hunger.”
Knowing she had not eaten for a night and half a day, he had food brought into the hall and led her by the hand to sit down together.
She moved closer to him, placing both hands on his knees, looking at his handsome face, and saying, “I don’t think your subject has ever dined with Your Majesty before.”
He gave a faint “Hmm,” and with one hand used a silver spoon to scoop some soup and bring it to her lips, unhurriedly lifting his eyes to look at her.
She obediently drank it, then pursed her lips, her bright black eyes smiling into curves. “Your Majesty is so good to your subject.”
Rarely seeing her cast aside the formalities of ruler and subject, and observing her docility, he couldn’t help but laugh softly. “How is it that this time you’re not offering sharp-tongued advice?”
She gazed at him silently, and after a long while said softly, “Because your subject wants to be willful just once.”
…Because your subject doesn’t know if there will be another chance to be so willful in the future.
He fed her another spoonful, his expression suddenly becoming solemn. “At the morning court, I issued the decree for your mission to the northern border. Fang Kai wants the Deputy Commissioner of Military Affairs, Tang Cheng, to accompany you as Vice Envoy. What do you think?”
She said softly, “That is good.”
He continued in a low voice, “Since this matter is decided, it cannot be delayed. The Secretariat will prepare the diplomatic letters and other items in the next day or two. The day after tomorrow, early in the morning, the Guards of the Imperial Court will escort you and Tang Cheng out of the capital northward to Chao’an. From Chao’an, you will go through Chong Prefecture to Ting Prefecture. By then, Di Nian will send people from the army to Ting Prefecture to receive you, and then the Imperial Guards will escort you both to Jin Gorge Pass.”
She thought for a moment and asked, “After reaching Chao’an, could we change the route and go north to Ting Prefecture through Qing Prefecture? Your subject wishes to see Grand Scholar Shen and an old friend from the Women’s Academy along the way.”
“That’s fine,” he agreed, “but you must not linger too long. I’ll have Shen Zhishu gather some troops to escort you to Ting Prefecture along with the Imperial Court Guards.”
She nodded, smiling faintly. “Your subject will only see them briefly and then leave, without staying long.”
His expression also grew subdued. “Why do you wish to see them this time?”
She lowered her eyes, and after a while said, “Because your subject has only this one old friend in Chao’an, and has had no opportunity to meet since entering court service.”
…Because your subject doesn’t know if there will be another chance to see her again in the future.