When Luo Xiang returned from court and saw yet another familiar ox cart parked outside his gate, he couldn’t help but frown.
Over the past month, he’d seen this very cart three times. The gatekeeper reported it and handed over a visiting card—sure enough, it was that Tian Fen. The wooden tablet was made of smooth, flawless cedarwood, stamped with the Tian clan’s crest, bearing the words: “The Recluse Tian Fen Pays Respects to the Duke of Ying.” The calligraphy was beautiful—drifting like flowing clouds, elegant and unrestrained. He sighed inwardly, acknowledging that the man truly was born of an esteemed lineage.
Luo Xiang was a military man. Back in his campaigning days, he hadn’t even known how to read. After Emperor Gaozu unified the realm, Luo Xiang was enfeoffed as a duke for his meritorious service in battle and saving the emperor’s life. Only then did he begin to learn characters. Even now, his handwriting still resembled a dog’s scratchings. Deep down, he rather admired these scholarly types. Yet after thinking it over and over, he still shook his head. He said to the gatekeeper, “Tell him to go back. Don’t accept anything. Return it all.”
Entering the courtyard, his wife, the Duchess of Ying, Chang Min, came forward. “You sent him away again?”
Luo Xiang nodded. “Ah. What, did you want to see him?”
Chang Min shot him a glare. “Why would I want to see him? But he is Her Majesty’s uncle, after all. Are you truly not seeing him?”
Luo Xiang shrugged off his outer robe and handed it to a nearby servant, then waved them all away. Only after the door was closed did he speak. “That’s precisely why I can’t see him. Do you know how many ministers’ estates he’s already visited since Fu Lingxian went south?”
Chang Min frowned. “True. He’s being far too hasty. It’s not like Fu Lingxian isn’t coming back.”
Luo Xiang replied, “Hard to say. He might just be putting on a show for others to see.”
Chang Min asked, “For whom? Her Majesty?”
Luo Xiang chuckled. “How would Her Majesty see any of this? But speaking of which, I did see Her Majesty today. Since the new year, Her Majesty has grown quite a bit. Last year, she still looked like a child. This year, her brow and eyes have opened up. When she sits on the throne, she can reach the desk now.”
Chang Min laughed at that too. “What a way to speak of Her Majesty.”
After their laughter faded, her expression returned to one of worry. “So Her Majesty finally attended court today?”
Luo Xiang thought for a moment, then said, “The whole court is saying that when Fu Lingxian returns from the south, her power will overshadow all. I imagine the Empress Dowager believes it too. Before the campaign, she wanted to appoint her nephew as deputy commander. If Fu Lingxian hadn’t been so adamant, how could she not have gotten her way? But that adamance must have made the Dowager wary. Moreover, with Tian Fen’s lobbying, court officials submitted petition after petition for Her Majesty to attend court, saying that matters of state must pass before the Child of Heaven’s eyes to accord with ritual propriety…”
Chang Min began to understand. “So she brought Her Majesty out?”
“Mm. She said her health has recovered enough to attend court. Just that she’s still young and shouldn’t overwork herself. So out of every ten-day week, she attends morning court only on the third, sixth, and ninth days. The rest of the time, she still has lessons.” Luo Xiang lowered his voice. “And on her very first day, she granted the fief of Liangnan to Bo Wei. One clan with ten marquisates—and apparently, that still isn’t enough for her.”
He sighed, then added, “Tian Fen’s lobbying probably deserves two-tenths of the credit too. After all, if Her Majesty ever assumes personal rule, he’s bound to ennoble his birth mother. A new reign, a new set of ministers—the Bo clan’s present glory is the Tian clan’s future. As long as our little sovereign can just grow up healthy, safe, and sound…” His tone suddenly changed. “Luo Qionghua! What are you doing here?!”
Luo Xiang strode behind the screen and dragged out a little girl. She had a pink, peach-blossom face, almond eyes, and a pert nose, dressed in a green ruqun dress, her hair in two small braids coiled atop her head. Except right now, she looked filthy from head to toe, her hair undone. He made her stand straight and noticed one of her wooden clogs was missing. Suppressing his anger, he demanded, “Where did you go? Were you farming in the dirt?”
Luo Qionghua blinked her large eyes. “Tie Zhu lost Er Ya’s new hairpin. I went to help Er Ya snatch it back.”
Luo Xiang was baffled. “Who are all these people?”
Chang Min leaned in and whispered, “They must be children from the front courtyard servants’ families.”
Luo Xiang was shocked. “You went out there?!”
Luo Xiang himself was a rough fellow, so he pinned his hopes on the next generation having some scholarly grace. He’d specially hired palace-reared nannies to instruct his daughter, Luo Qionghua. But he’d had her late in life and had always doted on his only daughter. The result of excessive pampering? He’d raised a girl even wilder than he himself had been as a child.
Luo Qionghua was an expert at reading faces. Seeing her father was about to erupt, she quickly clung to his arm, entwining herself around him and changing the subject. “Father, did you see Her Majesty today? What kind of person is Her Majesty? We’re the same age—is she as tall as me? What does she look like?”
Her barrage of questions bewildered the already somewhat tired Luo Xiang. Distracted, he forgot his anger and answered unconsciously, “Her Majesty seems a bit shorter than you, but quite pretty… Wait. You don’t actually think this gets you off the hook, do you?”
Luo Qionghua then obligingly dropped to her knees, gazing up at him timidly. “Father, your daughter knows she was wrong.”
At this, Luo Xiang’s heart instantly softened. He could only gruffly say, “Go back to your room right now. I’ll deal with you later.”
Luo Qionghua scrambled up and darted for the door. Pushing it open to leave, she poked half her head back in and asked, “So did Her Majesty talk to herself again today?”
Luo Xiang made as if to take off his shoe and throw it. “What business is it of yours? Ah, so you were eavesdropping this whole time while I spoke with your mother?!”
Luo Qionghua fled in a flash.
But Luo Xiang fell into thought. After a long moment, he said to Chang Min beside him, “Now that you mention it, she did say one thing. She said: ‘So… is this the result of effort?’”
Chang Min asked, “What does that mean?”
Luo Xiang replied, “I have no idea.”
By this time, Fu Ping’an was already bitterly regretting that very thoughtless remark.
“Why couldn’t I hold it in? At that moment… you all were just chatting so enthusiastically.” And what they were discussing was so absorbing, she got utterly engrossed.
It started when “Wanwan Wants to See the Moon” joined the livestream room. As soon as they entered, they said the Prince Regent’s departure was an opportunity. But when asked the reason, they wouldn’t elaborate. Sleepless Days mocked them for being deliberately mystifying, and they didn’t appear again.
They seemed to be the type who really disliked commenting, and rarely spoke up after that.
But just half a month after the Prince Regent left, one night Fu Ping’an was suddenly summoned to Qianqiu Palace late at night by the Empress Dowager. The Dowager held her and cried again, recounting past events Fu Ping’an had absolutely no recollection of, sharing feelings and bonding. Finally, she said, “The Emperor’s health has been nurtured well enough. It’s time to attend court. Henceforth, every ten-day week, on the third, sixth, and ninth days, you shall go to Chaoyang Palace to hear matters of state.”
Fu Ping’an was overjoyed, but said demurely, “Your child has been lax in studying. I barely know a few characters. I wouldn’t understand what those ministers are talking about.”
The Dowager stroked her face, chiding gently, “Regretting it now, are we? I’m always telling you to study properly, yet you’re so uncommitted—working three days and resting two. Fan Yi has complained to me many times, saying you’re clever but simply recalcitrant toward learning.”
Whenever the Empress Dowager urged her to study, she always seemed completely sincere. Though the danmaku always said the Dowager was deliberately raising her to be useless, sometimes Fu Ping’an would waver. Could the Empress Dowager actually be genuine?
She nodded. “Yes. Your child will study hard from now on.”
Yet the Empress Dowager looked at her with a doting smile, indulging her. “But if the Emperor is tired, it’s fine to rest a bit. You have a court full of ministers. Why must you exhaust your own heart’s blood? Do those ministers eat their salaries for nothing?”
【Mars is Just the First Step: The Dowager is so contradictory—urging study one moment, then urging against it the next. Does she even know what she’s saying?】
【Month-End Guest: But what she said is actually correct. Must an emperor personally handle everything?】
【I Love to Study: Study is for oneself! Learning is lifelong!】
Fu Ping’an pressed her cheek against the Empress Dowager’s arm. The fragrance of rouge and powder was slightly stifling. She suppressed the urge to cough and said, “As long as I have Mother Empress and Royal Aunt, that’s enough.”
The Empress Dowager’s voice cooled slightly. “I dwell deep in the rear palace. All I understand is disciplining palace servants. How can I compare to your Royal Aunt? If you must rely on someone, you must rely on her. Now that she has journeyed far to Nanyue, you must pray for her daily, hoping she returns safely in triumph.”
【Xiao Jiu 794: Are those sincere words? Why do I feel like she’s grinding her teeth as she says them?】
【Baby Ping’an is So Cute: hahahahaha】
【Off-Key Diva Wang Ami: Her way of speaking is at the same level of passive-aggression as Sleepless Days.】
【Sleepless Days: ?】
Prompted by the danmaku, Fu Ping’an also noticed the Empress Dowager’s words were insincere. The remark was less praise for the Prince Regent and more a hint at the Regent’s excessive power. Fu Ping’an naturally just pretended not to understand. The two performed their mother-son filial harmony a while longer, then Fu Ping’an returned to her palace.
That night, she was too excited to sleep, tossing and turning. She chatted with the danmaku about everything under the sun until near daybreak, when she finally sank into deep slumber. But she hadn’t slept long before being shaken awake, dressed meticulously, and escorted to Chaoyang Palace.
She wore an azure long robe embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons and a heavy ceremonial crown, seated in the main seat. The Empress Dowager sat behind her to the right. Facing the assembled courtiers standing in the hall, Fu Ping’an’s heart pounded wildly.
…Then she started feeling drowsy.
Actually, at the very beginning, she did listen to what the ministers were saying. She remembered that first, the Director of Guests stepped forward to report on officials entering the capital to give thanks and departing the capital to request imperial favor. In principle, these officials should have been registered and reported, but Fu Ping’an knew absolutely nothing about them. So in truth, they were all there to see the Empress Dowager.
After these people presented their petitions one by one, border reports were next, particularly reports from Nanyue. There was heavy encroachment; the common people were suffering greatly.
By this point, Fu Ping’an was already only half-understanding.
Moreover, the officials’ main conversation was directed at the Empress Dowager, and it was the Dowager who answered. Fu Ping’an inevitably began to zone out. The text in the danmaku was simpler and easier to understand than the ministers’ words, the chatting more fun, the people more interesting. Her attention was quickly drawn in.
【What Should I Call Myself: So this is what attending cloud-court feels like?】
【Romance with BL Elements, Stay Away: Whoa, feels like being the emperor.】
【Thin Thin: After watching for a while, it’s actually not that interesting.】
【Regardless of Wei and Jin: Mainly can’t really understand what’s being said.】
【Layla: I’m slacking off in class sneaking a peek at this livestream. Didn’t expect the stream to be even more boring than class.】
【Wanwan Wants to See the Moon: If you listen carefully, you’ll find it interesting.】
【Sleepless Days: You’ve appeared again, you.】
【Taro Boba Milk Tea: You were right. It really did become an opportunity. Why exactly did that happen?】
【Wanwan Wants to See the Moon: It’s simple. Right now, the one most afraid of the Prince Regent overshadowing the sovereign with her achievements isn’t the streamer. It’s the Empress Dowager. For the Dowager to check the Regent, the best method is naturally to bring out the Emperor. Using the Child of Heaven to command the feudal lords—this is an ancient tactic.】
【Wanwan Wants to See the Moon: Didn’t that guy surnamed Tian say he’d find a chance? Such a perfect opportunity—how could he not start moving? He’s the clan of the streamer’s birth mother. A reserve external consort clan. Look at the good life the Bo clan has now. For that kind of life, they should be working hard too.】
【Taro Boba Milk Tea: In ancient times, they should have been very guarded against external consorts, right?】
