Autumn had arrived in an instant. In Yan Jing south of Qi Shui, the greenery that had endured the summer’s heat looked somewhat dispirited. Xi Linxuan often accompanied her in reviewing memorials; whenever she raised her head and met his focused gaze, Wei Linxia felt uneasy.
These days, she had been thinking about something that kept her awake at night.
“Autumn Water, there will probably be a good opportunity next spring to silence the ministers,” Wei Linxia said.
“Hmm? What?” Xi Linxuan, sitting in a rocking chair looking out at the scenery, did not appear interested.
“Western frontier rebellion, imperial expedition,” Wei Linxia said slowly, each word weighing heavily.
Xi Linxuan sat up straight: “No, let them look down on me.”
“We must go,” Wei Linxia insisted.
“Not going,” he replied.
Wei Linxia picked up a bright yellow imperial edict from the table and walked to Xi Linxuan’s side, placing it in his hand with determination: “We’re going. For me, you must go.”
The scroll was thrown to the ground with a dull sound.
“Wei Chenbi, I’m not going,” Xi Linxuan turned away.
Wei Linxia laughed softly and met her gaze, noticing the reluctance in his eyes.
“Oh? How bold, daring to curse the mother of a nation,” Xi Linxuan said, pounding the bed.
Wei Linxia remained silent, watching Xi Linxuan pretend to be angry.
“If I were to abdicate the throne to you, they’d mock me for laying eggs like a rooster. How infuriating,” Xi Linxuan continued.
“Getting angry right after waking up is bad for your health. Don’t be upset; have some hot soup,” Wei Linxia said, carefully blowing on the soup before feeding Xi Linxuan.
“Qiushui, will you go to court tomorrow? I’ll wait for you in the side hall and prepare some snacks,” Wei Linxia asked.
“Sure, it’ll be a good chance to see those people’s faces,” Xi Linxuan replied.
The next day, during the regular court session, Xi Linxuan wasn’t wearing official robes, and Wei Linxia was in her palace attire, waiting in the side hall, listening to the drum music and the distinctive long tones of the ministers from the main hall.
“If I’m not mistaken, the elder has reached retirement age.”
