It snowed yesterday.
Today is even colder.
The temperature has plummeted.
It feels like it dropped about twenty degrees in just one day.
But today is the day of the morning court session.
Even the old Emperor has to get out of bed.
With morning court held once every ten days, the Emperor can't really cancel it on a whim.
It's already quite absurd as it is.
The Emperor didn't sleep well last night.
Hui Yun had actually returned to the Princess's Palace.
He didn't know why.
In his old age, he no longer had those strange feelings towards Hui Yun.
In fact, he had become quite indifferent to female charms now.
Even the most beautiful concubines in the harem were just so-so in his eyes.
Of course, the young newcomers would look better than the older ones.
With the most beautiful women in the world at his disposal, he had actually grown tired of it all.
His heart didn't stir, let alone anything else.
Now, cultivating the Dao and engaging in intellectual discussions were more interesting than bedding concubines.
It was partly a case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak, or rather, he no longer had those kinds of emotions - they had faded.
He had his moments of absurdity in the past. Even at the height of his desires, he hadn't spared the wives of his officials.
Some officials had offered their wives, and they were still in his harem now.
Though outrageous, it was consensual.
He never forced anyone, priding himself on being a gentleman even in his absurdity.
But no one in the world was like Princess Hui Yun.
She was different.
She was the only princess.
He hadn't seen her for many years.
He was afraid to see her, such a beautiful woman who loved beauty - he couldn't bear to see her disfigured.
But if the Emperor knew the term "moonlight," he would understand what Hui Yun was to him.
In this world, she was the unique, unattainable woman.
The so-called moonlight.
Thinking of her still kept him awake at night, hearing her name still made his heart beat differently.
The old Emperor couldn't sleep.
Who could understand?
The Princess's Palace was right next to the Imperial Palace.
Because of his favoritism towards Princess Hui Yun, there was even a direct gate.
Princess Hui Yun could enter and leave the palace at will.
But the Emperor felt awkward about going to the Princess's Palace.
He was very generous to Princess Hui Yun, giving her whatever she wanted, and even what she didn't want.
It had become a habit.
But Hui Yun's sudden return had left him tossing and turning.
He was old. He could clearly feel that he had aged.
He enjoyed watching others perform in plays. In recent years, he would even take the stage himself occasionally, and when in high spirits, he might even dance a few steps with props.
But ever since he suddenly threw out his back half a year ago, he had become very cautious and hadn't danced casually since.
A fear of aging and illness from the depths of his heart assailed him.
Making him take his medicinal pills more regularly each day.
But even the pills couldn't solve his insomnia problem.
The Emperor didn't know why Hui Yun had returned. Was she ill? Or something else?
He could easily find out news about Hui Yun, but since the last time she got angry and told him not to pry, he had complied.
Perhaps he was no longer absurd now, and wouldn't have those strange emotions anymore, but the woman he cared about most in this life was still Hui Yun. Her name was the first to come to his lips.
Well, the Emperor thought, if Hui Yun needed anything, she would come to him tomorrow.
Despite this reasoning, he still couldn't sleep well.
Dawn would bring the morning court session.
He looked even older than ten days ago.
But the attending eunuchs were well-trained, not showing a hint of unusual expression, maintaining gentle smiles as they meticulously dressed the Emperor and washed his face.
The Emperor wanted the morning court to end quickly so he could go see Hui Yun.
Hui Yun's sudden departure from the temple must mean something was up.
It was too cold.
This morning.
The moment the grand doors opened, even though he immediately entered his palanquin, he still felt the bone-chilling wind, making his knees ache with a sour pain.
The imperial crown was too heavy, giving him a slight headache.
...
It was a cold day.
Qin Luoxia got up early to help her husband dress.
She had him wear an undershirt made of soft wool from sheep's armpits that Mianmian had mentioned, then cotton clothes, and finally his official robes.
Over the official robes, she draped a large fur-collared cloak, ensuring he was warm from head to toe.
Today, Jiang Feng would also attend the morning court.
The young man, when dressed up, looked even more youthful and handsome.
The guard's uniform was more casual, allowing for ease of movement, quite dashing.
Seeing father and son standing together, Qin Luoxia suddenly realized that Feng had grown taller than his father.
For a moment, she felt both moved and wistful, her eyes reddening slightly.
She was proud.
There was no snow today, but the wind was strong.
"Sister Xia, quickly go inside. Feng and I will return right after the morning court. We'll pick up Mianmian, don't worry."
Before dawn, father and son left together in a carriage for work.
Everyone had gotten up earlier than usual because the snow made it difficult for carriages to travel.
Being late for morning court was not an option; being late for work meant a salary deduction, being late for morning court could mean losing one's head.
Other officials were also setting out from their homes one after another.
Every morning court session had undercurrents, seemingly the same as usual, but actually different.
...
On this day, it was too cold.
Older people often lack sleep.
Old Lady Jiang had woken up early, directing servants to do various tasks.
With people coming and going, the room had become somewhat chilly.
Jiang Wan had also risen early.
For some reason, she felt uneasy today, as if something was about to happen, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She just didn't feel quite right.
The last time her cousin had suddenly said he wanted to marry her, but recently he hadn't mentioned it again, as if he had forgotten his promise.
This left Jiang Wan feeling uncertain and anxious.
She had told herself from the beginning not to fall in love with Chu Xi, that Chu Xi was heartless, that Chu Xi cared far more about power than he did about her.
But in this second life, she knew her own capabilities.
As long as she cared deeply about someone and valued them, she could get a corresponding return.
At first, she was just pretending to admire her cousin.
As she acted the part, she began to believe it, thinking she truly admired her cousin. After a long time of pretending to be in love, she gradually forgot that she was acting.
...
Early in the morning.
The Princess dragged the little one out of bed, intending to broaden her horizons by teaching her to recognize and categorize various jewels and jade, at least so she wouldn't be fooled by vulgar items.
Mianmian was overwhelmed by the lesson, as everything looked more or less the same to her.
"Grandma, you're already a princess, and I'm already the beloved granddaughter of a princess, so why do I have to work so hard?" Mianmian looked at Princess Hui Yun, exasperated.
"Why work hard? I suppose it's so people don't call you a fool."
"Grandma, look at it this way: when we call someone a fool, we're actually having a positive impact on the world."
Princess Hui Yun: You foolish child...
Whew, I felt that positive impact!!
...
