The Cloud Light Hall was even quieter than usual tonight. When the imperial carriage arrived at the gates, Liu Che, supported by Yang Deyi, knocked on the door himself.
A moment later, the heavy gates creaked open. A young eunuch poked his head out, but upon seeing who it was, he snapped wide awake. He flung the doors open and knelt directly in the snow.
Liu Che stepped inside. The wind howled, and the lanterns, covered in plain white silk, could not withstand such a gale; they flickered out one by one. Liu Che walked toward Ah Jiao’s bedchamber, his footsteps heavy. He noticed that the lights inside the hall were still burning.
With a soft *creak*, he pushed the door open.
"Who is it?" Mianfu’s voice rang out.
Liu Che remained silent, and no one else dared to answer.
"What is it?" Ah Jiao’s low voice followed.
"I’ll go see. Nanke, watch over Her Ladyship." The sound of light footsteps approached.
For some reason, Liu Che suddenly turned and walked back out. Mianfu watched the Emperor’s retreating figure with a look of confusion. She sighed and closed the door.
Ah Jiao pulled her quilt tighter and sat up. "What happened? Who was it?"
"It was His Majesty!" Mianfu said, watching Ah Jiao’s expression carefully, fearing her mistress would be upset.
"My Lady... why didn't His Majesty come in? *Sigh*..." Mianfu lamented.
Ah Jiao gave a faint smile. "It’s nothing. Don't worry. For the next few days... His Majesty won't be coming here."
"Why? After all... My Lady has just suffered a miscarriage. How could His Majesty not come to visit?" Mianfu and Nanke helped Ah Jiao lie back down and drew the heavy curtains shut.
Ah Jiao chuckled twice but said no more. Given the words she had thrown at him earlier, Liu Che was likely fuming with indignation. He wouldn't have the face to show himself here for a while.
She had simply torn away the mask he worked so hard to maintain. Liu Che simply couldn't handle it. He wasn't a man of deep affection, yet he couldn't bear others calling him fickle and heartless. It was practically a sickness!
Ah Jiao thought resentfully, wondering what her next move should be. She wanted to take Yan Zheng to Changmen Palace and return only after the girl had safely given birth. But—how was she to take Yan Zheng away?
The more Ah Jiao thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
***
To facilitate the production of paper, Liu Che had specially established a papermaking workshop near Baling. He created the post of Director of Paper Procurement, appointing Lin Gao to the position and further honoring him as a Palace Attendant.
During these days, Lin Gao first went to the local government office to collect his newly granted "Free Citizen" status. Then, after properly bidding farewell to the Chen household, he moved his elderly parents, wife, and children to a residence next to the papermaking workshop.
As Lin Gao scouted the area, he realized that this place was actually not far from the legendary Changmen Palace—only a few miles away.
Watching Chen Xuan, who was currently jumping about leading a group of laborers to sort various grasses and leaves, Lin Gao couldn't quite understand why Lady Chen in the palace had gone out of her way to petition the Emperor to secure such a minor post for this Lord Zhaoping.
Although the newly established Director of Paper Procurement was a respectable office with a salary of six hundred *dan*, in Lin Gao's eyes, the high-ranking nobility usually looked down on such positions. Furthermore, Chen Xuan was only an Assistant Director, with a rank of a mere four hundred *dan*. His annual salary likely wasn't enough to cover a single day of his usual extravagance.
The papermaking workshop was staffed by one Director, four Assistants, and six Lieutenants. Aside from Chen Xuan, Lin Gao didn't know any of them. However, Lady Chen had sent a private letter telling him not to be reserved—he was to work Chen Xuan as he saw fit. If funds ran low, he was to go "cry poverty" to both the Emperor and Chen Xuan.
Thus, on his first day in office, Lin Gao clutched the Emperor’s letter and put on a grand display of weeping before Chen Xuan. In response, Lord Zhaoping simply patted his shoulder and somehow sourced dozens of craftsmen from somewhere. With great fervor, he set about constructing the official offices and the workshop itself.
"Lin Gao, Lin Gao! Something has happened!" Chen Xuan came running in, breathless.
Lin Gao, the Director of Paper Procurement, greeted his "God of Wealth" with a beaming smile. "What is it?"
"Something happened in the palace! I just received letters from my mother and Yi'an. They say Lady Chen’s imperial offspring is gone!" Chen Xuan wiped the sweat from his brow and handed over the bamboo slips he was clutching.
His minor post as Assistant Director had been specifically requested by Lady Chen. Although he looked down on such petty officialdom—as did his mother and Yi'an—Yi'an felt he should take the post, and his mother said he couldn't go against his uncle the Emperor’s wishes.
So, he had come! Once he arrived, he found that this Director surnamed Lin was incredibly poor. Lin came to him for everything—from hiring craftsmen to build houses to hiring laborers to gather plants in the wilderness. Since Lin had to rely on him for everything, Chen Xuan didn't find this four hundred *dan* subordinate position so repulsive anymore.
"What?!" Lin Gao was shocked. He read the bamboo slips carefully, thinking to himself that these twists and turns were far too dramatic. Could it be that Lady Chen had taken his advice, aborted the child herself to gain the Emperor’s sympathy, and nearly "ruined" the future Consort Li in the process?
After reading it several times, Lin Gao adopted a profound expression. "This is not something we should be discussing!"
Chen Xuan scratched his head. "But... Lady Chen helped me. She even got me this job. She’s just too pitiful!"
Lin Gao was also puzzled as to why Lady Chen was helping Chen Xuan so much, but out of trust for his partner, he said, "If Lord Zhaoping is concerned for Lady Chen, why not have the Grand Princess and Princess Yi'an go to the palace to visit her? They could bring some gifts as a gesture of sympathy."
Chen Xuan clapped his hands in agreement. "You're right. I'll write back immediately." The Chen family didn't have much, but they had plenty of money. He would have his mother and Chun'er send plenty of things to Lady Chen as a token of gratitude.
Before long, a messenger on horseback carried the reply Chen Xuan had written under Lin Gao’s guidance back to Chang'an.
Princess Longlü and Princess Yi'an, as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, weren't exactly on bad terms, but they weren't close either. Furthermore, after the recent disaster at the Shanglin Park, Liu Qi harbored resentment. Thus, after her son moved to Baling for his new post, she had returned to the Longlü Princess Manor alone.
Yi'an was even less inclined to stay at the Zhaoping Manor and face Chen Xuan’s concubines, so she had happily returned to her own princess manor. Had it not been for the sudden news of Lady Chen’s miscarriage, she wouldn't have set foot in the Longlü Princess Manor.
When the reply arrived from the Baling workshop, Yi'an read it and paid a second visit to her mother-in-law. Longlü was quite interested in this Lady Chen, who had made her brother disregard palace rules to acknowledge the child in her womb.
Setting aside past grievances, the two women carefully selected a variety of gifts and entered the palace together.
Following protocol, they first went to the Pepper Chamber Hall to offer a few words of lamentation to Empress Wei before turning toward the Cloud Light Hall.
At that moment, Ah Jiao was nestled in bed talking to Yan Zheng. Yan Zheng did not know the miscarriage was a ruse. Because she was pregnant herself, she had quickly projected her own fears onto the situation and her eyes were red from crying.
A group of people in the hall surrounded her, trying to persuade her to take care of herself. Ah Jiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry and could only join in the effort to soothe her.
When Liu Qi and Liu Chun were led into the hall by the palace attendants, they saw Ah Jiao holding Yan Zheng’s hand and wiping away her tears.
Seeing them enter, Yan Zheng hurriedly stood up. Liu Qi walked straight to Ah Jiao’s side and sat down. She felt as though she could still faintly smell the scent of blood in the air, which brought a wave of sorrow. She sighed, "You poor thing... how could such a thing happen when everything was going so well?"
Ah Jiao was surprised that Liu Qi had brought Liu Chun to see her specifically, so she had to muster her energy to converse with them. When she heard that Liu Che had not yet visited the Cloud Light Hall, Liu Qi became even more confused.
She had heard that the Emperor’s rewards were flowing into the Cloud Light Hall like a river, yet why was there no visit? Liu Qi pondered this silently, though her face showed nothing. It wasn't until dinner time that the two women took their leave.
Upon exiting the Cloud Light Hall, they changed direction and headed for the Warm Room Hall.
Yang Deyi rubbed his eyes and stepped lightly to Liu Che’s side. "Your Majesty, it is time for dinner." Today, the Emperor had only eaten a little in the early morning and had only a bowl of porridge at noon. Normally, he would have been starving by now.
Hearing this, Liu Che put down his official documents, stretched his aching neck, and looked up. The winter days were short; at this hour, both inside and outside were shrouded in a hazy gray.
He touched his stomach. It was empty, yet he didn't feel particularly hungry. "Serve the meal!" Liu Che stood up, but he stumbled, feeling as though his entire body was limp and devoid of strength.
Yang Deyi hurried to support him. After moving a few steps, Liu Che’s head spun. His chest felt as though it were filled with a foul, stagnant air, making him incredibly uncomfortable.
"Ugh!"
The Emperor began to retch. Yang Deyi was terrified. He quickly called for the palace attendants and ordered someone to summon the Imperial Physician General.
Seeing the people rushing in and out of the Warm Room Hall, Liu Qi grabbed a maid and asked, "What is happening?"
The maid steadied herself, gave a respectful bow, and said, "His Majesty is unwell. Master Yang is sending for the Imperial Physician General." Before she could finish, the two princesses were already hurrying inside.
Liu Che retched for a long time. Nothing came up, but the effort forced tears from his eyes. Yang Deyi was carefully wiping the Emperor’s mouth with a handkerchief when he saw the two princesses enter.
Ignoring the formalities of a greeting, Liu Qi rushed to Liu Che’s side to support him, her own tears falling. "Your Majesty, what is wrong?"
Liu Che clutched the handkerchief and retched twice more before finally looking up to see who it was. "Sister... why have you brought Yi'an into the palace?"
Liu Chun stepped forward to the other side and began gently rubbing the Emperor’s back to soothe his breathing. "We heard that Lady Chen... had a miscarriage. Mother and I remembered how she helped our family before, so we came to visit. We didn't expect... Father, what is wrong with you?"
Liu Che took a few sips of warm water and exhaled a long breath of stagnant air. Only then did the nausea begin to fade. "It is nothing! You were right to visit her... it is good that you did... Is she... is she well?"
Liu Qi frowned slightly. "She is still confined to her bed. I heard Your Majesty had not visited, and I thought... it turns out Your Majesty is also ill."
Liu Che leaned weakly against the armrest. "I want to see her too, but sister, you don't know... she... *sigh*!" He could only end with a heavy sigh.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 采纸令 | Director of Paper Procurement | A newly created official post in charge of the papermaking workshop. |
| 林皋 | Lin Gao | The protagonist's associate, now the Director of Paper Procurement. |
| 采纸丞 | Assistant Director of Paper Procurement | A subordinate rank in the papermaking workshop. |
| 昭平君 | Lord Zhaoping | Title of Chen Xuan, the son of Princess Longlü. |
| 陈选 | Chen Xuan | The name of Lord Zhaoping. |
| 隆虑 | Longlü | Refers to Princess Longlü (Liu Qi). |
| 刘玘 | Liu Qi | The personal name of Princess Longlü. |
| 夷安 | Yi'an | Refers to Princess Yi'an (Liu Chun). |
| 刘淳 | Liu Chun | The personal name of Princess Yi'an. |
| 淳儿 | Chun'er | Affectionate nickname for Liu Chun. |
| 霸陵 | Baling | A location near Chang'an, site of the new papermaking workshop. |
| 良籍 | Free Citizen status | Official registration as a commoner/free person rather than a slave or bondservant. |
| 秩 | Rank/Salary | Refers to the official pay grade measured in *dan* (bushels of grain). |
| 太医令 | Imperial Physician General | The head of the imperial medical staff. |
| 凭几 | Armrest | A low stool or frame used for leaning while sitting on the floor/mat. |
