If Ah Jiao had any worries, they undoubtedly centered on Liu Che’s suspicious and speculative nature.
Although Liu Che claimed he did not entirely believe Qiu Zhuang’s words, he had clearly taken some of them to heart. Ah Jiao smiled and asked, "I simply wonder who this Mister Qiu Zhuang is? To think he could earn so much of Che’er’s trust!"
Liu Che watched as Ah Jiao tilted her head slightly, carefully trying to read his expression. He couldn't help but sigh. "It is not that I believe him. Rather, it is your actions these past few days that have invited suspicion."
Ah Jiao was stunned.
Liu Che chuckled. "Jiao Jiao, do you realize that lately, you are always studying me? In the past, whenever you committed a fault, you would look at the Grand Empress Dowager and my aunt with that exact same expression, trying to gauge their moods."
Ah Jiao: "..." *Did I?*
As if reading her mind, the smile on Liu Che’s face deepened. "You did."
Ah Jiao replied sheepishly, "Che’er, what are you talking about?"
Liu Che shifted into a more comfortable, half-reclining position. "Perhaps you no longer remember. Jiao Jiao, I find this matter quite amusing. Do you know why I am laughing?"
Ah Jiao shook her head honestly. She had never been able to accurately guess Liu Che’s thoughts, let alone now.
Liu Che tapped the table rhythmically. "I am laughing because you have forgotten so many things from the past, yet I still remember them." It was she who should have remembered everything clearly, yet she was the one who had forgotten; he was the one who should have moved on, yet in the end, he was the one who remained brooding over it.
Ah Jiao: "..." She seemed to understand. It was still because Liu Che had absorbed her mortal essence two years ago. She hadn't expected that—had it helped her or hindered her?
Seeing the mix of realization and melancholy on her face, Liu Che felt a bit more satisfied. He continued, "But what I find most suspicious is..." He raised his eyes and stared fixedly at her.
Puzzled, Ah Jiao stared back.
Liu Che said, "It is that you have not been grieving."
"What?" Ah Jiao’s expression changed drastically.
Liu Che gave a dry chuckle. "You did indeed startle me that day. But after I calmed down for a few days, I felt that something was wrong. You are too peaceful. In the entire palace, aside from Li Yan, whom you threw into the Palace Prison, you haven't punished a single person. This does not fit your character."
Ah Jiao felt her heart tremble. She struggled to maintain her composure, saying in a level voice, "It is just that over these years, my temperament has grown more... tranquil."
"Tranquil? Perhaps for others, but could you truly restrain yourself from killing Li Yan? Or are you saying that only a few days after losing a child, you would have the interest to go out for a stroll?"
Ah Jiao wanted to cry out in her heart: *Mother, please take me back! Liu Che is getting more difficult to deal with as he gets older!*
"Furthermore, in a situation like this, you didn't throw a tantrum or make a scene. Instead, you are constantly forcing yourself to remain calm. That in itself is wrong. Jiao Jiao, your character has indeed made progress!" Liu Che stood up and returned to his desk before adding, "Think carefully about how you will explain this to me. Go back now. I will visit Yunguang Hall tonight."
Ah Jiao pinched the web of her right hand with her left to steady herself before slowly standing up. "Then... I shall wait for Che’er at Yunguang Hall." She turned to leave.
"Stop calling me Che’er!" the Emperor’s voice drifted into her ears. The woman at the doorway swayed slightly, paused for a moment, and then continued walking out.
***
That evening, when the eunuchs carried the Emperor’s palanquin to Yunguang Hall, only the palace maids were waiting outside.
Liu Che glanced at Yu Li, who had been "ill" for a long time, a trace of a smile appearing in his eyes. "Where is the Lady?"
Yu Li, leading Mian Fu and Nan Ke with a solemn demeanor, replied, "To answer Your Majesty, the Lady said she is feeling somewhat unwell and is resting in the bedchamber."
Liu Che nodded and walked toward the bedchamber. After that scene in the afternoon, if Ah Jiao could comfortably come to see him now, then he would be the one feeling "unwell."
Inside the bedchamber, the bed curtains were tightly drawn. Liu Che took one look and walked straight behind the four-fold screen carved with simurghs and flowers. Yu Li and the others silently helped the Emperor change his clothes, not daring to disturb their mistress.
Once changed, the heavy outer curtains were lowered. Liu Che dismissed the servants and walked alone toward the large bed.
A charcoal brazier sat by the bedside. Liu Che frowned at the mound under the covers; a corner of the quilt had fallen to the floor. If a spark jumped from the brazier, it would surely catch fire.
Lifting the quilt, Liu Che kicked the brazier aside. Sure enough, a few small sparks popped out.
Only then did Ah Jiao turn her head. Expressionlessly, she snatched the quilt back from Liu Che’s hand and smoothed it out neatly.
Liu Che pressed her back down. "Don't get up. Stay lying down, or you'll catch a cold."
Ah Jiao shrank back into the quilt, only poking her head out to look around. The thick curtains had been lowered; there was likely no one else in the hall.
The Emperor sat on the bed, nudged Ah Jiao further inward with his foot, and then lay down on the outside. Ah Jiao opened her mouth to speak but ultimately remained silent.
The palace rule had always been that the Emperor slept on the inside, while the consort serving him slept on the outside to make it easier for her to rise and attend to him during the night.
For someone like Ah Jiao, who always just fell asleep on her own... Liu Che reflected that no one else treated him this way. "The explanation I asked you to think of—have you prepared it?"
"No," Ah Jiao replied stiffly. She retreated further into the quilt and then tried to push Liu Che away. "You haven't even washed up. How can you just climb into bed?"
Liu Che reached out and slapped both of her hands sharply. Only after seeing two red marks quickly appear on her jade-white skin did he speak. "Behave yourself. I won't indulge your whims."
Seeing Ah Jiao lie back down quietly, Liu Che removed his outer and middle robes and lay down beside her.
Ah Jiao had been nestled in bed for a while, so she was warm all over. Holding her was like holding a bed warmer. He pulled her closer. "What were you doing after you returned? Did you not listen to a word I said?"
Ah Jiao, annoyed by his tight grip, struggled slightly to create some space. "What you said was merely to scare me. Why should I have to explain anything?"
Liu Che looked down at the woman in his arms and gave a cold chuckle. "You’ve certainly grown better at quibbling! Jiao Jiao, I know you. I know exactly what kind of person you are."
"Then why don't you tell me? What kind of person am I?"
The hall fell silent for a moment before Liu Che’s voice rang out: "A fool."
It was one thing to be seen through once, but to have it happen twice—what was that if not stupidity? The Ah Jiao of the past had a bit of cleverness, but only a bit; he had never taken it seriously. Now, perhaps because she had been locked away in Longmen Palace for too long, she seemed increasingly ignorant of the ways of the world.
There was even a faint hint of disdain in her! Liu Che didn't know where this disdain came from, so he could only temporarily attribute it to her "rebirth" miracle.
When Ah Jiao was Empress, she at least knew how to manage the inner palace and win over or place her confidants in various palace offices. This time, since her return, she had blatantly offended Princess Dangli, marginalized Lady Xing, and even mocked Lady Wei in public.
Utterly foolish! If he hadn't protected her out of consideration for the devotion she once showed him, she wouldn't have been able to act so recklessly in Weiyang Palace for this long.
Thinking this, Liu Che felt a bit more at ease. Although Ah Jiao’s origins had been verified by the City God, he didn't dare trust her completely. After all, he didn't believe she was entirely without resentment.
To be confined in Longmen Palace for over a decade, only to faint upon hearing of her mother’s death and brother’s passing, leading to a lingering illness—Liu Che felt that if it were him, he would want to tear the people responsible for such a plight into ten thousand pieces.
Yet Ah Jiao remained quiet, as if she held no grudge at all. She didn't even like to bring up the past. This made him uneasy—this was not how the simple Chen Ah Jiao should behave.
So, when she showed dissatisfaction toward the Crown Prince, and even solemnly expressed a desire to bear a son and a craving for the position of Crown Prince, Liu Che actually felt much more relieved.
As for the fake pregnancy—Ah Jiao had shown unusual interest in Lady Yan since their time at the Shanglin Forest. He suspected she wanted to pull a bait-and-switch, taking Lady Yan’s son as her own to use him in a power struggle against Lady Wei for the succession.
As an Emperor, Liu Che did not fear ambitious people in his court or harem, but he disliked those he could not control. If Ah Jiao’s goal was clearly the position of Crown Prince, he could still show her some leniency and let bygones be bygones.
He also knew that in her "past life," Ah Jiao had truly suffered for lack of a son—though he felt that with her current intellect, methods, and background, she was no match for Liu Ju, who was supported by the Wei family.
However, letting the Crown Prince, who had been raised in a bed of roses, learn a few lessons wouldn't be a bad thing.
Ah Jiao remained silent for a long time, the word "fool" echoing in her mind.
*That bastard Liu Che, so that’s how he sees me. Fool? You’re the fool! When you get to the Underworld, I’ll make sure you know what true idiocy is!*
*When you, a man who dreams of becoming an immortal every day, arrive in the Underworld, you’ll learn that times have changed,* Ah Jiao thought indignantly. She snapped, "You’re the smart one, aren't you? That’s why you were swindled by Li Shaoweng and Luan Da one after another, losing both your money and your daughter!"
Liu Che’s face darkened. He flipped over, pulled Ah Jiao into his arms, and hooked his elbow around her neck, saying menacingly, "Say that again."
"Pah! You’re the fool!"
"You never learn!" Liu Che pinned her down. Resentful, Ah Jiao reached out and began to pinch and scratch the Emperor fiercely.
"You are! Are you afraid of people saying it? Liu Che, you made a mistake and you just won't admit it!" Ah Jiao thought to herself that at worst, she would just switch bodies; in a month, she’d be a hero again!
Liu Che gave a dry laugh, grabbed a soft pillow from the side, and smothered it over Ah Jiao’s face!
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 暴室 | Palace Prison | Literally "Linen Room" or "Drying Room," a place where palace women were sent for punishment or forced labor. |
| 玉鲤 | Yu Li | Ah Jiao's palace maid. |
| 棉凫 | Mian Fu | Ah Jiao's palace maid. |
| 南客 | Nan Ke | Ah Jiao's palace maid. |
| 鸾抱花四叠屏 | Luan-embracing-flower four-fold screen | A decorative screen featuring the Luan (a mythical bird similar to a phoenix). |
| 汤婆子 | Bed warmer | A traditional metal or ceramic vessel filled with hot water used to warm a bed. |
| 李少翁 | Li Shaoweng | A historical necromancer who claimed he could summon the ghost of Emperor Wu's favorite concubine. |
| 栾大 | Luan Da | A historical occultist and medium who gained great favor with Emperor Wu before being executed. |
| 当利 | Dangli | Referring to Princess Dangli, a daughter of Emperor Wu. |
| 刑氏 | Lady Xing | One of the Emperor's consorts (Xing Furen). |
| 卫氏 | Lady Wei | Referring to Wei Zifu, the Empress, or the Wei family. |
| 刘据 | Liu Ju | The Crown Prince, son of Emperor Wu and Wei Zifu. |
| 颜美人 / 颜氏 | Lady Yan / Lady of the Yan clan | Also referred to as Li Yan (李妍) in this text; a concubine. |
| 上林苑 | Shanglin Forest | The imperial hunting grounds/park. |
| 偷天换日 | Bait-and-switch | Idiom: "To steal the sky and change the sun," meaning a daring deception. |
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