Wei Qing coaxed A'jiao for a few more moments until an attendant from Xuanshi Hall arrived to report, "His Majesty says he will take his evening meal at Qingliang Hall and requests the Marquis to join him."
Wei Qing accepted the decree and sat back down, content to continue amusing the child.
Once Song Zhen had finished brewing the medicine, he personally sent someone to deliver the decoction. As a child, A'jiao had taken a great deal of medicine to regulate her stomach, which had left her with a profound dread of it in her adult years. Now, she began to make every excuse possible. "I'll be good, I just don't want to drink it!" she cried, burying herself completely under the covers.
"What are you doing?"
"Your Majesty!" Everyone rose to greet him.
Wei Qing smiled. "The child is afraid of the bitterness and refuses her medicine."
Liu Che walked over and picked up the bowl to sniff it. With one hand, he hauled A'jiao out from under the quilt, tucked her into his arms, pinched her jaw, and poured the liquid straight down her throat.
A'jiao cried so hard that tears instantly burst from her eyes.
Wei Qing felt this was perhaps too rough a way to treat a child, but alas, the man was the Emperor.
"Urgh!" A'jiao leaned over Liu Che and began to retch, actually managing to bring up a bit of the medicine.
Liu Che: "..."
Yang Deyi hurried over with a handkerchief to wipe Liu Che's robes, but the stain remained.
Liu Che irritably set A'jiao aside and stood up, pointing a finger at her. "You... you... how insolent!"
Wei Qing quickly pleaded on her behalf. "Your Majesty, the child is young and lacked decorum, but it was not intentional. I beg Your Majesty to show her some leniency."
Liu Che shook out his robes and allowed Yang Deyi to attend him in the side chamber to change.
A'jiao wrinkled her nose and pouted at Wei Qing. "Grand-uncle Emperor is so mean! I don't like him!"
Wei Qing felt a headache coming on. He could only say sternly, "Be good, A'jiao. You must never say such things again! Do you understand?"
"No!" A'jiao buried her head back into the quilt. That bastard Liu Che had pinched her face so hard it stung; she wondered if it had turned red.
Wei Qing: "..."
When Liu Che returned after changing, he saw A'jiao with the quilt pulled over her head again. He remembered that the old A'jiao used to love doing this; her aunt had scolded her many times, but she could never break the habit.
"Serve the meal. Bring a cup of honey water for her to rinse her mouth."
Only then did A'jiao sluggishly emerge.
Guo Dun carried A'jiao out, while Yang Deyi led the Chief of the Imperial Larder in arranging the dishes.
Whether it was by Liu Che’s specific order or because the kitchens had adjusted the menu for a child, the table before her was set with light, delicate dishes.
Liu Che and Wei Qing chatted as they ate. Having been away from politics for so long, A'jiao could only gather that they were discussing plans for Loulan.
"Since Your Majesty wishes to lead an expedition against Loulan, do you have a suitable general in mind?"
"How about you?" Liu Che picked up a piece of bamboo fungus with his chopsticks and smiled.
"This subject is naturally willing to go." Wei Qing swirled his wine cup, feeling a slight touch of intoxication. If he could leave Chang'an now, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad—besides, he felt he was getting older. If he didn't move soon, he feared it would be too late.
Liu Che laughed loudly. "Rest easy, Zhongqing. You must remain in the capital to complete your marriage to Sister Pingyang. This time, I have someone else in mind."
Wei Qing paused. After a long moment, he asked, "Who does Your Majesty deem appropriate?"
"What about Zhao Ponu?"
"Good!" Wei Qing drained his cup in one gulp. "Good! Very good!"
"Drink less," A'jiao called out, seeing Wei Qing gulping the wine so urgently. *Wei Qing, keep it together. I still have to rely on you for now!*
"Hmm? It's fine, let him drink!" Liu Che stood up, walked to Wei Qing's side, and poured him another cup. "Zhao Ponu followed you and Qubing back then. I... I trust him!"
*Tsk, tsk, tsk!* A'jiao watched this scene and calmly took a bite of green vegetables.
"Your Majesty." Yu Li suddenly entered carrying a food box and bowed. "Lady Xing of Huicao Hall has specifically asked Suoyue to bring several dishes for the Lady of Huikang. She said the Fifth Prince and Princess Run specifically requested it."
"Bring them here for a look." Liu Che walked back to A'jiao's side. Yu Li placed the dishes from the box onto A'jiao’s small table: egg rolls, fried milk pastries, a dish of fruit jam, and a bowl of fresh bamboo shoot and old duck soup. At the very bottom of the box was a bowl of hot water.
They were all things a child would love to eat.
"Lady Xing is thoughtful." Liu Che pinched an egg roll with his fingers to taste it and nodded. "The food from her small kitchen is indeed well-made."
A'jiao gave Liu Che’s hand a look of disdain. She used her chopsticks to pick up an egg roll; the outside was a soft, steamed egg skin, wrapped around fresh venison. She didn't know what spices had been added, but there was no hint of gaminess. It was indeed excellent.
The food was good, and the woman was clever. Sending food in the name of the princess allowed her to show her face before the Emperor without appearing calculated, while also making the prince and princess seem friendly. If the gesture was well-received, all the better; even if the Emperor disapproved, it would be dismissed as nothing more than a child's whim.
Liu Che pinched a piece of fried milk pastry before sauntering back to his seat. Pointing to the shark fin and crab roe soup on his table, he said, "Send this to the Fifth Prince and the others."
Yang Deyi picked up the dish, and someone took it to the outer room to pack it into a food box.
***
Whether it was because she had eaten a few too many egg rolls or fried milk pastries that evening, A'jiao’s stomach felt bloated, and she tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
There were no clothes for her in Qingliang Hall, and the new garments from the Weaving House had not yet arrived. Wei Qing had also forgotten to bring her clothes from the Wei estate.
Fortunately, Lady Xing had thoughtfully sent over several sets of Liu Run’s newly made, unworn clothes.
A'jiao kept her eyes closed, unsure if she couldn't sleep because she was overstuffed or because she was back in Weiyang Palace.
"Oh my, you're still awake!"
A'jiao sat up, only to see the bed curtains fly up on their own and hook themselves neatly onto the frames.
"Lord Yunhe! Lord Qi! Lord Yuandeng! Why are you here? Has something major happened?" A'jiao was nervous. For the past few years, only Yuandeng had come for periodic checks. Why were so many here today, especially Yunhe, the one in charge?
Yunhe sat down on the edge of the bed with an air of familiarity. "It's not a major event, but something has indeed happened to you. This... that lover-emperor of yours, what was his name again..."
Yuandeng reminded him promptly, "Liu Che."
"No, he's not my lover. We cut ties long ago!" A'jiao explained hurriedly.
"Ah, that's not important. Liu Che—it's not that you're in trouble, it's that he is."
"What could possibly be wrong with him? I saw him today; he can eat, drink, and sleep just fine!" *And he can still plot against people!*
"Haven't you noticed? Every time he sees you, he gets dizzy."
"Well... if he can't stand the sight of me, there's nothing I can do..."
"No, no, no. Qi Wuyi, you explain." Yunhe waved his hands frantically.
Qi Wuyi said, "Miss Chen, do you remember when you were injured by Hongsang?"
A'jiao nodded. How could she forget? She had nearly lost her life!
"At that time, you had just returned to the Underworld from the mortal realm. You were covered in mortal aura that hadn't been properly cleansed when you were blasted, damaging your soul and leaving you in a trance. Remember?"
Yunhe grew impatient. "Just get to the point!"
"Fine. At that time, I cast a spell to cleanse the mortal aura from your body completely. Who knew those traces of aura would drift all the way from the Underworld back to the mortal realm and attach themselves directly to the person most closely connected to you?"
"You mean... Liu Che?" A'jiao was stunned.
"Exactly. ╮(╯_╰)╭ And then, those traces of mortal aura that scattered from your body carried a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of Underworld spiritual energy. It stimulated Liu Che, making him remember his past with you with absolute clarity."
"Heh, I didn't expect that of Liu Che... cough, Lord Qi, I mean, that's not so bad, is it?" A'jiao touched her face. No wonder Liu Che had spoken of the past with such detail today; she had mistakenly thought he actually remembered on his own!
Qi Wuyi continued, "If it were just that, it would be fine. But you just had to return to the mortal realm. This mortal aura was, after all, stripped from your soul. When it sees you, it naturally wants to rush back into your body. Consequently, it tugs at Liu Che's soul, which is why he gets dizzy the moment he sees you."
"...Then why did it go to Liu Che? There are so many people in this world."
"Firstly, because you were closely related by blood in your past lives. Secondly, and most importantly, the emotions associated with him in your memories were too intense. These traces of aura naturally sought out the person most familiar to them in the mortal world."
"...So it's my fault for thinking about him!" A'jiao grumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. I said he deserves it. But will there be any negative consequences for me?"
"None for you, but there are for him. If this continues long-term, his soul will be damaged, leading to a premature end to his lifespan. This violates the rules of the Underworld. Therefore, Lord Yunhe brought us here today to extract those traces of aura and stuff them back into you."
Yunhe looked solemn. "Yes, exactly. After all, our cycle of reincarnation cannot cause such harm to mortals. Alright, I shall now cast a spell to draw out your soul. You're coming with us!"
A ball of silver light emanated from Yunhe’s fingertip, slowly expanding until it enveloped her. A'jiao closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she felt weightless once more.
Her physical body began to slump backward. She reached out to steady it, but her hands passed right through the flesh.
Only then did Yuandeng reach out to support the body, gently laying it on the bed and pulling up the quilt. It looked exactly as if she were asleep.
"Now, let me see where your lover is!" Yunhe declared with a grand wave of his hand.
***
