The thirtieth day of the ninth month marked the final day of the year. During the day, Liu Che led his ministers in the front hall to perform the year-end rites, paying homage at the ancestral temple and offering sacrifices to Heaven.
Ah Jiao was loath to go out and cause an awkward scene, so she simply told Liu Che that the snow outside made her fearful of slipping. Knowing her thoughts, Liu Che granted her request to stay behind.
The ministers were feasted during the day, and a grand banquet was held within the palace at night.
In the end, Ah Jiao was still pulled along. The New Year’s banquet was set in the front hall of Weiyang Palace, a scene of magnificent grandeur. This year, Liu Dan, the Prince of Yan, and Liu Xu, the Prince of Guangling, had also been granted permission to return to the capital for the festivities.
Ah Jiao sat silently beside Liu Che, watching his three grown sons put on a display of brotherly affection while every word they spoke was laced with hidden blades.
Dog meat, braised goose palms, bamboo shoots, pickled mackerel, Marquis stew, dried venison, tripe jerky, sliced fish, frog legs, jade-platter delicacies, cucumbers, sliced sea bass, roasted pig, seven-treasure soup, watershield soup... Ah Jiao simply took a single bite of each dish before quietly sipping her honey water. She planned to take advantage of the second day of the tenth month—the day when commoner wives returned to their natal homes—to coax Liu Che into letting her visit the Chen estate so she could meet this Lin Gao.
Amidst the clinking of cups and the flow of wine, Ah Jiao watched the dances in the hall with interest. Unlike usual, the dances at the New Year’s banquet were prayers in motion, performed to entreat the heavens for favorable weather and national prosperity in the coming year.
In such a setting, even someone as mindless as Chen Xuan knew to behave himself. Suddenly, however, a man rose from his seat.
It was Wei Qing.
His rising was abrupt. As soon as a dance concluded, he left his seat, walked to the center of the hall, knelt, and kowtowed.
Puzzled, Liu Che smiled and asked, "Zhongqing, why so solemn? Do you have some auspicious words to offer Us?"
Everyone stared intently at Wei Qing. Ah Jiao suddenly noticed that the aura surrounding him was faint, as if his life force were nearing its end. She had heard that a few days ago, when the Emperor summoned Wei Qing to discuss provincial affairs, he had fainted right there in the Hall of Warmth. Had his illness truly become this severe?
Wei Qing remained in a formal kneel and spoke, "I, Wei Qing, was once a mere slave of lowly birth. By the grace of Heaven, I have reached this day... *cough, cough*... My days grow short, and I cannot hide it. I am plagued by a constant cough..."
Wei Qing was never a man of many words, yet today, before the assembled officials and noblewomen, he rambled on about the past and his illness. Such talk did not belong at a New Year’s banquet, yet at this moment, no one dared to interrupt him.
Ah Jiao turned to look at Liu Che. He sat bolt upright, his body tense, his hands clenched into fists upon his knees. His eyes were rimmed with red. Ah Jiao sighed and took his hand; the Emperor turned his head blankly and gently squeezed her hand in return.
Wei Zifu looked back, her gaze dimming before she forced herself to look forward again. Once, she had been the one sitting beside the Emperor, but now, she could only sit primly on the other side.
Wei Qing began to cough violently. He pulled out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and nose, wiped himself clean, and continued, "I know my life will not last much longer, and I dare not ask the Heavens for leniency. My three sons are grown and need no further concern. I have only two daughters; one died young, separated from me by the veil of death, and the other is still young and newly wed. She is frail and without support, a constant weight upon my heart..."
Ah Jiao looked down at the guests and realized that only Chen Shuo had attended the banquet today. Wei Yuan was not there!
"I implore Your Majesty to show a small measure of celestial grace and grant my daughter the title of Lady. I am willing to surrender three thousand households from my own fief of sixteen thousand seven hundred to be given to her, that she may have a means of self-preservation."
Ah Jiao’s heart skipped a beat. When Mianfu had returned to the Chen estate on the twenty-eighth, Ah Jiao learned that after returning from Shanglin Park, Wei Yuan had gone directly back to the Wei household with Wei Qing and had not returned since. The Chen family knew nothing else.
Wei Yuan had been married for five years and was nearly twenty. With three brothers, she could hardly be called "frail and without support." With this move, Wei Qing was practically cutting ties between the Wei and Chen families!
Liu Che’s grip suddenly tightened, hurting Ah Jiao’s hand. Since his rise to greatness, Wei Qing had never asked the Emperor for anything. On the contrary, he would often refuse the Emperor’s extraordinary favors, requesting instead that rewards be given according to protocol.
Today was the first time he had actively sought a title for his daughter!
Liu Che’s face remained expressionless.
Wei Qing remained kneeling stiffly in the hall. Seeing this, Wei Zifu’s face turned pale.
She hurriedly spoke up, "Marquis of Changping, today is the New Year’s banquet. Do not be reckless. Your health is poor; please, rise quickly."
Liu Che also nodded, saying, "The Empress is right. Your health is poor; rise! Crown Prince, go and help your uncle up." He made no mention of granting the title to Wei Yuan.
Hearing this, Liu Ju hurriedly rose and went to Wei Qing’s side to support him. "Uncle, the floor is cold. Please, stand up!"
But Wei Qing brushed Liu Ju’s hand away.
Liu Che’s expression immediately soured. Wei Qing coughed twice more, and Liu Ju cried out in alarm, "Imperial Father, Uncle is coughing blood!"
Liu Che’s brows knit tightly together. He said in a low voice, "Help him to the side hall and summon the Imperial Physician." Wei Qing still refused to move, but in his weakened state, he could not withstand the combined strength of the Crown Prince and his three sons. He was lead out dejectedly, and Chen Shuo, as his son-in-law, followed them.
In the Great Han, a woman’s title was usually derived from the merits of her father or brothers, earned through the achievements of her children, or granted by virtue of imperial blood.
In truth, given Wei Qing’s contributions, granting Wei Yuan the title of Lady was nothing. However, Liu Che disliked being coerced by merit in such a public setting.
The hall fell silent; no one dared to speak.
As the Emperor remained silent, the ministers could only follow suit. After a long while, Chancellor Shi Qing slowly rose and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, the Marquis of Changping’s military merits are illustrious. He is a diligent official and a humble man. Moreover, as he is now gravely ill, granting his daughter the title of Lady is... not impossible." In any case, the households would be carved out of the Marquis’s own fief; the Emperor wouldn't have to provide much extra.
Liu Che’s gaze swept coldly over the crowd, yet he still said nothing.
Once someone had started, others grew bold enough to stand. One after another, most spoke in support, yet Liu Che refused to state his position.
It wasn't until the Crown Prince returned with reddened eyes that Liu Che asked, "How is he?"
Liu Ju replied, "Physician Qin says he is stable for the moment, but... but..."
Liu Che stared directly at Liu Ju.
Liu Ju wept, "But he says that unless an immortal intervenes, Uncle only has a few days left."
A vein throbbed in Liu Che’s forehead; his mind was in a state of chaos. A few days ago, the Imperial Physician had already told him that Wei Qing’s health was failing and that he needed rest. If all went well, he might have been able to accompany the Emperor to admire the peach blossoms next spring.
Liu Che suddenly stood up. Ah Jiao, being held by him, was forced to stand as well. The Emperor seemed to have forgotten he was still holding her hand as he strode toward the side hall.
At the entrance of the side hall, Liu Che stopped abruptly and asked Ah Jiao, "Jiao Jiao, when do you think I will die?" He was suddenly terrified. Every time he watched someone close to him pass away, he felt a profound fear that one day, he too would fail.
From his father, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager, to Ah Jiao, to the former Lady Wang, Lady Li, and Consort Li, then to Liu Hong, Huo Qubing, and now Wei Qing...
Ah Jiao patted his back and comforted him, "Your Majesty is currently in good health and has a treasure to protect you. Do not think of such things."
...
Seeing Wei Qing lying there with barely a breath left, while Wei Zifu and Liu Ju knelt beside him in tears, Liu Che finally nodded. He enfeoffed Wei Yuan as Lady Yunchun with a fief of three thousand households, while the Marquis of Changping’s fief was reduced to thirteen thousand seven hundred households.
In the middle of the night, Liu Che curled himself into a ball and buried himself in Ah Jiao’s arms. Ah Jiao rhythmically patted his back, coaxing him to sleep.
But the Emperor could not sleep. He tossed and turned until Ah Jiao was nearly tempted to kick him out of bed.
In her daze, Ah Jiao felt a hand untie her *baofu* undergarment. Then, warm lips pressed against her, and the hand began to move lower.
Ah Jiao scrambled up in shock. The bedchamber was equipped with heated screens and charcoal braziers, so it wasn't cold. Liu Che also sat up, his hair disheveled, his eyes bright and shimmering. He pulled her back into his arms, his breath hitching. "Ah Jiao, Jiao Jiao, my dear... I am sad. Hold me." As he spoke, his hand began to exert pressure again.
Ah Jiao caught Liu Che’s hand and said gently, "Your Majesty, I am pregnant. It is not suitable for me to serve you." Besides, since the "Great One" was already in her womb and the news had been announced to everyone, she felt there was no need to force herself to sleep with this old Liu Che.
Liu Che drew closer again. "It’s fine. I will be careful."
Ah Jiao: "..." She dodged his hand and said, "If Your Majesty cannot sleep, how about I sing a song to soothe you?"
Liu Che stared at her. After a moment, his voice turned hoarse. "Jiao Jiao... *Qingqing*... tell me, how can I be as well as you?"
A sense of "as expected" surfaced in Ah Jiao’s heart. Since her return, Liu Che had never again mentioned the arts of rebirth or rejuvenation; she had thought he had matured. Then again, an Emperor—especially one like Liu Che—was not so weak as to be frightened into such a soulless state by someone’s impending death.
She smiled and said, "After I died, I experienced much pain before returning to the world of the living. Perhaps, Your Majesty, death..." She trailed off.
Liu Che leaned in and kissed her, smiling. "*Qingqing*, you love to talk nonsense! Let go of my hand. I have missed you for so long. The physician said your pregnancy is very stable; it will be fine!" Suddenly, a tear fell from his eye. "*Qingqing*, I am afraid of death. I truly am." He was terrified. The older he got, the more he feared it!
*Qingqing*? What kind of address was that? Ah Jiao was afraid Liu Che would start pulling at her again, so she began to edge off the bed. "Your Majesty, sit for a moment. I will go pour you some water."
Just as she turned, a body pressed against her. He was not being honest; Ah Jiao felt her clothes loosen, followed by a slight sensation of pain.
This body of "Chen Wan" had only served him three or four times, and it had been nearly a month since she was last touched. The suddenness made Ah Jiao gasp from the pain.
"Liu Che, get out!" Ah Jiao was angry!
"Jiao Jiao, be good. Didn't you say you wanted to be with me every moment, to be good to me forever?" Liu Che panted as he began to move slowly, pinning both of Ah Jiao’s hands behind her back.
"..." Ah Jiao slammed her body backward, forcing them apart. Those were the words spoken by the "Empress Chen" of the past. Once a person dies, they are like a lamp extinguished...
Liu Che fell back onto the bed, stunned for a moment before reacting with sudden indignation. "Chen Ajiao, have you gone mad!"
Ah Jiao lowered her head and composed herself. "I am merely thinking of my pregnancy. It is not suitable to serve. Why must Your Majesty make things difficult?"
Liu Che froze, then sighed. "Fine. Let us sleep. Tomorrow, I plan to visit Wei Qing. Will you come?" He lay down obediently.
Ah Jiao hesitated for a moment before walking over and lying down as well. "I will go. To accompany you."
***
