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?
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!!
...