Yang Early Spring March, fine rain pattering down. On the night before Empress Dowager Mo's Thousand Autumn Festival, Ah Jiu braved the drizzle and rode to another palace, first going to Wufu's quarters to wash up and change into a fresh set of clothes, then went to pay respects to Empress Dowager Mo and have audience with the Emperor.
Even though he had steeled himself, when Ah Jiu saw the ever more frail Emperor Yan, the feeling in his heart was painfully complicated.
"If you're not in a rush to get back to your wife, then sit with me for a while and talk." Emperor Yan pointed at the chair beside him.
Though it was March, the return chill in the air, coupled with the overcast rain, made it even colder. Several braziers burning red-hot had been set in the room, heating the space until it was warm as spring.
