"This painting is for me."
"Alright," she said without hesitation. Paintings are for those who are fated to receive them, and no one in the world knew her exceptional skill. It was him who stumbled upon it, and on this night, they were fated.
"Shall I play the Xiao for you?" he said, a different emotion flashing in his eyes. Sorrow seemed distant from him now.
On a tall tree, he, clad in striking white robes, his sleeves fluttering, played a melodious Xiao. The music was graceful, with a lingering lightness, devoid of sorrow, filled with ethereal grace, and a human warmth.
Beneath the tree, she swung on a swing, fallen leaves swirling around her, dancing with her skirt. His gaze was fixed on her, unblinking. In all the world, only she occupied his vision.
The moonlight was like frost; the night had grown very deep. She stopped swinging and spoke softly.
"Lord Nangong, it's time to return."
As soon as she spoke, a strong gust of wind swept past her ear, and a figure landed before her. "Don't call me Lord Nangong. Can Your Highness call me by my name?"
"Your name? That might not be proper," Liu Liu, though not bound by such etiquette, remembered the vast difference in their statuses. She was the Empress, and he was the Imperial Physician.
"A woman as talented and accomplished as Liu Liu still cares about such trivial customs?" Nangong Yue cut to the heart of her proud and unrestrained nature. She could only nod.
"Nangong Yue, you should go back. I'm tired," Liu Liu said, turning to head back to her sleeping quarters. She had important matters to attend to.
Although Nangong Yue's Xiao music was beautiful, there would be many days ahead. She wouldn't listen all night. What she never expected was that she and Nangong Yue would become friends.
Yes, friends. Nangong Yue, such a reserved person, would not easily open his heart. Since he had accepted her, it meant he considered her a friend.
"Alright," the voice behind her sounded, and he had already drifted away.
Liu Liu turned back, gazing thoughtfully at the empty space. Nangong Yue's martial arts had reached an astonishing level. He was truly a mystery: handsome, skilled in martial arts and medicine, his Xiao music enchanting, and he had a notable talent for painting.
From what she had seen so far, all were his excellent qualities. But what about those in the shadows? Who was he? Such a capable person, even in the martial world, would be among the top-tier figures. Why was he willing to remain in the palace as an Imperial Physician?
Her head ached from thinking, and she decided to stop. She'd go rest; there were important matters tomorrow.
By the lakeside, with its clear blue sky, sparkling water, and lush green grass, the scene was already lively.
On a newly erected platform, a line of servants carried out several large wooden barrels. The barrels were filled with white, glistening congee. The aroma of the congee wafted out.
The beggars, who had heard the news and arrived early, wore expectant faces. They had been worried about not having food, but the news of congee being distributed here in the morning had truly solved their difficulties.
They had initially thought it was some great philanthropist doing good deeds to accumulate merit. Who knew it was a handsome young man and a beautiful woman? The congee seemed even more fragrant.
It turned out the ones distributing the congee were Liu Liu and Dai Mei.
Dai Mei distributed the congee, while Liu Liu gave each beggar a Ugen, a root that, when consumed, could prevent illness. The beggars were immensely grateful upon hearing Liu Liu's words. They feared illness the most.
Liu Liu noticed that there seemed to be fewer beggars today. According to her count yesterday, there should have been many more. Why were there so few?
Dai Mei also sensed it. The two looked at each other and asked in confusion.
"There should be more beggars, shouldn't there? Why are there only so few?" As Dai Mei finished speaking, the beggars who had eaten their fill and were resting on the green grass spoke up.
"We heard that someone was distributing congee in the western suburbs today. It seems Lord Jin, the Minister of War, is distributing congee under the Emperor's decree. They also say the Emperor is finding ways to help us return home soon."
The beggars grew excited as they spoke. Who would want to remain displaced and beg for food? At once, everyone began to discuss the possibilities.
Liu Liu looked at everything before her. She hadn't intended to say anything, but her heart subconsciously still wished to help Feng Xie. She didn't want to mix personal feelings into these matters. With this thought, Liu Liu cleared her throat and spoke.
"Everyone, please quiet down. His Majesty will indeed find a way to help you. In fact, we were also sent by His Majesty."
As Liu Liu's words fell, the beggars' eyes immediately welled up with tears, as if seeing the dawn's light and finding hope.
Only Dai Mei looked puzzled. Her mistress had suffered so much, yet she still helped that dog emperor. They did good deeds, only to yield to the emperor. "Mistress, what is this?"
Liu Liu raised her hand to stop Dai Mei. The two walked to a secluded spot to talk.
"These people are deeply traumatized right now. If we say we are distributing congee, they might be grateful, but they won't have that sense of hope. However, if we say it's the Emperor's congee, they will have hope. This is beneficial for the stability of the entire capital. What does it matter if they know it was us distributing the congee?"
Dai Mei gazed thoughtfully at her mistress. She had been with her for five years and understood her character. She was a kind-hearted person who always thought of others, bearing all grievances herself.
"Yes, Dai Mei understands," Dai Mei forcefully held back the tears in her eyes, not wanting her mistress to know.
"Then let's go tell them we've prepared places for them to stay. Ask them not to wander off, to rest well, and to come here for congee three meals a day." Liu Liu reached out and took Dai Mei's hand, and they walked towards the beggars. After she spoke, everyone knelt down, loudly kowtowing to express their gratitude for the imperial grace and the Emperor's benevolence.
Meanwhile, Emperor Feng Xie was sitting on the majestic and luxurious Golden Phoenix Hall, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, his waist cinched with a jade dragon belt. A gleaming dragon crown adorned his head, and golden tassels obscured his devilishly handsome face, his brows and eyes exquisitely drawn.
At this moment, he was filled with furious rage, glaring menacingly at the ministers kneeling below the hall. The ministers trembled, daring not to utter a sound, for they could not devise any good methods to resolve the disaster. It was only right for the Emperor to be angry.
"You bunch of scoundrels! Normally, if I rewarded someone, you'd find a dozen flaws. Why are you all mute now? Not a single person speaks up?"
Feng Xie truly missed his uncle at this moment. At least his uncle's mind was first-class. But he had taken leave for a few days, and it wasn't appropriate for him, as Emperor, to bother him.
This clearly implied that the Emperor was incompetent. It wasn't that his imperial mind was foolish, but rather that he was unfamiliar with the terrain of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Even after studying maps all night yesterday, he couldn't make sense of the winding agricultural fields. They all looked like a mess.
Everyone capable of speaking in the imperial court had been dispatched by him. Jin Shaoyuan had gone early that morning to find the Ministry of Revenue to allocate silver, then disburse the relief funds. His imperial brother had gone to investigate the corruption in disaster relief.
Looking at the people kneeling on the ground, it truly chilled him. It seemed he had too few usable people. These old courtiers who had followed his father were about to be retired.