Breakfast was as rich as ever, although Chuyi Xuan was very easy-going and kept serving her dishes, but she didn't have much appetite. She thought of the words her sister had just come to tell her.

  Even her sister is so concerned about her living here, let alone those "women" in the harem. I'm afraid they all can't wait for her to die soon.

  "The porridge doesn't taste good." Looking at the bowl of 'meat' congee in front of her that hadn't been touched, Chu Yixuan raised an eyebrow and asked lightly.

  "No." Yan Xijun shook her head, then lifted it up and bravely stared at him, pleading: "Your Majesty, my injury has fully recovered. It's not feasible to stay here all the time. Besides, this is Your Majesty's bedroom. Can you let me move back to Ganquan Palace?"

  After hearing her plea, Chu Yixuan lowered his head and calmly ate his own breakfast, ignoring what she had just said.

  "Your Majesty." Yan Xikun couldn't help but raise his voice slightly, with a hint of small anger in his heart.

  "My ears are not deaf, no need to speak so loudly to me." Chu Yixuan said coldly.

  "Your Majesty, I'm telling you the truth. Please promise me."

  "Thinking of leaving me again."

  "Your Majesty." La Tien P'i. Yen Hsien K'un implored. Only asking to let her return to Kan Ch'uan Palace. Then she would have the opportunity to escape from the palace.

  "We'll discuss this later tonight. I have something to attend to." Chu Yixuan put down his bowl, threw out these words, and didn't look at her again before leaving the dinner table.

  Yan Xijun leaned back in his chair weakly. Every time he talked about this matter, he would find excuses to avoid her. Why did he want to do so?

  Chu Yixuan left the Zhengyang Palace and headed towards the Imperial Study Room next door. Luo Zhong was already waiting with a stack of memorials, and upon seeing him arrive, he busied himself grinding ink.

  Chu Yixuan sat at his desk, dismissing the annoying thoughts in his mind and focused on reviewing the memorials that had been submitted to him.

  But he hadn't even finished reading a few memorials before he lost all interest in continuing. He put down his red brush and began to rub his temples, feeling annoyed.

  "Your Majesty, are you tired?" Luo Zhong carefully observed the emperor's expression and saw that his eyebrows were slightly fatigued, so he kindly advised: "If Your Majesty is tired, take a rest for a while."

  "Alright, you go out first." Chu Yixuan waved his hand.

  Luo Zhong bowed respectfully and then backed out.

  After sending Luo Zhong away, the grand study was quiet. Chu Yixuan opened his eyes and looked at the pile of memorials as high as a mountain, feeling a headache. With so many people in the imperial court, no one would share his worries with him. Those trivial matters were also reported to him for decision-making. These people are getting more and more lazy.

  Tomorrow morning I must scold those old men who speak more reason than anyone else, but no one takes any actual action.

  I used to think that being an emperor was a matter of unparalleled prestige. Now, having been in this position for over ten years, I've gradually grown tired of this life and these days.

  Every day, there are endless things waiting for him to deal with. Every day, there are big and small things that can make him worried and anxious. He now somewhat envies the life of Tao Yuanming. Picking chrysanthemums in the east garden, leisurely seeing the southern mountain.

  What a carefree and leisurely life it is.

  To be able to drift along with a beloved woman on a boat ride across the lake, and to raise one's wine cup in a toast together - that is also a joyful thing.

  But among the many concubines serving him, who is his beloved daughter?

  Was it Xue Er or her? In an instant, two female faces flashed through his mind. One was the smiling face of Xue Er, and the other was the gentle and elegant face of her.

  If it were in the past, he would have chosen Xue Er without hesitation. But now, in his heart, he is confused and doesn't know who to choose.

  Recently, his heart has become increasingly bewildered. As he slowly spends time with her, he unknowingly discovers that he is becoming more and more infatuated with her. Moreover, a somewhat strange idea has emerged in his mind - wanting her to be by his side for the rest of his life, and also wanting to grow old together with her, hand in hand, until their hair turns white.

  He looked around the empty study again, feeling like something was missing. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before instructing the person waiting outside the door: "Luo Zhong, go get Yan Cai Ren."

  Yan Xijun followed Luo Zhong to the imperial study. The guards at the gate had seen her before and were not surprised by her arrival. On the other hand, if some other woman appeared, they might be startled. After all, the imperial study was also a place where consorts were not allowed to enter.

  "Your Majesty, Yan Zai has arrived."

  Luo Zhong reported a sound and then opened the door to let her go in alone.

  Standing by the "door". Yan Xijun saw him leaning against the back of the big chair with his eyes closed, and didn't know if he was really sleeping or pretending to sleep. He didn't make a sound. She wouldn't either. Just standing at the "door" quietly watching him.

  The room was quiet and still. Except for the soft breathing of the two, only the sound of the hourglass could be heard, showing the slow passage of time.

  This quiet atmosphere had just been maintained for a little while when his commanding voice was heard: "Come over."

  Yan Xijun walked up to him, lowered her eyebrows and calmly said: "What does Your Majesty command?"

  "Help me grind the ink." Chu Yixuan pointed at the inkstone on the desk and said to her.

  "Yes." Yan Xijun obediently replied, slowly crouching down and sitting half-kneeling on the floor covered with a "fur" rug. Her slender fingers pinched the ink stick, grinding it slowly but skillfully in the inkstone.

  Chu Yixuan gazed at her lowering her head to grind the ink, and his heart miraculously calmed down. The previous annoyance was gone. He picked up the "Mao" pen that he had put down again. The corner of his mouth unconsciously revealed a smile of joy. With the tip of the pen lightly dipped in a small amount of ink, he seriously began to review the memorial.

  With her by his side, these dull and tasteless memorials seemed to be not so dull and tasteless after all. He went through them one by one.

  He approved as many memorials as she ground. In the meantime, neither of them spoke a word. They each quietly did their own thing.

  The two had lunch in the study room. Chu Yixuan's memorial was approved in the afternoon. Although he had finished his work, he didn't put down his pen and instead took out a calligraphy paper to practice writing with a brush.

  Until dinner arrived, he finally put down the pen in his hand and ended a day's work.

  The two returned to Zhengyang Palace. Chu Yixuan ordered someone to serve dinner.

  "Today I've been grinding ink all day. Tired?" Chu Yixuan gazed at her, concerned and asked: "Aren't your arms sore?"

  Of course she was sore. A day of grinding ink had almost ground blisters onto her hands. But where did she dare to complain? No matter how painful, she didn't dare say it out loud.

  Facing his kind concern, Yan Xijun shook her head against her will and replied: "My arm doesn't ache or hurt."

  Chu Yixuan didn't expose her either, he just said: "After dinner, you relax and take a bath, let the palace maid help you massage your shoulders."

  "Oh." Yan Xikun replied faintly. Her mind had been elsewhere all along. She was thinking about something else, which was that he hadn't replied to her this morning.

  Watching him eat quietly and elegantly across from her, his expression calm and serene, she was once again at a loss for how to bring it up.