Chapter 43
At the end of July, a piece of news caused a stir in the palace.
His Majesty is preparing for a southern tour in early August. The various departments of the inner palace have already begun preparations, while the court is making decisions every day about which ministers will accompany him and which will remain in the capital. They are arguing fiercely about this.
Qi Yu received the news earlier than anyone else. Wu Shiyan told her that it was because the remnants of the rebel king had started trouble again in the south, and he was making a southern tour in the autumn. If it came to winter, the roads would be difficult to travel.
She became very busy as a result.
Qi Yu was naturally going, and she would definitely bring Pei Jiu with her. Pei Jiu hadn't missed a single smile these past two days.
A palace maid entered the hall and reported, "Your Majesty, three beauties from the Pixiang Palace request an audience."
Qi Yu thought for a moment and said, "Let them in."
The remnants of the anti-king regime have long since lost their power. This southern tour, besides its deterrent purpose, also serves as an opportunity to inspect local officials and see if they are engaging in any acts of deceiving their superiors or oppressing the people.
If the concubines in the harem wished to go, they could naturally do so.
Qi Yu had no intention of blocking them. After Zhou Miaoyin, Lü Shu, and Deng Yuehuai came in and explained their purpose, they also wanted to accompany His Majesty on the southern tour to see different scenery. She nodded and said, "This is not difficult. I will ask His Majesty. Pei Jiu will go to Pixiang Palace around this afternoon. Ladies, you can pack your things first."
The three breathed a sigh of relief, as the imperial concubine's words indicated that the deal was almost certainly going to succeed.
They expressed their gratitude once more, and after drinking tea in Zhaoyang Palace, they returned home.
During lunch, Wu Shiyan came to Zhaoyang Palace for a meal, and Qi Yu brought up the matter to him.
“The Pixiang Palace is rather small. It’s a real pity for them to miss the opportunity to leave the palace and see the world.”
Wu Shiyan swallowed the fact that they had only been in the palace for half a year, so how could it be considered a hard-won achievement? But since the Imperial Concubine had spoken, he had no choice but to obey.
Wu Shiyan said, "Ayu is right. Let's bring them along. It's just three more carriages, no big deal."
After three days of heated debate in the court, the southern tour had deviated from his original intention. Many ministers were going, and memorials had to be delivered to him at any time. The number of people and horses had grown so much that a grand procession could be expected along the way.
But Ayu can be with him. His bicycle frame is wide and has been specially reinforced. It has everything inside and won't be bumpy.
Qi Yu served Wu Shiyan a dish: "I knew Your Majesty was benevolent."
Wu Shiyan's eyes lit up. Qi Yu's praise always had a miraculous effect. He carefully ate all the food she had prepared.
Even now, Qi Yu still doesn't quite understand Wu Shiyan's tastes, but it seems that he likes every dish she puts in his bowl.
She felt both honored and proud, since Wu Shiyan was rather thin and eating more would make her feel better. She also thought that he was indeed an emperor; as long as he liked every dish, people would not be able to figure out his true preferences. This was an open strategy.
After the meal, Qi Yu rested with Wu Shiyan for a while before getting up again to busy herself with the things she needed to take on her southern tour.
At the same time, Pei Jiu was sent to the Pi Xiang Palace.
In early August, the Southern Tour officially began.
The procession drove out of the palace gate, banners fluttering in the wind, guards in red armor with long swords at their waists protecting them on either side.
Beside the carriages of the nobles followed maids and servants.
Because of the large number of people, the journey was slow. It took the group two days to leave the capital region and stop in a place called Qingshui County.
A temporary palace had been built outside Qingshui County, and the group temporarily stayed there.
Qi Yu sat next to Wu Shiyan, listening to the palace servants' reports, feeling overwhelmed. Before leaving the palace, she needed to arrange various matters, but once she was outside, there were even more things to do.
Wu Shiyan touched Qi Yu's cheek: "Why don't you leave it to me? I'll take care of it for you."
Qi Yu shook her head. She had been asleep on the carriage frame, while Wu Shiyan had gotten up to handle state affairs. If she hadn't woken up in the middle of the night and seen several lamps lit on the table piled with folding documents outside the screen, she might not have known until now.
Wu Shiyan was already working tirelessly day and night, so she naturally couldn't push these chores onto him.
After being detoxified, Wu Shiyan no longer harbored resentment even while continuously handling state affairs; in fact, Qi Yu felt that he was enjoying the process.
Wu Shiyan regretfully gave up and wanted to ask Tian Wenshan to help Qi Yu.
Before he could speak, Qi Yu asked, "Your Majesty, may I delegate palace affairs to Consort Zhou, Consort Lü, and Consort Deng?"
She had this idea from the moment the three of them arrived at Zhaoyang Palace. If she hadn't been able to handle it at the time, she wouldn't have brought it up now.
Wu Shiyan praised her generously, saying, "Ayu is intelligent."
"But to get started quickly, you'll need the nanny's guidance, and I'll arrange that."
Among the three of them, whoever performs well will be given a rank and generous rewards. With fame and fortune, they will not be afraid to work hard, which will also alleviate Qi Yu's burden as soon as possible.
He brought Qi Yu out to relax, not to let her be bothered by trivial matters.
Qi Yu did not refuse, as she simply did not have enough people to teach them slowly.
As night fell, they lay down on the bed. Wu Shiyan reached out to pull on Qi Yu's sash, but Qi Yu turned around and buried herself in his arms, saying, "Your Majesty, I'm so tired."
She refused, partly because of the long journey of the past two days, and partly because she was afraid that if Wu Shiyan didn't sleep a little longer, he would collapse.
Even if you're young and healthy, you shouldn't waste your life like this.
She cherished him.
Wu Shiyan counted on his fingers, feeling rather unwilling.
Qi Yu reached out and covered his eyes, then lightly pecked Wu Shiyan's thin lips: "Your Majesty, please go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, I would like to visit Qingshui Town."
Qingshui Town is the only town in the surrounding area, and it is close to the capital. Caravans often pass through this place, so it is usually very lively. Not to mention that there is a local festival tomorrow, and merchants will bring good things in advance to display on this day, adding to the liveliness and good fortune.
Wu Shiyan pulled Qi Yu's hand down, looked into her eyes and said, "I will not touch you."
Qi Yu was relieved.
Since it was already autumn, Qi Yu no longer pushed Wu Shiyan away when she went to sleep, complaining that he was too hot when he was close to her.
To prevent Wu Shiyan from getting up in the night, Qi Yu wrapped her arms around his before slowly falling asleep.
After Qi Yu fell asleep, Wu Shiyan opened his eyes. He only needed two or three hours of sleep each day, not to mention that after lunch they would spend some time together and take a nap. However, he liked this short period of time, which made him feel sweet and at ease.
His gaze swept over Qi Yu's eyebrows, nose, and lips, and he felt his heart fill with emotion.
However, he did not get up, because any movement would wake Qi Yu.
The next day, when Qi Yu woke up, Wu Shiyan was still in bed, which made her feel extremely satisfied.
Sensing the movement, Wu Shiyan opened his eyes. Qi Yu's eyes brightened at the sight, and she smiled before getting up with him.
A palace maid came and styled Qi Yu's hair into a popular hairstyle among common women. After looking in the bronze mirror, Qi Yu, along with Pei Jiu, who was also dressed up, and the palace maids from Zhaoyang Palace, rode in a carriage to Qingshui Town.
Wu Shiyan was busy and couldn't find the time to meet, but they agreed to meet at the restaurant at noon.
Wu Shiyan sent guards to accompany Qi Yu.
Upon arriving in Qingshui Town, Qi Yu instructed her guards to follow at a distance, while she pulled Pei Jiu along and plunged into the bustling city.
Although this year's celebration wasn't as lively as the Qixi Festival in Beijing, it still had its own unique characteristics of Qingshui Town.
Qi Yu bought some sweet water and shared it with Pei Jiu. Then they went into a flower shop, where she bought two white camellias, while Pei Jiu chose magnolias.
They each carried a small basket, put the flowers in it, and then went to the next shop.
With Pei-Jiu around, Qi-Yu only needs to ask Pei-Jiu to help her try on things, and she can buy two items at once without buying unnecessary gadgets.
When she was with Wu Shiyan, if she took a second look at something, Wu Shiyan would have it bought by someone else after she left.
So when Qi Yu returned to the palace and saw the things that needed to be sent back by carriage, she wondered if she had bought so many that night.
As Qi Yu was looking at the round fans, a bamboo fan suddenly unfolded in front of her, depicting a white egret taking flight.
"Ayu," the person called out, their voice neither male nor female.
Pei Jiu was taken aback and quickly looked over. This was not His Majesty, but a tall, thin man dressed in a simple blue robe. His black hair was tied back with a dark brown ribbon, and he looked like a scholar. However, his face was handsome and did not make him look shabby.
Pei Jiu quickly looked at the Imperial Concubine. Could this be the Imperial Concubine's lover before she entered the palace?
Before Qi Yu could even complain about how old-fashioned the way he was trying to strike up a conversation was, she looked over curiously upon hearing this.
The more she looked at it, the more she felt the resemblance, and she couldn't help but smile, blink, and ask, "Brother Zhao?"
Only two people in this world have ever called her Ayu: Wu Shiyan and Zhao Wanyi.
But didn't she leave the capital with Pei Jin?
Zhao Wanyi nodded, mindful of Pei Jiu's presence, and said in a tone of voice, "We used to be childhood sweethearts, and you always called me Brother Zhao. Why are you being so distant now?"
Qi Yu was already laughing so hard she was practically in a daze. She handed the things in her hand to Pei Jiu, took Zhao Wanyi's arm, and led her to the restaurant ahead of time.
Along the way, they naturally asked Zhao Wanyi how she dressed up as a man, saying it was so convenient, so novel, and so appealing.
She wants to do it next time too.
Pei Jiu was stunned. The Empress had a childhood sweetheart who not only called her A Yu, a name only His Majesty would use, but also took her arm in public and led her to the restaurant where she had arranged to meet His Majesty.
Pei Jiu patted her forehead, still unable to calm herself down.
I had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.
Zhao Wanyi whispered about how she changed into men's clothing, concealed her face, and increased her height, but because the latter was too complicated, Qi Yu only listened briefly before deciding to buy a few sets of men's clothing in case of emergency.
They took their seats in a private room at the teahouse; it was still fifteen minutes before noon.
Qi Yu thought she should distance herself from Zhao Wanyi once Wu Shiyan arrived, since Zhao Wanyi was still dressed as a man and it wouldn't be good if she misunderstood.
But in front of Pei Jiu, she mischievously stayed with Zhao Wanyi, even becoming closer, teasing Pei Jiu and making the atmosphere more cheerful.
However, Qi Yu did not expect Wu Shiyan to arrive early. Wu Shiyan heard the cheerful laughter and voices of men inside as soon as he entered the door. The guard's hand, which was pushing the door open, stopped, and he lowered his head deeply.
Wu Shiyan narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, a complex mix of emotions surged into his heart.
The restlessness almost overwhelmed him.
He couldn't tell whether he felt more resentment or hatred.
Wu Shiyan pushed open the door and entered. The sounds inside stopped abruptly. Where his gaze fell, Qi Yu, who had been holding hands with the man, quietly let go of his hand when she saw him come in.
This is a classic case of hiding something.
But Wu Shiyan felt his depression ease a little.
Qi Yu didn't know why, but she suddenly felt guilty.
Zhao Wanyi, seemingly unaware of the sudden change in atmosphere, smiled and grabbed Qi Yu's hand: "Ayu, you're being distant with me."
Ayu...
Wu Shiyan silently recited the name Ayu in his heart. Was this not a name that belonged only to him?
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