Wu Jin · Chat

One day after the court assembly adjourned, Pei Huaisu stayed behind alone. Standing before the imperial desk, he presented the rejected draft for the imperial concubine selection once more, saying, "Your Majesty, the inner court has been vacant for years with only one Empress, which is of no benefit to the foundation of the state. I request Your Majesty to broadly select concubines to continue the royal lineage." Wu Jin was looking through other memorials with his head down and didn't look up after hearing this. The vermilion brush in his hand made two strokes on the paper, finishing his annotation before he slowly set the brush down. Leaning back, he glanced at Pei Huaisu, his tone neither warm nor cold. "I already have an Empress." Pei Huaisu bowed: "Your Majesty, a single Empress is not enough to fill the inner court..." Wu Jin interrupted him: "One is enough." Pei Huaisu froze. Wu Jin pulled the selection memorial over, flipped through two pages, and then said, "My old minister, I know you're advising me to hold a selection for the sake of the empire. But let me say something straight from the heart—" He closed the memorial and placed it back into Pei Huaisu's hands. "—aside from all those mess in the court, I only have that one person left in my life. If you make me share her, who am I supposed to spend my life with?" Pei Huaisu opened his mouth, unable to utter a word. Wu Jin stood up, took a sip from his teacup, and added, "Don't bring this up again. I don't like it." Pei Huaisu stood there holding the selection memorial, finally bowing as he withdrew. As he walked out, he heard Wu Jin muttering behind him—in a voice that wasn't loud, as if talking to himself, yet seemingly intended for him to hear. "The whole court asks me for this and that, but she's the only one who asks for nothing. Do you think I could ever find another like her?"