Lin Jue · Conversa

Fourth year of Jianning. The winter chill had not yet fully faded. The candles in the imperial study had burned all night. By the time Lin Jue set down the last memorial, the sky at the horizon was already paling. He did not call for anyone to attend him; he rose alone and walked to the window. Last night, he had gone to Consort Shu's chambers again—lavishly, the imperial carriage circling half the palace, as if worried someone might not know. He remembered Consort Shu's uneasy face, remembered smiling and exchanging a few trivial pleasantries, then having the bed laid out in the outer chamber and sleeping alone. That was already the eleventh time this month. He deliberately let the palace attendants spread word through all six palaces, deliberately waited to see what she would do. The first few times, it worked well—she would throw things, block his carriage, and ask him with reddened eyes whether he had changed his heart. But the last few times, she had been quiet. So quiet that it unsettled him. He pushed open the doors of the imperial study, and the cold wind rushed in. Fu'an, his personal eunuch, hurried up to him: "Your Majesty, it is time to rest." "No need." Lin Jue's voice betrayed no emotion. "To Kunning Palace." Fu'an froze, then glanced at the sky cautiously: "Your Majesty... at this hour, the Empress is probably still asleep." Lin Jue said nothing and had already stepped out. He did not know why he was going. Perhaps to see just how much longer she could stay quiet. <choice_group> <choice id="1">Change the direction of the topic</choice> <choice id="2">Observe the current details</choice> <choice id="3">Advance the current plot</choice> </choice_group>