This truly lived up to its reputation as fine Persian wine, with excellent texture and taste. As An Ning sipped the exquisite liquor, she was already considering whether to brew some herself after returning home.
Emperor Qianyuan, seated at the head of the table, mistook her contemplation for genuine appreciation. He immediately instructed the nearby eunuch to deliver all remaining tribute wine to the Lin residence after the banquet.
Considering the "frail health" of this lady, a warm sedan chair was already waiting beside An Ning the moment she stepped out of Qiyuan Hall.
It was the depth of winter, bitterly cold.
Snowflakes had begun drifting from the sky.
Surveying the seemingly endless palace path ahead, Princess Zhaohua swiftly helped her mother-in-law into the sedan chair before quickly ushering her well-behaved daughter inside.
As for her son? Well, wasn't his father right there in front? Surely the boy wouldn't freeze.
Compared to the icy world outside, the interior of the sedan chair was another realm entirely. Thick wool carpets covered the floor, and despite the limited space, it was fully equipped with warming stoves and tea sets—even hand warmers were neatly prepared in the corners.
On the rosewood table at the center lay an obviously priceless set of white jade Go pieces.
The Great Zhou palace had strict protocols. Without special permission, even royal relatives below the rank of imperial princess couldn't ride in sedan chairs within the palace grounds. Moreover, the identity of who had arranged this was unmistakably clear.
Could her imperial uncle really be this considerate?
Perhaps it was the subordinates' attentiveness, but getting these shrewd palace officials to arrange every detail perfectly spoke volumes in itself.
The princess looked up at her mother-in-law, who had her eyes lightly closed in feigned sleep.
Even in full ceremonial dress and fine silks, her ethereal aura remained unconcealed. Thanks to years of meticulous care, she didn't look her age at all—one might believe she was barely thirty.
Compared to some imperial consorts...
Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Zhaohua shook her head vigorously.
Not only was such absurdity impossible given her uncle's temperament, but considering her mother-in-law's intellect and the emperor's focus on state affairs throughout his reign, he would never sabotage his own talented assets.
Yet surveying the almost excessively thoughtful arrangements, Zhaohua found it impossible to deceive herself.
Men were typically careless by nature.
But at some point, Zhaohua had suddenly realized—especially in recent years—that every gift from her uncle, whether rare books, paintings, or antique curios, perfectly matched her mother-in-law's tastes.
More importantly, her husband had once mentioned that the emperor frequently praised his dignified demeanor, even jokingly questioning whether he'd risen through ranks on his looks alone.
Gripping the thin blanket beneath her, Zhaohua had a chilling realization—the one who had actually cultivated her husband's qualities was none other than her mother-in-law before her.
Certain traits and characteristics in her husband were even more pronounced in his mother, more...
Gulping down a mouthful of tea, Zhaohua told herself she couldn't—mustn't—continue this line of thought.
After all, regardless of the emperor's intentions, nothing would change now, would it?
If nothing had happened years ago, even less so now.
Just as Zhaohua was about to relax, the sedan chair arrived at its destination. A carriage had already stopped by the mansion gates, where several yellow-robed eunuchs carefully carried wine jars.
Leading them was none other than the familiar Eunuch Liang.
Seeing the princess alight, Eunuch Liang instinctively glanced at the sedan chair and unconsciously softened his voice:
"Your servant greets the princess. Noticing the lady's appreciation for this Persian wine during the banquet, His Majesty specifically ordered these to be delivered..."
Looking at the six or seven jars lined up, Zhaohua had no doubt nearly all remaining tribute wine in the palace was here.
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch..."
Taking a deep breath, the princess forced a smile. Even so, before leaving, Eunuch Liang deliberately looked at the sedan chair again, his face full of concern:
"Princess, might this humble servant assist with the lady? On such a cold day, with her delicate health, we wouldn't want her catching a chill."
The princess inhaled sharply: "No need for concern, eunuch. Our maids will arrive shortly."
After seeing off the eunuchs, Zhaohua approached the sedan chair to find her mother-in-law's eyes already open.
After briefly explaining the situation, An Ning merely nodded lightly as if it were the most ordinary matter.
Princess Zhaohua: "......"
Only after escorting her back to her chambers did the princess snap out of her daze.
Wait—if even she could notice these things, how could someone as astute as her mother-in-law possibly miss them?
Of course she hadn't.
But did it matter? Not really. An Ning knew perfectly well that given his temperament, her life—both past and present—wouldn't change one bit.
After maids helped her remove the heavy ceremonial dress and freshen up, An Ning lazily lay on the bed, letting her nominal husband massage her legs with gentle strokes.
Admiration or whatever else—since he clearly intended no action, why should she borrow trouble? As for these privileges?
Weren't they exactly what she deserved?
After all, royalty—especially emperors—never made losing investments.
Meanwhile, the system in her consciousness sighed regretfully:
"Regardless of anything else, this emperor truly appreciates you, host. What a pity—if you could have taken the imperial exams, you'd undoubtedly have become his right-hand minister. Might have even created a legendary tale of wise ruler and worthy subject."
Or if your starting point hadn't been so low...
Seeing her system was serious, An Ning abandoned elegance for once, nearly rolling her eyes to the heavens.
"Right-hand minister? Are you serious, dog? Believe me, if I were a man today with political participation and power-seeking capabilities, his current appreciation would directly translate to future suspicion!"
Especially as a minister gradually accumulating power.
Even if she were currently one of his consorts, facing such intellect, his first reaction as emperor would undoubtedly be wariness, not admiration.
For an emperor who had fought his way up from the princes' struggles with absolute ambition, emotions? Mere fleeting distractions during idle moments.
In truth, An Ning understood perfectly well—the preferential treatment she and her son received largely stemmed from her being a woman uninvolved in court or harem politics, despite her talents.
Meanwhile, Ah Jing's temperament and upbringing destined him to become at most a capable official, never a power-seeking minister.