Chapter 188: Chapter 188
Another autumn arrived at the Chancellor's residence. In the spacious courtyard, Chun Lan, now promoted to one of the head housekeepers, stood with hands on hips, her dark arched eyebrows raised severely as she relentlessly scolded several newly arrived clumsy maidservants nearby. Her words flowed like firecrackers without pause.
Only when the young maids blushed crimson and vowed never to repeat their mistakes did Chun Lan's expression soften slightly. She personally took the tea set from a maid's hands and deliberately slowed her steps as she approached the small courtyard outside.
Within the wisteria-filled courtyard, An Ning lay lazily on a specially made recliner in her cyan robe, basking in the rare warmth of autumn sunlight. Despite being past thirty, she retained an elegant bamboo-like grace. Simply lying there, she exuded an extraordinary aura—no wonder the new maids had reacted so strongly earlier.
Thinking this, Chun Lan moved even more carefully. Only when she reached her mistress and confirmed she wasn't sleeping did she set down the tea and speak softly, "My lady, you've been 'ill' for many days this month already. His Majesty has sent people to inquire several times... He says if your condition doesn't improve, he'll send several ministers personally next time!"
"And Minister Xie..."
"He says if you don't return soon, his health truly won't hold out!"
The mere thought of both chancellors abandoning their duties simultaneously made even Chun Lan shiver involuntarily.
Taking the tea from her housekeeper, An Ning slowly rose from the recliner, unconsciously stretching. "These people should have gotten used to this by now."
Meeting Chun Lan's slightly surprised expression, An Ning simply shook her head without further explanation.
The streets buzzed with the clamor of vendors hawking their wares. Three years had passed since Wu Nation surrendered—three years of unification. Thanks to previously established mature systems, aside from some stubborn aristocratic families from various nations, there had been little significant unrest.
As life improved, An Ning's lazy bones quietly reemerged, especially when her capable subordinates handled matters competently. Despite Emperor Jianyuan's repeated urgings and Xie Heng's visits every other day, An Ning didn't return to court until two days later.
She still wore the crimson official robe, maintaining her jade-like noble demeanor. Unlike contemporary men who grew beards at thirty to appear mature, the thirty-three-year-old An Ning showed no intention of cultivating facial hair. Yet surprisingly, no one in court raised objections or looked down on her for this. Instead, it had somehow become the latest trend in Great Qi, influencing everyone from nobles to commoners.
Even women nowadays seemed to prefer this style, inexplicably looking down on those who chose to grow beards.
"Zi'an, after being ill for so long, your appearance today is truly remarkable!" Xie Heng's deliberately drawn-out voice reached An Ning the moment she entered the front hall.
Facing the man's noticeably darkened eye circles, An Ning remained expressionless, smiling beautifully: "Minister Xie has worked hard. What can I say? My health is truly lacking."
After taking in An Ning's rosy lips, white teeth, and radiant complexion, Chancellor Xie could only respond with a hollow laugh. Remembering recent events, Xie Heng's gaze grew thoughtful: "No matter how beautiful the scenery of four seasons, traveling alone always feels somewhat insufficient, doesn't it?"
"Having a close friend to accompany you would make the future much less tedious..."
Tsk, what an old fox!
An Ning finally looked directly at him: "Close friend? Minister Xie seems quite confident about himself."
She wondered what the Emperor thought about this situation.
Glancing at Emperor Jianyuan, who also sported faint dark circles under his eyes, An Ning silently mourned for him for a moment.
Xiao Qi, who had just begun to relax upon his chancellor's return: "......"
What exactly was going on between his two closest advisors? Something seemed off.
Indeed, Xiao Qi's ominous premonition soon materialized.
At year's end, when both confidants simultaneously submitted resignations, Emperor Jianyuan nearly choked on his fine wine.
"Cough cough... Wait, Zi Gu, what did you just say?"
Pretending not to notice the Emperor's changed expression, Xie Heng smiled as always: "Your Majesty need not worry. With peace throughout the land and talented individuals emerging everywhere, Great Qi will remain stable even without the two of us."
"Before we leave, we'll ensure all our affairs are properly settled."
That's not what I meant!
Slamming a memorial onto the desk, Xiao Qi—who hadn't been truly angry since unification—nearly laughed in frustration: "Zi Gu, we've known each other since childhood, companions for decades. Do you truly see me as someone who'd abandon allies after achieving goals? Without honor or loyalty?"
"Zi'an does this, now you too!"
For the first time in a long while, Xiao Qi felt genuine sorrow. Was the saying true—that emperors were destined to be lonely? Was he no exception?
Thinking of his sons' recent power struggles, even the Emperor couldn't help showing a moment of weariness.
Seeing his old friend , Xie Heng's gaze softened slightly. Sitting casually beside the Emperor as usual, he finally spoke after a long pause:
"Your Majesty, the truth is, I've never doubted you. Neither has Zi'an." At least not currently.
"But you know our temperaments. During difficult times, we persevered. Now that the nation prospers and people live in peace, it's time for us to retire."
Recalling how these two had maintained the same work style for over a decade—with countless sick leaves—Xiao Qi fell into an odd silence.
Though in some ways, these two were really alike...
Studying the man before him carefully, Xiao Qi suddenly had an epiphany, recalling numerous incidents over the years. Xie Heng's consistent thoughtfulness toward An Ning, how his gaze always unconsciously sought her out during their discussions, and that time when asked about marriage, Xie Heng had replied without hesitation: "The one I admire must possess intelligence worthy of my devotion."
At the time, Xiao Qi had assumed someone as brilliant as Xie Heng simply had high standards. But now... those words clearly had specific meaning.
Upon reflection, Xie Heng hadn't exactly hidden his feelings over the past decade—he simply hadn't concealed them particularly carefully. It was only because both were men that Xiao Qi had unconsciously overlooked it.
But An Ning... someone who seemed to embody all the world's brilliance—even Xiao Qi occasionally found his gaze lingering on her, unable to look away. If Xie Heng felt this way, it wasn't so surprising.
Setting aside the pain of losing two confidants, Xiao Qi couldn't resist asking curiously:
"Ahem, Zi Gu, since your feelings are ... what about Chu Qing..."
Simultaneously, at the Chancellor's residence:
"Host, I actually think the current Emperor is quite good. He trusts you completely without typical imperial suspicion. Continuing , in another decade or so, you two might become legendary partners in history books!"
Though being Chancellor was tiring and morning court sessions weren't exactly pleasant, was now really the time to resign?
Gently stroking her zither without looking up, An Ning replied: "Yes, he trusts me completely now."
"But System, do you know what's the best way to maintain relationships—especially those between ruler and subject?"
"Huh? How?" The System looked confused.
In response, An Ning's zither music grew more melodious. Only after finishing the piece did she speak slowly:
"It's ending everything at the most appropriate moment."
"Besides, after external threats are eliminated, internal problems will inevitably arise—even if none are visible now..."
Thinking of the growing power struggles and political machinations at court, An Ning shook her head. A day or two was bearable, but spending the rest of her life in such an environment? No thanks!
What she needed to accomplish was nearly complete anyway.