To liven things up.

"Your Majesty, the night is growing late. Please take a rest."

A woman dressed in court attire bowed gently to Zhao Kuangyin, walked up behind him, and pressed her slender, delicate fingers against his temples to soothe his weariness.

She was young, only twenty-four years old, and possessed a gentle, lovely appearance. Despite clearly being a married woman, an air of youthful innocence would still unconsciously linger about her.

This woman was none other than the Empress, whose maiden name was Song. To be precise, she was Zhao Kuangyin's third Empress.

Before Empress Song, there had been two others.

His first wife, Lady He—whom Zhao Kuangyin affectionately called Lian'er—was the mother of Zhao Dezhao, the Princess of Chu, and the others. She had passed away at a very young age, only thirty years old, back during the Xiande era of the Later Zhou dynasty. After ascending the throne, Zhao Kuangyin posthumously honored her as Empress.

Later, he married Lady Wang. After Zhao Kuangyin became Emperor, he created her Empress, and she bore him a son, Zhao Defang. Yet fortune was not on her side either; she too passed away prematurely at the mere age of twenty-two.

Following that, he married a daughter of the Song family, who was the present Empress Song. When Empress Song entered the palace and was made Empress by Zhao Kuangyin, she was only seventeen.

"Ever since Your Majesty dispatched the great army to conquer Southern Tang, more than a year has passed, and Your Majesty has rarely truly set aside your worries to rest properly. Now that Southern Tang has been vanquished, and even that Last Ruler of Southern Tang, Li Yu, has been brought to the capital to become our Great Song's Marquis of Disobedience, your war with Southern Tang is an absolute victory. Your Majesty should finally relax a little and take a proper rest. You must no longer overwork yourself this way, and please take care of your imperial health. The burdens upon Your Majesty's shoulders are still very heavy."

Empress Song spoke in soft, gentle tones, her words brimming with heartfelt concern.

"Rest assured. I have practiced martial arts for years, and my constitution is robust. This is merely a bit of fatigue, nothing to worry about," Zhao Kuangyin said out of habit.

Empress Song was not the least bit surprised to receive such a reply. She let out a quiet sigh in the depths of her heart.

They all say that being an emperor is wonderful—the supreme sovereign possessing all within the seas—but who truly knows the hardships of an emperor? If one were an incompetent ruler who lived only to eat, drink, and wait for death without any ambition, much like Meng Chang of Later Shu or Li Yu of Southern Tang, then life would indeed be effortless, using the resources of an entire nation to sustain just one person in pleasure and indulgence.

However, if one were like her own husband, possessing grand ambitions and a heartfelt desire to end the chaotic era and forge a unified realm, it would be difficult indeed. Ever since she entered the palace and began accompanying His Majesty, she had come to realize just how difficult it was to be a good emperor, and how exhausting her husband's life truly was, bearing endless worries day after day.

She did not try to persuade him further, knowing that persuasion would be futile. She understood her husband's temperament all too well. Therefore, she simply continued to massage his temples, intending to have the palace attendants fetch hot water later so he could soak his feet, offering whatever meager assistance she could to slightly relieve his exhaustion.

Yet at that very moment, a warm, broad hand suddenly grasped her wrist. Before she could react, Zhao Kuangyin turned his body slightly and scooped her straight into his arms.

"Oh, Your Majesty~"

Following the surprise came a wave of shyness.

Looking at this lifelong companion who had been by her side for six or seven years, and seeing her display the demeanor of a young maiden at this moment, Zhao Kuangyin felt his heart stir and broke into a smile.

"However, what you said is right. I truly should take a rest and stop working myself to the bone. Even with a strong constitution, I ought to cherish it properly."

Zhao Kuangyin's words made Empress Song forget her shyness, leaving her both astonished and delighted. Clearly, she had not expected His Majesty to break character so abruptly this time!

"Your Majesty, that is more like it," she said aloud. "However, you should only rest appropriately; you mustn't go neglecting your morning court sessions from now on. Otherwise, there is no telling what people might say to curse poor me."

"Hahaha, let's see who dares! Anyone who dares will have their mouth smashed to pieces by my jade axe!"

Zhao Kuangyin laughed aloud, and the gloom in his heart dissipated quite a bit at that moment.

There was truly no one as comforting as his own pillow companion. Remembering what Li Cheng had said about the night of the Candle Shadows and Axe Sounds in the ninth year of Kaibao—that after his untimely demise, his third brother had entered the palace, and without finding Yunniang waiting for him, had simply accepted failure and acknowledged his third brother's usurpation of the imperial throne—he felt a deep wave of anxiety for Yunniang's fate.

Yet such worry lasted only for a fleeting moment before fading away significantly. Regardless of anything else, he was his brother's older blood-relative, and Yunniang was his sister-in-law. Once his brother seized the throne and became Emperor, he would surely have to consider family ties and would not push matters to extremes, nor would he treat Yunniang harshly.

Setting aside family ties and looking at it purely from the perspective of reputation and moral righteousness, he could not be too harsh to Yunniang either.

The imperial throne indeed stirred human hearts and dazzled the eyes, but once obtained, a victor naturally still needed to show magnanimity in many matters.

"From now on, you and Risheng can grow a bit closer. I know that because of your age gap, it has felt awkward for you to get along, and both of you have deliberately kept your distance, fearing misunderstandings from others or from me. Rest assured, I am not that kind of person. Mother and son as you are, you should not remain so distant."

Zhao Kuangyin looked at Empress Song in his arms and said earnestly.

Empress Song was slightly startled, then nodded.

"After the New Year, I will be fifty by nominal age. No matter how robust my constitution is, I am getting old, fully twenty-five years your senior. I will inevitably pass away before you do. Dexiu that child passed away prematurely long ago, while Risheng is the pillar of our household and can be considered my eldest son. If I am gone in the future, you will still need to rely on this son to prop up your life and weather the years. Growing closer and building a good relationship now will make it easier for you to get along later."

"Your Majesty! Don't say such things! Your health is robust and blessed with longevity! Please, you must not speak like this!"

Empress Song grew anxious, hurriedly reaching out to cover Zhao Kuangyin's mouth.

Zhao Kuangyin kissed her palm, gently pulled her hand away, and held it within his own.

"A person living in this world can ultimately never escape death. I have walked out of turbulent times and witnessed life and death aplenty; I am not someone who shies away from death and refuses to speak of it. Things are as they are. My health is indeed good, but I am no longer young, and some matters must be considered, they must be considered. Risheng is the future pillar of our household; keep this firmly in your mind."

Hearing this, Empress Song nodded seriously: "Your Majesty, I have engraved it in my heart."

"Once engraved, do not forget it! Li Yu wrote a fine poem—how does it go again? *Bright flowers and dark moon shroud in light mist, tonight I gladly seek my lord's side. Stepping lightly in socks over fragrant stairs, carrying golden-threaded shoes in hand. Meeting south of the painted hall, leaning close and trembling all the while. Hard it is for your maid to slip out, bidding my lord indulge his tenderness.* Today we have rare leisure, so let me properly indulge my tenderness toward you."

With a chuckle, he scooped Empress Song up in his arms and stood to his feet...

...

At the Hall of Worthy Guests, Li Yu—who remained entirely unaware that his former literary composition was being plucked out by a solemn-faced Song Emperor to liven up the evening—was still not asleep.

He leaned against the head of the bed, with the Lesser Empress Zhou nestled intimately against his side.

The two of them existed in quiet harmony; how could there be any trace of those furtive, clandestine feelings from back when the Greater Empress Zhou was still alive?

"Your Majesty... why did you call Zhao Dezhao the Crown Prince in those circumstances?"

The Lesser Empress Zhou, who had been holding back this question in her heart for some time, looked up at Li Yu and voiced her confusion...