Imperial Palace · Imperial Study
The eunuch stood with his hands lowered. The man in yellow robes covered his mouth with a fist and coughed several times, then dipped his brush in ink again and continued annotating the memorials.
Though it was daytime, the hall was poorly lit. The Emperor's eyesight had worsened, so a bright lamp had been lit on the desk, its glass shade casting a patch of radiance around it.
After reviewing several memorials, the Emperor's vision blurred.
A small mirror submitted as tribute from the provinces lay upon a piece of yellow brocade. The Emperor held it over the memorials and barely managed to read them.
"I'm growing old." No matter how unwilling he was to admit it, every sign from his body reminded him of that fact at every moment, souring his mood whenever it came to mind.
Nor could he suppress his jealousy. Especially when he saw young people in the full bloom of their prime, the feeling of his own decline made his temper even worse.
"Cough, cough!" After a while, his throat began to itch, and the Emperor coughed heavily several times, covering his mouth with a handkerchief. When the fit finally eased, he unfolded it and saw no startling bloodstains upon it.
But did that prove he was getting better?
The Emperor's heart sank steadily. He felt that this was even more serious than the occasional coughing of blood from before. His fingers trembled slightly as he grabbed the small white jade bottle nearby, pulled out its stopper, poured out a pill, and swallowed it directly without water.
As the pill went down, the feeling of constriction in his breathing slowly eased.
The urge to cough was also suppressed. Yet not a trace of joy appeared on the Emperor's face. He