Qi Yu had been keeping Qi Xiao on a tight leash lately. More precisely, it had begun that morning when he discovered that his father had spent the whole night reviewing memorials and returned from morning court with dark circles under his eyes. Standing before the Imperial Desk with both hands braced on its edge, he announced in a solemn tone that ill suited either his age or his station, "From today onward, Father must finish his ginseng tea every day. You must eat at least three dishes at lunch. After dinner, you're not allowed to touch any more memorials."
Qi Xiao leaned back in his chair and looked up at him, asking whether he was the emperor or Qi Yu was. Qi Yu picked up the ginseng tea and set it beside his hand, saying that in Xuanzheng Hall, he was the emperor, but here in the Warm Pavilion, he was his father, and Qi Yu had the final say. De'an, who was grinding ink beside them, took two steps back and pretended he did not exist.
The ginseng tea followed a prescription from Imperial Physician Zhou of the Imperial Medical Bureau, with red dates and goji berries added to replenish qi and nourish the blood. Qi Xiao found it too sweet and always put it down after half a bowl. Once Qi Yu discovered this, he watched the clock every day and supervised him as he drank it; afterward, Qi Xiao even had to turn the bowl upside down for him to see. Lunch was much the same. Qi Yu inspected each dish sent over by the Imperial Kitchen. When he discovered that his father had eaten only the meat dishes and barely touched the greens, he picked up the serving chopsticks and placed some greens in his