Chapter 27: Liu Ling

The now‑calm Liu Che still wore a charming smile, his features with A Jiao's bearing giving him a hint of coquettishness. He set his daughter down from his arms, lifted his handsome eyebrows and said, "A Li, also tell your mother what the Promotion of Kindness Decree is."

Liu Li still harbored resentment over Liu Che's lowered favor; she could not understand why, despite his outward happiness, his inner joy toward her had decreased.

Could this be the legendary "accompanying the ruler as one would a tiger"? The emperor's thoughts truly are like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

Liu Li inhaled deeply, unhappily shaking off Liu Che's hand, walked to A Jiao's side, and explained the meaning of the Promotion of Kindness Decree and the benefits its implementation would bring.

Liu Che fetched a cushion, sat beside the mother and daughter, and his gaze, without a hint of emotion, shifted from himself to the loquacious Liu Li.

The little girl still wore a child's hairstyle, her pale, tender face lit by especially bright eyes that resembled a crystal bead; no wonder her grandmother had personally bestowed the character "Li" in her name.

Her voice carried a hint of milkiness, coquettishly sweet, evoking instant delight, yet the content of her words was truly shocking.

For a brief moment just now, Liu Che couldn't help but exclaim with relief that it was fortunate Liu Li was not a boy; otherwise, with a goddess by her side, she might have been more suitable than he was to be the Great Han's emperor. Thus, the now‑calm Liu Che slightly reduced his affection for his daughter in his heart.

But thinking another way, the goddess choosing his own daughter would further prove that he himself is the most suitable Great Han emperor.

At this thought, Liu Che's gaze toward Liu Li softened considerably; perhaps the presence of a goddess would enable him to better govern the Great Han and make his title of emperor truly deserved.

Of course, all this presupposes that he can swap bodies back with A Jiao.

【Emperor Wu favorability: 25】

Liu Li and A Jiao's voices paused; startled, they glanced at the suddenly increased favor value, which had risen to 25?!

She couldn't hold back, secretly shifting her gaze toward Liu Che nearby, eager to know what the emperor's inner thoughts were regarding the fluctuating favor toward her.

Could the earlier deduction have been due to a system bug?

When her eyes met Liu Che's, those beautiful phoenix‑like pupils held a mix of tenderness and complexity, the dark depths seemingly able to pierce the heart.

Liu Li felt a slight chill in her heart, hurriedly looking away, yet her chest still hammered from the earlier stare.

Liu Che had been staring at me all along!

Why has he been fixed on me? Did he discover something? Or is he doubting something?

Even though A Jiao and Liu Che have swapped bodies now, and outwardly Liu Che seems constrained everywhere, Liu Li never dares to take him lightly. After all, even if time and space have shifted, he is still Emperor Wu.

Even if the Liu Che before me is not the historically ambitious, brilliant emperor, he is still not a simple opponent to handle.

Thus, even though Liu Che and A Jiao's bodies are swapped and A Jiao has become the emperor, as A Jiao's daughter she can already stride through Weiyang Palace, and she hasn't given up on raising Liu Che's favor.

Who knows what this emperor is thinking? If one truly wants to scheme, even combined, she and A Jiao are probably no match for Liu Che.

After hearing Liu Li's explanation of the Promotion of Kindness Decree, A Jiao finally understood why Liu Che had been so excited. If such a method were implemented, it could indeed weaken the vassal states without a single soldier.

She curved her lips in praise: "A Li, you're so clever, to devise such a fine method." Of course A Jiao deliberately praised her daughter in front of Liu Che, since Liu Che would surely assume the method came from a goddess.

But in reality, there is no goddess; even if there were, it would be A Li herself.

Liu Li had never failed to understand A Jiao's hint; the mother and daughter were in perfect sync, and she replied smoothly: "Thank you, mother, for the compliment. Actually the first to propose the Promotion of Kindness Decree wasn't A Li; I saw it in a letter in the Stone Channel Pavilion."

Hearing Liu Li say that, Liu Che was surprised: "So the Promotion of Kindness Decree wasn't conveyed to you by a goddess?"

Liu Li shook her head: "Of course not. The goddess is a celestial deity; she's so busy daily that she couldn't meet her daughter every day." She pursed her little mouth.

With that, Liu Che seemed to believe; a celestial deity caring so much for mortal suffering, what else would she need?

Liu Che pressed further: "What book did you see in the Stone Channel Pavilion that I have no recollection of?" He was confident he had perused most of the collection there, yet he had never encountered anything related to the Promotion of Kindness Decree.

Liu Li replied: "It was a proposal in the treatise 'Strategies for Maintaining Order' authored by Grand Tutor Jia of the previous dynasty. I found the proposal excellent, but I don't know why Emperor Wen did not adopt Grand Tutor Jia's suggestion."

Grand Tutor Jia served during Emperor Wen's reign and indeed wrote 'Strategies for Maintaining Order.' Historically, the 'Promotion of Kindness Decree' proposed by Zhu Fu Yan drew inspiration from that work, and now Liu Li has borrowed it.

Liu Che sincerely praised: "I never expected that A Li, as a girl, could possess such vision and thinking."

Flushed with modesty, Liu Li lowered her head; she could propose these ideas only because she had studied them in history textbooks—actual historical facts—and she was merely a promoter and witness of this timeline.

At this moment Liu Che was no longer in a hurry to summon the Prime Minister, Censor‑in‑Chief and others to discuss the Promotion of Kindness Decree; he ordered men to fetch the documents of Jia Yi and Grand Tutor Jia from the Emperor Wen era at the Stone Channel Pavilion and bring them to the Jiao Fang Hall for thorough study.

Liu Che did have the desire to govern diligently, but his body would not allow it. Since A Jiao's pregnancy, he could not eat properly during the day and could not sleep at night.

Just as he was about to unfold Jia Yi's writings for study, his lower abdomen suddenly swelled, and he felt an urgent need to use the restroom.

This ordeal drained his mood for reading; he only wanted to return to his chambers, lie down, and get a good sleep.

Pregnancy truly exhausts a woman.

A Jiao also tried to read Grand Tutor Jia's articles herself, such as the lengthy treatise 'Treatise on Accumulation and Storage'; after two or three lines she could no longer continue.

She knew she was not a talent for governing; even after swapping bodies with Liu Che, she only thought of changing her own situation. Yet she also understood that having chosen this path, she must see it through.

As long as she remains Liu Che, she holds enough agency; otherwise, death awaits her.

But can she truly manipulate imperial power so easily? Like today in Xuan Shi Hall, when Liu Che suddenly rushed out of the rear hall, perhaps it already raised suspicion in Sang Hongyang.

The inner‑court officials, the Attendant and Imperial Attendant, were all promoted by Liu Che himself and are his confidants. The Imperial Guard and Tiger Guard that guard Weiyang Palace are also his trusted men. If any of them began to suspect something, could she be sure of subduing them?

In fact, killing Liu Che now would be a clean, permanent solution, but A Jiao knows he cannot be killed yet. At least the court still needs Liu Che; some orders still require his seal and signature.

A Jiao also wishes to promote some of her own people in the court, strengthening the Chen clan in‑laws, yet she knows that neither her father nor her two elder brothers are capable of holding great responsibilities.

She wants to seize Liu Che's power without destroying the Great Han's realm, and hopes the Great Han can thrive peacefully under her governance.

Thus she must still give Liu Che a good reprimand, so that he will be more cautious in restraining himself and not expose his flaws before the ministers.

In the evening, after A Jiao and Liu Che each washed up and returned to the sleeping chambers, the palace attendants closed the doors for the emperor and empress and left.

Liu Che leaned lazily against the bed rail, his expression drowsy, his gaze following the flickering candlelight until it fell on A Jiao as she adjusted her robes. The light made her face alternately bright and dim; Liu Che watched intently, then heard A Jiao, already seated cross‑legged opposite him, say, "Liu Che, I have something to tell you."

Emperor Wu lazily leaned against the bed rail, his expression listless, yet his gaze followed the jumping candlelight and fell on Ajiao, who was loosening her robes. The light made her face flicker between bright and dim. Emperor Wu was utterly absorbed in looking when he heard Ajiao already sitting cross-legged opposite him, speaking: "Emperor Wu, I have something to say to you."

"Having you listen to state affairs behind the curtain in the rear hall was already improper, yet you still rushed out to issue orders to Sang Hong"

"Yang to give orders, are you afraid he will not notice our matter?" A Jiao accused Liu Che with a solemn expression.

Fortunately, A Jiao and Liu Che were childhood sweethearts; if A Jiao deliberately mimics Liu Che's mannerisms, she can pass as genuine. The problem is Liu Che's restlessness, constantly breaking the rules.

"Today's incident happened because A Li mentioned the Promotion of Kindness Decree; I was too delighted and momentarily forgot protocol," Liu Che explained. "Rest assured, I will be careful from now on and will not tarnish the empress's reputation again."

A Jiao snorted lightly: "Just the two of us here, and you still refer to yourself as 'I,' showing your lingering discontent."

Ajiao gave a soft scoff and said: "Here there are only the two of us, yet you still insist on calling yourself the Emperor—it shows your heart is still unwilling."

If he felt unwilling, that was inevitable. He could have been the Great Han's emperor, yet inexplicably swapped bodies with A Jiao, and had previously been threatened by A Jiao; how could he endure that?

If you say he's unwilling, that's inevitable—he could have been the Great Han Emperor, yet inexplicably swapped bodies with Chen Ajiao, and was even threatened by her before; how could he endure that?

After a while, Liu Cheng let out a chuckle, "Very well, I… I'll remember to change that address later."

"It's good that you know."

Liu Cheng endured his bodily discomfort, finished reading Jia Yi's *Strategies for Public Order*, and then wrote at length the specific provisions of the Benevolence Decree, handing them to Chen Ajiao to follow his instructions and discuss them with the ministers.

More than half of the court officials supported the decree, so Chen Ajiao dispatched envoys to officially promulgate it.

After this round of work, it was already afternoon; Chen Ajiao let out a long sigh, thinking to herself how exhausting it was to be the Son of Heaven, having to spend half a day just listening to the ministers' opinions.

When she returned to the Pepper Chamber Hall, she guessed it was time for dinner.

Before long, the Benevolence Decree was officially implemented among the various vassal states; although the feudal lords had objections, they still feared the central power and dared not speak out.

The most vocal opponent was Liu An, the King of Huainan, who was currently the strongest among the vassals.

King Liu An of Huainan was a paternal cousin of Emperor Jing of Han; during the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion, Liu An had also considered joining the revolt, but his subordinates dissuaded him, allowing him to escape disaster.

Nevertheless, he remained unsatisfied, continuing to amass troops and wealth. The issuance of the Benevolence Decree further strengthened his resolve to rebel.

The emperor currently had no son; should the emperor meet an accident, the imperial‑clan ministers would have to select a new emperor from the Liu‑named vassal princes. Liu An, being a grandson of the founding emperor Liu Bang, was the most qualified candidate for the next throne.

However, the strategists around the King of Huainan cautioned, "Your Majesty, it seems the emperor has gained another formidable advisor; otherwise why would he suddenly propose this so‑called Benevolence Decree? We must not act rashly."

Other strategists echoed the sentiment, all speculating about who had proposed the Benevolence Decree.

Liu An, hearing the strategists, found their point reasonable. After a moment's thought he said, "I will send someone to Chang'an to investigate, to see what kind of person this youngster offering counsel to Liu Cheng truly is. If we can recruit him to Huainan for my use, that would be ideal."

The strategists fawned, "Your Majesty is wise."

As for who Liu An sent, it was naturally his daughter, Princess Liu Ling of Huainan.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed, and the Western Han entered the twelfth month.

The weather grew especially cold, and Liu Li promptly put on the new garments the palace had specially made for her—said to be crafted from animal furs and silk, aristocratic attire for warding off the cold.

Even so, it seemed insufficiently warm, so she added several more layers, turning herself into a round ball that waddled left and right like a little penguin.

Liu Li stared greedily at the clothes on the third floor of the system mall—various beautiful cotton jackets and down coats—but she could only look, not redeem them.

Because only the Benevolence Decree event had been completed; Sang Hongyang's economic reform event was still ongoing and not fully finished.

Even if those two events were completed, she would still need to trigger another event to unlock the third‑floor merchandise.

Moreover, there was no cotton at this time, so she couldn't even make a cotton jacket herself.

The system mall did have cotton seeds, but if planted now, they wouldn't be harvestable until summer. More importantly, she vaguely recalled that cotton required ample sunlight and was usually cultivated in the Xinjiang region.

At this time, the Xinjiang region was still not Han territory.

Thinking this, Liu Li let out a long sigh; had she known her ultimate fate would be in this ancient era, she should have studied agriculture or history in university, rather than useless economics and trade.

What pleased Liu Li was that the potatoes she had planted had all borne fruit. What disappointed her was that the green peppers she sowed had all died.

Because of the cold, the seedlings that just sprouted were frozen to death. She shouldn't have planted green peppers in mid‑October; she should wait until next spring.

After digging the potatoes from the ground, Liu Li rubbed her frozen hands and suddenly craved roasted potatoes.

She ordered a few guards to bring firewood, built a hollow stack of logs over the potatoes, lit it, and began roasting them.

In such cold weather, everyone could warm themselves around the fire.

"Princess, the potatoes aren't cleaned yet; can we eat them after they're roasted?" the maid Qiao asked Liu Li curiously.

Liu Li nodded, "Of course you can eat them; just peel off the outer skin, but they must be fully roasted—undercooked ones are inedible." Watching the dancing flames, she also thought of roasting sweet potatoes and chicken legs.

We planted potatoes this year; once winter passes and spring arrives, we'll plant some sweet potatoes here, so next winter we'll have roasted sweet potatoes to eat.

After a while, the roasted potatoes emitted a fragrant aroma; Liu Li used a stick to pull out a few that were blackened on the surface, too hot to touch with her hands.

"They're done, they're done, you can eat them," Liu Li exclaimed joyfully.

A nearby guard volunteered, grabbed a potato with his bare hands, and briskly brushed off the dried soil from its surface.

Liu Li extended both hands, took the potato from the guard, and cradled it, then said, "You all share the remaining four; thank you for keeping me company while roasting the potatoes." She happily ran back into the hall, holding the freshly roasted potatoes.

The remaining maidens and guards showed a hint of delight; their Princess Jianling was truly approachable, and after they helped her, she always rewarded them with something.

Even if it was just a bowl of fruit tea, not a precious gift, the princess always treated them as equals, not as servants.

Liu Li, carrying the roasted potatoes, went to look for Chen Ajiao, but didn't find her; instead she ran into the already pregnant Liu Cheng.

Because Chen Ajiao's body was slender, and during the first two or three months of pregnancy, Liu Cheng's gestational reactions were severe—sometimes he couldn't eat, sometimes he vomited after eating.

Sometimes he had to use the restroom several times a night, and other times he was very sleepy yet couldn't fall asleep.

In short, after more than two months of this ordeal, Chen Ajiao's body grew even more frail, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Lord Dou Liu Piao was naturally very distressed for his "daughter," bringing in a large supply of tonics from outside the palace to strengthen her. Yet those tonics smelled awful and tasted even worse; Liu Cheng sometimes vomited after drinking them, but Liu Piao still forced him to swallow.

"Chen Ajiao, my obedient daughter, even if you don't drink it, you must think of the little prince in your womb."

"You haven't eaten much all day; what if the little prince gets hungry?"

"These medicines are all great tonics, guaranteeing that the little prince you bear will be healthy."

"These medicines are all great tonics; I guarantee that the little prince you will bear will be healthy and strong."

During that time, hearing Liu Piao's voice made his mouth water with bitterness. If he refused to drink, his aunt would use the child in his womb to lecture him, saying everything was for the child.

"For the child, for the child! Is my feeling not important?" Liu Cheng couldn't help complaining to Chen Ajiao, "Those things taste terrible; I vomit after drinking, yet aunt calls me wasteful and wants to make another bowl. Can you persuade aunt not to give me these anymore?"

Hearing Liu Cheng's complaint, Chen Ajiao's gaze lingered on his abdomen as she said, "Your mother is also caring for you and the child; refusing her would be spurning her goodwill. Just endure it."

Liu Cheng's mouth twitched slightly, "…"

At that moment, Liu Li sat nearby, hearing their conversation, and thought Chen Ajiao's words resembled those of modern irresponsible "scumbags" who disregard their wives' feelings for the sake of a child.

Later, Chen Ajiao laughed privately and said, "Back when I was infertile, my mother always gave me some terrible tonics to drink for health; I really hated those medicines. I once complained to Liu Cheng about not wanting to drink them—do you know what he said?"

Liu Li looked at her unspoken bitterness, shook her head and asked, "What did he say?"

Later Ajiao, smiling, told her daughter in private: "Back when I was constantly infertile, my mother also always sent some bitter tonics for me to drink to regulate my body; I really hated those medicines. I once complained to Emperor Wu about not wanting to drink them—do you know what he said to me?"

—"Aunt is also caring for you, hoping you'll quickly conceive our child. If you refuse her, wouldn't that offend her? Be good; I'll drink with you, and after we're done we can eat a candied fruit."

"He said..."

——Aunt is also caring for you, hoping you can quickly become pregnant with our child; if you refuse her, wouldn't that be going against her wishes? Good, I'll accompany you in drinking, after we finish drinking let's eat a candied fruit.

At that time their feelings were very deep; there was no Wei Zifu, nor those beauties of the imperial harem—only them. Faced with his sweet words, even the bitterest medicine before them turned sweet.

Liu Che, Liu Che, now the tides have turned; these medicines, you just drink them slowly.

By now Liu Che had finally been pregnant for three full months, and his pregnancy symptoms had almost disappeared. Because he had slimmed down all over, at three months he began to show.

However, because he wears many layers, it is not very noticeable now.

Liu Che looked at his daughter's face, like that of a little flower cat, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where did you go? Your face is all dirty."

Liu Li grinned, showing her teeth, and said, "Just now I roasted sweet potatoes with the palace maids in the rear garden; Mother, where are you? Why can't I see you?"

Liu Che glanced at the dark, lumpy thing she held in her arms and said, "She probably went to Changle Palace; your grandmother is looking for her."

"Oh." Liu Li sighed regretfully, "Then I'll just eat the cumin-salt roasted potatoes myself." Saying this, she placed the sweet potato she was holding on the side table, then asked a palace maid for a knife and a plate.

She mixed the cumin and salt in the plate, then skillfully used the knife to cut open the sweet potato; the inside was bright yellow, looking very floury.

She carefully removed the outer skin of the sweet potato, then cut the remainder into chunks and placed them in the plate; a simple plate of cumin potatoes was ready.

If conditions allowed, she would hold it over the fire a bit longer to crisp the outside, which would make it taste even better.

Liu Che also wanted to try a bite, but the child in his belly wouldn't let him eat randomly, so he could only watch Liu Li eat with relish.

Chen Ajiao soon returned from Changle Palace; outside the wind picked up cold, but inside, thanks to the lit brazier, it was quite warm.

The palace maid took off Chen Ajiao's fur robe; after warming herself by the brazier, she then walked to the couch to look at her daughter playing with toys.

Liu Che looked toward Chen Ajiao and asked, "What did the Empress Dowager want with you?"

Chen Ajiao sat beside Liu Li, raised her eyebrows, and said, "The Empress Dowager said that Liu Ling will come to Chang'an for a short stay, and I am to receive her well."

Liu Che's expression stalled: "What is she coming to Chang'an for at this time?"

"The Empress Dowager isn't intending to betroth her granddaughter to the Crown Prince of Huainan, is she? Liu Ling probably came for this reason." This was also the Queen Dowager's speculation; in any case, to ensure her granddaughter would smoothly marry the Crown Prince of Huainan, the Queen Dowager ordered her "son" to make sure to receive the Princess of Huainan well.

Just hearing the name Liu Ling gave Liu Che a headache; he wouldn't simply think Liu Ling came to Chang'an just to play. This Liu Ling had more schemes than a hornet's nest.

There is another matter: Chen Ajiao finds it inconvenient to say this in front of her daughter. She has been residing in the Jiaofang Palace under Liu Che's identity for three months, and the Empress Dowager has allowed her to properly visit the other beauties of the imperial harem, especially Lady Wei.

Wei Zifu's belly was already seven months big, but in recent months, as the Son of Heaven, she had not gone to visit.