The ministers were horrified. How much did the Emperor not want to be the Emperor that he was so anxious to give up his position?
After Qi Xiuyuan made up his mind, he stopped concerning himself with the court matters. Instead, every day, he would just take medicine and play chess. When he was in a good mood, he would go to the imperial garden with the Empress. As for the concubines who came to see him, he refused to meet with any of them.
Qi Xiuyuan said to Li Jinghua, "When Wenchen takes the throne, we'll move to the temporary imperial residence. When I recover, I'll bring you back to Jingzhao Prefecture to take a look. You haven't gone back to visit your relatives after so many years, right?"
Tears fell from Li Jinghua's eyes. She reached out to hold his hand and said gratefully, "Your Majesty!"
Qi Xiuyuan patted her hand and smiled. "You've suffered."
Li Jinghua shook her head and pursed her lips into a smile. "It's my blessing to be able to marry Your Majesty."
