The Empress Dowager's chambers in the royal palace of the imperial capital.
The Empress Dowager, mistress of this inner palace, sat dressed in formal attire.
She embodied both the dignity of an Empress Dowager and the gentle aura of her past as a favored consort. Those two diametrically opposed qualities and airs blended together at the highest level.
Having flown back, I stood before Mother and first bowed deeply.
"I apologize for the sudden visit, Mother."
"Fufu, it is quite all right. In fact, it brings me joy."
"Joy, you say?"
Lifting my head, I tilted it slightly. Mother covered her mouth and chuckled further.
"Yes. Your Majesty's elusive, unpredictable nature makes you the spitting image of the late Emperor. It brings back fond memories."
"I am still far from matching the late Emperor, but I shall strive to improve."
Saying so, I drew a quiet breath and gave another light bow.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"This."
I gestured to the side.
There stood a finely crafted table, upon which sat a dirt-stained hemp sack that looked completely out of place.
"And that is?"
"Rice harvested in Enlil, our second crop of this year."
"Rice... a second crop... Ah, that was the enterprise Your Majesty undertook to achieve two harvests a year, was it not?"
"Yes. I brought it to present it to you, Mother."
"......May I ask..."
After gazing intently at the hemp sack, Mother smiled gently and spoke.
"Would you indulge me in a little reminiscing?"
"Gladly."
I nodded in agreement.
The Empress Dowager beckoned to a court lady and whispered in her ear.
The court lady nodded, took the rice I had brought, and withdrew.
Meanwhile, another court lady brought over a chair for me.
Leaving a slight distance between us, I sat down facing Mother.
Rather than sitting across a table on sofas, we faced each other in chairs with nothing between us.
The atmosphere felt somewhat like an interview.
Even though we were biological mother and son, that was simply the nature of things between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Besides, with the memories and experiences of my previous life, living for several decades had made me thoroughly used to it.
"I believe that was one—no, two years before Your Majesty was born. I accompanied the late Emperor on an inspection tour to the south."
"I know the records. If I recall correctly, it centered around Gaenlil."
"Yes. It is a land that flourished greatly from its canals, and it is also known for its abundance of beautiful women."
"It was your hometown, was it not, Mother?"
"Indeed. In a sense, it was a homecoming for me."
A nostalgic look crossed Mother's eyes.
Gaenlil was, just as Mother said, a province that had thrived on its rivers since ancient times.
It was also the province that had resisted to the bitter end when the Empire cornered the previous dynasty.
Gaenlil had been the destination of the final capital relocation when the old dynasty was cornered by the Empire. At that time, everyone from the imperial family to ministers and other high officials migrated in droves, bringing their wives and children along—including the Emperor's inner palace.
The wives and concubines of royalty and nobility were, by default, all beauties. They had all migrated at once.
Afterward, when the Empire took control of Gaenlil, all the male children of the royal family and key vassals were executed, but the women were all spared and freed.
In other words, the end result was that a vast number of beauties had migrated to Gaenlil and settled there permanently.
To put it another way, a massive amount of "beauty's blood" had flowed into Gaenlil.
That was the history behind why there were so many beautiful women in Gaenlil.
"It was shortly after I entered the service of the late Emperor, so I was quite astonished by the sheer scale of the hospitality."
"You were the woman the late Emperor favored above all else, Mother; any man would want to show off for you."
When I said that, Mother's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Surprised myself, I wondered if I had said something strange.
"Did I say something out of place?"
"I was merely surprised that Your Majesty understood such things as well."
I instantly realized she meant a man wanting to show off for the woman he loved.
"...I understand it in principle."
Following Mother's remark, I paused briefly, swallowing my embarrassment as I answered.
Having this kind of exchange with my own mother—or rather, effectively being told by her, "So you aren't a complete blockhead after all"—was rather embarrassing.
This was something Audrey pointed out to me from time to time as well.
Around forty of the late Emperor's children lived to adulthood, and if one counted those who died young, the total born easily exceeded fifty.
In contrast, the number of my children was not even a tenth of that.
Furthermore, the number of my consorts was likewise less than a tenth of my father's.
On top of that, Father had left behind romantic rumors in nearly every place he visited on his expeditions and inspection tours; having illegitimate children scattered across the land was widely rumored—or rather, practically an open fact.
I had none of that.
Add to that my reputation for being "strict with the law," and I had acquired the image of a stiff, serious man with no interest in women, completely oblivious to a woman's heart.
It was only natural for Mother to be surprised, but being teased about it by my own mother left me with nothing but a wry smile.
"I understand that Your Majesty is being considerate of the Empress."
"You are too kind."
"I shall say nothing of Jessica, as she is rarely in the inner palace, but I would like you to pay a little more attention to Anya as well."
Mother's tone grew slightly firmer.
Anya—Audrey's younger sister and my very first concubine.
When I ascended the throne as Emperor, my legal wife Audrey became Empress, and my concubine Anya became primary consort, the highest rank among the consorts.
Anya also lived in the inner palace, which was why Mother brought her up.
"I do not meddle in state affairs."
Mother said that at every opportunity, but when it came to matters of the inner palace, that was the domain of the Empress, and beyond that, the Empress Dowager.
If she refrained from meddling in state affairs and politics, then taking her advice and pointers regarding the inner palace to heart was only proper.
I stood up and bowed my head.
"I apologize. I shall do as you instruct, Mother."
"And—though this may be half a matter of state..."
"?"
With my head tilted, I looked at Mother while still standing.
It was rare for her to speak of anything concerning state affairs, even halfway.
"Please take a few more consorts as well."
"I shall do as you say... but what do you mean by half a matter of state?"
"It is something the late Emperor told me."
"Yes."
I straightened my posture.
Whenever I heard about the late Emperor from Mother, I naturally found myself standing at attention like this.
I could no longer seek teachings directly from the late Emperor, but I could still learn things I did not know from someone who had been close to him.
This was one of those moments, which was why my back straightened instinctively.
"'It is precisely because I shared affections with many women that I became capable of utilizing clever tactics, both in statecraft and in warfare.'"
Mother quoted what were likely the late Emperor's exact words.
"I do not know what that means in concrete terms. Neither politics nor war is something women—especially consorts—need to know."
"Yes."
"However, the late Emperor told me there was no falsehood when he conveyed his true feelings to me."
I see, I thought.
In other words, Mother, at least, firmly believed Father's words to be true: that he had become capable of utilizing clever tactics because he shared affections with many women.
The influence that the Emperor's "private" life had exerted on the "public."
That seemed to be why Mother used the expression "half a matter of state."
To be honest, I still did not completely understand Father's words even now, but I stood tall and bowed my head.
"I have humbly received your instruction."
"We have strayed from the topic, haven't we?"
Mother smiled gently.
Waiting for me to sit back down in my chair, she brought the conversation back to its original subject.
"During the inspection of Gaenlil, I once served the late Emperor an original dish made with local ingredients. The late Emperor took a great liking to it, named it after me, and ordered it to be popularized throughout the city."
"A dish made by the favored consort he took along on his inspection—I imagine it spread far and wide."
"Yes, indeed. To the point of embarrassment."
Mother smiled gracefully.
Still smiling, she beckoned to a court lady and whispered in her ear when she approached.
That court lady withdrew, and two others took her place.
Each carried a tray bearing a steaming bowl and chopsticks, setting them before Mother and me.
A pleasant aroma of cooked white rice wafted through the air.
"I had the rice from earlier prepared. Please, Your Majesty, help yourself."
"Thank you."
I nodded, took the bowl, and ate a mouthful. I chewed and swallowed.
As expected of Mother—or rather, the Empress Dowager's personal chefs—even plain rice was cooked to absolute perfection.
Mother likewise took a single bite, a tiny mouthful that could almost be described as purely formal.
"This is... I have never tasted such delicious rice in all my life."
Mother said so.
Taken literally, it was the highest praise coming from the mouth of the Empress Dowager, yet her expression remained composed, and her tone stayed serene.
It was hardly the expression or tone of someone claiming it to be the "best of her life."
"I like it very much. Where was this harvested?"
"It is a product of Enlil Province, distinguished by the fact that it can be harvested twice a year."
I did not say, "You already know that."
I had gone from an imperial prince to Emperor, and Mother had gone from a favored consort to Empress Dowager.
Both of us were thoroughly adept at navigating these kinds of formal exchanges.
I smoothly played along with the conversation. Mother murmured a quiet "Splendid" before continuing.
"It is truly wonderful rice. I would very much like to give it a name."
"Thank you very much."
Saying so, I stood up once more and bowed my head.
Mother smiled serenely and nodded.
She caught the court ladies' eyes, and they stepped forward to clear our bowls.
Once more, with an expression that was no longer an act, Mother spoke.
"It is wonderful, Your Majesty."
"Now that you have taken a liking to it and given it a name, Mother, the people of Enlil will scramble to plant it. It will serve as the final push for double-cropping."
"The late Emperor did that for my cooking, but Your Majesty is different."
Mother spoke with gentle, delighted eyes, truly like a mother praising her child.
"Your Majesty has set up the groundwork from the preparatory stages. It would be no exaggeration to say you work twice as hard as the late Emperor. That is truly splendid."
"Thank you."
"Another idea has come to mind. Provide this rice directly to the inner palace."
"Pardon?"
"In addition to the name, it will be all the better if it becomes known that 'The Empress Dowager took such a liking to it that the entire inner palace adopted it.'"
"Are you sure that is all right?"
"Everything in the inner palace is decided at my sole discretion."
Mother smiled.
Her tone carried the uncompromising weight of absolute authority, yet her face wore the mischievous smile of an adolescent girl.
"As the Empress Dowager, there is no reason anyone should complain just because I specified where my white rice comes from."
Saying that, she laughed softly.
Seeing that smile, I felt as though I finally understood why Father had favored Mother until the very end.
"Thank you very much."
I stood up and bowed deeply to Mother.