296. Break through the Song family's estate

Capital, Imperial Palace.

Today there were no morning court sessions, and Xu Zhenguan unusually lingered in bed. By the time she woke from the sleeping chambers, daylight had already brightened considerably.

When having breakfast, the Empress distinctly felt the dense aura of autumn, making even the royal garden seem somewhat withered.

"Whoosh—"

The wind swept through, sending a surge of crimson maple leaves fluttering down, caught by the delicate and slender hands of the Empress. Her fingers closed gently, slowly clenching them in her palm.

"The maple leaves are thoroughly red now. I remember, Linfeng Taicang has the most maple trees around. Every deep autumn, the scenery is at its best. To enjoy chrysanthemums, though, one must head further south to the borders of the Huai River. Hmm, I wonder how the market preparations are going there now."

Xu Zhenguan spoke softly, the sun was high, yet the warmth of summer had faded.