De Shun left.
The palace maids in Shen Wei’s courtyard began bustling about again, continuing to trim the flowers and trees in the garden.
The spring sunlight was warm and pleasant, so Shen Wei had the servants move the chairs and tables to the backyard. She sat by the table, flipping through the account books sent by the shops in Yanjing. Her business was thriving, almost reaching saturation—there was no room left to earn more.
She needed to find a way to expand into new markets.
Shen Wei stroked her chin, her thoughts turning to the imperial family—earning money from the royals, becoming a merchant supplier to the palace.
To profit from the imperial household, she needed access to internal channels. Clutching her brush, she murmured to herself, "I must find a way to gain authority over the palace’s inner management..."
Once she secured administrative control, it would be easy to establish connections and turn her Yanjing shops into "royal suppliers."
In the current Qing State harem, the Empress and Noble Consort Shu shared equal authority, jointly managing the inner palace. Shen Wei needed to start scheming, step by step, to strip them of their power.
Cai Ping approached with tea and informed her, "Mistress, Princess Le You was pushed by Concubine Lan. The Empress Dowager punished Concubine Lan by making her kneel for two hours."
Shen Wei paused, her brush hovering. "Was Le You hurt?"
Cai Ping shook her head. "She’s fine. But Concubine Lan is truly arrogant."
Shen Wei lowered her gaze. In the harem, the more arrogant one was, the more likely they were to invite disaster.
For Le You, however, this incident could serve as a lesson—a wake-up call to the harsh realities of life.
Shen Wei had always felt that Le You was too kind and naive. In the imperial family, innocence was like a flower in a greenhouse. Without that protection, the flower would wither easily.
Letting Le You glimpse the cruelty of human nature could be a necessary trial for her growth.
"Mistress, Princess Le You and the two young princes have arrived," Cai Lian announced.
Shen Wei immediately set down her brush and had Cai Ping put away the account books. Not far away, three children were already running toward her cheerfully.
"Mother~"
In the leisurely afternoon, Le You had brought her two younger brothers to Yongning Palace to visit Shen Wei. After running around the palace to explore, the three children went to the pavilion by the pond to catch fish.
A short while later, Cai Lian returned with another announcement: Li Yao had arrived.
Shen Wei hadn’t seen Li Yao in three years, but during that time, she had regularly sent letters and little trinkets that young girls liked, maintaining their bond.
"Greetings, Lady Chen," Li Yao said obediently as she appeared.
Shen Wei studied her closely. The once slender and timid little girl had grown taller, her face fair and lovely, her demeanor already bearing the grace of a princess.
With a warm smile, Shen Wei embraced her. "Yao’er, you’ve grown so much. Let me take a good look at you."
Li Yao’s cheeks flushed pink.
Shen Wei’s embrace was as warm as ever. Over the past three years, though Li Yao held the title of eldest princess, the Empress had never shown her much regard, and no one had ever hugged her.
Only when Consort Yu occasionally remembered her would she send for her to visit.
The palace was a cold place. Her father was busy with state affairs, the Empress ignored her, and Li Yao often felt lonely. Only the letters and pretty little dolls Shen Wei sent her brought warmth to those desolate nights.
"Your dress seems a bit old," Shen Wei remarked, noticing the rough, worn fabric of Li Yao’s spring gown.
Not wanting to worry her, Li Yao said, "I like this dress, so I kept wearing it—Lady Chen, I’ve brought two sisters with me."
With that, she stepped aside.
At the entrance of Yongning Palace, two young girls peeked in cautiously, their eyes full of curiosity.
One was Li Nanzhi, dressed in a snow-white gown—the daughter of Consort Mei, Liu Ruyan. The other was Li Wan'er, the daughter of the late Crown Prince.
Shen Wei glanced at Li Wan'er’s clothes and frowned inwardly. Like Li Yao, Li Wan'er’s attire was also shabby. Both girls resided in Baozhu Hall, ostensibly under the Empress’s care.
Clearly, the Empress had neglected them.
Shen Wei smiled gently. "Come in, all of you. Don’t be shy—treat Yongning Palace as your home."
The little princesses stepped inside curiously.
Hearing the commotion, Le You, who had been catching fish by the pavilion, came running over on her chubby little legs, her bright eyes fixed on the three older girls.
Having lived on Donghua Mountain with only her two brothers for company, Le You had never met other sisters before.
Filled with excitement and a sudden sense of kinship, she chirped, "Hello, sisters! Do you want to catch fish with me? It’s so much fun!"
The three princesses: "..."
Half an hour later, Le You and her newfound sisters were splashing around the pond, their laughter ringing across the water. Though they called it "catching fish," the palace maids had already placed a dozen fish in a shallow wooden basin. The princesses used small nets to scoop them up.
The attendants stood guard nearby, ensuring no accidents occurred.
Seeing their sisters having fun, Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou decided not to disturb them and instead ran to Shen Wei.
Li Chengyou spotted the newly erected archery target in the backyard. Their delicate mother was drawing her bow, her posture utterly incorrect as she aimed—
Thud. The arrow predictably missed.
"Mother, your archery is still terrible," the two boys sighed in unison.
Shen Wei lowered the wooden bow and poked her son’s forehead. "I practice archery for fitness, not accuracy."
Drawing the bow strengthened her shoulders, neck, and arms, improved her posture, and enhanced her overall elegance.
She had started practicing archery while recuperating on Donghua Mountain, but her half-hearted efforts had yielded little progress.
Not that she minded. She knew someone would volunteer to teach her once she returned to the palace.
Feeling inspired, Shen Wei had Cai Ping fetch two child-sized bows. "Since we’re free, why not learn archery? A prince of Qing State must master horseback riding and archery!"
The two boys: "..."
...
In the afternoon, after finishing his court duties, Li Yuanjing hurried to Yongning Palace, eager to see Shen Wei.
He had granted her the title "Chen."
As the stars shifted in the sky, the North Star remained constant. Amid life’s uncertainties, Shen Wei had always stayed by his side—just like the celestial Polaris.
Li Yuanjing dismissed the eunuch’s announcement and strode straight into Yongning Palace. The palace was lively, brimming with energy—eunuchs trimmed the garden, maids swept the courtyard, and by the pavilion, four little girls were catching fish.
Li Yuanjing inhaled sharply. His princesses… were catching fish!
How absurd!
His daughters, born of noble blood, should never engage in such common, dirty work!
Perhaps the intensity of his displeasure reached the girls. Li Yao lowered her head silently, Li Nanzhi clutched her little net nervously, and Li Wan'er stiffened with unease.
Only Le You, upon seeing her father in his dark brocade robe, came running over excitedly, her chubby little face brimming with lively joy. "Father, Le You and my sisters caught so many fish! Tonight, we'll make fish soup for you!" Her voice was sweet and tender, her eyes clear and bright, filled with nothing but adoration and care for her father.
Li Yuanjing: ...
Hmm, my daughter is truly thoughtful.
Catching fish is just child's play—as long as the girls are happy, that's all that matters.
Li Yuanjing patted his daughter's head and said, "I've already punished Concubine Lan by deducting a year's worth of her stipend. If anyone bullies you again, remember to tell me."
Le You's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Thank you, Father."
Li Yuanjing couldn't hide the pride in his expression.
Still thinking about the unfinished fish-catching, Le You exchanged a few more words with her father before scampering back, her little feet pattering eagerly.
Li Yuanjing watched his daughter's retreating figure, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.
He turned to a maid from Yongning Palace and asked, "Where is Consort Shen?"
The maid replied, "Her Highness is in the backyard, teaching the two young princes archery."
Li Yuanjing was baffled—since when did his Weiwei learn archery? He strode toward the backyard with long steps.
From a distance, he saw Shen Wei standing outside the target range, her figure slender as a willow. Her green sleeves were rolled up with a sash, and she held a small wooden children's bow in her hand.
The bronze wind chimes on the eaves swayed in the breeze. Shen Wei flexed her wrist, already aware of the Emperor's arrival.
Pretending not to notice, she called out clearly to her two sons, "Come, let Mother demonstrate for you. Watch closely—you must grasp the essence of it."
Shen Wei drew the bow, and the little wooden arrow went flying—
Plop! The arrow veered wildly off course.
She coughed lightly, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her delicate face. "That didn't count—the spring wind is too strong. Let Mother try again. Both of you, pay attention."
From a short distance away, Li Yuanjing watched with twitching eyelids. With such clumsy archery skills, she still had the nerve to teach their sons?
