If Consort Mei Liu Ruyan were to see this, she would surely be angry again.
Shen Wei said, "Life is short. At different ages, one should do different things and enjoy the joys each stage brings. You haven't even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet, and there are no burdens on your shoulders. This is the time to be carefree. If you don’t wear beautiful clothes now, when will you?"
Dressing beautifully in the age of loving beauty ensures that years later, looking back, there will be no regrets.
Shen Wei gave Li Nanzhi the dress not entirely to win over the young girl but more out of pity for her.
Among the princesses in the palace, who wasn’t dressed in bright and vibrant colors? Especially Le You, whose closets were stuffed with colorful, gorgeous dresses, changing outfits daily without repetition.
But Li Nanzhi’s clothes were almost exclusively white, silver, or other pale shades—even her bracelets were made of white jade.
Liu Ruyan had forcibly imposed her own preferences onto the young girl. Nanzhi was truly pitiable.
"But..." Li Nanzhi’s small face twisted in hesitation.
Shen Wei smiled. "If you’re afraid of angering Consort Mei, wear it in secret or only when you come to Yongning Palace."
Li Nanzhi nodded firmly.
Shen Wei gently stroked Li Nanzhi’s soft, pale cheek and said tenderly, "The nights are chilly. Remember to cover yourself well—don’t catch a cold."
Shen Wei’s palm was warm.
The touch against Li Nanzhi’s small face brought a comforting warmth.
Li Nanzhi thought to herself, Is this Consort Chen’s hand? No wonder Le You always holds it.
So warm.
If only her own mother had such warm hands... Li Nanzhi thought of Consort Mei. Liu Ruyan rarely touched her. Once, Li Nanzhi mustered the courage to take Liu Ruyan’s hand, only for it to be lightly brushed away.
Liu Ruyan’s hands were cold.
With a heart full of mixed emotions, Li Nanzhi left, carrying her new beautiful dress, her mind heavy with thoughts.
---
Elsewhere, the setting sun scattered golden light across Baozhu Palace.
Li Yao happily ran back to the courtyard and pushed open Li Wan'er’s door. "Sister Wan'er, I brought you delicious fruits!"
Inside, Li Wan'er was having her evening meal.
Four dishes and a soup were laid out: emerald bamboo shoots, stuffed tofu with flower petals, jade-belt shrimp, imperial concubine’s chicken wings, and peony silver ear soup. The spread was rich—meat, vegetables, all exquisitely presented.
Li Wan'er held her chopsticks but avoided the meat dishes, instead picking up a piece of bamboo shoot and nibbling delicately.
"Yao'er, you’ve come at the perfect time. Join me for dinner," Li Wan'er said with a gentle smile, then softly instructed, "Bring another set of utensils."
A fresh set was quickly brought in.
Li Yao placed the fruits and pastries Shen Wei had given her on the table. Gripping her white jade chopsticks, she glanced over the elegant dishes before picking up a shrimp and savoring it in small bites.
Lately, the Empress seemed to have changed, treating Li Yao and Li Wan'er with unprecedented kindness—sending the freshest and most delicious meals, replacing their bedding with the finest materials.
Li Yao didn’t understand why, but she was happy to enjoy the delicious food.
"Sister Wan'er, why aren’t you eating the chicken wings?" Li Yao asked curiously.
Li Wan'er replied softly, "I’ve just recovered from illness. I should keep my meals light."
Li Yao frowned. "But this morning, the imperial physician said you don’t need to avoid meat anymore—you can eat whatever you like."
Li Wan'er lowered her eyes. "But my mother said... when sick, one should eat lightly."
The Crown Princess had passed away three years ago, but she had taught Li Wan'er many things. Over those years, Li Wan'er had held her mother’s words close to heart.
The palace was full of falsehoods and deceitful tongues. Compared to the physician’s advice, Wan'er trusted her mother’s words more.
After eating some greens, Li Wan'er began to sweat, her face flushing. She dabbed at her forehead with a handkerchief, but the perspiration wouldn’t stop.
Li Yao tilted her head. "Sister, you’re sweating so much today. Should we call the physician again?"
Just then, a maid announced from outside—
The Empress had arrived.
Li Yao and Li Wan'er immediately set down their chopsticks and bowed in greeting.
The Empress walked in with a bright, insincere smile. "No need for formalities. Continue your meal. Today, I had the imperial kitchen prepare concubine’s chicken wings—do you girls like them?"
Her eyes swept over the table. The chicken wings remained untouched.
A flicker of displeasure crossed the Empress’s face.
These picky little girls. I send them such fine dishes, and they don’t even take a bite.
Have they grown so used to poor fare that they can’t appreciate good food?
"The chef slaughtered a pearl chicken this morning, marinated it in rich sauce, and stewed it for half an hour. Don’t let it go to waste," the Empress said, seating herself at the head of the table, her tone carrying subtle pressure.
Li Yao didn’t dare refuse her mother and silently picked up a chicken wing.
Li Wan'er remembered her late mother’s warnings, but she also didn’t dare defy the Empress. Fatherless and motherless, though a princess, she lived under the Empress’s watchful eye—a life of dependence and caution.
Reluctantly, she took a small bite of the greasy chicken wing. The dish had been cooked with a hint of wine, giving it a sweet-salty flavor—something Li Wan'er disliked.
One bite, and nausea surged.
She couldn’t spit it out in front of the Empress, so she forced it down.
"Empress, Wan'er is already full," Li Wan'er said after finishing one wing, wiping her lips and cleansing her hands before speaking.
The Empress glanced at the mostly untouched dish, disdain hidden in her eyes. "Now that you’ve recovered, you must take your medicine on time. Bring Wan'er’s medicine."
A maid brought over a freshly brewed bowl and placed it before Li Wan'er.
The medicine was still warm.
It reeked of bitter pungency.
Li Wan'er recalled her mother’s advice—medicine should be taken half an hour after meals to protect the stomach.
Her heart ached, but she lowered her eyes and whispered, "Wan'er understands. Thank you, Empress."
The Empress, preoccupied with thoughts of her son, had no patience to keep up the act of a doting mother. She left Granny Liu behind to supervise Li Wan'er’s medicine and departed without a backward glance.
Once bitten, twice shy—the Empress feared being accused of "mistreating her daughters" again, so she resolved to treat Li Yao and Li Wan'er well, if only to deny Consort Chen and Consort Shu any leverage.
If the Empress Dowager visited Baozhu Palace and saw the girls’ living conditions, she would surely praise the Empress’s benevolence.
The Empress smirked, ambition burning in her chest. Once I reclaim control of the household from Consort Shu, once Consort Chen succumbs to poison, this palace will be mine to rule.
Initially, she had planned to let Consort Chen and Consort Shu tear each other apart while she reaped the rewards. But as time passed, the two concubines coexisted peacefully, leaving the Empress restless.
She could wait no longer. She would take action.
Of course, eliminating Consort Shu and Consort Chen wasn’t enough—the Empress Dowager had to go too.
The Empress had long held resentment toward the Empress Dowager, the memories of being deliberately tormented by her in the past still vivid in her mind.
Determined to retaliate, the Empress decided to employ an old tactic—using her connections in the Imperial Hospital to slip an excessive dose of medicinal herbs into the Empress Dowager’s daily tonic, slowly poisoning her to death.
After the Empress left, Li Yao finished her evening meal and retired to her chambers to rest. Li Wan'er sat by the desk, staring at the bowl of bitter medicine before her.
After a long silence, she finally picked up the bowl, closed her eyes, and prepared to drink.
"Little mistress, don’t drink it," Granny Liu quickly intervened, ensuring no outsiders were present.
This cold remedy had been heavily dosed—while it appeared to cure the illness, it was secretly draining one’s vitality.
Li Wan'er was still young, and Granny Liu couldn’t bear to see her life cut short.
Tears welled in Li Wan'er’s eyes, her voice carrying a weariness far beyond her years, as if she had already seen through the cruelty of the world. "But if I don’t drink it, Granny, how will you answer to the Empress?"
