Shen Wei let out a soft chuckle and murmured, "You silly child, always lost in your wild thoughts."
Li Chengtai kept a stern expression on his little face. His mother, the imperial consort, had been poisoned by other concubines, yet here she was, finding joy amidst hardship. All he wanted was for his mother to live safely and peacefully, free from suffering.
His gaze shifted slightly, locking eyes with his father.
Like a young wolf in a den sizing up the alpha of the pack.
Li Yuanjing narrowed his dark eyes, catching the defiance in his son's stare.
This stubborn child.
Li Yuanjing mused to himself. Every other prince greeted him with reverence—except Li Chengtai. The boy resembled him the most, not just in looks but in that unyielding, combative spirit.
Li Yuanjing patted his son’s shoulder, his voice deep and measured. "The southern floods demand attention. I’m heading to Changan Palace to discuss relief efforts with the ministers. Since you’re free, come along."
Li Chengtai’s eyes widened in shock. "M-me?"
Li Yuanjing gave a firm nod.
It was time the boy witnessed the daily burdens of an emperor, lest he think ruling was all leisure.
With a long arm, Li Yuanjing pulled his son along to attend to state affairs. Shen Wei hurried after them, concern lacing her voice. "Your Majesty, Chengtai is still young. Please don’t exhaust him."
Yet inwardly, she was overjoyed.
The Emperor involving their son in governance? A promising sign—laying the first stone for Li Chengtai’s future succession.
Li Yuanjing replied coolly, "I know my limits."
And with that, he departed with his eldest son in tow.
Back in the chamber, another child, Li Chengyou, raised his empty bowl with hopeful eyes, his voice sweet and childish. "Mother, may I have a third serving?"
Shen Wei pinched his chubby cheek affectionately. "No, you’ll grow too plump to ride a horse."
Li Chengyou: "..."
With all three children occupied, Yongning Palace finally settled into quiet. Shen Wei stretched lazily and turned to Cai Lian. "Has there been any reply from Manager Ye of Weiyan Pavilion?"
Cai Lian nodded. "Manager Ye responded, assuring she won’t disappoint you. She’ll seize the opportunity."
A pleased smile curved Shen Wei’s lips.
The Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet was the perfect chance for Ye Qiushuang to gain her favor—and for Shen Wei’s shops in the capital to break into the imperial merchant circle.
---
The fifth day of the fifth month marked the Empress Dowager’s birthday. With recent floods ravaging the south, Her Majesty, compassionate toward the suffering people, had opted for a modest celebration, avoiding extravagance.
Only noblewomen, high-ranking officials' wives, and palace consorts were invited.
The banquet was held in Qinghua Hall.
As dusk approached, the noblewomen of the capital arrived in succession. Among them, an ornate carriage halted at the palace gates. The curtain lifted, and Lu Yun, youngest daughter of the Duke of Lu, stepped out.
Dressed simply, she stood out little among the lavishly adorned noblewomen. Her maid whispered, puzzled, "Miss, why such plain attire today?"
Lu Yun’s lips curled slightly. "The Empress Dowager grieves for the flood victims. With the banquet kept humble, I must dress accordingly."
This scene had played out in her dreams.
In that prophetic nightmare, she had attended the same banquet in opulent attire—only to be scolded by the Empress Dowager, dragging even her sister, Consort Lu Xuan, into disgrace.
Once bitten, twice shy. This time, Lu Yun would not repeat the mistake.
She followed the palace maid inside. The long corridor stretched ahead, and as Lu Yun glanced back, her eyes caught a woman in pale gold silk—strikingly beautiful, poised, her sharp eyes brimming with intelligence.
Lu Yun frowned. Since when had a new face appeared among the capital’s noble circles?
"Who is that?" she asked the maid guiding her.
The maid replied, "That’s Ye Qiushuang, manager of Weiyan Pavilion’s shops in the capital."
Lu Yun was stunned.
A lowly merchant’s daughter, invited to the Empress Dowager’s banquet?
She racked her brain, but her dreams held no memory of such a woman entering the palace.
Had reality diverged from her visions?
Unease prickled her heart as she scrutinized Ye Qiushuang—pretty, yes, but her age showed in her features, her hands lacking the softness of nobility.
Lu Yun relaxed slightly.
The Emperor, surrounded by peerless beauties, would never glance twice at such coarse charm.
She touched her own delicate cheek, anticipation rising. Tonight, the filial Emperor would surely attend.
She would shine and catch his eye—securing a place in the harem.
---
Under the moonlit willows, Qinghua Hall buzzed with festivity.
Lu Yun sat among the noblewomen, her gaze fixed on the central dais. Behind a beaded curtain, the thrones of the Emperor and Empress Dowager stood empty.
At the auspicious hour, a eunuch’s voice rang out: "His Majesty arrives! Her Majesty the Empress Dowager arrives!"
The women rose in unison, bowing deeply.
Once seated, the feast began.
Lu Yun barely touched the delicacies, her fan half-hiding her face as she stole glances at the Emperor. Even through the translucent curtain, his tall, commanding figure stirred longing in her heart.
The Empress, ill and resting in Kunning Palace, was absent. Below the dais sat the highest-ranking consorts—Noble Consort Shen Wei and Consort Lu Xuan.
Lu Yun’s eyes flickered toward her sister. Dressed plainly, her makeup light, Consort Lu Xuan seemed burdened with worries.
A silent sigh escaped Lu Yun.
Age and childbirth had dimmed her sister’s radiance.
Her gaze shifted to Noble Consort Shen Wei. Lu Yun’s brows knit. Tonight, Shen Wei glowed—her dark eyes luminous, skin like snow, every glance brimming with vitality.
Amid the gilded concubines, she outshone them all.
"How has she grown even more beautiful?" Lu Yun muttered, baffled.
Last they met, Shen Wei had seemed weary, a pearl dulled by dust. Now, she sparkled.
Just as Lu Yun puzzled over this, the Emperor stood, and the hall hushed.
The gift presentation had begun.
Li Yuanjing offered the Empress Dowager a jade ruyi scepter, symbolizing enduring blessings.
Next was Noble Consort Shen Wei, who presented a crystal bedside lamp—gentle on the eyes, exquisitely practical.
Consort Lu Xuan gifted a five-hundred-year-old ginseng; Consort Zhang Miaoyu offered a rare southern longevity peach; Consort Liu Ruyan presented an ink-painted Plum Blossoms scroll.
At the sight of the painting, the Empress Dowager’s eyelid twitched.
Consort Liu Ruyan, aloof and detached from harem intrigues, came from the steadfast Liu family. Though displeased, the Empress Dowager held her tongue.
When it was Consort Xie Fanglan’s turn, she rose with a bright smile. "For Your Majesty’s birthday, this humble one has prepared a grand gift!"
With a clap, two eunuchs wheeled in a cart draped in crimson silk.
The cloth was lifted, revealing an exquisite Taihu rock—gnarled, porous, and breathtakingly sculpted by nature.
Consort Lan said smugly, "Your Majesty, I know you adore Taihu Lake stones, so I’ve specially prepared a hundred of them for you, symbolizing a long life of a hundred years. This is just one of them. Tomorrow, I’ll have the palace servants move all the stones to your courtyard, and any extras can be placed in the imperial garden."
Consort Lan was a member of the Xie family, the Empress Dowager’s own niece.
For the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, Consort Lan had racked her brains to please her. She had written home to her family to inquire and learned that the Empress Dowager was particularly fond of the "exquisite stones from Taihu Lake" in the Jiangnan region.
Seeking to cater to her preference, Consort Lan arranged for the Xie family to purchase a hundred Taihu Lake stones from Jiangnan and transport them all the way to Yanjing via the Grand Canal, all to win the Empress Dowager’s favor.
"Your Majesty, I wish you a life as enduring and unyielding as these Taihu Lake stones," Consort Lan said with a bright smile as she curtsied.
The gifts from the other consorts were modest in comparison, but hers stood out as the most extravagant and rare.
Behind the beaded curtain, the Empress Dowager sat with an inscrutable expression.
