Accompanying the pregnant Lu Xuan was naturally just an excuse.
Lu Yun wanted to stay in the palace to seize the opportunity to approach the Emperor and win his favor—becoming an imperial consort, or even the new Empress.
"Sister," Lu Yun pleaded further, "the Empress is ill, and the Tantai family has sent new women into the palace to compete for favor. Sister, I just want to help you, to share your burdens."
Lu Xuan dismissed her sister's words as childish whimsy, smiling as she tapped Lu Yun’s forehead affectionately. "Silly child, spouting nonsense. The palace isn’t as simple as you imagine."
The women of the inner court may appear glorious, but which of them didn’t carry the weight of their family’s ambitions? Which of them didn’t scheme tirelessly for the Emperor’s favor?
Brushing aside the loose strands of black hair at Lu Yun’s temple, Lu Xuan spoke gently, "It’s getting late. I’ll have Little Qin escort you out of the palace. Go home early, so Father won’t worry."
The future of their family—Lu Xuan would bear it alone.
She didn’t want her innocent sister entangled in the intrigues of the harem or the power struggles between noble houses.
A flicker of resentment flashed in Lu Yun’s eyes.
How petty her sister was!
Suppressing her displeasure, Lu Yun feigned reluctance. "Then... I’ll leave first. Sister, take good care of yourself."
Attendants led Lu Yun out of the palace.
Under the moonlight, the palace path stretched long and winding. Lu Xuan stood beneath the ornate lanterns of Changxin Palace, watching her sister’s slender figure retreat into the distance, her gaze tinged with unmistakable envy.
Lu Xuan envied her sister—free to roam the world beyond the palace walls. Since entering the palace, Lu Xuan had become like a caged bird, scheming for favor, ever cautious, never daring to relax.
Sometimes, when she looked in the mirror at dawn, her reflection still beautiful, she felt only a dazed detachment. She was only twenty-one. Before entering the palace, she had been radiant and lively. Yet in less than three years, the light in her eyes had dimmed, dull as an old woman’s.
A night breeze rose, rustling Lu Xuan’s robes. As she watched Lu Yun leave, she murmured, "Little sister, I hope you stay far from trouble and live a peaceful life."
A maid beside her spoke softly, "Your Highness, the wind is picking up. Please rest inside—you mustn’t catch a chill."
Lu Xuan stepped into the cold halls of Changxin Palace.
Elderly palace matrons and eunuchs bustled about, tidying gifts bestowed by the Empress Dowager. After drinking the bitter prenatal tonic, Lu Xuan asked her personal maid, Little Qin, "I kept my pregnancy tightly concealed. How did Consort Chen find out?"
Little Qin frowned. "Our palace servants are discreet—you needn’t worry. As for the leak... perhaps someone from the Imperial Hospital let it slip."
Lu Xuan sighed, pressing her fingers to her brow. "No matter. Traces are left in all things. Maybe Consort Chen’s people noticed something."
Investigating now was pointless.
She would simply be more careful in the future.
After this incident, Lu Xuan no longer underestimated Shen Wei’s cunning.
Resting a hand on her still-flat stomach, she smiled faintly. "This child has cost me my authority to oversee the inner court... I pray he is a lively, healthy prince."
Only a prince could bring greater rewards.
Little Qin beamed. "Once the Emperor learns of your pregnancy, he will surely visit tonight."
Lu Xuan longed for the Emperor’s arrival. Since Shen Wei’s return to the palace, his visits to Changxin Palace had dwindled, and Lu Xuan had begun to taste the bitterness of fading favor.
But with this child, Changxin Palace would surely regain its former liveliness.
Little Qin lowered her voice. "Your Highness, the Tantai family has sent a new woman into the palace. She is exceptionally beautiful—should we strike first?"
A talented beauty was a latent threat.
Lu Xuan shook her head. "No need. Tantai Yinxue resides in Huayang Palace—Concubine Lan won’t let her off easily."
Concubine Lan, Xie Fanglan, was notoriously jealous. She would be the first to deal with Tantai Yinxue.
Even if Tantai Yinxue somehow overcame Concubine Lan, the Empress in Kunning Palace would surely lose her mind upon learning her family had sent a rival.
Outside, the night wind stirred the garden’s flowers. Setting down her medicine bowl, Lu Xuan glimpsed the roses through the wooden lattice window. "The Emperor no longer favors roses," she instructed Little Qin. "Have the gardeners uproot them tomorrow."
"Your Highness, you adore red plums and osmanthus—shall we plant those instead?"
Lu Xuan’s eyes dimmed, recalling the gardens of her family’s estate, once filled with her favorite blooms. Now, to hold the Emperor’s attention, she had to bury her own preferences.
She shook her head. "The Emperor doesn’t care for plums or osmanthus... transplant some crabapple trees. He’s taken a liking to them recently."
Little Qin noted the order.
...
In Cining Palace, Shen Wei personally escorted the Empress Dowager to her chambers. The night was deep, and even Le You and the other children had fallen asleep.
Supporting the Empress Dowager into her bedchamber, Shen Wei grinned slyly. "Thank you for your assistance at tonight’s banquet, Mother."
With the Empress Dowager’s aid, Shen Wei had smoothly secured authority over the inner court.
The Empress Dowager asked, "Is Ye Qiushuang one of your people?"
"Not exactly," Shen Wei replied. "I’m acquainted with Shopkeeper Ye. She excels in commerce and is generous and principled—a valuable ally. As you know, the great noble families run lucrative enterprises yet pay the least taxes."
"Shopkeeper Ye and I have discussed it. If the imperial family supports the Ye family’s ventures, expanding their trade network, they’ve agreed to increase their tax contributions by ten percent. The imperial treasury would gain far more revenue."
The aristocratic families paid minimal taxes on their businesses.
Shen Wei’s favored merchants, however, paid the highest rates, enriching the state coffers.
Li Yuanjing was a shrewd ruler. His suppression of the noble families followed two strategies: weakening their power and draining their wealth.
Weakening power meant gradually replacing hereditary high-ranking officials with new loyalists.
Draining wealth meant curtailing their profitable enterprises.
Thus, Li Yuanjing would undoubtedly support loyal imperial merchants.
"You’ve calculated well," the Empress Dowager remarked, unable to hide her admiration.
Shen Wei linked arms with her affectionately. "I earn a modest sum for myself while contributing generously to the treasury—a double victory."
As she guided the Empress Dowager into the inner chamber, Shen Wei spotted an unfinished sugar cake wrapped in oil paper on the shelf.
With a sigh, she chided, "Mother, you must reduce your sugar intake. Too much harms your teeth and weakens your bones."
The Empress Dowager, nearing sixty, had a sweet tooth.
Sugar water, candies, pastries—she felt restless without a daily indulgence.
Clearing her throat guiltily, the Empress Dowager insisted, "I only had two pieces today."
Shen Wei arched a brow. "I’ll ask Nanny Qian later. She won’t lie for you."
The Empress Dowager: "..."
Nearby, attendants prepared bathwater.
Since the Empress Dowager was to bathe, Shen Wei took her leave—but not without a final reminder. "I only worry for your health. Excess sweets shorten one’s lifespan. When Le You marries, you must be there to see her off."
Imagining the scene, the Empress Dowager relented. "Very well, very well. I’ll eat less sugar and live to see Le You’s wedding."
Shen Wei's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled: "That won't be enough. Your Majesty must live to see your great-granddaughter's wedding—may you enjoy a long life of a hundred years."
The Empress Dowager beamed with delight.
Shen Wei left Cining Palace.
The cool evening breeze of late spring carried a drowsy weight, and Shen Wei, overcome with sleepiness, decided to return to her palace to sleep like the dead. Tonight, the news of Lu Xuan's pregnancy would be announced, and Li Yuanjing would undoubtedly stay at Changxin Palace.
A rare moment of leisure.
Shen Wei resolved to indulge in a deep slumber!
The moment she stepped into the courtyard of Yongning Palace, she spotted Zhang Miaoyu's plump, round face. Zhang Miaoyu dashed over, clutching Shen Wei's hand: "Sister Shen Wei, you mustn’t drag me into trouble! Today, I faked a stomachache to help you expose Consort Shu’s pregnancy, and now the Empress Dowager has ordered me to manage the harem with you. I don’t want to work!"
