Shen Wei arrived at Kunning Palace in a grand procession, carried by a palanquin. The once-glorious Kunning Palace had lost its former splendor, its entrance marked by yellowing leaves on the phoenix trees, likely infested with pests.
Shen Wei stepped down from the palanquin.
The palace maids and eunuchs stationed at Kunning Palace hurried out to greet her. Cai Lian and Cai Ping followed closely behind, carrying tonics and medicines as Shen Wei entered the palace grounds.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, a thick, pungent scent of incense from the shrine assaulted her senses. The overwhelming fragrance made her head spin, and Shen Wei covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.
"Where is Her Majesty the Empress?" Cai Lian asked one of the palace maids.
The maid trembled as she answered, "She is in the side hall, praying to the Buddha."
Shen Wei made her way to the side hall.
Despite the bright daylight outside, the interior of the side hall was dimly lit. The benevolent figure of the Bodhisattva flickered amidst the smoke of incense and candles, while the Empress knelt on a prayer mat, murmuring under her breath.
Hearing movement at the door, the Empress assumed it was a maid and snapped irritably, "How many times must I say it? No one is to disturb me during my prayers."
The entrance remained silent.
Then, a voice she knew all too well—one she both recognized and loathed—spoke with a light, lazy tone: "Greetings, Your Majesty."
The Empress stiffened, the Buddhist scripture in her hands falling to the ground with a soft thud. She turned her head in shock, her eyes landing on Shen Wei standing at the threshold.
Inside the shrine, the light was dim; outside, the sun shone brightly. The Empress knelt in the shadows, while Shen Wei stood bathed in sunlight, the incense in the shrine burning steadily between them.
Shen Wei smiled. "It has been so long since we last met. Your Majesty seems to have grown thinner—you must take better care of yourself. Remember to take the medicine sent by the imperial physicians on time."
The air was deathly still. To the Empress, Shen Wei’s radiant smile was like that of a ghost crawling out from the depths of hell.
The Empress glared fiercely at Shen Wei’s face.
Over the years, Shen Wei’s appearance had not changed in the slightest. She remained as ambitious and ruthless as ever.
"What are you doing here? Come to mock me? It’s all because of you that I’ve been reduced to this!" The Empress swayed unsteadily as she stood, her legs numb from kneeling for so long. No maids dared to step forward to assist her.
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow. "Your Majesty wrongs me. It was you who poisoned me and plotted against the Empress Dowager. You’ve only reaped what you sowed."
Shen Wei had merely fanned the flames, trapping the Empress within Kunning Palace.
The Empress gritted her teeth, her fingers itching to claw at Shen Wei’s face. She shrieked, "What, have you come to gloat? Your son is now under Yang Xuanji’s tutelage—is that why you’re here?"
Shen Wei shook her head silently.
She hadn’t come to boast. She had come to accumulate merit.
If Shen Wei wanted to cultivate a reputation for virtue, "showing concern for the Empress" was an excellent method.
"Your Majesty is plagued by illness, and I am deeply worried. I’ve brought you nourishing herbs," Shen Wei said leisurely. "From now on, I will send imperial physicians to examine you every two days. The summer heat is unbearable, and staying alone in Kunning Palace must be stifling. I’ll personally bring you cooling mats and porcelain pillows in a few days."
The Empress was dumbfounded.
Behind Shen Wei, Cai Lian, Cai Ping, and two young eunuchs had already begun unloading the gifts.
There were precious deer antlers, summer fabrics for coolness, and soothing herbal concoctions. Shen Wei smiled warmly. "As the days grow hotter, the shrine becomes stuffy. Your Majesty, weakened by illness, should return to bed and rest properly."
The Empress was filled with suspicion, unable to fathom Shen Wei’s motives. She said coldly, "I don’t want to see you. Take these things away! I don’t need them!"
Shen Wei arched a brow. "I only have Your Majesty’s health in mind."
The Empress seethed with hatred.
Shen Wei didn’t force her to return to bed. Instead, she retreated to the courtyard, where two eunuchs had already set up a wicker chair. The sunlight filtered through the phoenix trees, casting dappled shade.
Shen Wei settled comfortably into the chair, accepting an account book from Cai Lian and flipping through it unhurriedly.
She made herself entirely at home in Kunning Palace.
The Empress stood dumbly at the shrine’s entrance, watching Shen Wei’s leisurely demeanor with utter bewilderment.
An hour later, Shen Wei finally rose and departed Kunning Palace at a leisurely pace. Of the precious herbs she had brought, she had Cai Lian and Cai Ping take back the most valuable ones. The rest, she left for the Empress.
"I don’t need your worthless offerings. Take them away!" the Empress spat furiously.
Shen Wei glanced at the fabrics and herbs and said generously, "If Your Majesty refuses them, I’ll reward them to the servants attending you."
Cai Lian and Cai Ping swiftly distributed the remaining items among the palace maids and eunuchs.
The servants kowtowed repeatedly, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Even the smallest scraps from their masters’ hands were luxuries to ordinary palace maids and eunuchs.
Having accomplished her mission, Shen Wei turned and walked out of Kunning Palace. The moment she stepped beyond the palace gates, her expression shifted to one of deep concern, and she returned to Yongning Palace with a troubled air.
In the following days, Shen Wei visited Kunning Palace every two days, staying for an hour each time.
Soon, the entire rear palace knew that Consort Shen Wei was devotedly caring for the ailing Empress, despite the Empress’s ungrateful hostility. Consort Shen Wei bore no grudges, braving wind and rain to deliver soups and medicines to Kunning Palace.
One evening, the bedchamber in Yongning Palace was brightly lit.
Li Yuanjing, having heard of Shen Wei’s frequent visits to Kunning Palace, was utterly perplexed. He pulled her close and asked, "I’ve confined the Empress—why do you keep visiting her?"
The Empress had grown deranged, and Li Yuanjing planned to depose her soon, uprooting the entire Tan family along with her.
Shen Wei rested her head on a soft pillow, idly playing with a strand of Li Yuanjing’s hair. She answered without concealment, "I’m only putting on a show."
Li Yuanjing’s voice lifted in question. "A show?"
Shen Wei tugged at his hair and explained in a rush, "Recently, rumors have been spreading in the palace—people say Chengtai angered Yang Xuanji into falling ill, and others accuse me of lacking virtue and failing to educate my son properly. I thought, if I could appear more virtuous, no one would criticize Chengtai or Your Majesty anymore."
"By visiting the Empress every two days, I demonstrate the virtue of a consort. But don’t worry, Your Majesty—I only sit in the courtyard for a while and never disturb the Empress’s prayers. This is the stratagem of 'deceiving the heavens to cross the sea.' You taught me this tactic when you tutored me in the past."
Li Yuanjing: "..."
He remembered now. There had been a time when he enjoyed teaching Shen Wei and studying military strategies with her.
Who knew she would apply them so effectively?
Shen Wei seemed slightly embarrassed. She peeked at Li Yuanjing, her cheeks flushing. "Your Majesty, do you think I’m hypocritical and cruel? I had no choice—the Empress poisoned me. I could never sincerely care for her."
She laid bare every little scheme in her heart before Li Yuanjing.
Honesty had always been the deadliest weapon.
Li Yuanjing’s lips curved upward as he wrapped an arm around Shen Wei’s slender waist. "As long as you are sincere with me, that’s enough."
