Tantai Yinxue had clearly taken great care with her appearance, from her hair down to her boots—every detail meticulously arranged. Holding a guqin in her arms, she moved gracefully like a fairy stepping out of the moonlight.
Her shimmering gaze fell upon Li Yuanjing, and only then did she seem to notice Shen Wei beside him. She quickly curtsied. "This humble one greets Noble Consort Shen."
Shen Wei praised, "Truly worthy of being a daughter of the Tantai Family. Your guqin performance was exquisite."
Li Yuanjing's eyes darkened abruptly.
The mention of the "Tantai Family" by Shen Wei reminded him of the desperate struggles the clan had been making in court recently—a collapsing dynasty, fighting tooth and nail to salvage their family's prestige.
What had once been elegant, celestial music now seemed unbearable and repulsive in Li Yuanjing's eyes.
Unaware that she had invoked the emperor's disdain, Tantai Yinxue replied to Shen Wei, "Thank you for your praise, Noble Consort. Since entering the palace, I have been lonely and sorrowful. Tonight is my grandmother’s death anniversary, and my longing for her is overwhelming... That is why I brought the guqin to play her favorite tune beneath the moonlight."
Shen Wei thought, No one asked why you were playing!
Tantai Yinxue’s eyes slowly reddened as she turned to gaze at the moonlit imperial garden, her expression somber, filled with yearning for her family.
The wind lifted the strands of hair at her temples, making her appear pitifully delicate.
But Li Yuanjing was unmoved by her beauty. His voice was icy. "Return to Huayang Palace and stay there."
Tantai Yinxue’s delicate face stiffened.
Shen Wei intercepted Li Yuanjing, softly persuading, "Your Majesty, Consort Tantai is merely missing her family. It’s understandable."
A sudden unease prickled at Tantai Yinxue. Noble Consort Shen was not one for unwarranted kindness.
Sure enough, Shen Wei continued slowly, "Once consorts enter the palace, they cannot visit their families without imperial permission—it is indeed pitiable. Since Consort Tantai longs for her kin, why not let her see her relatives within the palace? The empress has been ill for some time. Perhaps Consort Tantai could visit Kunning Palace daily to attend to her."
Li Yuanjing nodded. "A fine suggestion."
Tantai Yinxue felt as though struck by lightning. She opened her mouth to protest, but Shen Wei watched her with a faint, knowing smile. "The empress is your aunt—she counts as family. You two will surely have much to discuss, easing your homesickness."
Tantai Yinxue dared not see the empress!
She had been sent into the palace by her family precisely to replace the empress. Since her arrival, she had never once stepped foot in Kunning Palace.
She knew the empress’s temperament—beneath a veneer of mercy and tolerance lay a venomous heart. The empress loathed those who tried to take what was hers, ruthless and unhinged. If Tantai Yinxue visited, she would undoubtedly face deliberate torment.
"What’s the matter? Do you not wish to see the empress?" Shen Wei tilted her head.
Forcing a grateful expression, Tantai Yinxue replied, "This humble one... will go to Kunning Palace tomorrow."
Shen Wei’s lips curled slightly as she and Li Yuanjing left the garden.
Tantai Yinxue remained rooted in place, her face a portrait of frustration and dread.
---
Still some distance from Yongning Palace, Shen Wei walked leisurely with Li Yuanjing along the palace path. Attendants carrying lanterns followed at a respectful distance, their footsteps rustling softly.
As they turned a corner, two slender figures suddenly appeared. Concubine Lan, holding a lantern, looked frantic, as if searching for something. Spotting Li Yuanjing and Shen Wei, she hurried forward eagerly. "This humble one greets Your Majesty, greets Noble Consort Shen."
Li Yuanjing’s expression darkened. "Why are you out so late?"
Tears welled in Concubine Lan’s lovely eyes. "Your Majesty, I was just coming to seek your help. Consort Tantai has gone missing tonight. We share the same residence, and as sisters, I am deeply worried."
Concubine Lan had deliberately come looking.
Every night, she secretly monitored Tantai Yinxue’s movements. When she noticed Tantai Yinxue dressing up after dusk, she guessed the woman was scheming to seduce the emperor again.
Once Tantai Yinxue left with her guqin, Concubine Lan, unwilling to be outdone, had followed under the pretense of searching for her "missing" sister. If Tantai Yinxue succeeded in luring the emperor back to Huayang Palace, Concubine Lan could play the role of the concerned sister—perhaps even securing the emperor’s company for herself later.
Shen Wei, sensing Li Yuanjing’s impatience, intervened. "Consort Tantai has already returned to her palace. There is no need for concern, Concubine Lan. Consorts are forbidden from wandering at night. If either of you violates this rule again, I will enforce palace discipline."
Concubine Lan stole a glance at Li Yuanjing, but his attention remained elsewhere. Disappointed, she could only murmur, "This is my fault. I was so worried for Consort Tantai’s safety that I forgot the rules."
Still unwilling to give up, she gazed pleadingly at Li Yuanjing, scrambling for words of concern. "Your Majesty has been working tirelessly for the kingdom. You’ve grown thinner—please take care of your health, or this humble one will fret."
Li Yuanjing shot her a cold glare.
Concubine Lan flinched, hastily curtsied, and scurried away into the night.
The breeze whispered through the darkness as Shen Wei paused, studying Li Yuanjing’s handsome face. She reached up, her warm palm brushing his cheek. "Concubine Lan claimed you’ve grown thinner, but I don’t see it..."
She made sure to send him nourishing teas, exquisite pastries, and well-balanced meals daily.
If anything, Li Yuanjing had grown sturdier under her care.
Li Yuanjing clasped her hand. "Pay her no mind. I have not lost weight."
All he wanted was to return to Yongning Palace with Shen Wei, but the journey kept being interrupted—first by Tantai Yinxue, then Concubine Lan.
As they neared Yongning Palace, hurried footsteps echoed from the distance. Qi, Lu Xuan’s maidservant, rushed over and dropped to her knees before Li Yuanjing.
Tears brimmed in her eyes. "Your Majesty, my mistress has suddenly fallen ill—her stomach pains her terribly. I beg you, please come see her!"
Li Yuanjing pinched the bridge of his nose.
Shen Wei stifled a laugh.
Third time tonight! One after another, they all wanted to steal the emperor away.
Li Yuanjing replied coldly, "Summon the imperial physician. I am no healer."
But Qi persisted tearfully, "Your Majesty, ever since my mistress became pregnant, she has suffered endlessly—vomiting, pain, sleepless nights despite medicine. Only your presence brings her comfort. For the sake of the imperial heir in her womb, please visit Changxin Palace!"
Under Lu Xuan’s orders, Qi was determined to bring the emperor back, no matter what.
In the harem, where favor was measured by whose palace the emperor stayed in, every night counted.
Shen Wei couldn’t help it—she burst into laughter.
Li Yuanjing pinched her cheek. "What amuses you so, Weiwei?"
Holding up three fingers, Shen Wei teased, "The third one tonight. The sisters all miss you dearly."
