Li Yuanjing patted his youngest son on the shoulder. "Go back to your mother."
Li Chengjue obediently nodded and trotted back to Lu Xuan’s side. Eunuch Deshun handed over a memorial from the Ministry of Justice, and Li Yuanjing ordered Lu Xuan and her son to be escorted away.
The hall fell silent once more, the gilded bronze censer emitting an elegant fragrance.
Li Yuanjing flipped through several memorials, all of which pleaded for the "dethronement of the Empress." The ministers accused the Empress of being "unfilial and unvirtuous," unfit to serve as the nation’s mother.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Yuanjing tossed the memorials aside.
He did intend to depose the Empress. The edict had already been drafted, lacking only the final imperial seal.
His aim was to weaken the noble families, and thus, palace consorts hailing from these clans—such as Noble Consort Shu and Concubine Lan—could never ascend to the position of Empress.
The only suitable candidate for the new Empress was Shen Wei.
...
Lu Xuan left Chang’an Palace.
Her young son, Li Chengjue, trailed beside her, his curious eyes darting about. Spotting chrysanthemums blooming by the path, he happily plucked two. Lu Xuan swayed her silk fan, her gaze inscrutable.
She was determined to claim the title of Empress.
In the entire harem, only she and Shen Wei were qualified to contend for the position. But the Shen family were mere upstarts in the court, their influence unstable. Shen Wei herself was of humble origins—a farmer’s daughter who had risen from a servant in the prince’s household to an imperial consort. Such lowly status rendered her unfit to be the nation’s mother.
Had there ever been an Empress in history who wasn’t a noblewoman?
Even if it displeased the Emperor, Lu Xuan would seize the throne. The Empress symbolized supreme dignity. If she became Empress, her son would be the legitimate heir, first in line for the throne.
Lowering her eyes, Lu Xuan contemplated her next move. She resolved to write to her family, urging her father to rally court officials and press the Emperor to depose the current Empress and appoint a new one.
"Milady, ahead are Consort Chen and Princess Yao," whispered her maid, Little Qin.
Lu Xuan lifted her gaze and indeed saw Shen Wei and Li Yao.
The autumn breeze was cool, and Shen Wei wore a striking emerald-green gauze dress, her hair styled in an elegant updo adorned with two golden hairpins. Slender and radiant, her beauty was otherworldly.
A shadow of envy flickered in Lu Xuan’s eyes.
Since her pregnancy, Lu Xuan’s figure had changed, her face growing increasingly haggard. Yet Shen Wei, despite bearing three children, maintained her flawless appearance. How?
The two entourages met on the palace path.
Shen Wei and Lu Xuan exchanged polite, hollow pleasantries. Lu Xuan nudged Li Chengjue. "Greet Consort Chen."
The boy obediently chirped, "Hello, Consort Chen! Oh—what’s that delicious smell? Is it crab?"
At his age, Li Chengjue was always hungry. His little nose twitched, catching the rich aroma of steamed crab.
Shen Wei smiled warmly. "The young prince has a keen sense of smell. Cai Ping, give him the food box."
Cai Ping complied, handing the container to Li Chengjue.
Delighted, the boy hugged the small box and lisped, "Thank you, Consort Chen!"
"The hour grows late. I must take my leave," Shen Wei said, departing with Li Yao without further delay.
Once they were out of earshot, Cai Ping murmured, "Milady, aren’t you afraid Noble Consort Shu might use the food box against us?"
Shen Wei, well-acquainted with Lu Xuan’s caution, replied calmly, "She’s too careful to let her child eat anything from me."
Cai Ping fell silent.
...
After parting ways with Shen Wei, Lu Xuan returned to Changxin Palace with her son.
Pausing by a pond, she took the food box from Li Chengjue, opened it, and tossed the steamed crab into the water.
Plop.
Ripples spread across the surface.
Li Chengjue gasped. "M-Mother?"
Lu Xuan patted his head, her tone gentle. "From now on, never touch or eat anything Consort Chen gives you. Understood? If you crave crab, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it for you."
The boy nodded uncertainly, his small eyes lingering on the pond, conflicted and confused.
Little Qin approached. "Milady, Consort Chen is heading toward Chang’an Palace."
A sneer curled in Lu Xuan’s heart.
So, Shen Wei shared her ambition—both sought to sway the Emperor, subtly hinting at their desire to be named the new Empress.
...
Chang’an Palace.
Li Yuanjing was sipping tea when Eunuch Deshun announced Consort Chen’s arrival.
The Emperor’s hand stilled.
Lately, the palace had been flooded with consorts vying for his attention. Concubine Lan fawned incessantly; Noble Consort Shu visited regularly. All clamored for the Empress’s dethronement and the appointment of a successor.
Now, even Shen Wei had come.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Li Yuanjing’s heart. Had his beloved Weiwei, too, succumbed to the allure of power, coveting the throne like the others?
The doors opened, revealing Shen Wei and Li Yao.
"Your Majesty," Shen Wei murmured.
Li Yuanjing beckoned. "Sit beside me."
Hesitant, Shen Wei slowly took the offered seat.
Li Yao, meanwhile, performed a formal bow.
Noticing the girl’s red-rimmed eyes, Li Yuanjing frowned. "Why the tears? Who upset you?"
Li Yao remained silent, wiping her cheeks.
Shen Wei tugged discreetly at Li Yuanjing’s sleeve. Gathering courage, she ventured, "Your Majesty, I have a request."
Li Yuanjing’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Speak."
Clutching her teacup, Shen Wei traced its rim with slender fingers. "Yao’er is thirteen now. In two years, she’ll be of marriageable age... The Empress, implicated by her family’s crimes, remains confined in Kunning Palace. The court whispers that you plan to depose her."
"If Yao’er suffers slander because of her mother’s disgrace, it would be unjust. Your Majesty, might you... postpone the Empress’s removal?"
She bowed her head, as if chastising her own audacity.
Softly, she added, "The inner court must not meddle in governance... but Yao’er is like my own daughter. I cannot bear to see her grieve."
Silence filled the hall.
When no reply came, Shen Wei peeked upward—only to meet Li Yuanjing’s piercing gaze. Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"Deshun, escort the princess to the side chamber for refreshments," Li Yuanjing commanded. Once Li Yao had left, only the two of them remained.
The Emperor took Shen Wei’s hand. "Weiwei, you don’t wish to be Empress?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No."
So long as she held Li Yuanjing’s heart, the title meant nothing. After much deliberation, Shen Wei had concluded that retaining Tantai Shuya as a figurehead Empress was the wiser course.
Allowing the shrewd Lu Xuan to seize the throne would invite endless strife.
Better to let Tantai Shuya languish in Kunning Palace, stripped of influence, while the throne remained occupied by a harmless fool.
Li Yuanjing cupped Shen Wei’s face, studying her luminous eyes—clear, guileless, and pure.
At length, he sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose affectionately. "You truly are the most unambitious one."
