Shen Wei smiled and affectionately wrapped her arms around Li Yuanjing’s neck, speaking with unwavering confidence: "With Your Majesty here, what need does this humble consort have for ambition?"
Her words were filled with complete reliance and trust in Li Yuanjing.
Warmth blossomed in Li Yuanjing’s heart.
His Weiwei always depended on him like this.
After a while, Li Yao returned from the side hall. Li Yuanjing informed her that he would not depose the empress and would spare her life.
Li Yao’s pale face instantly brightened with joy, her eyes brimming with tears: "This child thanks Father Emperor."
Li Yao had grown noticeably thinner these days, her cheeks nearly hollow. Li Yuanjing motioned for her to come closer, and upon seeing her up close, her face was ashen, her eyes swollen and red.
Clearly, she had been crying for a long time.
Li Yuanjing comforted her: "Go back and eat properly. From now on, no more tears."
His tone was uncharacteristically tender.
Li Yao faintly sensed that in her father’s heart, there was still a place for his own flesh and blood. To spare her grief, he had decided not to depose the empress.
Not lingering too long in Chang’an Palace, Shen Wei led Li Yao away.
Li Yao’s mood had clearly improved. Holding Shen Wei’s hand, she spoke from the heart: "Imperial Consort Chen, you are so kind."
Shen Wei paused mid-step.
Tilting her head, she said softly, "This consort can help you once, but that doesn’t mean I can solve your troubles every time."
Li Yao froze in place, her smile stiffening.
The autumn breeze stirred, tousling the strands of hair at her temples. Guiltily, she avoided Shen Wei’s gaze and lowered her head in discomfort.
Shen Wei saw right through the young girl’s thoughts. "You starved yourself, you used tears to win pity from me and His Majesty. But Yao’er, begging for pity is the lowest form of strategy."
A princess raised in a gilded cage inevitably retains a touch of naivety, believing tears alone can secure her desires.
Li Yao was still young—adults would extend help and make concessions for her youth.
But once she married, she would face life’s challenges alone. By then, tears would solve nothing, and seeking others’ pity would be futile.
When a teenage girl hides in her room weeping helplessly, the world pities her and offers aid. When a grown woman does the same, the world scorns her as useless, a wasted life.
Shen Wei asked, "Do you know why the empress fell out of favor?"
Li Yao answered hesitantly, "Because Mother Empress made many mistakes."
Shen Wei nodded. "That’s part of it. But the greater reason is that she believed she had unshakable support. I heard that before her marriage, she was doted on by her family—whenever she cried, the entire household would rush to solve her problems. Every time she caused trouble, the Dantai family would shield her.
But once the Dantai family collapsed, she lost her backing. That’s why she was cast aside."
Li Yao’s head drooped gloomily.
Shen Wei continued gently, "Yao’er, your father’s pity is fleeting. His decision not to depose the empress was based on weighing gains and losses, not sympathy for you."
In Li Yuanjing’s heart, a daughter’s tears held no value.
He spared the empress only to prevent another powerful family from rising.
Li Yao blinked, her once-innocent eyes now reflecting a glimmer of clarity. She was beginning to grasp Shen Wei’s meaning.
"It’s getting late. Return to Cining Palace now." Shen Wei wiped Li Yao’s face and spoke warmly, "From now on, eat and rest properly. You are your own greatest support—relying on others is pointless."
Li Yao nodded, half-understanding, and bid Shen Wei farewell before walking away, her mind heavy with thoughts.
Shen Wei exhaled deeply.
Ordinary girls could throw tantrums for sweets. But palace princesses, no matter how much they wept, would rarely get their way.
Princesses couldn’t afford innocence—they had to learn the ruthlessness of imperial power early.
"Your Highness, shall we return to Yongning Palace for your midday rest?" Cai Ping asked softly.
Shen Wei wasn’t tired. "Let’s stroll to the eastern pavilion in the imperial garden. I heard two rare chrysanthemums called 'Phoenix Fluttering Its Wings' were recently planted there. They’re said to be exquisite."
The palanquin turned toward the imperial garden.
Autumn had arrived. Most leaves in the garden had begun to change color, splashing the scenery with reds, yellows, and greens. Chrysanthemums bloomed in abundance along the path, a breathtaking sight.
At the eastern pavilion, Shen Wei stepped down and walked ahead. From afar, she spotted an ethereal beauty seated inside—a frail figure draped in white robes, swaying gently in the cool breeze as if about to ascend to immortality.
It was Liu Ruyan.
Shen Wei paused to admire her peerless beauty. No wonder she was once the foremost beauty of Yanjing—even in illness, she resembled an ancient painting, untouched by mortal dust.
Elegant, transcendent.
No wonder Li Yuanjing favored her, occasionally spending nights in her quarters. Even Shen Wei, a woman, felt her heart stir at such loveliness.
After lingering a moment, Shen Wei leisurely approached the pavilion. Her gaze soon fell on the two prized "Phoenix Fluttering Its Wings" chrysanthemums.
True to their name, the flowers resembled golden phoenixes mid-flight, radiant and dazzling.
The more Shen Wei looked, the more she adored them.
"Instruct the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau," she told Cai Ping. "This consort’s new autumn robes shall feature this chrysanthemum design."
Cai Ping nodded promptly. "Understood. This servant will relay the order shortly."
As the palace’s chief consort, Shen Wei lived in unparalleled luxury. Whatever she desired—food, finery—was swiftly delivered by efficient servants.
This was the purpose of competing for favor: to ensure a life of comfort.
The commotion drew the attention of Liu Ruyan, who had been quietly admiring the autumn foliage.
She rose slowly, her exquisite eyes flicking toward the ostentatious golden flowers. With icy disdain, she remarked, "Vulgar."
Shen Wei nearly rolled her eyes.
Liu Ruyan’s abysmal standing among the palace women stemmed largely from her venomous tongue, which spared no one.
Years ago, when Concubine Lan wore a floral butterfly-patterned gown to a banquet, Liu Ruyan sneered, "Gaudy trash," nearly provoking Concubine Lan to flip the table in rage.
Even the emperor wasn’t spared. Last year, the ruler of Yue Kingdom gifted Li Yuanjing an exquisite gem-studded belt adorned with twenty emeralds. Li Yuanjing adored it and wore it for days—until Liu Ruyan took one look and declared, "Tasteless." He didn’t visit her quarters for three months out of spite.
Fanning herself calmly, Shen Wei remained unruffled. Instead, she countered, "Flowers hold no inherent meaning—people impose virtues upon them."
Liu Ruyan scoffed.
Undeterred, Shen Wei added kindly, "Plum blossoms bloom in winter not out of noble resilience, but because their buds form in late autumn, leaving them no choice but to brave the cold."
Their blooming was dictated by climate, environment, and biology—not some lofty ideal.
But modern reasoning couldn’t penetrate ancient minds. Liu Ruyan’s cold eyes gleamed as she remarked flatly, "With the empress facing deposition, Imperial Consort Chen seems quite pleased with yourself."
Shen Wei: "..."
Where did you get that idea?
