Nanny Qian remained expressionless as she informed Lu Xuan, "Noble Consort, your younger sister is overly ambitious, attempting to climb the dragon's back and attach herself to the phoenix. The Empress Dowager has shown mercy by merely expelling her from the palace."
Lu Xuan's face paled.
Leaning on Qi's arm for support, she entered the side hall where Lu Yun resided. Lu Yun was weeping bitterly, while several elderly palace maids packed her belongings.
Lu Xuan hurried inside and grasped Lu Yun's hand. "Little sister, what exactly happened?"
Lu Yun lowered her head, unwilling to reveal her true ambitions, and offered an excuse instead. "Elder sister, I saw how difficult your life in the palace has been, constantly oppressed by Noble Consort Chen. My heart ached for you, so I thought if I could encounter the Emperor in the imperial garden, I might secure a position as a consort and stay by your side."
"Foolishness!" Lu Xuan scolded.
Lu Yun hung her head, wiping away tears.
Lu Xuan's chest tightened with anger, her head spinning. She clutched Lu Yun's hand tightly. "I have no future left in the palace—why would you throw yourself into this inferno?"
The Lu family's prospects were bleak; sooner or later, the Emperor would devour them whole. Lu Yun still had a chance to escape this suffering, yet she harbored such delusions.
Eyes filled with sorrow, Lu Xuan said, "Today, you've offended the Empress Dowager. Take this opportunity to leave the palace and marry into a good family."
Lu Yun wept pitifully.
The palace maids worked swiftly, and soon Lu Yun's belongings were packed. Too ill to accompany her further, Lu Xuan could only escort her sister to the gates of Changxin Palace.
As they parted, Lu Xuan's eyes reddened with emotion. "Little sister, this farewell may be the last time we see each other."
Lu Yun's nose stung, and genuine grief welled up in her heart. "Elder sister..."
Lu Xuan wiped away Lu Yun's tears, her voice choked. "Little sister, I won’t be able to protect you anymore. Take care of yourself."
The winter wind howled again, tangling the sisters' hair. With a heart full of resentment and sorrow, Lu Yun turned back repeatedly as she left Changxin Palace and exited the towering imperial city.
A plain, dust-covered carriage waited at the palace gates. Lu Yun climbed in, her eyes brimming with tears.
As the carriage rolled away, the grand imperial city grew smaller in the distance. Clutching her bundle, Lu Yun curled up inside the cramped carriage. Exhausted from the day’s shocks, she gradually drifted into sleep amidst the slow rocking of the wheels.
This time, she dreamed of the future once more.
[In the dream, Lu Yun met a tragic death on her way to be married. The scene shifted to the depths of the palace, where Lu Xuan, now the Empress, received news of her sister’s demise. She flew into a maddened rage, storming into Chang'an Palace to confront the Emperor. "My sister was innocent! Why did you kill her? I’m already dying—must you annihilate the entire Lu family? Will you slaughter every noble house in Yanjing before you’re satisfied?"
The cold-eyed man set down his memorial, lifting his gaze slightly. The sharp lines of his profile were as unyielding as a blade.
The towering Emperor lounged on his dragon throne, an aura of menace radiating from him. "I intend to eradicate the Lu family."
Lu Xuan let out a deranged laugh. Suddenly, she drew a dagger from her sleeve and lunged at Li Yuanjing, shrieking, "I’ll kill you! I’ll avenge my sister!"
Unsurprisingly, the guards intercepted her.
Eunuchs dragged the hysterical Empress out of Chang'an Palace and confined her to Kunning Palace.
Not long after, the Empress was sentenced to death for attempting to assassinate the Emperor. The Lu family was accused of conspiring with Southern Chu and executed to the last man.]
A gust of winter wind blew open the carriage curtain, jolting Lu Yun awake from her nightmare. Her heart pounded violently, her body drenched in cold sweat despite the freezing weather.
The prophetic dream played vividly in her mind.
Trembling with fear, Lu Yun curled into herself, engulfed by boundless despair.
"Elder sister..." she murmured, tears of sorrow falling.
Suddenly, she realized her grave mistake—misjudging her sister and nurturing forbidden ambitions.
Panicked thoughts raced through her mind: If the dream foretold the truth, how could she save the Lu family and her sister’s life?
The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
Outside, the coachman announced, "Second Young Miss, a veiled woman is blocking our path ahead."
...
Yongning Palace.
Shen Wei reviewed the winter expenditure reports sent by the Internal Affairs Office. After flipping through a few pages, Cai Ping entered the warm chamber with news from the imperial garden.
"Expelled from the palace?" Shen Wei arched a brow. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is quite merciful."
Cai Ping nodded. "Noble Consort Lu cares deeply for her sister. At least Lu Yun’s life was spared by being sent away."
Now that Lu Yun had been cast out, she would likely become a pawn in Duke Lu’s political machinations—hardly a significant threat.
Closing the ledger, Shen Wei glanced out the window. The snow had ceased, the chill fading as winter neared its end.
...
Time flew. Once the New Year passed, the weather warmed gradually. The snow blanketing the outskirts of Yanjing melted, old trees sprouted tender green buds, and wildflowers bloomed across the mountains like wildfire.
Spring had arrived.
Shen Wei ordered the gardeners to transplant clusters of winter jasmine into the courtyard. The small golden flowers flourished under the gentle sunlight, their petals unfurling in the warmth. In Yongning Palace’s two small vegetable plots, Li Yuanjing had sown seeds that quickly sprouted tender shoots.
Every morning, Li Yuanjing would stroll through the garden twice, satisfied, before attending court.
In Yongning Palace, Cai Lian and Nanny Rong gathered with others to report the month’s arrangements. "Your Highness, in five days, the Southern Chu envoy will arrive in Yanjing. His Majesty will host a banquet in Qinghua Palace. In half a month, the imperial plowing ceremony will be held in the city, while you, as the acting Empress, must oversee the silkworm-raising ceremony."
The plowing and silkworm ceremonies were vital spring rituals for the Great Qing, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests.
Shen Wei flexed her wrists. "Ensure everything is prepared flawlessly. Recalculate the palace stipends—punish those who deserve it, reward those who’ve earned it."
Nanny Rong accepted the orders eagerly, and the servants dispersed to their tasks.
After stretching lazily, Shen Wei practiced a few rounds of Baduanjin in the courtyard before heading to Cining Palace to visit the Empress Dowager and the children.
Though spring had just begun, the breeze remained bitingly cold. It swept through the winter jasmines before brushing against Shen Wei’s face, prompting an involuntary sneeze.
"How odd. Is someone thinking of me?" Rubbing her nose, she dismissed the thought and left Yongning Palace to attend to her duties.
...
Yunzhou, a side courtyard in Duke Lu’s Mansion.
Lush roses bloomed in the garden, butterflies flitting about as a plump white fox chased them, yipping joyfully.
Inside the flower hall, the servants had been dismissed.
Lu Yun knelt trembling on a cushion, her back drenched in cold sweat, not daring to meet the gaze of the man seated above her.
Even in plain brocade robes, Li Yuanli exuded an intimidating aura of authority.
His slender fingers traced the rim of a celadon teacup as if he had heard something absurd. Slowly, he repeated, "Let me ask once more—you truly dreamed of the future?"
