The moon hung over willow branches, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air.
The envoy from Southern Chu approached, cupping his hands in greeting toward Shen Wei. "This foreign official pays his respects to the Noble Consort."
A momentary silence fell over the surroundings.
The Southern Chu envoy lifted his gaze, studying Noble Consort Shen Wei, who stood less than six feet away. Years had passed, yet her appearance remained unchanged—her skin fair, her features exquisitely painted, draped in the resplendent ceremonial robes of a noble consort, her elegance surpassing even that of a peony.
Shen Wei cast a cool glance at the peculiar envoy and commanded, "Guards, seize this intruder and deliver him to the Court of Judicial Review for rigorous interrogation."
For a foreign envoy to trespass into the inner palace in the dead of night was nothing short of courting death.
Shen Wei showed no courtesy.
If he was to be arrested, then so be it. If he was to be executed, then so be it.
The patrolling palace guards immediately rushed forward with drawn blades, ready to apprehend the foreign envoy.
A flicker of surprise crossed the envoy’s face, as if he hadn’t expected Shen Wei to act so decisively. He curved his lips into a leisurely smile and explained, "Noble Consort, please be just. After tonight’s banquet at Qinghua Hall, this official accidentally lost his way when separated from his guide. The night is dark, and the paths are confusing—I simply wandered astray."
Shen Wei sneered.
She didn’t believe a single word.
The guards moved forward as ordered, gripping the envoy’s arms. Just then, hurried footsteps approached from a distance—a few junior eunuchs from the Ministry of Rites. Spotting the commotion at the garden entrance, they hastily bowed to Shen Wei.
"Noble Consort, these lowly servants were tasked with escorting the Southern Chu envoy out of the palace. After he excused himself, he vanished, and we searched for him for quite some time," the eunuch explained nervously. "The palace gates are about to be locked. Might we take this envoy away now?"
The eunuch’s arrival indirectly corroborated the envoy’s story.
Shen Wei lowered her eyes in brief contemplation. The tense relations between Qing and Southern Chu were slowly improving. At such a critical juncture, it was unwise to let minor friction disrupt diplomatic ties.
With that, Shen Wei adopted a gracious expression. "Very well. Escort him out."
The Southern Chu envoy bowed. "Many thanks for the Noble Consort’s mercy. Truly, you are as virtuous as you are wise."
Shen Wei gritted her teeth.
The words grated on her ears.
She issued a cold warning. "If there is a next time, this consort will have you executed on the spot."
The envoy adjusted the wide sleeves of his deep purple robe, his lips curving. "This official understands. Farewell."
The spring breeze of the night carried him away as he followed the eunuch at a leisurely pace, leaving behind the flower-laden imperial garden. Shen Wei watched his retreating figure for a long moment before turning to Cai Lian. "Investigate his background."
A Southern Chu envoy, newly arrived, yet able to navigate the winding paths of the inner palace and reach the imperial gardens undetected by the numerous patrolling guards—
This man was no ordinary figure.
Cai Lian nodded. "This servant will see to it at once."
...
The Southern Chu envoy walked behind the eunuch, his steps light along the long palace corridors.
His dark eyes swept over the familiar palace paths, a pang of melancholy rising in his heart at his return to his homeland.
At a corner, he feigned a stumble, steadying himself against a stone lantern lining the path. A letter slipped from his sleeve, concealed within the crevice beneath the lantern.
Before long, a young palace maid crept toward the lantern, glancing furtively in all directions. Assured of her solitude, she swiftly retrieved the hidden letter and hurried back to Consort Lu Xuan’s Changxin Palace.
"My lady, the letter," the maid Qi whispered as she entered the inner chamber, handing the missive to Lu Xuan, who lay in bed.
Since giving birth, Lu Xuan had been bedridden, barely surviving the harsh winter. She had withered away, her once-lovely face now gaunt and pallid.
No medicine could cure the sickness of the heart. The imperial physician who examined her had tactfully hinted that her time was short—she might not live another year.
Lu Xuan reclined against the soft bedding, the brief letter in her hands. She closed her eyes. "Then we must stake everything on this. Even in death, I will drag Noble Consort Shen Wei down with me."
In all honesty, Shen Wei was a flawless ruler of the inner palace—generous, benevolent, and fair.
Despite Lu Xuan’s illness, the allowances for Changxin Palace had not been reduced. Charcoal for warmth was steadily supplied in winter, and imperial physicians still came regularly to diagnose and prescribe medicine.
Yet Lu Xuan also knew that Shen Wei’s kindness was only skin-deep. When it came to core interests, Shen Wei would cast aside her benevolent mask without hesitation, eliminating threats with ruthless efficiency.
Tears welled in Qi’s eyes. "If we remain obedient, Noble Consort Shen Wei’s temperament would allow us to live peacefully in the palace."
Lu Xuan shook her head, her gaze resolute. "If Zhou Yu lived, why must Zhuge Liang exist?"
She refused to spend her life beneath Shen Wei’s shadow, surviving only by her mercy.
...
Late into the night, the lanterns hanging from Yongning Palace’s eaves swayed in the wind, casting a soft glow.
Li Yuanjing returned under the cover of darkness, the guards at the gate offering familiar bows. As he stepped into Yongning Palace’s courtyard, he noticed the absence of the delicate floral fragrance that usually lingered in the air—the flowers had all been removed.
His brow arched slightly as he approached his small vegetable garden. Though the flowers were gone, the seedlings he had planted remained. With the arrival of spring, the vegetables thrived, their leaves lush and green.
Li Yuanjing surveyed his handiwork with quiet satisfaction.
After admiring his garden, he treaded lightly into the bedchamber, expecting Shen Wei to be asleep. Instead, the room was bathed in warm lamplight.
Shen Wei was still awake.
A faint, pleasant medicinal scent lingered in the air. Shen Wei reclined against the armrest of the daybed, a book in hand, her long, dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her profile elegant in the soft light.
The sight was serene.
With Shen Wei here, Li Yuanjing felt at peace.
"Not asleep yet?" he asked as he entered.
Shen Wei set down her book, her eyes brightening. "Your Majesty, you’ve returned."
Servants brought in two basins of warm water, setting them inside the room. Shen Wei removed her shoes and socks, revealing delicate, pale feet as she joined Li Yuanjing in soaking them.
A springtime foot soak aided sleep.
Li Yuanjing recalled the barren courtyard. "Weiwei, why have all the flowers been removed?"
Shen Wei shrugged. "Lately, my nose has been itching. Physician Moxun diagnosed it as pollen sensitivity, so I had the flowers temporarily relocated and replaced them with mulberry trees. With the Silkworm Ceremony approaching, it’s good practice."
Just then, Cai Lian lifted the curtain and entered, carrying a bowl of steaming broth. "My lady, this is brewed according to Physician Moxun’s prescription. Please drink it while it’s hot."
Shen Wei’s pollen sensitivity required treatment.
Moxun had prescribed a decoction of cinnamon bark, cassia twig, ginger, and dried ginger, sweetened with a touch of brown sugar, to dispel the cold accumulated during winter.
In addition to internal remedies, steam therapy was needed—boiling angelica root and atractylodes rhizome, not for drinking, but for inhaling the medicinal vapor to soothe nasal irritation.
Shen Wei, ever efficient, had the servants of Yongning Palace prepare everything as soon as Moxun prescribed the treatment.
"Let me see." Li Yuanjing reached out his long arm and gently touched Shen Wei's slightly reddened nose. "Ah, it's hay fever. No wonder you've been sneezing so much these past few days."
