Li Yuanjing's fingers carried a cool touch, their tips roughened by the calluses formed through years of martial practice. As they brushed against Shen Wei's nose bridge, a faint tickling sensation followed.
Shen Wei laughed and playfully nudged his hand away, her dark, gleaming eyes meeting his as the corners of her rosy lips curved upward. "Your Majesty mustn't touch, or this humble consort will sneeze again."
Li Yuanjing tapped the tip of her nose teasingly. "Why worry? This emperor doesn’t mind."
Shen Wei responded with a coy smile.
After soaking their feet, warmth spread from their soles through their bodies, leaving them comfortably relaxed. Li Yuanjing held Shen Wei close as they rested, the courtyard bathed in moonlight where clusters of tender green vegetable sprouts thrived.
...
...
The next morning, Li Yuanjing left for court in high spirits, but not before taking a leisurely stroll through his vegetable garden.
Having finished her morning meal, Shen Wei inspected the newly transplanted mulberry trees in Yongning Palace’s courtyard. Their leaves drooped slightly, still adjusting to the soil and appearing somewhat lifeless.
Fortunately, the Imperial Household Department employed the finest gardeners, and Yongning Palace’s soil was the most fertile—ensuring the trees would soon adapt.
Shen Wei’s pollen allergy hadn’t yet subsided, so all flowers had been removed from the courtyard. She chose to plant mulberry trees for two reasons: first, to prepare for the upcoming Silkworm Ceremony; second, to raise silkworms once the trees flourished.
After the silkworms spun their cocoons, she would weave silk into a quilt for the Empress Dowager. The leftover material would be fashioned into comfortable sleepwear for Li Yuanjing, a gesture of her thoughtful care.
Moreover, she intended to spread word of her silkworm-raising and silk-making endeavors among the common folk.
To the people, palace consorts were celestial beings—untouched by mortal concerns, adorned in gold and silver, living in extravagance. Shen Wei sought to craft an approachable image, bridging the distance between herself and the citizens of Qing.
A virtuous reputation wasn’t bestowed; it had to be cultivated. Public acclaim outweighed golden trophies.
Should the day come when she and Li Yuanjing stood irreconcilably opposed, and he sought her life, the masses would plead for her pardon, and righteous officials would speak in her defense.
This was the art of shaping opinion.
After surveying the mulberry trees, Shen Wei returned indoors to study records of past Silkworm Ceremonies.
Cai Lian entered with a decoction for her pollen allergy. Shen Wei drank half the bowl before instructing, "Fetch a bolt of Luminous Brocade from the treasury and deliver it to Consort Mei. Last night’s banquet saw her rebuke the Southern Chu envoys with dignity, upholding our nation’s prestige. She deserves recognition."
Cai Lian bowed. "As you wish."
She departed for Yuxiu Palace with the brocade in hand while Shen Wei finished her medicine.
Shen Wei had always believed there were no useless people—only those misplaced. Take Liu Ruyan, for instance: aloof and unpopular in the harem, yet her sharp tongue held its merits.
In crucial moments, Liu Ruyan could wield her eloquence to shame even the Southern Chu envoys into silence.
By gifting her the Luminous Brocade, Shen Wei hoped to impart a lesson: Rewards follow effort.
No kindness came without reason. To gain, one must offer value in return.
Shen Wei continued reviewing the Silkworm Ceremony’s procedures, committing every detail to memory. As a vital state ritual, it comprised three stages—offering to the Silkworm Deity, mulberry-leaf gathering, and presenting the spun silk—each demanding flawless execution.
Before long, Cai Lian returned, the brocade box still in hand. "My lady, I delivered the gift as instructed, but Consort Mei refused it. She declared she would accept no charity."
Shen Wei was speechless.
She had wanted to teach Liu Ruyan the principle that "effort leads to reward," but Liu Ruyan simply refused to accept it.
Fine, if she wouldn’t take it, then so be it!
Shen Wei certainly wasn’t about to go to Yuxiu Palace herself and kneel down, begging Liu Ruyan to accept the shimmering brocade.
With a faint sigh, Shen Wei said, "Never mind. Send the shimmering brocade to Consort Yu instead."
...
When Zhang Miaoyu received the precious shimmering brocade, she was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy.
She immediately ordered the seamstresses from the Imperial Garment Bureau to get to work. Within just two days, they crafted a stunning silver-embroidered spring gown from the brocade. The remaining fabric was used to make two elegant cardigans for Li Nanzhi.
Zhang Miaoyu couldn’t wait to try on the gown. Standing before the mirror, she admired how the shimmering brocade caught the sunlight, its silver threads glinting like rippling water, alive and dancing across the fabric.
"Nanzhi, don’t I look beautiful in this?" Zhang Miaoyu asked excitedly.
Li Nanzhi tilted her little head and frowned. "It is beautiful, but... Consort Yu, have you gained weight again? How many times have you actually followed the weight-loss diet Consort Chen gave you? And what about the daily exercises the old nanny keeps reminding you to do?"
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Zhang Miaoyu’s face before she scratched her head and said, "I’ll worry about losing weight later. There’s no rush."
Losing weight? Absolutely not—she had no intention of ever doing that!
The only thing she truly cared about was eating to her heart’s content.
Patting Li Nanzhi’s cheek to change the subject, Zhang Miaoyu said, "It’s time for your lessons at Guangwen Hall. I’ll walk you there."
Hand in hand, the two of them stepped out of the palace.
The warm spring sunshine bathed them in golden light, and Zhang Miaoyu squinted contentedly, already looking forward to a nice nap when they returned.
Just outside the palace gates, they happened to run into Liu Ruyan from neighboring Yuxiu Palace. Dressed in simple white robes, Liu Ruyan was followed by two palace maids.
Li Nanzhi lowered her head and quietly greeted Liu Ruyan, but Liu Ruyan ignored her. Instead, her gaze lingered on Zhang Miaoyu’s dazzling shimmering brocade gown.
"Oh, where are you off to?" Zhang Miaoyu asked cheerfully, deliberately flaunting her gown as she swayed, making the silver fabric ripple like water.
Liu Ruyan replied coolly, "Such fine fabric is utterly wasted on you."
Zhang Miaoyu shrugged, completely unbothered. "I like it, and I’m going to wear it. In fact, I’m even planning to use the leftover fabric for socks and shoe liners. What’s it to you?"
A pang of regret flickered in Liu Ruyan’s heart.
Back when Shen Wei had sent her a bolt of shimmering brocade, she had pretended to be aloof and refused it. But now, seeing Zhang Miaoyu flaunting the very same fabric, Liu Ruyan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of resentment.
If only she hadn’t refused it back then.
Suppressing the bitterness in her eyes, Liu Ruyan swept past them with her maids in tow.
Zhang Miaoyu clicked her tongue and continued leading Li Nanzhi toward Guangwen Hall.
"Strange," Li Nanzhi murmured, looking around curiously. "All the flowers along the palace path are gone. They’ve been replaced with potted plants that don’t even bloom."
In previous springs, the palace had been a riot of blossoms, every corner bursting with color and fragrance.
But this year, the flowers had been quietly removed overnight before they could fully bloom.
The long palace path was now lined with nothing but greenery.
Zhang Miaoyu sighed. "Consort Chen has developed a pollen allergy. His Majesty was so worried that he ordered all flowering plants along the palace paths removed. Only the Imperial Garden is allowed to keep its blooms."
Li Nanzhi blinked in admiration. "Father truly dotes on Consort Chen!"
Zhang Miaoyu gazed at the clusters of verdant plants, her plump face clouded with melancholy. She murmured, "I pray His Majesty will always treat Consort Chen with favor. Only with her managing the inner court can we have peace. Lately, my right eyelid keeps twitching incessantly—heavens, grant that all goes well."
The palace corridor stretched long, flanked by lush greenery swaying in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly.
The wind had risen.
