Li Yuanli was unwilling to accept defeat.
He wished he could kick his cunning second brother into the river and watch him drown. Swiftly mounting his horse, he gripped the reins and looked down with a cold smirk. "Second Brother, farewell."
His gaze flickered to Shen Wei in Li Yuanjing's arms before he added with deliberate provocation, "Keep her safe. One day, I’ll take her back to Southern Chu."
With a crack of his whip, he rode off into the distance.
Amidst the blooming wildflowers, Li Yuanli’s figure gradually disappeared into the wilderness.
The hidden Tiger Guards emerged, bowing respectfully. "Your Majesty, the rear palace is secure. Shall we pursue the Emperor of Southern Chu?"
The mountain wind tousled Li Yuanjing’s dark hair as his handsome face darkened with conflict—murderous intent and mercy warring within him.
Li Yuanjing thought of Southern Chu’s vast territories. If Da Qing launched a full-scale war, they might conquer it within a decade. Yet, memories of his childhood surfaced—chasing and roughhousing with his younger brother, Li Yuanli.
After a long silence, the emperor’s mercy barely outweighed his rage. He closed his eyes. "Let him go."
Cleaning up Southern Chu’s mess would take Li Yuanli at least three to five years. For a long time to come, he wouldn’t have the leisure to plot against Da Qing.
...
The grand Sericulture and Plowing Ceremonies concluded under the glow of sunset. The royal procession made its way back along the palace road toward the towering imperial city.
With the imperial guards leading the way and banners fluttering, the spacious royal carriage carried Shen Wei, now dressed in warm spring attire.
She remained unconscious,
wrapped in a thick fox-fur blanket.
As the carriage swayed, Li Yuanjing sat at the desk, his dark eyes lingering on Shen Wei’s peaceful face. Her serene, fair complexion resembled a peony blooming in the wild.
Having shared a bed with her for years, he knew her sleeping expression all too well.
Yet as he studied her, his brows slowly furrowed.
He recalled Li Yuanli leaping into the raging river without hesitation to save her.
He remembered the burning intensity in Li Yuanli’s gaze when he looked at Shen Wei.
And he couldn’t forget Li Yuanli’s audacious parting words: "Keep her safe. One day, I’ll take her back to Southern Chu."
His half-brother, notorious for his romantic escapades, treating men and women as mere playthings—had actually fallen for Shen Wei.
When had it happened?
A surge of jealousy twisted in Li Yuanjing’s chest.
A gnawing suspicion took root—had Shen Wei and Li Yuanli shared some hidden past he knew nothing about?
Like a crack in his heart, doubt sprouted and spread like wild grass after spring rain, overwhelming him.
...
Shen Wei slept through the night. The imperial physician, Moxun, came to check her pulse, prescribed medicine for wind-cold ailments, and hurried off with his medicine box.
By the next morning, she awoke in the cozy comfort of Yongning Palace’s grand bed. Blessed with robust health, she felt no trace of illness.
After downing a bowl of bitter herbal medicine, she popped a candied fruit into her mouth and sprang out of bed. Drawing back the gauzy curtains, warm sunlight enveloped her, soothing and revitalizing.
She practiced a set of Eight-Section Brocade exercises in the courtyard until sweat beaded on her forehead. As she wiped it away, tiny figures came running toward her from the palace gates.
"Mother!"
"Imperial Mother!"
Le You, her chubby legs pumping, threw herself into Shen Wei’s arms. "Mother, I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so scared!"
Shen Wei chuckled, hugging her daughter and pinching her plump cheeks. "With your father around, no one can harm me."
The children bombarded her with questions. But mindful of her duties, Shen Wei soon sent them off with Cai Lian to the rear courtyard for snacks and to try on the spring outfits she’d ordered from the Imperial Household Department.
The children scampered away—all except Li Chengtai, who lingered, his dark eyes fixed on Shen Wei.
"Chengtai," she said gently, "is there something you want to say?"
Dressed in a gold-embroidered spring coat, the boy—whose face bore a striking resemblance to Li Yuanjing’s—wrinkled his brow. After a hesitant pause, he mumbled, "Mother… Father knew about the assassins targeting Cining Palace beforehand, didn’t he?"
Shen Wei’s eyes flickered in surprise at his perceptiveness.
She nodded. "Of course he did. He stationed hundreds of guards and Tiger Warriors, waiting for them."
The Lu family had believed they were collaborating with the Emperor of Southern Chu. But in Li Yuanli’s eyes, they were merely tools—disposable after their role in the assassination plot.
Li Chengtai’s head drooped as he watched two black ants crawl across the courtyard soil. His father, the emperor, had used the Dowager Empress and even his own children as bait in this trap.
The boy’s chest tightened.
It hurt.
Logically, he knew the plan was flawless. Emotionally, it felt ruthless.
Shen Wei ruffled his hair. "Don’t overthink it. You’re still a child. When you stand at a greater height, you’ll see the world differently."
Li Chengtai pressed his lips together, nodding half-understandingly before trudging off to join the others.
Alone again, Shen Wei returned to her study to review the repair ledgers from the Imperial Household Department. The assassins had left the palace in shambles—injured servants, damaged property.
Her eyes widened at the total cost: at least two thousand taels of silver!
Clenching her fists, she mentally added this to Li Yuanli’s tab.
That scoundrel had allied with the Lu family, wreaking havoc in Da Qing’s palace before fleeing, leaving her to clean up his mess!
Cai Ping entered with news. "Mistress, the court is abuzz. Last night, His Majesty ordered troops to surround the Lu family’s estate in Yunzhou. The entire clan’s been imprisoned pending trial. With irrefutable evidence of their collusion with Southern Chu, the Lu family is finished."
Assassinating the emperor and plotting against the Dowager Empress—either crime warranted execution. The Lu family had dug their own graves.
Shen Wei counted off the fallen noble houses: the Tantai family, the Xie family, the Lu family, the Wu family’s defection… The once-powerful clans that plagued the capital had been nearly eradicated. The remaining ones posed no threat.
A weight lifted from her shoulders.
At last, peace seemed within reach.
Setting aside the ledger, she asked, "Is His Majesty in Chang’an Palace?"
Cai Ping nodded. "He summoned officials from the Ministry of War, Rites, and Justice early this morning. They’re still deliberating."
"Busy as he is, he shouldn’t skip meals," Shen Wei said. "Tell the imperial kitchen to prepare his favorite dishes. I’ll join him for lunch in the side hall."
Cai Ping hurried off to relay the order.
After finalizing the repair expenses, Shen Wei visited Cining Palace to check on the Dowager Empress. As noon approached, Eunuch Deshun arrived with a message.
"Imperial Concubine, His Majesty is occupied. He… requests that you not trouble yourself with accompanying him for lunch today."
