Li Yuanjing felt a sudden buzz in his head, as if something had exploded in his mind. A chill ran through his entire body.
The usually calm and composed Li Yuanjing found his fingers trembling slightly, his throat parched. He forced himself to steady his voice. "Is—is she badly hurt?"
De Shun wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly replied, "Imperial Consort Chen is unharmed—only a cut on her arm. The female assassin took her own life on the spot. Her Highness has returned to Yongning Palace and has summoned the imperial physicians."
Without hesitation, Li Yuanjing strode toward Yongning Palace.
De Shun hurried after him, recounting the details of the assassination attempt on Shen Wei.
[Earlier that day, Shen Wei had gone to Anguo Temple to offer incense and pray. After partaking in the vegetarian meal served at the temple, she visited the orphans in the rear courtyard, distributed porridge at the temple gates, and lingered in the hills to admire the spring scenery before her return.
The journey back had been uneventful. Remembering her promise to buy scented powder for Zhang Miaoyu, Shen Wei sent a palace maid to make the purchase while the procession paused on the official road.
At that moment, a nun approached, seeking alms. Shen Wei, ever kind-hearted, personally handed her some pastries.
But the nun was none other than Xie Fanghua, the daughter of the disgraced Xie family! Once, Xie Fanghua had offended Shen Wei in the palace and was punished by being shorn and forced into monastic life. After the fall of the Xie family, consumed by hatred, she had plotted this assassination.
Shen Wei was fortunate—only her arm was grazed.
Xie Fanghua, seized by the palace attendants, screamed wildly, "Dragging the imperial consort to death with me is worth it!"
With that, she took her own life.
Shen Wei, with her minor injury, had the wound hastily bandaged before returning to the palace.]
...
Li Yuanjing moved swiftly, his steps urgent as he raced toward Yongning Palace. The two young princes, Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou, also dashed ahead, eager to check on Shen Wei’s condition.
Yongning Palace remained as serene as ever.
At the emperor’s arrival, the palace servants hurried to bow. Li Yuanjing strode into the familiar courtyard and stepped into the main chamber without pause.
The room was bright, a vase of fresh willow branches adorning the table. Shen Wei reclined on the daybed, her face unnaturally pale, lips drained of color—likely from the shock.
A trace of blood stained her right sleeve, torn by the blade. The wound was shallow, the bleeding minimal, wrapped hastily in white cloth.
"Your Majesty?" Shen Wei’s voice was faint as she noticed Li Yuanjing.
His expression darkened.
His gaze swept over her repeatedly, scrutinizing the makeshift bandage.
Thankfully, the injury was minor.
The boulder of dread in his chest finally dropped. Just as he prepared to question her further, Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou rushed in.
"Mother!"
Li Chengyou’s eyes brimmed with tears. "When I grow up, I’ll carry a sword and protect you!"
Shen Wei smiled gently, patting their heads. "Mother is fine. It’s just a scratch. The imperial physician will tend to it, and it’ll heal by tomorrow."
Assured of her safety, Li Yuanjing turned to the attendants, his voice sharp. "How could the imperial guards fail to protect the imperial consort on the official road?"
The servant knelt, trembling. "Your Majesty, Her Highness did not bring the imperial guards this time, saying she wished to avoid disturbing the commoners."
Shen Wei had kept her visit to Anguo Temple low-profile, without fanfare.
Li Yuanjing’s brow furrowed. He turned back to Shen Wei. "From now on, you must take the imperial guards and the Tiger Guard whenever you leave the palace."
Shen Wei’s expression cooled, her lashes lowering. "Had I died outside today, it would have suited Your Majesty’s wishes."
Li Yuanjing stiffened. "Don’t speak nonsense!"
How could he ever wish for her death?
The atmosphere in the room grew tense, the two children bewildered. Li Yuanjing ordered the servants to take them back to Cining Palace, leaving only him and Shen Wei in the vast chamber.
Her face still ghostly pale, Shen Wei ignored him, sipping tea with quiet resentment.
A month of coldness between them, and this was their first moment alone.
Li Yuanjing recalled the empress dowager’s words—In the imperial family, true affection is rare.
As emperor, he had never paid much heed to the intricate emotions of the inner palace. When in good spirits, he might indulge them with empty comforts; when displeased, he would withdraw.
A man’s ambitions lay beyond the domestic sphere—state affairs far outweighed the trivialities of the harem.
The imperial consorts, bluntly put, were but tools—for lineage, for political balance.
Yet Shen Wei had always been different.
Never had he imagined the day would come when her joys and sorrows would consume him. This month of estrangement had been torment.
He was beginning to realize—Shen Wei was unique. Irreplaceable.
Drawing a deep breath, he approached her, his large hand enveloping hers. His voice was low. "Weiwei, I was wrong."
Shen Wei lifted her gaze, her eyes still red.
With no outsiders present, Li Yuanjing pressed on. "That day, I lost control of my temper. I won’t misjudge you again."
It was the first time he had ever apologized—sincerely, unreservedly.
As emperor of the Great Qing Empire, Li Yuanjing had long mastered the art of masks, his emotions wielded as instruments of statecraft.
But now, he spoke earnestly. "Weiwei, trust me."
Never had he humbled himself so.
Surely she would forgive him. After all, marital spats never lasted—what couple didn’t reconcile?
Shen Wei tilted her head slightly, studying the emperor before her. Her pale lips parted. "Your Majesty doesn’t truly care for me, does he? To you, I’m just an amusing plaything."
Li Yuanjing stiffened. "How can you think that? I’ve never treated you as such!"
He had swallowed his pride to apologize—yet she still doubted him?
Tears welled in Shen Wei’s large eyes, brimming with hurt. "That day I fell into the river, half-conscious, I thought it was Your Majesty who saved me. But it was Prince Heng who jumped in... Your Majesty never had me in your heart!"
Li Yuanjing was stunned.
He had been furious over Prince Heng’s audacity, while she was wounded by his inaction.
He tried to explain. "The current was fierce. I was grappling with Yuan Li and fell onto the deck. Yuan Li was closer to the edge—it was quicker for him to dive in! And if both of us had jumped, who would have steered the boat? Without control, how could we have pulled you aboard?"
Had they both entered the water, the boat would have drifted away. The shore was too distant—they’d have exhausted themselves swimming.
Shen Wei retorted, "Prince Heng, an outsider, risked his life for me! Yet Your Majesty, my husband of years, couldn’t match his courage!"
Li Yuanjing rubbed his temples. "Weiwei, don’t be unreasonable."
But reason seldom swayed a woman’s heart.
Shen Wei shot back, "And when Your Majesty accused me of impropriety with Prince Heng—was that not unreasonable?"
Li Yuanjing: "..."
Li Yuanjing finally understood Shen Wei's feelings completely. Being inexplicably doubted in one's sincerity would leave anyone heartbroken and distressed.
It wasn't until the boomerang came back to strike him that he truly grasped what it meant to "feel someone else's pain as one's own."
