"But alas, the Emperor is heartless. He used me to harm the palace concubines, he caused the death of my younger sister, and he even killed me... After my death, the Emperor didn’t even grant me a posthumous title."
"Is this a dream, or did it truly happen... I can no longer tell. Life is but a fleeting dream."
Qi thought Lu Xuan had fallen into delirious ramblings from her illness. She lowered her head, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
In the courtyard, the autumn wind rustled, and yellowed leaves spiraled down from the branches, swaying unsteadily before landing.
That night, Li Yuanjing was still outside discussing state affairs with his ministers, while Shen Wei dined alone.
Shen Wei had only taken a few bites when Cai Ping hurried in to report, "Mistress, the one from Changxin Palace has passed away."
Shen Wei was not particularly surprised.
Lu Xuan had been terminally ill, and her death could have come at any moment. Calmly setting down her white jade chopsticks, Shen Wei instructed Cai Ping, "Inform the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Have the Internal Affairs Office deliver the burial items to Changxin Palace. Everything must follow protocol."
Cai Ping went off to carry out her duties.
Lu Xuan’s funeral was a modest affair. Li Yuanjing, still furious over the Lu family’s transgressions, took his anger out on Lu Xuan and refused to grant her a posthumous title.
Before Lu Xuan was buried, Shen Wei took a final glance at her remains.
Noticing how thinly dressed Lu Xuan was, Shen Wei thought for a moment and then ordered attendants to dress her in her consort’s ceremonial robes. She also instructed them to apply makeup and adorn her hair with jewelry.
With these arrangements, Lu Xuan was laid to rest with dignity.
The plain coffin carrying the once-favored consort was escorted by eunuchs and guards to a secluded corner of the imperial mausoleum for burial.
The once-lively Changxin Palace fell into complete desolation.
After late autumn, the Duke of Lu and others imprisoned in the imperial dungeon were executed, their bodies discarded in an unmarked burial ground.
The once-prosperous Lu family vanished entirely from the annals of history.
...
Autumn passed, and winter arrived. Soon, spring blossoms heralded the arrival of a new year.
Not long after the season began, the palace celebrated another grand occasion: the coming-of-age ceremony of the Emperor’s eldest daughter, Li Yao.
As was customary, Shen Wei arranged an elaborate celebration for Li Yao, inviting noblewomen and ladies of the court. Li Yao was bestowed the title "Princess Shoukang" and granted a residence outside the palace, where she would soon move.
Shen Wei treated all the princesses equally, providing Li Yao with silver and servants to attend to her needs.
At dusk, the long-sealed gates of Kunning Palace creaked open, and Li Yao, dressed in her princess regalia, stepped inside. The palace grounds were overgrown with weeds, withered chrysanthemums lay askew, and the pungent scent of incense filled the air.
Li Yao’s heart ached.
Dismissing her attendants, she entered the palace’s prayer hall. Candles burned dimly, casting eerie shadows, making even daylight feel like the depths of hell. The gaunt Empress knelt on a prayer mat, clutching a string of beads, muttering curses under her breath.
"Mother," Li Yao called softly.
The Empress froze, her neck stiff as she turned slowly to see Li Yao standing at the entrance.
At fifteen, Li Yao had not yet fully matured, but her grace and poise already reflected her royal stature. Dressed elegantly and adorned with delicate makeup, she was a vision of nobility.
It took the Empress a moment to recognize her own daughter. A flicker of joy crossed her face as she rushed forward, grasping Li Yao’s hands. "Yao’er, is today your coming-of-age?"
Li Yao nodded gently.
She longed for her mother’s blessings.
Instead, the Empress fished out a small paper packet from her sleeve and pressed it into Li Yao’s palm. "This is rat poison. Some days ago, the palace servants left it behind after exterminating rodents. My dear child, find a way to slip this into that wretched Shen Wei’s food. Once she’s dead, I can reclaim my rightful place."
Her eyes gleamed with manic hope.
Prayers alone were futile—action was needed.
She yearned for Shen Wei’s demise with desperate fervor.
Li Yao’s nose stung with unshed tears. "Mother, on the day of my coming-of-age, you ask me to poison Consort Shen?"
The Empress rambled on, "This is a rare opportunity! Once you leave the palace, you’ll never get close to her again. My darling, my salvation rests in your hands."
Li Yao’s heart shattered.
A girl’s coming-of-age was one of life’s most sacred milestones. Though Shen Wei was not her birth mother, she had orchestrated a magnificent celebration and thoughtfully prepared Li Yao for her future, teaching her how to manage a household and servants.
Li Yao was deeply grateful to Shen Wei and had come to regard her as a mother in her heart.
Yet her own mother offered no blessings—only a demand to commit a heinous crime.
Taking a step back, Li Yao dropped the poison in disgust, letting it fall to the floor. Tears spilled from her eyes. "Mother, I will rarely return to the palace from now on. Father has already chosen a husband for me. The imperial decree has been issued—I am to wed next summer."
The Empress stood frozen in shock.
Li Yao knelt and kowtowed three times before her.
"Take care, Mother," she whispered. "From this day forward, I must walk my own path."
She turned and left the prayer hall, her heart heavy with sorrow.
The Empress stood dazed, her chest torn open by an invisible hand, agony flooding her with tears. She stumbled after Li Yao, desperate to explain, "I carried you for ten months! How dare you forsake me! What poison has that witch Shen Wei fed you? Come back! Li Yao, come back!"
With a groan, the heavy gates of Kunning Palace slammed shut.
The Empress pounded on the doors, screaming in rage, "Li Yao! Yao’er, come back! I need you! Return to me—!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The knocking echoed through the night.
Only when darkness fully enveloped the palace did the Empress collapse against the doors, exhausted. The night air in Kunning Palace was suffocating, the wind whispering through the desolate courtyard like ghostly murmurs.
Curled in a corner, the Empress stared wide-eyed into the void. One moment, she saw the spirits of her two dead sons; the next, the concubines she had poisoned; then, the faces of her own parents...
She squeezed her eyes shut, drowning in despair.
Even Li Yao, the last soul willing to approach her, had slipped away. The Empress was truly alone.
...
...
Cining Palace.
Sunlight bathed the courtyard in warmth, flowers blooming in vibrant splendor. With Li Wan'er and Li Yao now residing outside the palace, and Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou occupied with archery and horsemanship, Cining Palace had grown quieter.
As the Empress Dowager’s birthday approached, noblewomen and wives of high-ranking officials arrived to pay their respects early. Seated in the pavilion, the Empress Dowager presided over the gathering, with Shen Wei beside her and three distinguished ladies in attendance.
Tea and pastries were served as the conversation turned to domestic affairs.
The wife of the Minister of War smiled warmly. "The Zhang family’s second son is both scholarly and virtuous—a perfect match for Princess Shoukang. Truly, a union of talent and beauty."
The Empress Dowager nodded. "Wan'er will wed this year, Yao’er the next. Once Nan Zhi comes of age, we must arrange her marriage as well."
Selecting husbands for princesses was no trivial matter—it required careful consideration of lineage, character, capability, and political alignment.
In many ways, princesses served as vital bonds between the royal family and the court.
As they discussed the princesses’ betrothals, the Empress Dowager noticed the rising heat and summoned Nanny Qian. "Where has Le You wandered off to? The sun is harsh—we mustn’t let her fall ill."
