Shen Wei spoke with a tone that seemed to have seen through the vanity of life: "The state of my body is unimportant. With the emperor's love, the care of our children, a peaceful nation, and no lack of material comforts, this life of mine can be considered without regrets. Life and death are fated—there’s no need to dwell on them too much."
Cai Lian choked back a sob: "My lady, you are kind to everyone except yourself..."
Shen Wei smiled faintly. "Enough. Go and rest now."
Cai Lian withdrew.
Shen Wei returned to the inner chamber, moving quietly as she leaned against Li Yuanjing. He feigned sleep with closed eyes but heard her murmur wistfully, "If only I could go to Jiangnan..."
Her voice was tinged with longing and resignation.
Clasping Li Yuanjing’s hand affectionately, she drifted into slumber.
Li Yuanjing, however, lay awake, his heart unsettled. Shen Wei had spent her entire life confined to the palace—for his sake, for their children. She yearned for the distant Jiangnan, yet she knew it was but a dream, one she buried deep within, never letting anyone glimpse her hidden desires.
As the woman in his arms slept soundly, Li Yuanjing opened his eyes in the darkness. His fingers, slender and defined, gently traced through Shen Wei’s hair.
His thoughts turned to the white-haired old man and woman he had once seen at a courier station. If Shen Wei continued to exhaust herself with palace affairs, she might never live to see the day her own hair turned silver.
"Weiwei..." Li Yuanjing whispered.
After sharing a bed with her for so many years, he had always envisioned his later years—abdicating the throne to their son, leaving the palace hand in hand with Shen Wei to enjoy their twilight years in peace.
But it had never crossed his mind that Shen Wei might depart from him halfway through their journey.
Li Yuanjing tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Unseen by him, in the shadows, the "sleeping" Shen Wei allowed a faint smile to curl her lips.
Shen Wei wanted an early retirement, a life of comfort and freedom—but only if Li Yuanjing willingly relinquished the throne.
She had devised a two-pronged plan.
On one hand, she played the role of a devoted but overworked consort, feigning declining health to stir Li Yuanjing’s conscience. If she could awaken his resolve and make him step down voluntarily, that would be the ideal outcome.
If he remained unmoved, however, she would have no choice but to take a riskier path...
Summer arrived swiftly.
Le You turned fifteen, and as the beloved daughter of Qing State’s emperor, her coming-of-age ceremony was grandly celebrated.
Li Yuanjing was reluctant to let her go.
With his daughter leaving the palace to establish her own household, he bestowed upon her a lavish mansion near the imperial city, personally selecting a retinue of maids and guards to attend her. Fearing she might lack for anything, he even opened his private treasury, showering her with gold and jewels.
With his daughter gone, his son preoccupied with his ambitions, and the empress dowager residing far away in Jiangnan, Li Yuanjing suddenly felt the palace unbearably empty. At least his Weiwei would remain by his side forever.
That night, Li Yuanjing entered Yongning Palace as usual.
Shen Wei was still awake, overseeing the inventory of items to be sent to the princess’s residence.
"Have all this golden nanmu wood delivered to the princess’s estate," Shen Wei instructed. "Le You will have use for it in the future."
The servants obeyed, leaving to tally the items in the storeroom. Li Yuanjing lifted the curtain and stepped inside, finding Shen Wei still reviewing the ledger.
Peering over her shoulder, he remarked, "Sandalwood for a coffin? It’s too early—Le You isn’t even betrothed yet."
Imperial weddings were grand affairs, with a red bridal bed leading the procession and a coffin symbolizing longevity at the rear. But with Le You still unmarried, preparing these items now was premature.
Shen Wei took a sip of tea and smiled. "It’s not for Le You. I’ve ordered the Imperial Household Department to craft a coffin to my measurements."
Li Yuanjing frowned.
Shen Wei was preparing her own coffin!
His expression darkened as he seized her wrist. "Weiwei, you’re merely frail—with proper care, you’ll recover. Stop dwelling on death."
The fear buried in his heart grew like unchecked weeds.
Shen Wei remained serene. "I’m merely preparing for the unexpected. Your Majesty need not worry—I will live a long life."
Li Yuanjing’s chest ached.
Perhaps it was his constant worries that conjured the nightmare that night.
In his dream, the palace stood desolate, devoid of life. Clad in imperial robes, Li Yuanjing hurried down the endless corridors until he reached the gates of Yongning Palace.
White funeral banners draped the halls, transforming it into a mourning chamber. Le You and their other children knelt before a sandalwood coffin, weeping in grief, their heads wrapped in white filial bands.
On the memorial tablet was Shen Wei’s name. Inside the coffin, she lay in her empress’s ceremonial robes, her face peaceful, breath stilled.
"Weiwei!"
Li Yuanjing jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. His hand instinctively reached for Shen Wei beside him—only to grasp empty air.
"Attendants!"
Barefoot and frantic, he threw aside the bed curtains. Hearing the commotion, Shen Wei stepped in from outside, puzzled. "Your Majesty?"
She still held an unfinished cup of tea.
In the dim glow of the palace lamps, her hair cascaded loosely over her shoulders, her delicate features bathed in a soft golden light, like a figure from an ancient painting.
Li Yuanjing strode forward and pulled her into his arms.
The teacup shattered on the floor.
Amid the lingering scent of tea, on that ordinary night, Li Yuanjing made a decision—he wanted to grow old with Shen Wei.
And Shen Wei, too, realized something—Li Yuanjing’s love for her ran deeper than she had imagined.
...
...
Over the next two years, Li Yuanjing accomplished much.
He reorganized the court, scrutinizing officials high and low, promoting many new ministers. He appointed Shen Xiuming as Chief Secretary to assist the crown prince in governance.
In foreign affairs with Yue Kingdom, Donglin, and Nanchu, he fortified the borders with elite troops and strategic defenses, dispatching Shen Mieyue to eradicate the desert tribes that had long harassed the frontier.
As for the palace’s daily affairs, he entrusted them to Zhang Miaoyu and the Imperial Household Department, allowing Shen Wei to "recuperate" in peace.
Under Li Yuanjing’s years of meticulous guidance, Li Chengtai, now sixteen, had begun to embody the bearing of a young emperor. One night, Li Yuanjing summoned him to Chang’an Palace.
The hall blazed with light, its ancient grandeur shrouded in darkness. Here, generations of Qing State’s emperors had once governed.
Dressed in his crown prince’s robes, Li Chengtai stood tall, his handsome features sharp and unwavering as he met his father’s gaze.
"Father," he said, "have you called me here tonight to discuss next year’s imperial examinations?"
Li Yuanjing shook his head, his tone probing. "Tell me—what is the way of a ruler?"
Li Chengtai answered without hesitation: "To rule, one must first cherish the people. To bring peace to the realm, one must first rectify oneself. If the ruler is not upright, chaos will reign below."
Li Yuanjing nodded in approval.
For the past two years, he had gradually entrusted Li Chengtai with state affairs. The crown prince had not disappointed—he was a born sovereign.
The crystal lamps cast their glow over the stacks of memorials on the desk. Li Yuanjing picked one up at random and said, "Years ago, I was but the Prince of Yan. Had my elder brother not fallen ill, had my younger brother not been so ambitious, I would never have taken this throne."
Li Yuanjing had been a warrior.
For the sake of his late brother and the people, he had forced himself to become a wise ruler.
Now, he wished to pass that burden to his son.
Li Yuanjing patted his son’s shoulder. "I have already settled all domestic and military affairs. From now on, Qing State is in your hands."
Li Chengtai was not surprised. Over the past two years, he had observed his father’s every move and guessed that the emperor intended to abdicate. Calmly, he replied, "Father, rest assured. Your son will govern diligently and love the people, ushering in a golden age for Qing State."
Li Yuanjing’s face softened with satisfaction. Then, a thought struck him—Li Chengtai was only sixteen and still unmarried.
Many court officials were already scheming, eager to send their daughters into the palace. The future harem of Qing State would inevitably become a battleground.
As a man who had lived through such struggles, Li Yuanjing knew how deeply the harem and the court were intertwined. Li Chengtai, young and impulsive, might easily be blinded by beauty.
So, Li Yuanjing warned him, "Once you ascend the throne, new consorts will enter the harem. Remember—the empire must always come first. Do not lose yourself in women or let them cloud your judgment."
Li Chengtai thought of his mother in Yongning Palace. Over the years, his parents had shared a rare harmony. Whenever his mother fell ill, his father would abandon his memorials just to sit by her side.
"Father," Li Chengtai asked, "does that mean Mother is less important to you than the empire?"
To keep his son vigilant, Li Yuanjing declared firmly, "There is no true affection in royalty! The state comes first; personal attachments are secondary. Your mother may love me deeply, but in my heart, only the empire matters."
Li Chengtai nodded, though he only half-understood.
He then mused aloud, "Father, what if, in Mother’s heart, you aren’t the most important—"
Before he could finish, Li Yuanjing cut him off with a glare. "Impudent boy! Don’t spout nonsense."
Shen Wei had fallen deeply in love with him back in their days at the Prince of Yan’s residence. All these years, their bond had remained tender and unshaken.
Li Yuanjing was utterly convinced that in Shen Wei’s heart, he held the highest place.
In the cold machinations of royalty, such wholehearted devotion was rare.
And Li Yuanjing cherished it. With the court stable and his successor secured, he was ready to accompany Shen Wei to the south, growing old together by her side.
Three months later.
Citing "ailing health and inability to govern," Li Yuanjing issued an edict of abdication.
The transition of power stirred only minor ripples in the court, and the new emperor, Li Chengtai, ascended smoothly.
Upon his coronation, Li Chengtai enfeoffed his younger brother Li Chengyou as Prince of Qin, while his other brothers received princedoms of lesser rank. He declared the new era "Yuanchang" and began his reign.
...
Yongning Palace bustled as servants packed belongings. Shen Wei had no desire to remain in the palace and planned to move to the royal retreat by Luoyue Lake outside the city. After resting there, she would travel south by carriage.
"Your Majesty, Consort Yu is here," Cai Lian announced as she entered.
Moments later, Zhang Miaoyu bounded in, her steps light with joy.
Seeing her radiant expression, Shen Wei smiled. "Sister Miaoyu, what happy news brings you here?"
Zhang Miaoyu beamed. "Nanzhi petitioned the new emperor this morning, asking to take me to her residence to live out my days. He granted her request."
She was overjoyed.
Poisoned in her youth by the Prince of Yan’s consort, she had been left barren. Childless all her life, she had taken in Li Nanzhi out of kindness—never expecting the girl would become her comfort in old age.
Living in a princess’s residence would be far more pleasant than the stifling harem.
Sitting beside Shen Wei, Zhang Miaoyu sighed wistfully. "I once thought I’d wither away in the palace, a lonely old consort. Who could have imagined such a peaceful ending?"
Li Nanzhi was a filial girl. She had not only arranged for Zhang Miaoyu but also extended the offer to Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan, however, had refused.
Having spent her life chasing "true love" only to end with nothing, she seemed to have found clarity. She had already retreated to Anguo Temple, where she would spend her remaining years in prayer.
Zhang Miaoyu clasped Shen Wei’s hand excitedly. "So you’ll be at Luoyue Lake? We must visit often!"
Shen Wei nodded warmly. "Of course."
Resting her chin on her hand, Zhang Miaoyu gazed at Shen Wei with admiration. "To be honest, I’ve always envied you. For an emperor—so often cold-hearted—to abdicate for your sake..."
Such a tale belonged in romantic folktales, not the harsh reality of the palace.
Yet Zhang Miaoyu understood Li Yuanjing’s choice.
Who wouldn’t love Shen Wei?
In the rot of the palace, she was vibrant, radiant—a warm sun that drew even the darkest moths to her light.
...
...
Xiangyun Palace stood desolate, its courtyard overgrown with weeds, its beams draped in cobwebs. The entire place reeked of decay.
Liu Qiao'er sat in a dim, chilly room, a meager meal laid before her. Outside, the wind howled, sending phoenix tree leaves swirling and rattling the wooden shutters.
Setting down her chopsticks, Liu Qiao'er stared blankly through the window. Since her demotion to Noble Consort, she rarely ventured out.
Years ago, she had conspired with her family to sow discord between two princes. When the plot unraveled, she lived in constant terror, certain Shen Wei would have her quietly killed.
Every meal from the imperial kitchens had to be tasted by a cat first. Only if the animal survived would she dare to eat.
Days passed in this suffocating dread. Liu Qiao'er grew increasingly paranoid, her hair whitening prematurely.
As a maid cleared the dishes, Liu Qiao'er couldn’t resist asking, "Days ago, the palace was alive with music. What happened?"
Shut away, she knew nothing of the outside world.
The maid replied, "It was the new emperor’s coronation ceremony."
Liu Qiao'er’s pupils shrank. "The new emperor? Has His Majesty passed? Impossible—he’s in his prime! Unless... unless that Shen woman murdered him to put her son on the throne!"
Horrified by such treasonous words, the maid stammered, "His Majesty is well. He abdicated due to poor health. The new emperor is the former Eighth Prince."
Liu Qiao'er’s lips parted in stunned silence.
Muttering, she said, "In his prime, and he stepped down? Shen Wei must have manipulated him! I must see the emperor! I must—"
With a shriek, she bolted from the room.
For years, she had endured—eating scraps, lying awake in fear, waiting for Shen Wei’s downfall.
She had outlasted Lady Tantai’s ruin, watched Consort Lu Xuan perish, certain Shen Wei’s turn would come.
Yet reality had crushed her.
Shen Wei remained favored. Her son now wore the crown.
Liu Qiao'er’s face contorted.
A lifetime of schemes, a lifetime of suffering—all for nothing!
"Why? Why?!" she screamed.
"Your Highness, you cannot leave! The Third Prince has been enfeoffed. He will take you to his residence!" The maid desperately tried to restrain her.
Liu Qiao'er coughed up blood and collapsed.
