Shen Wei was utterly drunk, slumped dizzily in Li Yuanjing's arms. She lifted her head and gazed at him with bleary eyes: "Your Majesty?"
Then, as if murmuring to herself, she added: "Oh wait, no... the Retired Emperor..."
Li Yuanjing held Shen Wei by the waist to keep her from falling. His heart warmed as he said softly, "From now on, you don’t need to call me 'Retired Emperor.' Just call me Yuanjing."
Shen Wei, too intoxicated to comprehend, simply blinked at him.
Li Yuanjing coaxed her gently, "Shen Wei, say 'Yuanjing' for me."
Dazed, Shen Wei instinctively obeyed: "Yuanjing..."
In that instant, Li Yuanjing felt an overwhelming surge of warmth flood his heart. His entire being trembled with emotion, a happiness too profound for words.
Apart from his late father and elder brother, and his mother who was still recuperating in the south, Shen Wei was only the fourth person to ever call him by his name.
The feeling was indescribably sweet.
Li Yuanjing felt enveloped in pure bliss.
"Say it again," he urged, still craving more, patiently coaxing her to repeat his name.
Shen Wei smiled, raising a slender, pale hand to pat Li Yuanjing’s cheek playfully. "Yuanjing, Yuanjing... hahaha..."
She burst into tipsy laughter.
Her eyes unfocused, Shen Wei hiccuped and declared with drunken conviction, "In that case, don’t call me 'Shen Wei' either. Ugh, it sounds awful—like a cat’s name..."
Li Yuanjing found her drunken demeanor unexpectedly lively and endearing, so unlike her usual self. The corners of his lips curled up. "Then what should I call you?"
Shen Wei tilted her head in thought, then wagged a finger in front of his face. "Call me—Boss Shen! That’s what everyone calls me."
Li Yuanjing was baffled.
Boss Shen?
What kind of strange title was that?
Before he could question her further, Shen Wei’s head lolled weakly against his chest as she drifted into sleep. Amused, Li Yuanjing glanced at the darkening sky and ordered someone to prepare sobering soup. Then he carried Shen Wei back to the lakeside imperial villa to rest.
The night was deep, the moonlight like liquid silver. The villa stood in serene silence, the faint sound of Luoyue Lake’s waters lapping in the distance. Inside the bedchamber, Shen Wei lay peacefully asleep, her expression tranquil in the flickering candlelight.
Li Yuanjing studied her sleeping face. He had weathered a lifetime of political storms, rising from prince to sovereign, believing his destiny lay in the ruthless tides of power—
Yet he was fortunate. He had Shen Wei.
"Shen Wei," he murmured, holding her close with a contented smile.
...
Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing’s retirement began in the radiant summer by the lake.
In Li Yuanjing’s imagination, they would continue their harmonious life—strolling hand in hand along the shore, tending to a garden together, immersing themselves in music, chess, and poetry. In time, they would travel across Da Qing, exploring its scenic wonders.
But...
Li Yuanjing soon noticed something amiss.
First, Shen Wei had grown "lazy." Specifically, she slept until midday, yawning incessantly upon waking. She skipped breakfast, sometimes even forgoing makeup, padding barefoot by the lake to enjoy the breeze.
Raised in the imperial family, Li Yuanjing had been disciplined since childhood to rise at dawn—never indulging in oversleeping.
For years, he had maintained this habit.
Yet now, Shen Wei slept in daily! It was so unlike her—the Shen Wei he knew had always risen with him.
"My lady, you’ve been sleeping far too much... the Retired Emperor is starting to wonder," Cai Ping whispered one late morning as she helped Shen Wei dress.
Shen Wei splashed cold water on her face to wake herself.
Drying her cheeks, she yawned. "I’ve waited twenty years to sleep in. Now that I can, why wouldn’t I?"
Retirement meant freedom—why cling to rigid routines?
Back when she attended to Li Yuanjing, Shen Wei had barely slept. His martial training left him restless at night, often leaving her exhausted.
At dawn, while he prepared for court, she would force herself awake despite her weariness, seeing him off with a dutiful smile.
After years of endurance, she refused to deny herself this small luxury.
Cai Ping accepted the damp towel, frowning. "My lady, if this continues, the Retired Emperor might see through you..."
Shen Wei stretched, unconcerned. "Let him. What can he do about it now?"
...
...
Alarmed by Shen Wei’s constant oversleeping, Li Yuanjing feared she was ill.
Back when she had been "poisoned," she had also been lethargic. Frantic, he summoned the imperial physician to examine her.
The physician checked Shen Wei’s pulse.
After a thorough assessment, he stroked his beard. Li Yuanjing frowned. "Well?"
The physician bowed. "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is in excellent health—her pulse is strong, her vitality akin to a woman in her twenties. There is no cause for concern."
Li Yuanjing was stunned.
"Then why does she sleep until midday?"
The physician hesitated. "That... this humble official cannot say."
Li Yuanjing turned to Shen Wei.
Calmly, she replied, "I’m not sick. I sleep late because I want to."
Li Yuanjing: "..."
The physician hastily excused himself.
Once he was gone, Shen Wei rose gracefully. "Don’t wait for me at lunch. I’m going boating to pick lotus seeds—I’ll be back by dusk."
With that, she cheerfully called for Cai Lian and Cai Ping. "Is the boat ready?"
Cai Lian nodded. "Yes, my lady."
Shen Wei grinned, swiftly changing into a simple peasant woman’s short-sleeved outfit, her bare arms gleaming as she slipped on rope sandals. Eagerly, she headed for the boat.
Li Yuanjing stared in disbelief.
He caught her arm, his gaze sweeping over her attire disapprovingly. "Shen Wei, you are the Empress Dowager of Da Qing. How can you dress like this?"
Shen Wei laughed brightly. "No one will recognize me dressed as a commoner."
Li Yuanjing’s stomach twisted.
Shen Wei was radiant, her beauty undimmed by age. Even in plain clothes, she shone like a pearl, her noble bearing impossible to conceal.
If she went out like this, every boatman on the lake would gawk at her.
His voice turned stern. "Don’t be reckless. Change back."
In the past, Shen Wei would have obeyed without question.
But this time, she merely glanced at him dismissively before turning away. With a light step, she boarded the long-tailed boat, the vessel rocking gently as the summer breeze tousled her hair.
Shen Wei beamed. "To the heart of the lotus fields!"
