Shen Wei felt utterly miserable. Her head spun, her stomach churned with inexplicable nausea, and her face turned deathly pale in an instant. She leaned over the bedside, retching violently, her complexion ashen like paper.
Seeing this, Li Yuanjing immediately set aside his argument with Shen Wei and summoned the imperial physician without delay. Soon, the female court physician stationed at the royal estate arrived in haste, carrying her medicine chest. Shen Wei’s forehead was slick with cold sweat, her body nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Li Yuanjing watched with a pounding heart, his chest tightening with sharp, needle-like pain.
Not long ago, Shen Wei had been vibrant and radiant. Yet in the blink of an eye, she had become like this. Li Yuanjing was frantic with worry, his anxiety mingled with silent self-reproach.
Had he gone too far last night?
After carefully taking Shen Wei’s pulse, the female physician frowned in confusion. "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager’s pulse is erratic, weak, and lacking in vitality. Just two days ago, when I examined her, her pulse was steady and strong... This is most peculiar. Truly peculiar."
In just two days, her pulse had completely reversed.
Even for a physician as skilled as her, such a bizarre pulse was unprecedented.
Dizzy and unsteady on her feet, Shen Wei could only lie back down to rest and soon fell into a deep slumber. Li Yuanjing had no mind for anything else—he remained by her bedside, holding her hand tightly.
Shen Wei’s warm hand had turned ice-cold again.
A chill that terrified him.
By noon, Shen Wei miraculously awoke. Strangely, the moment she opened her eyes, her cheeks regained their rosy hue, and all traces of dizziness vanished without a trace.
Her appetite returned with a vengeance, and she ate heartily during lunch.
When the physician examined her again, Shen Wei’s pulse had normalized.
"Baffling. Truly baffling," the physician remarked.
Shen Wei was equally puzzled.
She had always maintained a strict exercise regimen, never overindulged in food, and enjoyed robust health. How could she have suddenly suffered such a dizzy spell?
She couldn’t help but wonder—had she contracted some strange, inexplicable illness?
For the next few days, Shen Wei waited in trepidation, but she remained energetic, eating well and carrying on with her usual vigor. The sudden "dizziness" never recurred.
Relieved, she put the matter out of her mind and resumed her leisurely pursuits.
Li Yuanjing, however, had been thoroughly frightened. Terrified that Shen Wei might suffer another episode, he insisted on accompanying her to bed every night. Secretly, he dispatched men to seek out renowned physicians. After much deliberation, he concluded that the best doctor in the land was the legendary Moxun, the foremost healer of the martial world—but he had vanished without a trace years ago.
Li Yuanjing contacted Li Chengtai, instructing him to send a letter to the Emperor of Yue Kingdom, urging a joint effort to track down Moxun.
Time flowed quietly, and the height of summer gradually waned. Shen Wei packed her belongings, preparing to journey south to visit her mother, who had retired to the Jiangnan region.
Instead of taking the official route, she chose the common southern road. Shen Wei traveled leisurely, treating the trip as a sightseeing tour, stopping at each town for a couple of days to explore the streets and alleys.
About a month later, Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing arrived at a small county called Yu County. Bordering Jiangnan, it was relatively prosperous and famous for a local delicacy—black date cakes.
During the day, Shen Wei had sampled a box of these cakes. Their sweet-and-sour flavor, soft and sticky texture, delighted her. Cai Lian, ever attentive to Shen Wei’s preferences, set out with Cai Ping to buy more.
As night fell, after dinner, Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing were startled when Cai Lian and Cai Ping rushed back in a panic.
Cai Lian gasped, "Your Majesty, Mistress—something terrible has happened! Princess Le You is missing!"
Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing exchanged stunned glances.
Le You?
Wasn’t she supposed to be at her princess manor in Yanjing City? How could she have disappeared?
In their temporary lodging, Cai Lian explained everything. It turned out that news of Shen Wei’s sudden fainting spell had somehow reached Le You. Worried, the princess had secretly left Yanjing City and followed Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing’s entourage all the way to Yu County.
At dusk, while buying cakes in the streets, Cai Lian and Cai Ping had stumbled upon Le You, disguised as a young man. Overjoyed but concerned for the princess’s safety, Cai Lian had tried to bring her back to Shen Wei.
Le You, eager to see her mother, had agreed. But as they turned a corner in an alley, Cai Lian glanced back—only to find Le You gone.
"That girl is utterly reckless!" Li Yuanjing’s face darkened as he ordered his elite guards to investigate immediately.
Shen Wei spent a restless night, her heart heavy with worry.
At dawn the next day, just as Shen Wei drifted into a light sleep, Cai Lian burst in with good news—Princess Le You had been found.
The early autumn air was crisp, and the morning breeze swept through the courtyard. Le You stood there like a disheveled stray kitten—her hair tangled, hands and feet caked in mud, wrapped in a thick leather cloak.
Dirt smudged her fair cheeks.
Knowing she was in trouble, Le You peeked timidly at Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing inside the room, forcing an obedient smile. "This child greets Mother Empress and Father Emperor."
Li Yuanjing scowled. "You reckless child!"
Le You shrank back, mumbling, "When I heard Mother had fainted, I was so worried I had to come see her. But then you both left for Jiangnan, so I followed... Father, I know I was wrong."
Her apology sounded sincere.
Shen Wei summoned the physician, who confirmed Le You was unharmed. Only then did she relax slightly.
Leaning back in her chair, Shen Wei sipped the hot tea Li Yuanjing handed her. Her tone, though calm, carried undeniable authority as she questioned Le You, "Explain yourself. What happened yesterday?"
Le You straightened and recounted her tale.
It turned out that while secretly trailing Shen Wei’s party, she had passed through a county where she rescued a girl being harassed by local bullies, earning their enmity. When she arrived in Yu County, she encountered the same gang in an alley.
Le You had bolted.
The bullies gave chase.
Quick-witted, she had hidden in the mountains and spent the night there. At daybreak, she sneaked back down and returned to the courtyard.
"Such lawless scum dare roam our lands?" Li Yuanjing fumed, ordering his guards to hunt down the offenders.
Then, he turned to Shen Wei. "Weiwei, Qing State is vast. If you insist on traveling alone, you’ll face dangers far worse than what Le You encountered."
He still disapproved of Shen Wei’s desire for solitary travels and hoped this incident would make her reconsider.
Shen Wei ignored his words. Her sharp gaze swept over Le You, lingering on the thick cloak. Setting down her teacup, she asked, "If you spent the night alone in the mountains, where did this cloak come from?"
Le You stammered, "I... found it."
Shen Wei arched a brow. "Shark leather—exclusive to the military. How fortunate you stumbled upon a soldier’s cloak."
Le You scratched her nose awkwardly, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Shen Wei’s expression darkened. "Out with the truth!"
Le You hunched her shoulders, too afraid to lie. Dropping her head, she mumbled, "M-Mother... it’s Liang Huaichuan’s. He searched for me last night and found me in a cave. He... gave me his cloak."
