Wherever Le You went, Liang Huaichuan would always secretly follow to protect her.
This time was no exception.
Li Yuanjing glared, his beard bristling with anger: "Liang Huaichuan? That brat again! Le You, you’ve come of age—you’re no longer a little girl. How can you keep getting entangled with an outsider?"
Le You defended softly, "Liang Huaichuan isn’t an outsider. He’s very kind."
Li Yuanjing slammed the table in fury. "In the dead of night, in the middle of nowhere, a man and a woman alone—do you think I don’t know what he’s scheming? Guards! Drag Liang Huaichuan here at once!"
Before anyone could fetch him, Liang Huaichuan quietly vaulted over the courtyard wall. He clasped his hands in greeting, offering polite bows to Li Yuanjing and Shen Wei.
Shen Wei hadn’t seen the Liang boy in quite some time.
Liang Huaichuan had grown up—tall and imposing like a gray wolf, his features sharp and stern, with sword-like brows and piercing eyes. His skin bore the deep bronze of years spent under the sun and wind.
Li Yuanjing’s expression darkened further. "Liang boy, come with me."
Liang Huaichuan neither cowered nor resisted, following Li Yuanjing without hesitation.
The courtyard was left with only Shen Wei and Le You. Seeing her daughter covered in dirt, Shen Wei sighed and ordered the palace maids to take Le You to bathe and change.
An hour later, Le You emerged in fresh, bright clothes and nestled happily into Shen Wei’s arms. "Mother, I was just worried about you. I won’t act so recklessly again."
Shen Wei stroked her daughter’s soft hair and smiled. "Even with Liang Huaichuan protecting you, you mustn’t let your guard down. Life is long—you can’t rely on him forever."
Le You grinned. "Don’t worry, Mother. Even without Liang Huaichuan last night, I could’ve handled it. I always carry the dagger you gave me."
She remembered Shen Wei’s teaching well: Better to rely on oneself than others.
As palace attendants brought tea and pastries, mother and daughter chatted. By noon, Shen Wei noticed neither Li Yuanjing nor Liang Huaichuan had returned.
She summoned Cai Lian. "Go check the rear courtyard. If the Liang boy is too badly hurt, send the imperial physician to tend to him."
Ever since Liang Huaichuan was a snot-nosed brat, Li Yuanjing had disliked him.
Now that he’d grown into a towering young man, Li Yuanjing’s disdain had only deepened.
A fight was inevitable.
Le You wasn’t worried at all, confident in Liang Huaichuan’s resilience. "Mother, don’t fret. Liang Huaichuan can take a beating."
Soon, Li Yuanjing and Liang Huaichuan reappeared. Li Yuanjing was unharmed but scowling; Liang Huaichuan, however, bore visible bruises—clearly, he’d taken a thrashing.
Spotting his injuries, Le You hastily set down her teacup. "Liang Huaichuan, let me see your wounds!"
Liang Huaichuan bent slightly, allowing her to inspect his face.
Li Yuanjing’s mustache quivered in outrage. A royal jewel, trampled by a wild boar—what a disgrace!
In the following days, Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing continued their journey south to Jiangnan. Le You, too playful to return to her princess manor in Yanjing City, insisted on accompanying them.
Reluctantly, Shen Wei agreed. Thus, Le You and Liang Huaichuan joined the entourage, traveling in grand procession to the autumn-kissed Jiangnan.
...
Jiangnan’s scenery was breathtaking—warm in early autumn, its rivers crystalline, its landscapes enchanting.
With the new emperor enthroned, the former Empress Dowager had been elevated to Grand Empress Dowager. Residing long-term in her Jiangnan retreat, she appeared radiant and full of vigor when Shen Wei reunited with her.
The family feasted in celebration. That night, Shen Wei, in high spirits, took Le You to a lantern festival.
Li Yuanjing dispatched elite guards to protect them while he vented his grievances to his mother under the moonlight.
"In her heart, I’m not the most important! Mother, all these years, Shen Wei has been pretending!" he fumed.
The Grand Empress Dowager sipped her tea calmly. "Judge actions, not intentions. Shen Wei bore your children, raised them well, managed the harem impeccably, and her brothers serve the court loyally. Even Chengtai is a promising young man. You should be content."
Li Yuanjing was stunned.
He never expected his mother to side so completely with Shen Wei!
"Mother," he blurted, "did you always know Shen Wei’s feelings for me weren’t genuine?"
The Grand Empress Dowager coughed lightly, handing him a cup of tea. "Of course."
Li Yuanjing: "..."
His world shattered once more.
She consoled him, "In your youth, you never valued women. Your household nearly fell to ruin because of Lady Tantai. Yuanjing, you should be grateful to Shen Wei. Without her, Qing State might already be in chaos. My only regret is not meeting her sooner—had I betrothed her to your elder brother as a concubine, the court might be very different now."
Li Yuanjing opened and closed his mouth, speechless, before gulping down several cups of tea.
As night deepened, Shen Wei and Le You still hadn’t returned.
After stewing in silence, Li Yuanjing grew uneasy and sent guards to fetch them.
The weather turned strange—dark clouds gathered, cold winds howled. Restless, Li Yuanjing waited in his study, an inexplicable dread creeping into his heart.
The fear felt familiar, like the panic he’d felt years ago during his struggle for the throne against Prince Heng, when he’d abruptly turned his horse to stop Shen Wei from fleeing the city.
Thud.
The wind flung open the window, extinguishing the candle. Darkness swallowed the room.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside.
Le You’s frantic voice pierced the night: "Call the physician! Quickly—Mother has fainted!"
Torches blazed in the courtyard.
Li Yuanjing rushed out, gathering the unconscious Shen Wei into his arms.
While strolling the lantern festival with Le You, Shen Wei had collapsed suddenly, just as she had days before. Outside, the gale raged, rattling the shutters.
Clutching Shen Wei’s icy hand, Li Yuanjing couldn’t shake the foreboding gripping him.
A terrible thought seized him: What if I lose her forever?
...
Far to the southeast, where mountains met the sea, a small fishing village buzzed with commotion.
"Did they pull her out?"
"Oh dear, why would Xi'er drown herself?"
"They’ve got her—let’s see if she’s breathing."
"Just because Prince Wu scolded her, was death necessary? Poor girl, leaving her twelve-year-old brother an orphan."
"Xi'er was lazy, dreaming of climbing the social ladder through Prince Wu while her brother did all the work. Maybe it’s for the best—one less mouth to feed."
Amid the chatter, the fishermen hauled the drowned girl ashore. No breath remained.
She was gone.
The crowd murmured in pity.
Her little brother wailed, collapsing beside her body. The villagers averted their eyes, hearts heavy.
Then, amid his sobs, the dead girl’s eyes flew open.
