Chapter 5
### Chapter 5: Teaching the Yan Wang to Garden
The next morning, as dawn broke, the cheerful chirping of yellow-breasted birds filled the air outside. The Yan Wang had a habit of rising early, and he opened his eyes as usual.
It was warm in his arms.
He looked down to see Shen Wei nestled against him, sound asleep. Her black hair spilled over her rounded shoulders, and beneath her slightly swollen lips was a delicate nose.
The Yan Wang couldn’t help but gently wrap his arms around Shen Wei’s slender waist. Such a tiny waist, yet it could bear his weight...
A flicker of tenderness rose in his heart.
Shen Wei was still in a daze, but suddenly felt a weight on her. As she blinked awake, the handsome face of the Yan Wang came into view.
She froze for a moment, then a blush crept onto her cheeks as she shyly said, “Waking up to see the Wang Ye is such a joy.”
Her eyes were pure, filled with unmasked affection.
Eyes never lie.
The Yan Wang had seen countless people and could easily tell that the warmth and love in Shen Wei’s gaze were genuine. She truly felt happy, and she truly admired him.
It had been a long time since he had encountered such pure love.
He couldn’t bear to disappoint her, so he leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I have official business to attend to, but I’ll come back to see you tonight.”
Shen Wei shyly burrowed deeper into the covers, revealing only her big, sparkling eyes. With anticipation, she said, “Then... I’ll wait for you, Wang Ye. You must keep your word.”
Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, the Yan Wang couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
A maid entered to assist with her dressing, and the Yan Wang soon left the Fangfei Courtyard.
In the room, Shen Wei sat up, grinning through her discomfort, her body aching all over.
Did the Yan Wang think she liked him?
Tsk, tsk, eyes can be deceiving.
Shen Wei clung to the Yan Wang as if he were a glittering gold ingot. She didn’t love him, but she sincerely adored the wealth he represented!
For three consecutive nights, the Yan Wang stayed in Fangfei Courtyard.
In no time, Shen Wei became the talk of the inner court.
...
In the Kunyu Courtyard, Mama Liu accompanied the Wang Fei as she embroidered.
As she helped the Wang Fei untangle the threads, Mama Liu muttered, “Wang Fei, the Wang Ye has spent three nights in Shen’s quarters. Should we send her some contraceptive soup?”
The Wang Fei was focused on stitching chrysanthemums, their white petals and tender green leaves blooming elegantly on the fabric.
She was like a flower, unassuming and uncompetitive, a perfect reflection of her current state.
The Wang Fei replied coolly, “No need, let it run its course.”
Flowers don’t bloom for a hundred days; they wither in an instant. Over the past decade, the Wang Fu had seen many women like Shen Wei.
Everyone believed they could win the Wang Ye’s exclusive favor, only to end up with nothing.
“Let’s just watch the show,” the Wang Fei said with a hint of mockery at the corners of her lips.
Even if Shen Wei were lucky enough to conceive the Wang Ye’s child, her lowly background meant she wouldn’t be qualified to raise it—unless she could secure the position of a side consort.
Unfortunately, Shen Wei’s origins were too humble; at best, she could only become a secondary consort.
...
In the Qixue Pavilion, the side consort Liu Ruyan was reading.
Her maid, Xue Mei, whispered in her ear, “Mistress, I heard the Wang Ye stays with Shen every night... Shouldn’t we find a way to summon him?”
Xue Mei genuinely cared for Liu Ruyan.
But Liu Ruyan was indifferent, embodying the essence of a flower.
She spent her days reading, playing the guqin, and occasionally collecting fallen petals to bury them, even writing elegies for them.
“Using beauty to please men, how long can that last?” Liu Ruyan continued to read, her tone calm. “That Shen Wei is pitiful, thinking she’s in a flourishing situation while being in a fiery predicament.”
Liu Ruyan felt sympathy for Shen Wei.
Xue Mei thought to herself:
I don’t think Shen Wei is pitiful at all!
The Wang Ye showered her with delicacies, silks, and jewels, filling Fangfei Courtyard to the brim! Shen Wei was generous too, sharing her treasures with Cai Ping and Cai Lian.
Xue Mei wanted some of her mistress’s rewards!
But Liu Ruyan, being indifferent to fame and wealth, never rewarded Xue Mei and insisted she wear plain white to serve her.
Every day, Xue Mei felt like she was attending a funeral in her white attire.
Poor Xue Mei had been with Liu Ruyan for five or six years, and the family debts were still unpaid.
“Alas...” Xue Mei sighed inwardly, wishing, “If only I could be a maid in Fangfei Courtyard.”
The Wang Fei and Liu Ruyan didn’t think highly of Shen Wei, and all the secondary consorts and maids in the Wang Fu were waiting to see her downfall.
The higher Shen Wei climbed, the harder she would fall.
But Shen Wei wasn’t foolish.
She had studied the dynamics of the Wang Fu and discovered that the inner court was quite unique: no abortions, no schemes, and the wives and concubines didn’t compete for favor, all lying flat like salted fish. Even the Wang Fei didn’t guard against her, hardly taking Shen Wei seriously.
Everyone was waiting for her to fail.
Shen Wei sighed: What a bunch of losers!
She was determined to outshine these idle fish!
Who said vying for favor was useless?
The exquisite green peony just moved in, the newly replaced golden sandalwood bed, the pearl jewelry in her little treasury, and the flowing green dress she wore... all were the fruits of her efforts to win favor.
Even the two maids serving her had received raises and bonuses.
How wonderful!
Using beauty to please men may not last, but Shen Wei was determined to become the Yan Wang’s longest-serving employee.
Once she became a long-term employee, the Yan Wang would grow accustomed to her. Even if new faces appeared, they wouldn’t shake her position.
Cai Lian, holding a towel, watched Shen Wei practicing the Ba Duan Jin in the courtyard. Unable to resist, she reminded her, “Mistress, since you have the Wang Ye’s favor... you should hurry and bear his child to secure your position.”
Cai Lian was more loyal to Shen Wei as she received promotions and raises.
She didn’t want Shen Wei to follow the same path as other mistresses, so she kindly advised her.
“Not in a rush,” Shen Wei replied, swinging her arms as she practiced the third form of Ba Duan Jin. “My body is currently malnourished; it’s not suitable for pregnancy.”
The original owner had come from a poor family and was quite thin.
Shen Wei needed to nourish herself before considering pregnancy. Otherwise, with her current frail body and the backward birthing conditions of ancient times, she would surely face complications during childbirth, and in severe cases, it could lead to both mother and child perishing.
Her goal was to retire honorably; she couldn’t afford to die young.
Cai Lian shook her head secretly.
Although her mistress was generous, she was still a farmer’s daughter, short-sighted in her thinking.
The Wang Ye’s favor was fleeting, gone in an instant. A concubine without children lived a life worse than that of a maid.
As dusk fell, the Yan Wang stepped into Fangfei Courtyard.
He didn’t have the eunuch announce his arrival but walked straight in. Just in time, he saw Shen Wei squatting by the vegetable patch, busy with a small hoe in her hands.
The Yan Wang frowned.
From Shen Wei’s posture, it seemed she was burying something. He couldn’t help but think of Liu Ruyan, who, every spring, indulged in her hobby of burying flowers.
The Yan Wang truly didn’t understand what was so special about fallen petals that they needed to be buried. Wouldn’t they just rot in the ground?
Could it be that Shen Wei was another Liu Ruyan? A wave of displeasure washed over him, accompanied by a fleeting disappointment.
One Liu Ruyan was enough; he really didn’t want to see another.
“Wang Ye, you’re back!” Shen Wei seemed to hear the movement behind her and joyfully ran over, her pretty face smudged with a bit of dirt.
Other concubines would only respectfully greet the Wang Ye with “Greetings, Wang Ye.”
But Shen Wei was different; she always greeted him cheerfully with, “You’re back!”
The subtle change in her words carried deep meaning.
Shen Wei was quietly instilling the idea in the Yan Wang’s mind—that Fangfei Courtyard was a concept of “home.” Every time the Yan Wang came to Fangfei Courtyard, it was like returning home.
Seeing her rosy cheeks, a blend of charm and innocence, the Yan Wang’s earlier disappointment faded, replaced by an uncontrollable affection.
He gently wiped the dirt from Shen Wei’s cheek. “Wei Wei, what are you doing?”
Shen Wei shook the hoe in her hand, her eyes crescent-shaped with delight. “Planting vegetables!”
The Yan Wang paused for a moment, taking a while to process—planting... vegetables?
Shen Wei boldly took the Yan Wang’s hand and led him to her little vegetable garden.
He looked down at their intertwined hands—Shen Wei’s hand was always warm, soft, and fragrant, a pleasure to hold.
The other women in the Wang Fu’s inner courtyard were almost like cookie-cutter replicas, always respectful and reserved around the Yan Wang, even in bed.
Only Shen Wei was different; she would take the initiative to hold his hand, serve him, love him, and wholeheartedly cooperate with him in bed.
The Yan Wang thought to himself: She truly loves me.
They arrived at the vegetable patch, a square piece of land freshly turned over. Shen Wei had already scattered some vegetable seeds, and beside her were unplanted chili and eggplant seedlings.
With a bright smile, Shen Wei explained, “I come from humble beginnings, and when I was young, I worked in the fields with my siblings. Seeing this empty patch in the courtyard, it would be a shame to plant flowers; it’s better to grow some vegetables.”
The Yan Wang, accustomed to luxury, well-read, having ridden horses and fought battles, had done many things.
But he had never planted vegetables.
Shen Wei had analyzed the Yan Wang’s character—he had accompanied the crown prince on a southern tour, showing concern for the people, and even got sunburned. This indicated that he wasn’t just a frivolous playboy; he had political acumen and understood the importance of agriculture to the nation.
Thus, Shen Wei planting vegetables wouldn’t provoke his disdain.
Sure enough, the Yan Wang was intrigued. “How do you plant them?”
Shen Wei picked up a seed of bok choy and scattered it into the soil. “First, scatter the seeds, cover them with a thin layer of soil. With the good spring weather, watering and fertilizing will make the vegetables grow quickly. For these eggplant and tomato seedlings, dig a small hole...”
Shen Wei chattered on, explaining to the Yan Wang.
At the end, she handed him two seedlings with a radiant smile. “Wang Ye, why not give it a try? It’s really fun.”
The eunuch behind the Yan Wang, Fu Gui, frowned secretly. This Shen Wei was quite bold!
She actually had the Wang Ye planting vegetables!
The Wang Ye’s status was noble; how could he engage in such peasant work?
Fu Gui sighed inwardly, thinking that the Wang Ye had spoiled Shen Wei too much, allowing her to become so unruly.
“It’s indeed interesting.” The Yan Wang accepted the eggplant seedling Shen Wei offered and squatted by the vegetable patch.
Shen Wei surveyed the area, using a stick to mark a dividing line in the center of the patch. “On the left side, Wang Ye will plant vegetables. On the right side, I will plant mine—when my eggplants and tomatoes are ripe, you mustn’t come steal my vegetables!”
The Yan Wang chuckled.
What kind of status do I have to steal your vegetables?
In that moment, the Yan Wang’s competitive spirit was ignited. Shen Wei held his hand, guiding him on how to use the hoe and dig holes.
Fu Gui watched, his frown deepening. Seeing the Wang Ye’s noble hand gripping the hoe, he nearly jumped up to stop him!
“Master Fu Gui,” Cai Lian observed the situation and quickly handed a tender green eggplant seedling to Fu Gui. “The Wang Ye and Shen Zhuzi are busy; why don’t you try planting vegetables too? It’s quite fun.”
Fu Gui waved his hands repeatedly. “I don’t know how.”
Cai Lian smiled brightly. “No worries, I can teach you!”
Cai Lian led Fu Gui to a small corner of another vegetable patch, which was quite small. Cai Lian and Cai Ping had planted some tender green vegetables there themselves.
Initially, Shen Wei had suggested that Cai Lian and Cai Ping also plant vegetables. Although the two maids didn’t understand, they still obediently followed Shen Wei’s instructions and planted some small greens.
After a couple of rainy days, the seeds had sprouted.
Cai Wei and Cai Ping, seeing the vegetables they had planted sprouting, felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
In Shen Wei’s words—this was called “company loyalty.” Some companies encourage employees to raise cats, plant vegetables, or grow flowers to enhance their loyalty to the company.
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