Chapter 74
**Chapter 74: Is This Appropriate?**
Shen Wei understood in her heart.
The Empress valued her at the moment, and Shen Wei knew she couldn't just sit idly by. She needed to offer the Empress a little "gratitude" to win her favor.
By fostering a good relationship with her mother-in-law and finding a way to make the Empress one of her supporters, she could stand more firmly in the Wangfu, and her little treasury would grow richer.
After some thought, Shen Wei looked touched and told Mama Qian, "The Empress has shown me great kindness, and I have no way to repay her. I have a beauty recipe called Yuyong San, which has effects on wrinkle removal and anti-aging. I would like to gift it to Her Majesty."
Today, Shen Wei had secretly observed that the Empress already had faint fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her skin was beginning to sag.
If she offered a recipe for skin care, the Empress would surely accept it. There is no woman who does not love beauty, and the Empress was no exception.
Shen Wei handed the Yuyong San recipe to Mama Qian, her expression innocent and sincere: "This is a recipe passed down in my hometown, and it works wonders."
Mama Qian looked at Shen Wei with a hint of appreciation in her eyes: "You are thoughtful, Miss Shen."
After personally seeing Mama Qian off, Shen Wei returned to the Liuli Pavilion.
She went to check the gold, silver, jade ornaments, money, silk, and expensive supplements that the Empress had bestowed upon her.
The gifts were all packed in a heavy wooden box, quite substantial.
"Miss, should we put the Empress's gifts in your treasury?" Mama Rong inquired.
Shen Wei gently stroked the smooth silk, pondering for a moment: "Not for now. When the Wangfei returns, we’ll take this box to her."
Mama Rong looked puzzled.
...
Meanwhile, in the back courtyard of the Princess's residence, Princess Zhaoyang intercepted Yan Yunting.
Yan Yunting stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his handsome brows and eyes calm and unruffled, the wind lifting the corners of his garments.
Zhaoyang raised her chin slightly, speaking in a sweet voice, "I just want to tell you, I won’t force you to stay by my side with an imperial decree."
Yan Yunting bowed slightly: "I am but a dull and shallow man, truly unworthy of Your Highness. I am grateful that you did not issue a marriage decree today."
Zhaoyang huffed lightly, sulking, "But Yan Yunting, I like you now, but who knows if I will still like you in the future?"
She had pursued Yan Yunting for many years.
She was a living, breathing person, and she too felt tired. Each heartbreak left her in pain.
A faint smile crossed Yan Yunting's lips.
He knew Zhaoyang was speaking out of frustration. She had loved him for many years; that love was etched into her very bones, how could she easily let go?
Yan Yunting clasped his hands: "I have official duties to attend to, I must take my leave."
Zhaoyang stood in the garden, watching Yan Yunting's tall figure depart. The wind rustled through the courtyard, and the corners of his garments fluttered like ripples, his silhouette handsome and upright.
Zhaoyang couldn't help but lose herself in thought. Ever since she fell in love with Yan Yunting, she always saw his steady figure leaving.
What Yan Yunting left her with was always just his back.
Zhaoyang pressed her hand to her heart, trying to ease the dense pain within. She instructed her maid, Yun'er, "Bring me my farming tools; I want to grow vegetables! Also, prepare a few more copies of the beauty recipe Shen Wei gave me for backup."
Only by keeping busy could she avoid sinking into endless negative emotions.
Perhaps Shen Wei was right; she loved Yan Yunting simply because she was unwell. Once she recovered, that love might fade away.
...
As Yan Yunting left the Princess's residence and was about to board his carriage, he caught a glimpse of a pale green figure standing at the street corner.
It was Dan Tai Rou.
Dressed in a light green gauze dress, with a white jade plum blossom hairpin adorning her head, she wore no makeup, swaying delicately in the breeze, looking as if she might faint at any moment.
"Rou'er, what brings you here?" Yan Yunting hurried over, noticing the bag of medicinal herbs in her hand. "Are you unwell?"
Dan Tai Rou forced a smile, her beautiful eyes gazing deeply at Yan Yunting, glistening with unshed tears: "My father caught a chill last night, so I went to the pharmacy to buy some medicine for it. I happened to pass by the Princess's residence."
Outside the Princess's residence, luxurious carriages were lined up, and dignitaries were coming and going.
Dan Tai Rou said enviously, "Brother Yunting, the Princess's birthday banquet must be quite lively."
Yan Yunting replied, "With His Majesty and Her Majesty present, it is indeed lively."
Dan Tai Rou lowered her head, a bitter smile on her pale lips: "How nice. When I was young, I wandered with my father, and I always spent my birthdays alone."
Yan Yunting felt a pang of pity.
Indeed, Princess Zhaoyang was of noble birth, and her birthday was celebrated with the Emperor and Empress in attendance. Dan Tai Rou, of humble origins, had no one to celebrate her birthday with, growing up all alone.
"Don't worry, from now on, I will celebrate every birthday with you," Yan Yunting promised gently.
Dan Tai Rou's beautiful eyes glimmered with gratitude. She lightly grasped Yan Yunting's sleeve with her delicate fingers, softly saying, "Brother Yunting, it’s so nice to have you."
She looked so fragile and pitiful, with red-rimmed eyes that made one want to protect her.
Yan Yunting tenderly pulled her into his embrace. He would not let down such a gentle and affectionate woman.
...
After the Princess's birthday banquet concluded, the Empress sent someone to summon the Wangfei into Kun Ning Palace.
Once the attending servants withdrew, the vast main hall contained only the Empress in her seat of honor, the old maidservant attending her, and the Wangfei kneeling on the ground.
The Empress took a sip of cool tea and said lightly, "Dan Tai Shuya, do you know what you did wrong?"
The Wangfei knelt on the cold white jade floor, her face filled with unease as she racked her brain to think of her mistakes.
Everything she did today was within the rules.
Where had she gone wrong?
As she pondered, the Wangfei suddenly recalled Shen Wei's pregnancy. Could it be that the Empress was blaming her for not knowing about the concubine's condition as the mistress of the Wangfu?
But the Wangfei had only just learned of Shen Wei's pregnancy a month ago. She protested, "Mother, I truly did not know about Shen's pregnancy... If I had known she was with child, I would never have allowed her to go out today."
The Empress slammed the teacup down, scolding, "We will discuss Shen's pregnancy later. Do you really not know what you did wrong?"
The Wangfei knelt on the floor, her eyes reddening: "I truly do not know..."
The Empress felt a throbbing pain in her temples. How could she have misjudged and allowed such a fool to marry the Yan Wang?
The Empress said in a deep voice, "For Zhaoyang's birthday, the gifts sent by the officials of Yanjing were all carefully selected. Look at you—what did you send?"
The Wangfei recalled the jade ruyi.
The fine Hetian jade, clear and translucent, was a rare treasure. What was wrong with sending such an expensive jade ruyi to Zhaoyang?
Seeing the Wangfei's foolish expression, the Empress felt even more helpless: "When you were first pregnant, the summer heat made you lose your appetite. I had the Neiwufu make a jade ruyi to help with your pregnancy and calm your spirit. It was first offered at the Guanyin temple for two days before being sent to you, so you could cool off and relieve fatigue with the cool jade in the summer."
The inner side of the jade ruyi was engraved with auspicious blessings: "Peach Blossoms Bring Good Fortune, Flowers Blooming in Pairs."
A jade ruyi that had been offered at the Guanyin temple could only be given to married women or newlywed brides.
Zhaoyang was still unmarried; sending her a leftover jade ruyi was what kind of message? Is this appropriate?
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