Chapter 120
**Chapter 120: Rebuke to Li Yao**
Shen Mieyue and Shangguan Xuan led their troops to launch an attack on the three cities at the border of the Yue Kingdom. By the time the news reached the Yan Wangfu, the Yan Wang was in his study, accompanying Shen Wei and Li Yao.
Shen Wei was practicing her calligraphy.
Li Yao was poring over an old account book.
A Hu Wei guard presented a secret letter, and the Yan Wang quickly scanned its contents, a hint of pleasure flickering in his handsome eyes.
This Shen Xiuxing was indeed unmatched in bravery, possessing the valor of "one man holding the pass, ten thousand men cannot break through." What was even more commendable was Shen Xiuxing's unwavering loyalty to the court; he had not sided with the Heng Wang faction and remained neutral.
When Shen Xiuxing returned to the capital in the future, he would surely find a way to draw him into his own ranks, becoming one of the Yan Wang's sharpest blades.
The Yan Wang tossed the letter into the incense burner, the paper turning to black ash, dissipating into nothingness.
“Father, do you think I’ve calculated this account correctly?” Li Yao's voice was sweet, her beautiful eyes crescent-shaped as she waved happily at the Yan Wang.
The Yan Wang sat on the soft couch between Shen Wei and Li Yao, taking the account book Li Yao handed him.
He was quite satisfied: “Very good, you’ve got it all right.”
Li Yao beamed, shaking her head in delight: “Then I’ll calculate a few more accounts, and you can check them later, Father.”
With the Yan Wang at home “recovering,” Li Yao cherished the rare moments spent with her father, savoring every second.
Outside, the Wang Fei arrived with a bowl of medicinal soup to check on him. Since the Yan Wang was at home “recovering,” the Wang Fei naturally took on her responsibilities as a wife, caring for him daily.
The summer heat was intense, so the study door was wide open.
The Wang Fei stood at the entrance, taking in the scene inside: Shen Wei looked exceptionally graceful, holding a fine wolf hair brush, writing and painting on rice paper. Li Yao clutched a booklet in her left hand and fiddled with an abacus in her right, her small face filled with concentration.
The Yan Wang sat between them, sometimes leaning over to hold Shen Wei's hand, teaching her how to write; other times, he would take the rice paper from Li Yao, frowning as he examined it.
The sunlight poured in warmly, and the faint scent of flowers filled the air, creating a cozy atmosphere in the study. For a moment, the Wang Fei felt as if she were witnessing a harmonious family of three.
In an instant, a wave of bitterness, jealousy, disappointment, and resentment surged within her heart.
“Your Highness, the Wang Fei has arrived,” Shen Wei gently reminded the Yan Wang.
He looked up.
The Wang Fei clearly saw the cold, distant gaze the Yan Wang cast upon her. It pierced her heart like a needle, and she forced a smile: “Your Highness, I had the kitchen prepare ginseng chicken soup.”
The Yan Wang replied indifferently, “Thank you for your trouble.”
It wasn’t that the Yan Wang was unwilling to engage with the Wang Fei; it was just that they had grown apart, with no common topics to discuss, and every exchange felt dry and lifeless.
“Good wine is never enough for a true friend, but a few words with a stranger can feel like too much.” The Yan Wang had lost the desire to communicate with the Wang Fei.
Outside, a young eunuch respectfully took the food box from the Wang Fei’s hands.
The Wang Fei’s smile stiffened, and she held her head high: “Cheng Ke and Cheng Zhen are back from school; I need to take care of the children. I’ll come to visit you again tomorrow.”
The Yan Wang nodded absentmindedly, his attention shifting back to the account book in Li Yao’s hands. He pointed to a spot in the book and said kindly, “You’ve made a mistake here.”
The Wang Fei took a deep breath and turned to leave.
Once outside the main house, she leaned against a pillar of the pavilion, trying to dispel the frustration boiling within her.
Liu Momo fanned her with a hand fan: “Wang Fei, that Shen girl is simply too bold. Instead of standing to serve the Yan Wang, she dares to sit in a chair!”
The Wang Fei shook her head: “The Yan Wang has always been this way. He dotes on whoever he pleases and doesn’t care about the little details. In the past, Liu Ruyan was favored, accompanying the Yan Wang in reading and writing, even spending the night in his study.”
As for Shen Wei, the Wang Fei didn’t take her seriously at all. She was the second daughter of the Dantai family, while Shen Wei was just a farmer’s daughter, unworthy of competing with her.
What the Wang Fei cared about more was Li Yao’s inappropriate behavior.
The Yan Wang looked at Li Yao with eyes full of affection, while he rarely showed a kind face to his two sons.
The Wang Fei felt disappointed and muttered to herself, “Yao’er is my child, born after ten months of pregnancy. She runs to the Liuli Pavilion every few days, forgetting her own mother, never coming to pay her respects. At such a young age, she’s become an ingrate!”
“The Yan Wang is too indulgent with the children. His study is filled with documents, and even I, as the primary consort, can rarely enter. What if Yao’er, an eight-year-old girl, accidentally damages something in the study?”
Unfortunately, the Yan Wang was completely oblivious to the Wang Fei’s good intentions, leaving her feeling very disappointed.
Liu Momo comforted her: “Your Highness, Yao’er is still young. Just guide her more. The child hasn’t gone down the wrong path yet; it can still be corrected in time.”
The Wang Fei’s expression darkened.
She wanted to keep her child firmly in her grasp. Once the child slipped from her control, she would feel anxious and restless.
...
As night fell, Li Yao skipped out of the Liuli Pavilion, holding two bags of fragrant, soft chestnut cakes.
She actually wanted to sleep in Shen Wei’s room.
Once, Li Yao had taken a nap in Shen Wei’s bed. The bedding was soft and fluffy, the cool mat refreshing, and there was a faint scent of mugwort; the pillow was also very soft.
In an instant, Li Yao had fallen in love with Shen Wei’s room.
But unfortunately, the Yan Wang often stayed overnight in the Liuli Pavilion, so Li Yao had to return to her own courtyard alone.
“Momo, I’m back! Shen Aunty helped me buy two bags of chestnut cakes; I’ll share one with you!” Li Yao cheerfully entered her courtyard, clutching the chestnut cakes.
She didn’t hear the old Momo’s response.
The candlelight was bright, and Li Yao saw the Wang Fei in the room. Her eyes instantly lit up; her mother had come to see her!
Since the last time Li Yao had been poisoned, she had felt her mother growing increasingly distant. Several times she had tried to visit her mother, only to be turned away.
Gradually, Li Yao had stopped daring to go to the Wang Fei and instead chose to visit Shen Wei’s courtyard.
“Mother!” Li Yao ran into the room excitedly, “Mother, you finally came to see me!”
She was overjoyed, placing the two bags of chestnut cakes on the table and opening the paper wrapping, the rich aroma of the cakes wafting through the air.
Her mother had come to see her, which surely meant she had forgiven her.
Li Yao took out a piece of chestnut cake and sweetly offered it, her eyes sparkling: “Mother, this is from Wei Yan Ji dessert shop; it’s so delicious! You have to try it.”
Recently, Wei Yan Ji had become all the rage in Yan Jing, with many officials and noble ladies flocking to enjoy their desserts.
Li Yao was a loyal little customer of Wei Yan Ji, eager to share the delicious treat with her mother.
But the Wang Fei did not take the cake; instead, she coldly replied, “Your father is recovering, and you dare to disturb him?”
Li Yao was taken aback.
She tried to explain, “Mother, Father allowed me to go to the study—”
Seeing Li Yao’s foolish expression, the Wang Fei’s anger boiled over: “Enough! You have time to visit your father, but why didn’t you come to pay your respects to me today?”
Li Yao’s face turned red with anxiety, tears welling in her eyes as she explained, “Mother, I came to pay my respects a few days ago... but you said you didn’t want to see me anymore.”
The Wang Fei hated it most when others contradicted her: “Still arguing! I say one thing, and you can counter with ten! Your brothers don’t argue like you do!”
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