Chapter 137
**Chapter 137: The Rattle Drum**
Zhaoyang came to the Wangfu to visit Shen Wei, and this news reached the ears of the Wangfei. She didn’t pay much attention; she was currently overwhelmed with tasks.
With the arrival of spring, there were many matters to attend to.
The fields of the Wangfu needed management, the tenants of the estate required their wages, the profits from the shops needed to be calculated, and the wives and concubines needed their spring garments arranged. The Wangfei rubbed her temples wearily, gazing at the pile of ledgers on the table, her head pounding.
In fact, during the first few years after marrying into the Wangfu, the Wangfei managed things quite well. Unfortunately, she later focused all her energy on the struggles among the wives and the education of the children, becoming increasingly unfamiliar with the mundane affairs of management.
Moreover, she had no capable maids or servants by her side to help share the burden.
“Liu Mama, send these to the East Wing,” the Wangfei finally said, unable to bear the sight of the ledgers any longer, instructing someone to take them to the steward, Fugui.
The Wangfei returned to the Buddhist hall to continue her prayers.
After a while, Liu Mama entered and reported, “Wangfei, Shuzhi Fei from the Nanyuan wants to see you. With spring approaching, she has made new clothes for her child and wishes to see him.”
The Wangfei lit a stick of incense at the altar, pondering for a moment before recalling who Shuzhi Fei was. There were quite a few concubines in the Wangfu, and Shuzhi Fei came from a modest background, initially entering the household as a maid.
Later, she was fortunate enough to give birth to a son and was elevated to the status of a concubine. Naturally, her son was entrusted to the Wangfei for upbringing. Each time she wished to see her child, she had to humble herself and plead with the Wangfei, and nine times out of ten, she was turned away.
The Wangfei replied coolly, “Spring is a good time for studying. The children are well cared for in the academy, and they lack for nothing in clothing.”
Liu Mama stepped out of the Buddhist hall and approached the gaunt, withered woman waiting outside. “Wangfei is very busy; please return for now, Shuzhi.”
Shuzhi Fei fell to her knees, grasping Liu Mama’s sleeve, tears streaming down her face. “Liu Mama, please let me see the Wangfei. Chengming’s health isn’t good; he always coughs in spring. With all the catkins at the academy, what if he coughs and inhales them? What then?”
Shuzhi Fei’s son was named Li Chengming, only five years old, and had always been frail.
She pleaded desperately, but Liu Mama remained unmoved. “At the academy, every young master has servants to take care of them, and learned teachers to guide their studies. You needn’t worry, Shuzhi.”
Liu Mama turned and entered the courtyard, leaving behind the sound of Shuzhi Fei’s suppressed sobs.
Inside the Buddhist hall, the incense burned brightly before the compassionate statue.
The Wangfei replaced the water in the vase on the altar and asked Liu Mama, “I heard that the Wangye has postponed the full-month banquet for the daughter of the Shen family?”
Liu Mama replied, “That’s right. It must be that Shen is reluctant to part with her child, pleading with the Wangye to delay the banquet. Wangfei, it’s truly against the rules to postpone the full-month celebration.”
The Wangfei smirked mockingly. “No matter, I can wait.”
Had Shen Wei given birth to a son, the Wangfei would have certainly taken the child away at the full month.
But Shen Wei was unfortunate, having given birth to a daughter. Shen Wei wanted to keep the child by her side a few more days, and the Wangfei was not angry about it.
In fact, the Wangfei felt a secret satisfaction. Shen Wei had almost received the exclusive favor of the Yan Wang, basking in glory, yet in the end, she had only given birth to a useless daughter, which was truly laughable.
In a while, mother and daughter would be separated. If Shen Wei wanted to see her daughter, she would have to personally go and plead. The thought of that satisfying scene brought a smile to the Wangfei’s lips.
What if she was favored again?
In the end, she was still a concubine.
---
**In the East Palace.**
The Crown Prince handed over the border documents to the Yan Wang. “The border is temporarily at peace. General Shen is stationed in Liangzhou. Shangguan Xuan has written, hoping to return to Yanjing for a short stay in the second half of the year, and then return to the border next year.”
The Yan Wang nodded. “Understood.”
The two discussed official matters for a while when a sweet voice floated in from outside the study. “Father, Wan’er has brought sweet soup for you and Uncle!”
The Crown Prince’s daughter ran in, followed by a maid carrying two bowls of sweet soup.
Wan’er wore a pink spring dress, her hair styled in lovely double buns. Her chubby face beamed with joy as she skipped across the floor, the sound of her embroidered boots echoing. She first handed a bowl of sweet soup to the Crown Prince, her voice soft and sweet. “Father, you drink first.”
Then she offered a bowl to the Yan Wang, smiling brightly. “Uncle, you drink too.”
The Yan Wang took it, looking at the adorable little girl before him, suddenly reminded of the child Shen Wei had given birth to. In a few years, his daughter would surely be even cuter than Wan’er.
“Father and Uncle have worked hard! Wan’er won’t disturb you; I’ll go play with Sister Nanzhi.” With that, Wan’er skipped away, her back resembling a lovely flower butterfly.
The Crown Prince took a couple of sips of the sweet soup. “It tastes great.”
The Yan Wang took a sip and frowned. “Too sweet! Brother, how can you drink this?”
The Crown Prince chuckled without replying.
As they enjoyed the sweet soup, the two continued discussing the upcoming spring examination. This year, the number of candidates was high, and the Ministry of Rites would take longer to review the papers, with stricter standards for selecting talents.
The Crown Prince advised the Yan Wang, “Yuanjing, the scholars selected from this year’s spring examination will be your bargaining chips in the future. You need to gather them early, choosing only the worthy, regardless of their background.”
The Yan Wang nodded. “Brother, I understand.”
With so many candidates participating in the spring examination, the release of the list would be delayed. The Yan Wang had already investigated and found that Shen Wei’s brother, Shen Xiuming, had performed well on his exam and should make the list.
Thus, the Yan Wang decided to postpone his daughter’s full-month banquet. They would celebrate together once the spring examination and palace examination results were announced.
It was only at dusk that the Yan Wang left the East Palace. His luxurious black carriage rolled through the bustling streets of Yanjing.
A street vendor selling rattle drums was enthusiastically calling out to passersby. “Come and see! Rattle drums, the favorite of all children!”
Unexpectedly, a dark carriage blocked his stall.
The horses were magnificent, their manes shining black. The carriage was opulent, with deep black curtains blocking the light. Four burly guards with swords flanked the sides, exuding an intimidating aura.
The vendor trembled in fear.
Whoever rode in such a luxurious carriage must be a prominent figure in Yanjing. Blocking his stall surely meant they weren’t there to buy. After all, he had been running his stall for years, and his customers were mostly women and children.
The vendor, shaking, clasped his hands toward one of the guards. “Sirs... I haven’t done anything wrong... I don’t know why you’re blocking my stall?”
A gap opened in the black curtain.
A bony hand reached out.
The fingers pointed to a colorful rattle drum painted with koi on the shelf.
The guard pulled out a pouch of coins. “My master wants to buy this rattle drum.”
The vendor: ...
With trembling hands, the vendor took down the beautiful rattle drum. He nervously accepted the guard’s money. When he looked up again, the grand carriage had already rolled over the wide road, disappearing into the distance.
The Yan Wang returned to the Wangfu, rattle drum in hand, striding purposefully.
In the Liuli Pavilion, Shen Wei was leaning on a soft couch, selecting fabrics for spring garments, while Cailian played with the child nearby. The Yan Wang strode in, and the maids discreetly stepped aside. Shen Wei looked up in surprise. “Wangye, you’re back—what’s in your hand?”
The Yan Wang eagerly approached the cradle.
The little baby, seeing the Yan Wang, immediately became excited, waving its chubby little hands and babbling as if greeting him.
The Yan Wang’s heart melted.
After a long day of busyness, the fatigue that had weighed on him vanished like smoke.
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