Chapter 138
**Chapter 138: The Side Concubine**
The Yan Wang placed a rattle in front of the child and shook it gently. The child, with both tiny hands, shook it vigorously, becoming even more excited.
After amusing the child for a while, Shen Wei instructed the wet nurse to take the child away for feeding. A maidservant presented hot tea to the Yan Wang, who took a sip. Shen Wei adjusted the new fabric in her hands, gesturing to the Yan Wang's attire.
"Your Highness has lost some weight; the waistline of your clothes needs to be taken in a bit," Shen Wei accurately identified the areas that required alteration.
A warm feeling spread through the Yan Wang's heart as he smiled, "Aside from Wei Wei, no one else has noticed that I’ve lost weight."
With the busy spring season upon them, matters of water management, military affairs, agriculture, and various documents required discussions between the Yan Wang and the Crown Prince, causing the Yan Wang to lose a bit of weight from the strain.
Shen Wei looked at him with concern, "Your Highness is overworked. I had the kitchen prepare a nourishing soup; please drink more of it later."
She handed the fabric to Cai Lian. Since giving birth, her energy had not fully returned, so the task of sewing clothes for the Yan Wang would have to be entrusted to the seamstress.
There was no need for Shen Wei to personally make every piece of clothing for the Yan Wang; it was too time-consuming and labor-intensive. She occasionally made three or four pieces a year, which was enough to show her affection.
The spring nights were slightly chilly, and clusters of yellow forsythia weighed down the branches in the courtyard. After finishing dinner, the Yan Wang and Shen Wei took a stroll in the yard before returning to the nursery to play with the child. When it was time to rest, they bathed and fell asleep in their clothes.
Shen Wei leaned against her silk pillow, sleeping soundly.
The candlelight filtered through the bed curtains, softly illuminating the inside of the bed. The Yan Wang opened his dark eyes, gazing at the peacefully sleeping Shen Wei beside him. Listening to the faint chirping of insects outside, he suddenly felt a deep sense of contentment.
Only with Shen Wei did he feel a genuine sense of peace and ease. This was the tranquil life he had longed for.
...
Time flew by, and soon two months had nearly passed. The grand spring examination had finally come to an end. This year, many candidates participated, and the final list of the top three hundred scholars was posted outside the Ministry of Rites.
The scholars were now eligible for official positions.
After the spring examination, the scholars would participate in the palace examination, where the Emperor of Qingguo would personally set the questions to assess the three hundred scholars and rank them according to their performance.
As soon as the list of the top three was released, it reached the Yan Wang. In good spirits, he went to the palace to pay his respects to the Empress.
Meanwhile, in Kun Ning Palace, the Empress was troubled by Shen Wei's promotion. It had been nearly two months since Shen Wei gave birth, yet the full-month celebration had not been held. The Empress wanted to elevate Shen Wei's status, but she knew there would be many obstacles.
Especially from the mother of the Heng Wang, the humble Concubine Qian, who would surely seize the opportunity to criticize the Empress's virtue.
"Never mind, for the sake of Yuan Jing's future, I can endure a little hardship," the Empress thought, gripping the handkerchief tightly, having made up her mind.
Just as she was about to rise and discuss matters with the Emperor, she felt a tickle in her throat and began to cough softly, "Cough, cough..."
Mama Qian hurried over, gently patting the Empress's back and offering a bowl of pear soup to soothe her cough.
The Empress had caught a chill during winter, and although it had improved, she was left with a persistent cough. During the day, she might cough a few times, but at night, lying in bed, her throat would inexplicably itch, causing her to cough incessantly.
The cough syrup prescribed by the Imperial Medical Bureau had only limited effectiveness.
As the Empress coughed, a young palace maid came in to report, "Your Highness, the Yan Wang has arrived."
The Empress quickly said, "Hurry, invite Yuan Jing in. Mama Qian, bring out the new cherry pie from the Imperial Kitchen for Yuan Jing to try."
The Yan Wang entered the main hall and bowed to the Empress.
The Empress hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, examining him with concern. Seeing his stern brows and tall, robust figure, she couldn't help but smile, "I know you’ve been busy, and I thought you might be worn down. But today, you look even stronger."
In the past, when the Yan Wang spent long periods in the south training troops or accompanying the Emperor on southern tours, he would return looking gaunt, taking a long time to recover.
Now, despite dealing with the daily affairs of the court alongside the Crown Prince, the Yan Wang had not lost weight, which surprised the Empress.
With a hint of pride and satisfaction, the Yan Wang replied, "I’ve been busy in the East Palace, but Shen Shi sends soup and food over. I eat well, so naturally, I won’t lose weight."
The Empress felt very pleased. As a mother, she naturally wished for her son to be well-fed and cared for. Clearly, Shen Wei was taking excellent care of the Yan Wang.
The Empress took her seat and had the maidservants bring the freshly made cherry pie to the Yan Wang. She smiled and asked, "The results of the palace examination have just come out. At this time, you should be busy selecting talents for yourself. Why do you have time to come here?"
The Yan Wang did not answer directly but had his personal guard present a box of tea.
The ebony box was exquisitely carved. When opened, it revealed some dried tangerine peel and red dates.
The Yan Wang told the Empress, "A few days ago, I casually mentioned to Shen Shi that you often cough at night in the spring. I didn’t think much of it, but Shen Shi remembered and specially prepared these cough remedies to present to you."
After a pause, he continued, "Shen Shi's status is low, so she cannot enter the palace to see you. She entrusted me with this box of remedies, and if I ever come to the palace, I can present them in my name."
A small box of cough remedies showcased the Yan Wang and Shen Wei's care for the Empress.
The Empress was naturally touched and grew to admire Shen Wei even more.
A sensible and capable woman like her, if she could become the Yan Wang's virtuous partner, would surely help him navigate the intrigues of the harem in the future.
Having laid the groundwork, the Yan Wang then got straight to the point, cupping his hands and saying, "Mother, I wish to elevate Shen Shi to the status of side concubine. I hope you will grant your approval."
The Empress was momentarily taken aback. All along, she had concealed her own thoughts well; she wanted to elevate Shen Wei's status, but only her close maidservants knew of this desire.
She hadn’t expected that her thoughts aligned with those of the Yan Wang. This also indirectly indicated Shen Wei's capabilities, quietly prompting two significant figures to consider her future.
"Shen Shi is intelligent and capable of bearing children; of course, I want to elevate her to your side concubine," the Empress said, taking a sip of pear soup. "But her humble origins may invite criticism."
The Yan Wang smiled, "Mother, you need not worry. Shen Shi's brother, Shen Xiuming, is this year's top scholar in the palace examination. Moreover, he studied under Yang Xuanji, so he has the backing of the humble faction."
In the court, officials were divided into several factions.
There were the conservative noble factions, the rising gentry factions, and the humble factions. There were not many officials from humble backgrounds, and those who were selected through the spring examination were generally neutral. If the Yan Wang were to promote Shen Xiuming, it would be akin to winning over the humble faction.
The Empress was taken aback, "The top scholar?"
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