Chapter 143
**Chapter 143: The Side Concubine is Sealed!**
Absolutely not! Shen Wei cannot become a side concubine! She doesn’t deserve it!
Shen Wei lightly pursed her red lips, seemingly struck by the words of the princess. Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, “Your Highness, I come from humble beginnings. It is already a great fortune to serve by your side... Your Highness, could you please ask Her Majesty the Empress to retract her decree? I do not wish to see you sitting on a bed of coals.”
Her words were artfully crafted, revealing her cautious nature and deep concern for the situation of Prince Yan.
Prince Yan felt a wave of comfort wash over him. His Wei Wei, willing to forsake the position of side concubine for his reputation—what a remarkable woman! How could he let her down?
He took Shen Wei’s hand, his expression warm and gentle. “You are more than worthy of the title of side concubine.”
Even if Shen Wei’s brother had not achieved the highest honors, Prince Yan was prepared to withstand the pressure from the court to secure her position. His Wei Wei had endured too much; he could not bear to see her continue to suffer in silence.
Shen Wei looked puzzled.
The princess nearly crushed the jade Buddha beads in her hand. She had never regarded Shen Wei as a threat, but now, a lowly farmer’s daughter was about to stand on equal footing with her. The princess felt a surge of madness rising within her.
Just as she was about to use ancestral rules to persuade Prince Yan, the Chief Steward Fu Gui entered the Liuli Pavilion with a beaming smile.
Fu Gui called out, his voice echoing through the courtyard, “Congratulations, Mistress Shen! Your brother Shen Xiuming has just passed the imperial examination, ranking second among the top scholars! How delightful!”
One person’s success brings fortune to all.
With Shen Xiuming’s achievement, the Shen family was no longer a destitute farming household but a family of newly minted scholars!
Shen Wei feigned surprise, exclaiming, “Really?”
Fu Gui replied with a grin, “Of course! The prince has already invited Scholar Shen to the palace, and he is currently enjoying tea in the main hall.”
Joy finally broke through Shen Wei’s facade. She grasped Prince Yan’s hand tightly, her eyes filled with affection and longing.
Zhang Miaoyu, shocked yet quick-witted, cleared her throat and seized the moment to jab at the princess. “Princess, Sister Shen is no mere farmer’s daughter; she is the sister of a newly minted scholar. It’s only fair for her to be made a side concubine.”
The princess felt as if struck by lightning, her body swaying dangerously as she nearly fell. A vague memory surfaced—she had casually glanced at the list of top scholars during the palace examination.
Top scholar Zhang Fenghua, from Yanjing; second place Shen Xiuming, from the southern Dingzhou...
Old Mama Liu hurried to support the princess, her heart racing with anxiety. Just recently, she had encountered Shen Xiuming at the palace gates and had ordered the guards to chase him away...
Who could have predicted that Shen Xiuming would indeed be the second top scholar!
With Shen Wei’s current favor, Shen Xiuming would surely receive Prince Yan’s support and rise swiftly in the official ranks!
Who would dare mock Shen Wei’s origins again?
“Congratulations, Sister Shen.” The others had mixed feelings, but only Zhang Miaoyu was genuinely delighted.
The full moon banquet had concluded, and the side concubines, each with their own thoughts, began to leave one by one.
Liu Qiaoer was the first to bid farewell, her heart filled with astonishment. She had always thought Shen Wei would be a short-lived pawn, yet Shen Wei’s resilience and luck had allowed her to rise from a mere maid to a side concubine.
A nearby maid whispered, “Mistress, now that Shen has been made a side concubine, she stands on equal ground with you. You can’t remain low-key any longer; you need to find a way to win favor!”
Liu Qiaoer shot her a glare. “Shut up! What do you know?”
A favored concubine is merely a target.
Shen Wei was now in full bloom, basking in glory. Once she entered the harem of the Great Qing Kingdom, she would surely face the schemes of others.
The taller the tree, the harder it falls. Shen Wei was too ostentatious; her downfall would be the most tragic.
Liu Qiaoer preferred to remain low-key, living a quiet and safe life.
After Liu Qiaoer left, Liu Ruyan also departed with an indifferent expression.
Whether Shen Wei was a maid or a side concubine, Liu Ruyan remained unfazed, neither jealous nor envious. To her, Shen Wei was just another flower in the royal garden—beautiful when in bloom, but destined to wither with the passage of time.
Xue Mei gazed longingly at the beautiful courtyard of the Liuli Pavilion. Shen Wei was fortunate, and her brother had brought her stability as a side concubine.
The servants in the Liuli Pavilion would also see their monthly silver increase.
Xue Mei felt a pang of envy, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.
Inside the Liuli Pavilion, the princess was the last to leave. She struggled to maintain a calm facade, forcing a stiff smile as she said, “Your Highness, Shen Wei is indeed fortunate to have such a promising brother. In that case, I shall no longer intrude.”
The princess bowed to Prince Yan and left the Liuli Pavilion in a daze.
As she passed through the flower-filled courtyard and walked through the beautiful moon gate, the princess felt increasingly uneasy. She paused, instinctively glancing back at the Liuli Pavilion.
Through the moon gate, she saw this scene: Prince Yan cradling a small infant, his handsome face rarely showing tenderness. Shen Wei stood beside him, her plain dress fluttering in the spring breeze. As if sensing the princess’s gaze, Shen Wei turned her head and offered a meaningful smile.
That smile held no trace of humility or weakness; it was like a beast that had lain in wait in the forest, no longer hiding or pretending, finally revealing its sharp and cruel claws.
The princess’s heart tightened.
Her mind buzzed, blanking out in an instant.
Instinctively, she grasped Old Mama Liu’s hand, murmuring, “Old Mama Liu, Shen Wei has been plotting against me all along! She’s been scheming against me!”
In that moment, the princess understood everything. Shen Wei had deliberately feigned ignorance, pretending to be short-sighted, step by step lowering the princess’s guard.
Shen Wei was ambitious; she was never content to be a mere maid. Her goal was the title of side concubine! Perhaps she even aspired to the position of the princess!
“Your Highness, be cautious with your words; there are many eyes in the palace.” Old Mama Liu was also anxious, whispering, “Let’s return to the Kunyuyuan.”
The princess was restless all the way back. The royal residence had been quiet for years, and she had thought she controlled everything. But she had made a grave mistake; unknowingly, she had nurtured a wolf with insatiable ambition.
As she reached the entrance of Kunyuyuan, a frail figure suddenly lunged out from the corner, kneeling at the princess’s feet.
“Your Highness, please have mercy! Let me see Chengming; the child is very ill.” Zhou Shufei, disheveled and pale, tears streaming down her face.
Zhou Shufei’s son had been kept in the academy by the princess.
In the spring, as the willow catkins floated, Zhou Shufei’s son had coughed and inhaled the catkins, triggering a respiratory illness. Now he lay in bed, gravely ill.
Desperate to see her son, Zhou Shufei, as a concubine, could not meet him and had to plead with the princess.
The princess’s mood was already in turmoil due to Shen Wei; she had no patience for a concubine’s pleas.
Irritated, the princess snapped, “The palace doctor has already been called. After a few doses of medicine, the child will be fine. Why are you worrying? Now get back to your quarters!”
The princess strode into Kunyuyuan.
Zhou Shufei stumbled and fell to the ground, tears like large beads rolling down her cheeks, emitting a desperate wail of despair.
After a moment, Zhou Shufei painfully got up, her bony fingers digging into her palm, casting a resentful and hateful glance toward Kunyuyuan. If her son were to die, she would not let the princess off the hook!
Inside Kunyuyuan, the princess knelt on the mat in the Buddhist hall, her eyes fixed on the compassionate statue.
She couldn’t understand why, after years of praying and donating incense to all the temples in Yanjing, the Bodhisattva never blessed her but allowed Shen Wei to thrive?
The princess felt a wave of anxiety wash over her. “Old Mama Liu, do you think Shen Wei will take my position as princess?”
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