Chapter 151
**Chapter 151: The Mad Consort Zhou**
The princess had thought that once the matter of the moon silver was resolved, she could finally focus on caring for her two children. Little did she expect that Steward Fu's illness had not improved!
Without Steward Fu's assistance, there was no one around her she could rely on!
The elderly matrons who had accompanied her as dowries were too frail to help with the myriad of trivial matters; the eight maidservants her family had sent as part of her dowry had been dismissed years ago, as she feared they might entice Prince Yan.
Now, the maidservants by her side were inexperienced and unable to shoulder any responsibilities.
At this moment, the princess began to vaguely realize the importance of Steward Fu.
With no other choice, she had to grit her teeth and start managing the complex affairs of the inner court. Prince Yan had not yet returned, and if he came home to find the household in disarray, she knew she would face his wrath once again.
Having been a hands-off manager for so many years, she found it impossible to familiarize herself with the household matters in such a short time.
As the lady of the house, her daily responsibilities included managing the servants, overseeing the estate and properties, and caring for the children of the concubines. Additionally, she had to handle social engagements. For instance, when an elder from a prominent family in Yan Jing celebrated a birthday, it was up to the princess to decide what gift to send.
It was overwhelming and exhausting.
The princess barely had time to check on her children's studies, let alone her time for prayer. It felt as if her heart was being torn apart by unseen hands, and she was on the verge of breaking. She didn’t want to live this exhausting life; she just wanted to secure her position as princess and devote herself to raising her children without distractions.
That morning, the princess was frowning as she reviewed the revenue from the estate. Liu Momo hurried into the room, “Your Highness, Consort Shen from Liuli Pavilion is ill.”
“Have the court physician treat her. There’s no need to bother me with such trivial matters,” the princess replied impatiently.
Liu Momo continued, “Consort Zhou is here again, crying and begging to see you.”
The princess, overwhelmed with tasks, had no time to deal with Consort Zhou. Without looking up, she said, “Throw her out.”
Liu Momo went to dismiss Consort Zhou.
The princess, busy with her work, quickly pushed Consort Zhou's situation out of her mind.
In the afternoon, while the princess was selecting birthday gifts in the storeroom, Liu Momo rushed in, her face pale with anxiety. “Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Consort Zhou—”
The princess, holding an ancient vase, snapped, “Is she going to see her son again? I’ve said it before, Chengming is at school with the court physician looking after him. He’ll be fine.”
Liu Momo’s face turned even whiter, her voice trembling, “Your Highness... Chengming... he’s gone.”
Crash—
The ancient vase fell to the ground, shattering into countless pieces.
...
...
In Liuli Pavilion, Shen Wei was weakly sipping her medicine.
With summer approaching, Shen Wei had indulged in cold drinks over the past few days, leading to a night of vomiting and diarrhea, leaving her with a painful stomach and unable to keep anything down.
She had been unwell for two days, forced to drink bitter medicine daily.
“If I ever indulge again, make sure to stop me,” Shen Wei thought, swallowing the bitter concoction, reflecting on her actions.
With Prince Yan away, she sometimes let herself go too much. Eating poorly had led to her suffering.
She vowed to learn from this and avoid making the same mistake again.
Cai Ping handed her some sugarcane to ease the bitterness, saying helplessly, “We try to stop you every day, but it’s just impossible.”
As Shen Wei sucked on the sugarcane, Cai Lian rushed into the room, “My lady, something serious has happened! I just heard that Consort Zhou’s son has passed away!”
Shen Wei froze.
Passed away?
She quickly reached out to the maid by her bedside, “Cai Ping, help me get out of bed. I need to see—”
But just as her hand touched Cai Ping’s arm, Shen Wei suddenly halted.
Her expression darkened; she had no intention of getting involved in the chaos. She calmly instructed her two maidservants, “This is not a small matter. Let Mama Rong handle it, and don’t let the servants gossip. The news will reach the Empress soon; she will take care of it.”
Shen Wei’s intuition was correct; the Empress soon learned of the incident.
Furious, the Empress dispatched people to investigate thoroughly.
Li Chengming, who had only been six years old, had died from suffocation caused by a cough. That night, the two matrons who were supposed to care for him had been leisurely playing cards outside. It was only when they entered the room the next morning to deliver medicine that they discovered the child’s body had already turned cold.
Fearing punishment, the two matrons attempted to dispose of the child’s body in the water, fabricating a story that he had drowned. They were caught in the act by outsiders, and the truth quickly unraveled.
Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the matrons had been skimping on the child’s food, leading to his frail and sickly condition.
The other three boys in the school were also weak and timid. The Empress, worried about another tragedy, ordered that the three children be sent back to their biological mothers for temporary care.
Dark clouds loomed over the Yan Wangfu, and the night was stifling. Little Leyou cried incessantly, and no amount of coaxing from the wet nurse seemed to help.
Shen Wei took out her daughter’s favorite rattle and shook it in front of her. The crisp sound was rhythmic, and slowly, her daughter’s sobs subsided as she waved her chubby little hands, trying to grab the rattle.
Cai Ping, who was well-informed, rushed into the room and whispered to Shen Wei, “My lady, another serious matter has arisen! Consort Zhou has taken Young Master Chengzhen hostage, demanding that he pay for Young Master Chengming’s life!”
Consort Zhou had lost her only son.
The princess, fearing the situation would escalate, had confined Consort Zhou in the courtyard, forbidding her from making a scene or seeing her deceased child.
Consort Zhou was nearly driven mad. She climbed over the courtyard wall and encountered Li Chengzhen, who was returning from the Guozijian. In a fit of rage, she seized the child.
Shen Wei’s expression changed. She handed the rattle to the wet nurse and, accompanied by Cai Ping and Mama Rong, rushed outside.
The night was windy, and the sky was overcast.
As summer approached, the garden of the Wangfu was lush and green. The lotus leaves in the pond swayed wildly in the gusts, and Consort Zhou, with disheveled hair and torn clothes, looked like a demon risen from hell.
Behind her was the dark pond, with young Li Chengzhen cradled in her arms. A sharp dagger pressed against the boy’s throat, blood oozing from the wound.
A crowd of curious servants had gathered around.
Shen Wei exchanged a glance with Mama Rong. Mama Rong immediately went to summon the guards of the Wangfu, driving away the onlookers.
In an instant, the vast garden was left with only Consort Zhou, Li Chengzhen, the princess, Shen Wei, and their closest maidservants.
The princess’s eyes blazed with fury as she shouted, “You wretched woman! Let go of my child, and I might spare your life!”
Shen Wei silently shot a glance at the princess, speechless.
At such a moment, she was still threatening Consort Zhou.
With red-rimmed eyes, Consort Zhou hoarsely accused, “Dantai Shuya, you are unworthy of being a princess! I entrusted my son to your care, and you feared he would outshine yours, deliberately allowing the servants to mistreat him! When he fell ill, you only provided him with the worst medicine... Your son’s life matters, but my son’s doesn’t?”
“I begged you to let me see my son just once, I even broke my head in worship, and you extinguished all my hopes with a single dismissive word! Now that my son is gone, you confine me in the courtyard, forbidding me from seeing his body!”
“You call me a wretched woman? Today, this wretched woman will kill your son to accompany mine in death!”
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