Chapter 154
**Chapter 154: She Will Manage the Household, All for the Prince of Yan**
In the past, the four old maids sent over had been treated with a bit of leniency by the Empress, allowing the Princess to see her children daily and teach them.
Now, however, the Empress had made up her mind: the two children must not meet their mother too often. "Birds of a feather flock together," and the Prince of Yan's legitimate son had gone astray; something had to be done to correct it.
The Princess's head buzzed, still trying to process the situation.
The Empress said, "You are gravely ill and cannot manage the household. The capable Shen family from Liuli Pavilion will take over the household duties."
At this, the Princess finally snapped back to reality.
The Empress forbade her from caring for her two sons and cruelly stripped her of her authority over the household. What was she if not the head of the family? Wouldn't the whole of Yanjing laugh at her if word got out?
Handing over the household authority to that wretched Shen Wei?
The Princess's heart twisted in agony! Shen Wei, a mere farmer's daughter, who knew nothing of accounts or literature, had the audacity to seize the household authority simply because she had the Prince's favor.
"Mother, Your Highness, you can't do this to me!" The Princess exclaimed, her voice piercing with shock.
An old maid beside the Empress stepped forward, gripping the Princess's arm firmly and escorting her back to Kunyuyuan.
After leaving the inner hall, the Empress and the Prince of Yan made their way to the main house.
A maid brought in calming tea and quietly retreated. The Empress took a sip, but the warmth of the tea could not ease the bitterness in her heart.
With a furrowed brow, the Empress said to the Prince of Yan, "It's my fault, I only wanted to win over the Dantai family. I never expected that the second daughter of the esteemed Dantai family would turn out to be such a useless fool..."
The Dantai family was a prestigious clan with a strict family ethos. The eldest daughter had married the top scholar of the year, and their marriage was harmonious; she was well-regarded for her ability to manage the household. The Empress had thought that if the eldest daughter was exceptional, the second daughter wouldn't be too far behind.
Who would have thought she misjudged and brought Dantai Shuyas into the Prince of Yan's residence, setting off a chain of errors?
The Empress would always feel guilty towards the Prince of Yan.
In his childhood, she had not given him much affection; when he married, she had not put much thought into choosing a daughter-in-law, leading to chaos in the Prince's household.
With unrest in the inner quarters, stability in the front was impossible.
The Prince of Yan lowered his gaze. "Mother, you have already done so much for me; please don’t blame yourself."
The Empress set down her teacup but couldn't help saying, "Dantai Shuyas is at fault, and so are you! I know you work hard, but no matter how busy you are, you must make time to see your own children. If you had shown more concern for your illegitimate sons, calling them to see you once a month, we wouldn’t be facing this tragedy now."
A shadow of worry crossed the Prince's brow, and he fell silent for a long time.
The room was quiet for a moment. The Empress pressed her fingers to her forehead and rubbed it gently. "There's no need to dwell on past mistakes; what matters is the present and the future. We must not let this tragedy repeat itself. Let Shen manage the household for now; if she can do it well, you will have one less worry."
The Prince of Yan replied, "I understand, Mother."
The room fell into a deep silence. The Empress noticed the weariness etched on the Prince's face, which had darkened from exposure to the sun.
He had been busy overseeing the riverworks for the Crown Prince, toiling by the river all day, coming back to Yanjing covered in dust.
Looking at the Prince's tired face, the Empress ultimately refrained from further reproach.
With the Crown Prince gravely ill, the Emperor also unwell, and the Empress herself aging and lacking energy, the political situation was chaotic. The weight on the Prince of Yan's shoulders was already heavy.
Right and wrong intertwined, a tangled web of complications.
...
The Empress, with a fierce resolve, completely disrupted and reorganized the structure of the Prince of Yan's household. All the servants who deserved punishment were dealt with severely, and a number of troublesome ones were expelled from the residence. In the Princess's courtyard, most of the servants were sent away, leaving only two old maids and four maids behind.
After leaving the Prince of Yan's residence, he quickly glanced at Shen Wei and Xiao Leyou in Liuli Pavilion before rushing off to the Ministry of War for discussions.
The Prince of Yan was not a leisurely lord; he bore the expectations of his parents and brothers, and he could not afford to stop moving forward.
It was only late at night that he returned to the Prince of Yan's residence under the moonlight. Shen Wei had prepared warm water for him to bathe and relieve his fatigue.
After bathing and changing, they both went to bed. As the night deepened, the sounds of insects filled the air, and the bright moonlight streamed through the window curtains into the room. The Prince of Yan was only lightly asleep when he suddenly heard the murmurs of the person beside him.
Shen Wei seemed to be having a nightmare.
She mumbled, "Leyou... no..."
Shen Wei abruptly opened her eyes, clutching her racing heart. The Prince of Yan took her hand gently and asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Shen Wei's gaze wandered before finally settling on the Prince of Yan in the moonlight. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, softly saying, "Yes, it was a nightmare."
The room was filled with the faint fragrance of lotus flowers. As summer approached, the lotus buds in the pond had begun to bloom. Shen Wei had instructed the maids to cut some buds and place them in a vase in the room, filling the night with a delicate scent.
Perhaps it was the fragrance that calmed the heart, or perhaps it was the presence of her partner that brought her peace. Leaning against the Prince of Yan, Shen Wei murmured, "I dreamed that... I didn't become a concubine, and Leyou was raised by the Princess. Later, Leyou fell ill and passed away, and I searched everywhere for you, but couldn't find you..."
A deep pity flickered in the Prince's eyes.
The Princess was unworthy, neglectful, and had caused the death of her illegitimate son.
This led Shen Wei to be anxious and restless, her thoughts consuming her day and night.
The Prince of Yan felt a twinge of fear as well. If he had entrusted Xiao Leyou to the Princess, perhaps that lovely child would have truly lost her life.
"Don't be afraid; dreams are often the opposite of reality," the Prince of Yan said, wrapping his arm around Shen Wei's slender one, his voice soothing. "I have confined that woman, and from now on, the household will be under your management."
Shen Wei's heart leaped with joy.
Feigning concern, she asked, "Your Highness, I am just a concubine. If a concubine manages the household, it could tarnish your reputation."
At such a moment, Shen Wei added a touch of nuance to her words, subtly highlighting her care for the Prince of Yan.
The Prince of Yan was naturally touched, his brow softening. "The Princess is ill and cannot manage the inner quarters."
The Princess's "illness" would require a lifetime of care. The Prince of Yan was thoroughly disappointed in her and had decided to strip her of power, leaving her with only a hollow title.
Shen Wei nodded, as if she understood, and gave the Prince a gentle warning: "I am willing to help you share the burden. I have never managed a household before, so if I do anything wrong, please don’t blame me."
The Prince of Yan smiled, "Of course not."
Only then did Shen Wei reveal a joyful smile, leaning in to kiss the Prince's cheek, sincerely saying, "For you, Your Highness, I am willing to take on the responsibility of managing the household. You have so many affairs to attend to, and I don’t want to see you troubled by the trivial matters of the inner quarters."
In every word, Shen Wei expressed a single sentiment: her willingness to manage the household was all for the Prince of Yan, not for securing her position or seeking wealth and glory.
The moonlight shone brightly, filtering through the bed curtains. Shen Wei's cheeks were pale, her eyes dark as ink, as if they were filled with him.
The Prince of Yan gazed at the beauty so close to him, his heart softening.
The two nestled together and fell asleep.
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