Chapter 171
**Chapter 171: Zhao Qing**
Zhao Qing was the only woman he recognized as his wife.
As for Sun Qingmei, given her hard work in managing the household, Shangguan Xuan was willing to take her as a favored concubine. With no worries about food and clothing, and a life of wealth ahead, it wouldn’t be a betrayal to Sun Qingmei.
The carriage rolled along until it reached the entrance of the Duke of Zhen Nan's residence. At the gate, a crowd had gathered, including the old matriarch, Sun Qingmei, and various uncles and aunts, all waiting expectantly.
Zhao Qing lifted the curtain of the carriage and gazed at the imposing and grand Duke's residence, admiring the neatly trimmed flowers and trees at the entrance. Her heart soared with joy.
What a magnificent estate!
If she could become the mistress of the Duke's household, she would enjoy endless riches and glory for the rest of her life.
Shangguan Xuan stepped down from the carriage first, extending his hand to help Zhao Qing down. She stood obediently beside him while he chatted with his mother and sister.
Zhao Qing, however, remained silent, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd at the entrance. She was curious to see what the rumored Sun Qingmei looked like.
After a brief survey, her gaze froze.
Under the eaves stood an exceptionally beautiful young woman. She wore her hair in an elegant style, adorned with a blue and gold silk flower and two golden hairpins. Her face was as round as a silver basin, and her eyes were large and dark, resembling black marbles. She seemed to be quite cold, wrapped in a thick fox fur cloak over her dress, holding a warming pot in her hands.
Her attire was luxurious and regal.
Zhao Qing felt a wave of inferiority wash over her, lowering her head.
So this is Sun Qingmei?
In Liangzhou, from Shangguan Xuan's brief descriptions, Zhao Qing had imagined Sun Qingmei as an ordinary-looking official's wife. But seeing her today, Sun Qingmei radiated beauty, like a peony blooming in early winter.
Zhao Qing had prided herself on her looks, yet in front of that woman, she felt dimmed.
Just as Zhao Qing's heart sank, a gentle voice floated from within the Duke's residence: "Husband!"
Startled, Zhao Qing looked up to see another young woman in a flowing dress stepping out from the estate. She was graceful and elegant, exuding a gentle and virtuous demeanor.
This must be Sun Qingmei.
Zhao Qing felt a sudden relief; she had mistaken the identity.
She scrutinized Sun Qingmei, who appeared to be a delicate beauty, not overly striking. The confidence Zhao Qing had just lost began to return, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Sun Qingmei approached Shangguan Xuan, her eyes sparkling with warmth: "Husband, it’s cold outside. Let’s go inside for some hot tea to warm up."
Shangguan Xuan frowned slightly.
Looking at the gentle and virtuous woman before him, he felt indifferent. Too virtuous, lacking any spark—she couldn’t compare to Zhao Qing in the slightest.
But with so many people around, he didn’t want to show his displeasure. He merely nodded and, surrounded by the crowd, entered the Duke's residence.
Inside the courtyard, Shangguan Xuan spotted a stranger, Shen Wei. He asked curiously, "Who is this?"
Sun Qingmei introduced her, "This is Shen Cifu from the Yan Wang residence. She came to personally deliver two pots of chrysanthemums upon hearing that my mother’s birthday is tomorrow."
Zhao Qing understood; no wonder she was so beautiful and elegantly dressed—she was a favored concubine from the royal residence. Zhao Qing envied the golden and jade hairpin in Shen Wei's hair, wishing she could have one too...
Shen Wei nodded politely, saying, "Since the Duke has returned home, I, an outsider, shouldn’t intrude. The affairs of the royal residence are quite complicated; I’ll take my leave."
Shen Wei took the royal carriage back to the palace.
Pregnant, she traveled slowly in the royal carriage. Leaning against the soft embroidered cushion, Zhao Qing's face kept appearing in her mind.
This Zhao Qing was slender, with large eyes and red lips. Although she wore a man’s hairstyle, Shen Wei noticed upon closer inspection that she was disguised as a man.
The somewhat famous General Zhao was actually a woman.
After just a brief encounter, Shen Wei couldn’t discern Zhao Qing’s character.
She lifted the carriage curtain and instructed her maid, "Find out detailed information about General Zhao Qing in the coming days."
The maid nodded eagerly, "I understand."
Though early winter brought some sunshine, Shen Wei still felt cold. She returned to the warm chamber of the Liuli Pavilion, leaning on a soft couch while reviewing the accounts, calculating the winter expenses of the royal residence.
The floor of the warm chamber was covered with a thick wool blanket. Ten-month-old Xiao Leyou, accompanied by a maid, was trying to stand and learn to walk, occasionally bursting into giggles.
After glancing at the accounts for a while, Shen Wei looked up to watch her daughter play. She smiled and instructed the maid, "Let her crawl a bit longer; there’s no rush for her to stand and walk."
The maid looked puzzled, "Mistress, isn’t it good for the young lady to learn to walk early?"
Shen Wei shook her head, "A child needs to crawl enough first."
If a child doesn’t crawl enough in their early years, their sensory systems can become unbalanced. Children who learn to stand too early often have poor vestibular development, making them prone to motion sickness and unable to distinguish directions, leading to frequent bumps and falls.
When raising a baby, one must remember: three months to roll over, six months to sit up, eight months to crawl, and only after twelve months to start teaching them to walk.
The maid didn’t understand the reasoning and didn’t dare to go against Shen Wei’s wishes, so she continued to let Xiao Leyou crawl on the wool blanket.
Shen Wei resumed her review of the accounts, pondering the winter expenses of the royal residence. This winter was particularly cold, and the concubines and maids needed ample charcoal for warmth. Since Shen Wei took charge, life had improved significantly for the concubines and maids in the royal residence.
Concubines with children could see their kids three times a month, and on holidays and birthdays, they could also visit.
The lowest-ranking maids had their courtyard walls repaired. Shen Wei recognized their excellent embroidery skills and arranged for a fabric merchant to purchase their embroidered goods at a good price regularly.
The maids could save money by selling their embroidery, giving them a glimmer of hope in the lonely courtyard of the Yan Wang residence.
Just as Shen Wei was reviewing the winter expenses, her gaze turned cold as she spotted a miscalculation.
Frowning, she said, "Call De Shun in."
After a while, the young eunuch De Shun hurried in, bowing and apologizing.
Shen Wei instructed the maid to take Xiao Leyou for a nap. Through a beaded curtain, she asked, "You’ve recorded errors in the accounts for the land revenue you’re responsible for. If you’re unwilling to do your job, then don’t stay in the Liuli Pavilion."
Ji Xiang and De Shun were the two eunuchs who had served Shen Wei the longest. Ji Xiang was clever, while De Shun was steady.
Both young eunuchs were efficient in their tasks and loyal to Shen Wei. However, De Shun had been making mistakes frequently lately.
De Shun knelt, his thin face showing signs of fear, "Mistress, please forgive me. I promise I won’t make the same mistake again."
Shen Wei frowned.
De Shun seemed to have lost even more weight, dark circles under his eyes. Shen Wei didn’t scold him further and let him leave.
When Rong Mama entered with the account books, Shen Wei inquired about De Shun’s recent situation.
Rong Mama sighed, "Mistress, De Shun comes from a poor family. He has an elderly mother who has always been unwell. To earn money, he became a servant in the palace at the age of ten. Last month, his mother fell seriously ill, and the palace doctor visited, needing several precious herbs. Although De Shun has your support and receives a decent monthly allowance, it’s still not enough for the medicine."
Seeing his mother’s condition worsen day by day, De Shun was deeply worried, which led to his mistakes at work.
Without hesitation, Shen Wei instructed Rong Mama, "The Empress has sent me many precious medicines. Go to the storeroom and see if there are any herbs that could help treat De Shun’s mother, and send them to him."
Table of Contents
