Chapter 211
**Chapter 209: The Enfeoffment of the Consort**
He was no longer the tireless wolf of the Yan Wang Fu. Burdened by state affairs and lacking exercise, he had encountered problems in that regard.
No wonder, in the three years since the Emperor ascended the throne, only two or three consorts in the harem had become pregnant. It wasn’t that the consorts weren’t trying; it was that the plowing ox had issues.
Shen Wei was deeply worried. Her mind began to devise a plan—should she secretly inform the Tai Hospital to give the Emperor some tonics?
In truth, it might be better if he remained unwell. If the Emperor couldn’t perform, there would be no more pregnancies in the harem. On the path to competing for the throne, Shen Wei’s son would have fewer potential rivals.
Lost in thought, Shen Wei gradually drifted into slumber.
...
The next day, as dawn broke.
Shen Wei, fighting off sleepiness, got out of bed to assist Li Yuanjing in changing clothes. She had gone to bed late and was utterly exhausted. Li Yuanjing bent slightly, pinching Shen Wei’s fair, rounded chin, studying her sleepy little face.
She was truly enchanting.
The other consorts in the palace would never dare to doze off while serving the Emperor. Those who had held high positions for too long wore masks of pretense, their affections insincere. But his Wei Wei always revealed her most genuine self.
The more he looked, the more he liked her. Unable to resist, he pressed her against a pillar and kissed her for a long while, stealing away her drowsiness.
Shen Wei: ...
He hadn’t even brushed his teeth yet, and he was kissing her.
“I’ll go to court first and come back to see you in the afternoon,” Li Yuanjing said, his eyes soft.
Shen Wei nodded with a bright smile.
In the front courtyard of Yongning Palace, Jixiang was leading a few young eunuchs to prune the roses. The roses were blooming profusely, and Li Yuanjing was quite surprised. “Wei Wei, why are you pulling up the roses?”
He had a fondness for roses.
During Shen Wei’s three years away from the palace, he had ordered many roses to be planted both inside and outside the palace walls, reminiscing about her. Gradually, everyone in the palace knew of the Emperor’s fondness for roses, and each consort’s courtyard was filled with them, even many ministers’ households had taken to planting roses.
Shen Wei replied, “When I was at Donghua Mountain, a rose thorn pricked my hand, and it took a long time to pull it out. Le You also got hurt while picking roses, so I don’t like thorny flowers.”
It was all an excuse she made up.
Shen Wei despised roses. Because when she had thought of abandoning her husband and child, her skirt had gotten caught on a rose bush, and she lost her freedom for the rest of her life.
Li Yuanjing nodded, deep in thought. “Roses are indeed too thorny; they’re not good.”
There would be no need to reminisce about the past, for his rose had returned.
Li Yuanjing went off to court, while Shen Wei returned to the palace for breakfast. Just as she finished her meal, Cai Ping entered the room to report, “Your Highness, the Empress Dowager requests your presence at Cining Palace; the Emperor’s decree has arrived.”
Shen Wei didn’t delay. After dressing up, she took her attendants and headed to Cining Palace.
On the way, Shen Wei pondered what title Li Yuanjing would bestow upon her.
Xian Fei? De Fei? Hui Fei? Or perhaps a unique character altogether?
Cining Palace was resplendent, solemn and imposing.
As Shen Wei entered the main hall, holding Cai Ping’s hand, she noticed the Empress, Shu Fei, Zhang Miaoyu, and other consorts were already present.
As soon as Shen Wei appeared, pairs of curious eyes turned toward her.
Shu Fei Lu Xuan narrowed her beautiful eyes, observing Shen Wei without revealing her thoughts. Shen Wei looked well, her skin fair, and her gait normal. Lu Xuan felt a bit relieved; given Shen Wei’s condition, it seemed she hadn’t spent the night with the Emperor.
After a long separation, the Emperor hadn’t sought her company at night; his feelings for Shen Wei were evidently limited.
Shen Wei knelt, neither servile nor arrogant, and said, “I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress.”
Then she shifted her gaze. “Greetings to my sisters.”
The Empress Dowager spoke kindly, “Rise. Don’t sit just yet—Qian Mama, let the officials from the Ministry of Rites in to announce the Emperor’s decree.”
Qian Mama immediately went to summon them.
Before long, the Minister of Works and the Grand Secretary entered Cining Palace, holding the imperial edict, while the head eunuch, Gong Gong Zhou, carried the decree. The three first paid their respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress, then Zhou Gong Gong began to read the decree.
“By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Shen of Yongning Palace, born of a prestigious family, graceful and virtuous... In accordance with the Empress Dowager’s kind instructions, she is hereby enfeoffed as Chen Fei. Thus it is decreed.”
Shen Wei bowed to receive the decree.
Beside her, Cai Lian and Cai Ping carefully stored the imperial seal and gold medal.
Zhou Gong Gong cast a cheerful glance at Shen Wei, offering a few words of congratulations before respectfully taking his leave.
Back in Cining Palace, Shen Wei graciously thanked the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager gestured for her to sit, and the palace maids smoothly served hot tea.
The Empress frowned slightly. She had thought the Emperor would bestow the title of “De Fei” or “Hui Fei” upon Shen Wei.
But to her surprise, the Emperor had personally chosen the character “Chen.”
The character “Chen” carries significant meaning, being an alternate name for the Zi Wei Star and the North Star.
As the ancient saying goes: “The heavenly mandate is boundless, yet the North Star remains unmoved,” and “Like the North Star, it occupies its place while the myriad stars revolve around it.” The Emperor’s choice to enfeoff Shen Wei as “Chen Fei” clearly indicated her weight in his heart.
On the main seat, the Empress Dowager calmly instructed, “Empress, Shu Fei, you two will oversee the harem. Prepare well for tonight’s family banquet; there must be no mistakes.”
The Empress and Lu Xuan both stood up, “Rest assured, Empress Dowager.”
“It’s getting late; you may disperse.” The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples. “Chen Fei, stay behind.”
One by one, the consorts bowed and withdrew, their gazes toward Shen Wei varied—some filled with joy, some calm, some envious, and some wary.
Lu Xuan remained composed. Flowers do not bloom forever; a moment of favor means little. She wouldn’t act against Shen Wei just yet; the harem was vast, and many consorts would seek to pull Shen Wei down.
For instance, Lan Pin Xie Fanglan.
Xie Fanglan hailed from the Xie family, and the Empress Dowager was her aunt. With the Empress Dowager back in the palace, Xie Fanglan’s time to rise should be near.
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...
As the consorts left Cining Palace.
Shen Wei was sipping tea when Le You and Li Chengyou came running from the back courtyard, both diving into her embrace.
Le You’s voice was soft, “Mother, I want to sleep with you tonight.”
Li Chengyou immediately countered, “Father will definitely sleep with Mother. If Father isn’t here one day, we can sneak in.”
Le You pouted, “Alright then...”
She scampered over to the Empress Dowager, sitting in her lap, wrapping her arms around the Empress Dowager’s arm. “Since Mother has Father, I’ll keep Grandmother company to make her happy every day.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes crinkled with joy.
Shen Wei hugged her younger son, curious, “What about Cheng Tai?”
Li Chengyou obediently replied, “Brother is reading. There are so many books in Grandmother’s study; he wishes he could live there.”
Shen Wei felt a bit worried; her eldest son was working too hard, starting to engage in competition at such a young age.
“Mother, you must send someone to supervise him. He’s still young; we don’t want him to strain his eyes from reading too much,” Shen Wei reminded the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager nodded with a smile, her tone gentle, “I’ll have two nannies supervise him, allowing him to read for only one hour each day. The little kitchen has prepared eye-nourishing fruits and soups for him to drink daily.”
Her grandson, at such a young age, didn’t need external supervision to be so fond of reading; the Empress Dowager felt quite gratified.
Shen Wei pondered for a moment, “Mother, Cheng Tai is still young and can’t enter the Guozijian or Anguo Temple yet. Since he loves reading, why not hire a knowledgeable tutor to teach him daily?”
The Empress Dowager had the same thought.
But who should be chosen as Cheng Tai’s tutor?
Shen Wei had already thought it through. She told the Empress Dowager, “Old Master Yang Xuanji is well-versed in knowledge, upright and principled, with many students. He’s also my brother’s teacher. Mother, do you think it would be appropriate to invite him?”
The Empress Dowager looked at Shen Wei with a hint of admiration. “You think ahead. When did you start considering Yang Xuanji?”
Shen Wei smiled sheepishly, confessing, “To be honest, Mother, I planned to invite Yang Xuanji as the children’s tutor right after Cheng Tai and Cheng You were born.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes showed appreciation; a parent’s love for their child is indeed profound.
However, Shen Wei was quite calculating; she had already decided on a tutor for her children even before they were born.
After a moment’s thought, the Empress Dowager said, “Then Yang Xuanji has a peculiar temperament. I’ll issue a decree in a few days, asking him to teach Cheng Tai. If it doesn’t go well, we can choose another tutor.”
The atmosphere in Cining Palace was harmonious, and Shen Wei and the Empress Dowager interacted comfortably, feeling relaxed.
The Empress Dowager looked at Shen Wei, leisurely sipping her tea, and asked, “Are you feeling wronged with just the title of Consort?”
Given Shen Wei’s status, being made a Noble Consort wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Shen Wei set down her teacup, her outlook broad: “It’s easy to fall from a height. As long as the Emperor holds me in his heart, titles and status are fleeting.”
There was plenty of time ahead; there was no need to rush.
Moreover, Shen Wei still held some apprehension toward the Emperor and didn’t dare to be too ambitious. The Emperor’s favor for her was merely a nod to their past. Life was long, and dangers lurked everywhere; Shen Wei could never let her guard down.
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction. Shen Wei’s temperament was calm and collected, always considering things thoroughly and looking far ahead; such qualities were indeed rare.
If it weren’t for the Empress’s powerful family background, the Empress Dowager would have wanted to elevate Shen Wei to the position of Empress.
After spending some time in Cining Palace, Shen Wei reluctantly took her leave. Before she left, the Empress Dowager had Qian Mama fetch a fresh large pumpkin from the kitchen for her.
“Pumpkin?” Shen Wei was taken aback, thinking she had misread.
The Empress Dowager said, “This is a golden silk pumpkin offered by the Donglin Kingdom, sent with the vine and soil to celebrate the country. Take it back to the palace, have the cooks steam it, and drizzle it with honey; it tastes wonderful.”
Shen Wei silently accepted the large pumpkin.
Sometimes, Shen Wei truly felt that the Empress Dowager treated her like a daughter.
This was also a reward Shen Wei deserved. During her three years at Donghua Mountain, she had spent day and night with the Empress Dowager, treating her sincerely, which had earned her the Empress Dowager’s genuine affection in return.
...
Carrying the large pumpkin, Shen Wei left Cining Palace discreetly. Lan Pin Xie Fanglan emerged from behind a stone lion, her beautiful eyes fixed intently on Shen Wei and her entourage.
“It seems the rumors are false. The Empress Dowager doesn’t treat Chen Fei as well as they say,” Xie Fanglan said, reveling in her misfortune.
Her close maid asked in confusion, “Why do you say that, my lady?”
Xie Fanglan scoffed, “A mere pumpkin as a reward? Ridiculous.”
If the Empress Dowager truly valued Chen Fei, the gifts would surely be gold and jewels, not a worthless pumpkin.
Xie Fanglan adjusted her expensive dress, strutting into Cining Palace. As the Empress Dowager’s niece, they were of the same bloodline, and the Empress Dowager would surely support her, helping her regain her position.
As she entered the front courtyard of Cining Palace, a maid stopped Xie Fanglan, going inside to announce her arrival. Xie Fanglan waited idly in the courtyard, contemplating how to complain to the Empress Dowager when a soft, sweet voice called from the east side of the courtyard.
“Brother, put down the red date cake; you can’t eat any more!” Le You panted as she chased after her brother.
Li Chengyou, holding the red date cake, ran faster than a rabbit.
Le You, with her little chubby legs, hurried to catch up.
In a moment of distraction, she bumped into Xie Fanglan in the courtyard. Dazed, Le You covered her forehead and apologized sweetly, “Your Highness, it was all Le You’s carelessness—”
Xie Fanglan had dressed in an expensive, thin embroidered gown today to see the Empress Dowager, paired with a wine-red skirt. When Le You accidentally bumped into her, her wide sleeves nearly got ruined.
Xie Fanglan pushed Le You away irritably, “How uncouth! You’ve ruined my clothes!”
Le You was only four years old, small in stature, and was caught off guard by Xie Fanglan’s shove, falling to the ground with a thud.
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