Chapter 215
**Chapter 213: She Was About to Break**
Li Nanzhi placed the food box on the table.
Liu Ruyan didn’t move, merely saying, “The fish soup is too greasy; it’s hard to swallow.”
Li Nanzhi wanted to argue that the fish soup was delicious, but the words caught in her throat.
In the past few years, Li Nanzhi had lived in the East Palace of the late Crown Prince. After the Crown Prince passed away and the Crown Princess followed him in death, Li Nanzhi was sent back to Liu Ruyan to be raised.
Li Nanzhi had thought she would finally receive the long-awaited love of a mother. However, in the three years since returning to Liu Ruyan’s side, she had not received much care from her mother.
Liu Ruyan was always so sorrowful.
Even when Li Nanzhi tried her best to please her, being filial and obedient, she could not elicit even a hint of a genuine smile from Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan set down her white jade wine cup and slowly walked toward Li Nanzhi, her voice softening, “Did you go to Yongning Palace?”
Li Nanzhi nodded, “Mm.”
Fearing that she might upset Liu Ruyan, Li Nanzhi quickly added, “If Mother is unhappy, I won’t go to Empress Chen’s place anymore.”
Perhaps the mention of “Empress Chen” stirred Liu Ruyan’s emotions. A sad smile crossed her lips, and tears slipped down her cheeks. “Empress Chen... Zhen Wei, Fang Yueji, Chen Ji, the respect of countless stars. The Emperor gave her this title; how much of it is genuine affection, and how much is mere pretense?”
In this lonely harem, where could one find true feelings from the Emperor? How many women, once favored, ended up as lonely souls in the depths of the palace?
The Emperor’s affection for the Shen family was merely a means to win over Shen Mieyue.
Li Nanzhi’s small face was filled with confusion; her mother was inexplicably sad again...
“You should rest early. Don’t bring fish soup anymore; Mother doesn’t like it.” Liu Ruyan left those words and returned to the balcony, gazing out at the moonlight of the night.
Li Nanzhi silently turned away, carefully stepping down the stairs back to her small room.
Once in her cozy little space, she lay down in her warm quilt. The head maid, Xue Mei, entered the room, preparing to extinguish the candle.
“Aunt Xue Mei,” Li Nanzhi said, her big eyes shining.
Xue Mei smiled as she approached, “What’s the matter, little mistress?”
Li Nanzhi asked, “Aunt Xue Mei, can I wear a pink spring dress tomorrow?”
Li Nanzhi was just over ten years old, at the age when she loved to dress up. However, the clothes Liu Ruyan prepared for her were all in plain colors.
Xue Mei lowered her voice, “Of course, but we must be careful; we can’t let the mistress see.”
Li Nanzhi’s eyes curved into crescent moons, “Great!”
...
...
Night enveloped Kun Ning Palace.
In the study, Li Chengzhen sat in a chair. The Empress picked up a book, quizzing him on the knowledge within. If Li Chengzhen answered incorrectly, the Empress would surely scold him.
Fortunately, Li Chengzhen performed well tonight. A look of satisfaction finally appeared on the Empress’s face as she patted her youngest son’s shoulder. “I have only you as my son. You are the future of both your mother and the Dantai family; you must not slack off.”
Li Chengzhen nodded silently, clenching his fists in secret.
The Empress instructed the old maid to take him back to his room to rest.
As Li Chengzhen reached the door of the study, he suddenly turned back, “Mother, can we leave the light on in my room tonight?”
He was afraid of the dark.
In the past, while at the Yan Wang residence, a bold concubine had kidnapped Li Chengzhen and scarred his face. That concubine was killed on the spot by the guards. Although the wound on his face healed, a terrifying shadow remained in his heart.
He feared the night; every time he closed his eyes, the gruesome death of that concubine would flash before him, terrifying him to the core.
The Empress’s tone was displeased, “You’re twelve this year, already half a grown man. How can you be afraid of the dark? If your father finds out, what will he think of you?”
A prince afraid of the dark would surely be the subject of ridicule.
Li Chengzhen stammered, “But... but I always have nightmares.”
The Empress scolded, “A proper man shouldn’t speak such cowardly words!”
Li Chengzhen fell silent, lowering his head, his eyes filled with frustration. Guided by the maid, he returned to his room.
The maid arranged his bedding and softly said, “If you’re scared, just call for me. I’ll be right outside—”
Before she could finish, a teacup smashed against her forehead.
Blood instantly streamed down her face as she knelt in fear.
Li Chengzhen’s eyes blazed with fury, “Kneel by the bed and keep watch! If you dare to run, I’ll report you to Mother and have her kill you!”
A fire burned deep within him, a culmination of years of repression and mental torment.
Since his brother’s sudden death, there was no one left to share the burden. The fire in Li Chengzhen’s heart grew more terrifying, slowly eroding his thoughts, making him increasingly irritable.
The maid, tears streaming down her face, crawled on the ground, too frightened to make a sound.
...
In the main chamber of Kun Ning Palace, the Empress was in a remarkably good mood. Recently, Chengzhen’s studies had progressed rapidly, and he was beginning to show promise in archery and horseback riding.
If he continued to improve, her son would surely become the most accomplished prince, inheriting the great cause of the Qing Kingdom.
The Empress changed into her nightgown and asked Liu Mama, “Is the Emperor staying at Yongning Palace again tonight?”
Liu Mama replied, “Yes.”
The Empress sneered, “Empress Chen can only enjoy her moment of pride. Her two sons have lived in the mountains since childhood and have yet to be educated. How can they compare to my Chengzhen?”
Liu Mama remained silent.
The Empress then thought of Li Yao and Li Wan’er, who lived in the neighboring courtyard. She felt disappointed in her daughter Li Yao, a white-eyed wolf that couldn’t be raised. As soon as Shen Wei returned to the palace, Li Yao had indeed gone to Yongning Palace to ingratiate herself.
What a waste to have given birth to a daughter who turns her back on her own mother.
But the Empress was no longer the same as before; after facing numerous setbacks over the years, she had developed her own considerations.
The Empress ordered, “Liu Mama, don’t cut back on the provisions for Baozhu Hall. Go to the storeroom and pick out two pieces of new fabric to make that girl a nice outfit.”
The Empress had always harbored resentment toward Li Yao and was naturally unwilling to take care of her. However, now that Shen Wei had returned to the palace, the Empress had to be cautious, ensuring Shen Wei wouldn’t find any mistakes.
For Li Yao, the Empress still had to pretend to care, ensuring her well-being so that outsiders wouldn’t find fault.
Once Li Yao came of age, the Empress planned to use her as a tool to win over the court officials, paving the way for Chengzhen.
“Understood, I’ll take care of it,” Liu Mama replied eagerly.
The Empress returned to her bed and, before sleeping, asked Liu Mama, “Have the palace maids and eunuchs sent to Yongning Palace reported anything back?”
Liu Mama shook her head, “As soon as Empress Chen returned to the palace, she replaced all those maids and eunuchs with her own people. Yongning Palace is tightly sealed; it’s hard to insert spies.”
The Empress snorted coldly, “I will eventually expose her hypocritical true nature.”
Liu Mama lowered the bed curtains and quietly left the Empress’s chamber.
...
...
As dawn broke, the morning light spilled over Yongning Palace.
Li Yuanjing donned his black and gold court attire, stretching lazily and easing his sore back, feeling an extraordinary sense of comfort, happier than a deity.
He hadn’t felt this good in three years.
Only his Weiwei could perfectly match him.
Once you’ve tasted the sweetness, you can never get enough.
Li Yuanjing set off for the morning court with a refreshed spirit. Shen Wei continued to sleep for another half hour before finally dragging herself out of bed. As soon as her feet touched the floor, her legs went weak, nearly causing her to collapse.
Her legs were weak.
Her back ached.
She felt like she was about to break.
The maids prepared hot water for her bath, and Shen Wei weakly leaned over the wooden tub, her fair back marred with bruises and red marks. The steam rose from the tub, but the herbs meant to invigorate her blood and relieve her pain did little to ease her discomfort. Shen Wei thought despondently, “He really is something...”
As strong as ever.
It was only after three years of hard training that Shen Wei could barely endure.
She simply couldn’t understand how, after ascending to the throne, Li Yuanjing could still be so vigorous, busy with court affairs every day. Did he have time to practice horseback riding and archery?
“Mistress, the medicinal soup is ready; you should drink it while it’s hot,” Cai Lian said as she entered with the herbal concoction.
Shen Wei forced down the bitterness, gulping it down in one go, then quickly popped a sweet date into her mouth to mask the taste.
Three children were enough; Shen Wei didn’t want to have any more. It was exhausting and drained her vitality.
After her bath, Shen Wei felt drowsy after finishing her breakfast. Still feeling uncomfortable, she decided to return to her room for a nap.
Cai Ping rushed in to announce, “Mistress, Princess Zhaoyang and Consort Yu have arrived.”
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