Chapter 239
**Chapter 237: The Empress Dowager's Trust**
Le You smiled sweetly, her voice soft and gentle. “Grandmother said there are bugs in the medicine, so I can’t drink it. Don’t worry, Mother, I spat it all out!”
Shen Wei chuckled and hugged the child.
Not far away, Li Wan'er watched this scene, her eyes filled with barely concealed envy. When her own mother was alive, she used to embrace her like that every day, showering her with care.
But alas, her mother had passed away.
No one had held her since.
“Wan'er has just moved to Ci Ning Palace. Le You, go to the storeroom and pick out some soft pillows to send to Wan'er’s room,” Shen Wei said, patting Le You’s small shoulder.
Le You nodded obediently. “Okay, I’ll go right now!”
In a flash, Le You dashed off to the storeroom, with her two personal maids hurriedly following behind.
Shen Wei stood up and looked over at Li Wan'er. “Summer is approaching, and the weather is getting warmer. I have a white jade cooling mat in my room; I’ll send it to yours so you can sleep comfortably in the heat.”
Li Wan'er quickly bowed, her voice soft. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Shen Wei entered Li Wan'er’s room. Ci Ning Palace had many empty chambers, and this west room had been tidied up, already filled with some of Li Wan'er’s belongings.
The room was neat and elegantly simple.
As Shen Wei reached the tea table, Li Wan'er suddenly knelt down behind her, bowing deeply. “Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life.”
Shen Wei was taken aback.
She helped Li Wan'er up. “When did I ever save you?”
Li Wan'er pressed her lips together, tears glistening in her eyes. “Mama Liu said that when the time is right, I will be able to escape from my suffering. After reflecting on today’s events, I suspect it was Your Highness who helped me in secret.”
Shen Wei smiled appreciatively. “What a clever girl.”
No wonder she was the daughter of the late crown prince; her perspective and insight were extraordinary, and her ability to discern people was strong.
Shen Wei pulled Li Wan'er to sit down, smiling gently. “I won’t hide it from you; my help comes with a purpose.”
She intended to gain the authority to manage the harem from the Empress by using Li Wan'er’s predicament as leverage.
Shen Wei had been poisoned, the Empress Dowager and Le You had nearly been poisoned as well, and Li Wan'er was mistreated by the Empress. All these misfortunes combined would ultimately crush the Empress, leaving her unable to recover.
“I understand,” Li Wan'er replied with a warm smile. “But you still helped me, and I am very grateful.”
Seeing her intelligence and clarity, Shen Wei couldn’t help but feel fondness. She spoke in a calm tone, “Wan'er, I can help you this once, but life is long. You can’t always rely on others to help you. You’re clever, but your nature is too weak.”
Li Wan'er lowered her head.
She knew she was timid, always wallowing in self-pity.
Shen Wei spoke earnestly, “Your life should be forged by your own hands. What others give you out of pity is never a good thing.”
Li Wan'er clutched the embroidered handkerchief in her hands, her heart like still water, rippling with emotions.
Her mother had told her more than once to be brave and self-reliant while she was still alive.
Li Wan'er felt a lump in her throat, tears brimming in her eyes as she nodded. “I understand now.”
Shen Wei didn’t linger for long, as Mama Qian arrived, saying the Empress Dowager had summoned her.
Shen Wei stood up to leave. She had already given Li Wan'er some life advice; how much the young girl could absorb depended on fate.
...
In the main hall of Ci Ning Palace, the atmosphere was heavy. Shen Wei carefully stepped in, holding up the hem of her pale yellow skirt.
The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat, her face devoid of the usual warmth.
The palace maids retreated, leaving only Shen Wei and the Empress Dowager in the hall.
Shen Wei’s heart raced as she softly called out, “Mother?”
The Empress Dowager’s expression grew colder. She slammed her hand on the table and sternly commanded, “Kneel before me!”
Shen Wei quickly knelt.
She knew she had angered the Empress Dowager this time. She had bribed Mama Liu, who was close to the Empress, and used Li Wan'er and the Empress Dowager, along with Le You, to try to wrest control of the harem from the Empress.
Her methods were not exactly honorable; they were somewhat underhanded. It was only natural for the Empress Dowager to be angry.
“Do you know where you went wrong?” the Empress Dowager asked.
Shen Wei answered obediently, “Replying to Mother, I should not have used you and Wan'er to expose the Empress’s scandals, causing the royal family to lose face—”
Before she could finish, the Empress Dowager interrupted her angrily. “That’s not what I’m angry about!”
Now it was Shen Wei’s turn to be bewildered. She looked confused. “Are you upset that I nearly caused Le You to be poisoned? I truly didn’t know about that.”
Shen Wei could hardly believe that the Empress had the audacity to poison the Empress Dowager!
The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples, letting out a long sigh, her eyes filled with both concern and anger. “The contraceptive potion you drank contained chronic poison. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Shen Wei was left speechless, her eyes wide in shock.
She never expected the Empress Dowager would be upset over such a small matter.
Could it be that, in the Empress Dowager’s heart, Shen Wei, an outsider with no blood ties, held more weight than Le You and Wan'er?
Shen Wei stammered, struggling to find her words. “I... I... am fine. I drank the antidote and will recover soon.”
The Empress Dowager sighed deeply and slowly walked over to Shen Wei, helping her up. “In the future, if you want something, just tell me directly. I will help you plan. There’s no need to go around in circles and harm yourself.”
It was only from Doctor Mo that the Empress Dowager learned that Shen Wei had been poisoned with chronic poison. Shen Wei kept it to herself, quietly plotting against the Empress.
Since meeting Shen Wei, the Empress Dowager had noticed that this girl was excessively resilient. Shen Wei appeared gentle and understanding, always considerate—but she was too hard on herself.
She didn’t know how to cherish her own body and held a defensive attitude towards everyone.
Shen Wei was astonished.
Little Mistress, there’s more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
She never imagined that the Empress Dowager would trust her so much!
Shen Wei forced a smile. “Mother, I can’t rely on you for everything. I need to walk my own path and fight for what I want.”
If life were too smooth, one would become complacent and underestimate challenges.
The Empress Dowager poked Shen Wei’s forehead, exasperated. “If only Zhao Yang had half your spirit, I wouldn’t worry about her future every day. Go back to your Yong Ning Palace and take your medicine. I’ll handle the punishment for the Empress.”
Shen Wei obediently wrapped her arms around the Empress Dowager’s, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. “Thank you, Mother!”
In the harem, only the Emperor and the Empress could call the Empress Dowager “Mother.” Other concubines had to address her respectfully as “Empress Dowager.”
But Shen Wei was an exception; in private, she always referred to the Empress Dowager as “Mother,” drawing her closer.
Shen Wei left happily.
The Empress Dowager stood under the palace eaves, watching Shen Wei’s slender figure depart. A sense of regret filled her heart. If only she had known Shen Wei sooner, she would have insisted on marrying her to Li Yuanjing as his primary wife.
Shen Wei was strategic, had a broad vision, management skills, could win her husband’s heart, raise children well, and was filial—she was truly the best candidate for the nation’s matriarch.
But alas, fate had other plans.
The Dantai family was deeply rooted, and it would be impossible to uproot them in the short term. The Empress’s position had to be left for Dantai Shuya.
Just as the Empress Dowager was about to visit Le You, she caught a glimpse of Li Chengtai hiding in a corner.
Li Chengtai was dressed in a dark golden brocade robe, with gold patterns adorning the sleeves and hem, and black boots on his feet. He looked like a miniature version of Li Yuanjing. However, his eyes were filled with tears, and his little face was sorrowful. It was unclear how long he had been there or how much he had overheard.
The Empress Dowager waved to him, her tone gentle. “Chengtai, what are you doing here?”
Li Chengtai’s voice was choked with emotion as he clenched his small fists. “Grandmother, Mother has been poisoned... I... I can’t do anything.”
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