Chapter 251
**Chapter 249: Leaning Against the Wall**
Zhang Miaoyu was restless, unable to eat or sleep.
After the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, she hurried to Shen Wei's palace. After a long wait, she finally saw Shen Wei return.
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow, teasingly probing, “Managing the harem must be quite impressive. Don’t you want to share in the power with me?”
Zhang Miaoyu's chubby face fell, and she replied with irritation, “Don’t test me. When I first married the Emperor, I did think about vying for the position of the primary wife. But then I realized, life is short, and the most important thing is to be happy. My greatest joy now is simply eating, drinking, basking in the sun, and playing with Le You and the others.”
Life is fleeting; one must seize the moment to enjoy it.
Managing the harem sounds grand, but not everyone can handle it well.
Zhang Miaoyu was self-aware; she knew she didn’t have the skills for such a demanding role.
Shen Wei smiled and nodded, “In that case, I won’t push you. But as a consort, you can’t just laze around every day—I have a task for you.”
Zhang Miaoyu eyed Shen Wei warily, “What kind of task? If it’s too hard or tiring, I won’t do it.”
Shen Wei chuckled, “I’m in charge of the harem, and I don’t have much free time to spend with the children. If you have some time, could you please keep Le You, Yao Er, Nan Zhi, and Wan Er company?”
Zhang Miaoyu sighed in relief and patted her chest, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
It was getting late, and Zhang Miaoyu prepared to leave.
Before she departed, she asked Shen Wei for two jars of exclusive homemade plum wine and two boxes of candied fruits, then hummed a tune as she left.
Shen Wei had been busy all day and was so tired that her eyelids felt heavy. She forced herself to take a bath and change clothes. Before falling asleep, she remembered to ask Cai Ping, who was setting up the bed curtains, “Has the news of the new arrivals reached Kun Ning Palace yet?”
Cai Ping nodded, “Don’t worry, my lady. The Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet isn’t over yet, but I’ve already sent word about the newcomers to Kun Ning Palace. The Empress is likely to have a sleepless night.”
Only then did Shen Wei feel at ease and close her eyes.
Tonight, it was highly likely that Li Yuanjing would be with Lu Xuan, and Shen Wei felt a sense of freedom.
This bed belonged to her alone. Shen Wei snuggled into the quilt, drifting into a wonderful dream.
In a half-dream, half-awake state, Shen Wei suddenly felt a wave of heat. She drowsily opened her eyes to find a man lying beside her pillow!
In the dead of night, the only ones bold enough to sneak into a consort’s bed were either the Emperor or a lover.
The dim light behind the bed curtains revealed a familiar scent—it was definitely Li Yuanjing.
His warm breath brushed against her ear. Shen Wei reached out to touch Li Yuanjing’s face and playfully said, “Your Majesty, aren’t you going to Changxin Palace to accompany Shu Fei?”
Li Yuanjing was in a good mood tonight.
The southern floods had been handled well, without causing an outbreak of disease or too many civilian casualties, and the reconstruction in the disaster areas was proceeding smoothly.
“I’ll visit her tomorrow,” Li Yuanjing said, wrapping his arm around Shen Wei’s waist. He preferred to fall asleep holding her.
Shen Wei was soft and fragrant, making her delightful to hold.
She rolled her eyes internally and teased, “Then Your Majesty should take a detour to Huayang Palace to see the new sister who just entered the palace.”
Li Yuanjing raised an eyebrow, his fingers gently pinching Shen Wei’s smooth chin, a smirk playing on his lips, “What did you eat tonight? You’re giving off a strong scent of jealousy.”
He enjoyed it when Shen Wei got jealous.
The women in the palace all pretended to be magnanimous. Only Shen Wei dared to show her little pangs of jealousy, but she wasn’t overly possessive; her jealousy was just right.
Shen Wei let out a soft hum.
The night was quiet, and her gentle, soft hum carried a hint of girlish charm, brushing against Li Yuanjing’s heart like a feather, tickling him.
Li Yuanjing leaned closer, his voice low and husky, “I’m hungry.”
They were very close, the air thick with tension.
Shen Wei could clearly feel his “hunger.”
She had been sleeping soundly, only to be awakened in the middle of the night by this man’s noise, and now he was pinching her waist, complaining about being hungry.
When has he ever been full?
Shen Wei ground her teeth in frustration, a bold decision bubbling up in her mind. Suddenly, she smiled at Li Yuanjing, her long, jade-like arm wrapping around him, and the bed curtains fell like flowing clouds...
On a late spring night, a light drizzle began outside, which continued until dawn.
When morning came, Li Yuanjing supported his waist with one hand and leaned against the wall with the other as he left the sleeping quarters for the morning court.
Shen Wei didn’t get up to see him off.
For the next five days, Li Yuanjing stayed alone in the imperial sleeping quarters of Xuanming Palace, not summoning any other consorts.
...
...
In Huayang Palace, the purple wisteria bloomed profusely.
Dantai Yinxue, recently promoted to Jieyu, resided in a side chamber of Huayang Palace. On the night she was conferred the title, she bathed and dressed, eagerly awaiting the Emperor’s summons.
As long as the Emperor shared her bed, her exquisite skills in the boudoir would surely win his favor.
However, after several days, Dantai Yinxue had yet to receive a visit from the Emperor, and her heart grew anxious.
She sent someone to inquire and learned that the Emperor had been staying alone in Xuanming Palace.
Shu Fei was pregnant, and the Emperor had only visited her twice during the day, bringing generous gifts but never staying overnight.
Of course, he hadn’t gone to Chen Fei’s Yongning Palace either.
The Emperor wasn’t visiting the consorts’ palaces; instead, he was spending more time practicing martial arts, archery, horseback riding, and lifting weights during the day.
Dantai Yinxue sneered, “They say Shu Fei and Chen Fei are favored, but in my few days in the palace, I haven’t seen them being overly favored.”
Her personal maid nodded in agreement, “They’re both women who have given birth; their beauty fades and love wanes. My lady, we must seize the opportunity.”
Dantai Yinxue knew she had to seize the moment, but she couldn’t understand, “Even if he’s tired of the old favorites, there are new ones in the palace. Why has the Emperor been sleeping alone these past few days...?”
The maid shook her head, equally puzzled.
Life in Huayang Palace was indeed difficult. Lan Pin, Xie Fanglan, constantly mocked and belittled her, using her position as the head of the palace to suppress Dantai Yinxue at every turn.
But Dantai Yinxue wasn’t one to back down easily.
She added a little medicine to Lan Pin’s calming soup, and soon Lan Pin “fell ill,” spending her days cooped up in her room, leaving no time to target Dantai Yinxue.
For the time being, Dantai Yinxue had managed to suppress Lan Pin. After much thought, she decided to take the initiative and win the Emperor’s affection.
Dantai Yinxue instructed her maid to prepare a bowl of lotus seed and silver fungus chicken soup. Knowing the Emperor was at the training grounds, she carefully dressed up and headed in that direction.
...
In the afternoon, the weather was clear.
After finishing state affairs, Li Yuanjing went to the training grounds in the palace to exercise. The training grounds served as a fitness area for the Emperor during his leisure time, where he could ride horses, shoot arrows, and practice with weapons.
Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou were also there, diligently practicing with their small bows and arrows.
After half an hour of exercise, Li Chengyou caught a glimpse of his father, who was secretly supporting his waist not far away.
He ran over, clutching his little bow and arrow, and looked up at Li Yuanjing with concern, “Father, has your back been hurting these past few days?”
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