Chapter 256
**Chapter 254: Managing the Harem**
Shen Wei dismissed the palace attendants, leaving only herself, Li Chengtai, and the Empress Dowager in the inner hall.
Li Chengtai lifted his little head, glancing at Shen Wei and then at the Empress Dowager, recounting the dispute at the Guangwen Pavilion in detail.
In the end, he tugged at Shen Wei's sleeve with a sullen expression. “Old Master Yang Xuanji won’t take me as a student. Please, Mother and Grandmother, help me find another teacher.”
Shen Wei was taken aback.
There were plans to build dams on several upstream river channels to control the water supply to the downstream Donglin Kingdom. Water is the source of life; if this plan succeeded, Donglin Kingdom would likely think twice before stirring up trouble again.
“Does your father agree with this plan?” Shen Wei asked her son.
Li Chengtai scratched his head. “I’m not sure. Father sent someone to take me back to Cining Palace without saying anything else.”
Shen Wei gently patted her son’s head and said with a warm smile, “Since Yang Xuanji isn’t suitable, your mother and grandmother will choose a few appropriate scholars for you another day. Lunch is ready; go eat something first.”
Li Chengtai’s stomach had been growling for a while. He bid farewell to Shen Wei and the Empress Dowager and scampered off to the backyard to join his sisters and brothers for lunch.
In the main hall, the Empress Dowager was still pondering Li Chengtai’s bold plan to dam the river.
She shook her head, her tone tinged with melancholy. “Sometimes, the ministers in court are less daring than a child.”
To suppress and intimidate Donglin Kingdom, the ministers were busy devising strategies involving the military, supplies, and trade. Yet, it was a child with a vivid imagination who came up with a simple, effective, and lethal solution to block the water.
The Empress Dowager stood up and beckoned to Shen Wei. “Come, let’s have lunch together. Look at your face; you must not have been eating well these past few days.”
A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Shen Wei’s face. She had lost weight, but it wasn’t just from managing palace affairs. Five nights ago, she had risked herself to feed a tiger, and her waist and legs still ached, causing her appetite to dwindle.
Shen Wei quickly stood up and went to support the Empress Dowager. “Mother, I’d like to have pumpkin with red dates and sweet wine.”
The Empress Dowager smiled gently, her eyes warm with affection. “I had Mama Qian prepare it for you long ago.”
Mama Qian followed closely behind the Empress Dowager and Shen Wei, observing Shen Wei’s back. For a moment, she seemed to see the Princess Zhaoyang of years past. Perhaps in the Empress Dowager’s heart, she had already regarded Shen Wei as half a daughter.
...
In the afternoon, after a satisfying meal, Shen Wei returned to Yongning Palace for a nap.
The weather was gradually warming up, and the pond in the courtyard was adorned with lush green lotus leaves, with a few lotus buds peeking out. Shen Wei rested in the pavilion, lying on a swaying bamboo chair, contemplating the teachers she would choose for Chengtai.
One teacher wouldn’t suffice; she needed to find several. There should be Confucian scholars like Yang Xuanji, who adhered to traditional rituals, to teach Chengtai reading and writing; there should also be well-traveled and open-minded scholars to expose him to the myriad aspects of life.
Only then could a qualified enlightened ruler be nurtured.
Shen Wei pressed her fingers against her forehead, realizing that being a mother was no easy task. For her child’s future, she had to consider every aspect of his growth.
A gentle breeze wafted through the pavilion, carrying the faint scent of lotus leaves. Shen Wei closed her eyes and drifted into a light nap.
Half an hour later, she stirred awake. Cai Lian presented her with a cup of refreshing mint tea, reminding her, “Your Highness, Lan Pin has been waiting at the courtyard gate for quite some time.”
Shen Wei sipped her mint tea.
Without needing to ask, Cai Lian continued clearly, “After Xue Jieyu moved into Huayang Palace, Lan Pin fell ill within a few days, running a low fever and becoming disoriented. Lan Pin suspects that Xue Jieyu has been plotting against her, so she has come to Yongning Palace today to report this to you and seek your judgment.”
The Empress, being “ill,” could not go out, and Shu Fei Lu Xuan was in the palace nurturing her pregnancy. The power in the harem rested in Shen Wei’s hands. When the concubines encountered troubles, they could only turn to Shen Wei for resolution.
Shen Wei set down her white porcelain teacup. “Have Lan Pin come to the main hall to see me.”
...
In front of Yongning Palace, Lan Pin had been waiting for quite a while. Her face was pale, and she looked weary; after several days of illness, she appeared listless.
The palace maid informed Lan Pin that Chen Fei was still napping. Despite her frustration, Lan Pin could only swallow her anger. With Shen Wei now in control of the six palaces, and both the Empress and Shu Fei suppressed by her, Lan Pin dared not act out or offend her.
This was Lan Pin’s first time entering Yongning Palace. The courtyard was vast and bright, with flourishing begonia trees in full bloom. Pavilions and towers surrounded a gently flowing stream, and the entire palace exuded vitality and luxury.
Lan Pin felt a pang of envy.
In the past, before entering the palace, she had lived in a splendid courtyard at the Xie family’s residence. After entering the palace, she found herself confined to Huayang Palace, losing interest in tending to flowers and plants, which had become lifeless.
“If one day I regain my title, my palace and courtyard will surely be no less than Yongning Palace,” Lan Pin thought, her envy only strengthening her resolve to vie for favor and promotion.
Moments later, a palace maid came to inform Lan Pin that Chen Fei was summoning her.
Lan Pin walked toward the main hall.
The main hall of Yongning Palace was grand and imposing, with elegant furnishings inside. Lan Pin’s gaze fell upon the main seat, where Chen Fei Shen Wei wore a light yellow palace gown, her hair styled in a cascading cloud bun, delicately holding a fine white jade cup, sipping quietly.
Her casual demeanor carried an unspoken pressure.
Lan Pin’s heart tightened. She bowed to Shen Wei and, with a hint of grievance, complained, “Sister Chen Fei, you manage the six palaces; you must take charge for me. Dantai Yinxue has malicious intent, adding a febrifuge to the soup I drank, leaving me weak and bedridden.”
Shen Wei asked, “Do you have any evidence?”
Lan Pin hesitated. “I don’t have evidence, but I swear it must have been Dantai Yinxue!”
Shen Wei was at a loss for words.
Accusing someone of tampering with your medicine requires at least some proof! Without evidence, how could Shen Wei take action on her behalf?
No wonder Lan Pin was easily suppressed by the Empress shortly after entering the palace, falling from a favored concubine back to a mere pin. With her kind of thinking, surviving in the harem relied solely on the support of the Xie family.
Shen Wei set down her teacup. “You can’t just make baseless accusations. If you bring forth evidence of Xue Jieyu’s wrongdoing, I will certainly take charge for you.”
Lan Pin thought for a moment and quickly nodded. “I was rash. I will return to my palace and check the medicinal ingredients I took today.”
Lan Pin bowed and turned to leave.
Shen Wei let out a long sigh, silently glancing at the beams above. She had little patience for inefficiency.
Inefficient and dragging things out. If it were Shen Wei reporting a grievance today, she would have gathered all the evidence and witnesses beforehand, clearly laying out her case without wasting anyone’s time.
Shen Wei recalled a new intern at her company back in modern times. Every time she messaged Shen Wei, the first thing she would say was, “Are you there?”
If Shen Wei didn’t reply with, “Yes, what’s up?” the intern wouldn’t get to the point.
In the workplace, leaders appreciate those who communicate and act efficiently. The palace maids and eunuchs around Shen Wei reported matters without needing her to ask; each would narrate in detail, thoroughly and comprehensively, saving Shen Wei’s time.
“Ah...” Shen Wei rubbed her forehead.
She disliked dealing with conflicts between concubines. You harm me, I harm you; it’s a tangled mess of accusations and grievances, truly troublesome. But as the head of the harem, Shen Wei had no choice but to handle these trivial matters.
Cai Lian brought in more tea. “Your Highness, do you think Lan Pin can gather the evidence?”
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