Chapter 261
**Chapter 259: Reputation**
Education is not just a privilege for boys; girls must also read, understand, and broaden their horizons. Especially for a royal princess, she cannot be a brainless, spoiled, and malicious fool. Take Princess Zhaoyang, for instance—though she may be a bit love-struck, her heart is with the people. She is kind and intelligent, never committing heinous acts, and her reputation is impeccable.
Cailian kept Shen Wei's instructions in mind.
"Also, have Mama Rong send the list of porcelain, spices, fabrics, and flowers needed by the royal family this year to Manager Ye," Shen Wei said. As the head of the harem, she certainly wouldn’t just be a diligent housekeeper; she needed to make money.
With money in her pocket and power in her hands, she felt confident.
The royal coffers were the easiest to fill; a single project could yield thousands or even tens of thousands of taels of silver, with substantial profits. Relying on the royal family, Shen Wei's business empire was expanding rapidly.
Cailian went off to carry out Shen Wei's orders. Shen Wei stretched, washed the mask off her face with clean water, and applied a thin layer of ointment. She moved her shoulders and stood up slowly, practicing a set of Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade) by the lotus pond.
Managing the harem was hard work, but she couldn’t forget about beauty and fitness. Li Yuanjing still doted on her; he spent the most nights at Yongning Palace and would also visit the palaces of Lu Xuan and Zhang Miaoyu. Just a few days ago, he had summoned Dan Tai Yinxue.
The palace was never short of beauties, and danger was always lurking. Shen Wei dared not let her guard down; she had to keep pushing forward.
She touched her face and sighed. She still had to rely on her looks for at least another decade.
...
...
In Huayang Palace, the purple wisteria was in full bloom.
Dan Tai Yinxue sat in the courtyard, savoring her tea. Today, the head of the Dan Tai family had entered the palace and secretly sent her some precious flower tea, urging her to capture the Emperor's heart and bear him a son as soon as possible.
In her celadon tea cup, the tea was clear and fragrant.
Dan Tai Yinxue frowned slightly, letting out a quiet sigh. After much anticipation, she had finally managed to spend the night with the Emperor a couple of days ago, fulfilling her wish.
But the experience was not as smooth as she had imagined. The Emperor was extraordinarily handsome, with a strong and robust physique. Dan Tai Yinxue closed her eyes, feeling as if she had gone through a nightmare...
"Shu Fei and Chen Fei are truly not ordinary people," Dan Tai Yinxue thought to herself with a heavy heart.
Before her debut, she had heard that Li Yuanjing had immense stamina, and the concubines could hardly bear it. After experiencing it once, she could confirm it was indeed terrifying.
Li Yuanjing's strong arms, capable of drawing a bow, and his sturdy legs, able to gallop on horseback, were a torment for a delicate girl like her.
Dan Tai Yinxue was frail; to maintain her slim waist, she had been dieting. Now, two days after their night together, she still felt pain in her bones. The secret techniques taught to her by the old matron had proven useless.
"Your Highness, the medicine is ready," a palace maid said, bringing over the prepared herbal soup.
Dan Tai Yinxue grimaced at the bitterness and drank it all in one go. This soup was meant to nourish a woman's body, and she hoped it would help her conceive.
"Oh, Xue Jieyu, you really have good taste, drinking tea under the wisteria tree—so elegant," Lan Pin said as she strolled over, waving her orchid fan, her eyes filled with disdain.
They lived in the same palace, always crossing paths. Lan Pin held a higher rank, so Dan Tai Yinxue had to stand up and pay her respects.
Lan Pin clicked her tongue and said sarcastically, "Congratulations, sister, for finally receiving the Emperor's favor. It's a pity, though, that after your night together, you're still just a Jieyu, not even a Guiren."
Dan Tai Yinxue felt the sting of her words, her eyes dimming.
Since she had spent the night with the Emperor, he had not paid her any attention. This morning, when she went to Chang'an Palace to pay her respects, Eunuch Deshun had tactfully stopped her, saying the Emperor was busy.
Dan Tai Yinxue's heart was like a clear mirror; the Emperor was not busy—he simply did not want to see her.
Lan Pin's gaze swept over the bowl of medicine on the table, catching the faint scent of herbs, and she mocked, "The Emperor has only come once; do you really think you can get pregnant?"
Lan Pin despised Dan Tai Yinxue.
That wretched girl had secretly poisoned her, leaving her bedridden. Later, Lan Pin turned Huayang Palace upside down but found no evidence of the crime.
Fortunately, a few days ago, Lan Pin had slipped some money to Cailian, the head maid of Yongning Palace, and received her secret guidance. Every day, Lan Pin used her rank to suppress Dan Tai Yinxue, mocking her to her face and slandering her behind her back. To prevent Dan Tai Yinxue from poisoning her again, she followed Cailian's advice and insisted on sharing meals with her.
The meals of a Pin were more lavish than those of a Jieyu. They would share the same dishes and soup; Dan Tai Yinxue would taste them first, and only then would Lan Pin eat. Both of them had small appetites, and much of their food went uneaten, which Lan Pin distributed to the palace servants.
If Dan Tai Yinxue dared to poison her again, the entire Huayang Palace's maids and eunuchs would fall ill together. A large-scale food poisoning incident would surely attract the Emperor's and the Empress Dowager's attention.
Though this method was clumsy, it proved surprisingly effective. Lan Pin not only disgusted Dan Tai Yinxue but also earned a reputation for "treating her sisters in the palace well."
After all, in the palace, there were clear distinctions of rank, and it was rare for a Pin to share her abundant meals with a mere Jieyu.
"You needn't worry about my affairs, sister," Dan Tai Yinxue said, her expression weary.
Lan Pin smiled, her pride evident. "I am the main consort of Huayang Palace, with the authority to manage the palace maids. Teaching you a lesson is in line with the rules of the harem. Even if you report me to Chen Fei, I will still be in the right."
Dan Tai Yinxue ground her teeth in frustration. She couldn't stand Lan Pin, yet she felt powerless to eliminate her, which was quite vexing.
Lan Pin was the Empress Dowager's niece, and the Xie family was more powerful than the Dan Tai family.
Dan Tai Yinxue had entered the palace with aspirations for the Empress's throne. Yet, it felt as if invisible hands were trapping her in the small Huayang Palace.
After a while of mocking, Lan Pin finally sauntered off for her afternoon nap. Dan Tai Yinxue's maid had red-rimmed eyes from holding back tears.
"Your Highness, there's more to this chapter. Please click the next page to continue reading; the story gets even more exciting!"
Dan Tai Yinxue lowered her gaze, pondering for a moment before instructing her close maid, "Lan Pin is malicious and foolish; she surely couldn't have come up with such a disgusting scheme on her own... Find out who she met privately a few days ago."
There must be someone behind Lan Pin, guiding her.
Dan Tai Yinxue clenched the handkerchief in her hand, hatred and murderous intent surging in her eyes. If she couldn't deal with Lan Pin, how could she not handle the scheming little minions behind her?
...
...
In the afternoon at Yongning Palace, while Cailian was sorting through the storeroom to select herbs, she suddenly sneezed.
Cai Ping rushed over, concerned. "Sister Cailian, did you not sleep well last night? Even though it's hot, you should still cover yourself with a light blanket at night. If you fall ill, the mistress will surely worry."
Cailian smiled and shook her head, placing a precious piece of deer antler into the box. "It's nothing; perhaps my family is missing me."
Cai Ping replied, "It must be your grandmother who is thinking of you. In two years, when you turn twenty-five, you can leave the palace and reunite with her. How is your grandmother's health?"
Cailian had no parents, only an elderly grandmother. Her grandmother lived in a village, enjoying her twilight years. Cailian sent money to her every month.
"She is in good health," Cailian said, a hint of uncontainable happiness shining in her eyes as she thought of her loving grandmother.
After selecting the precious herbs from the storeroom, Cailian and Cai Ping returned to report to Shen Wei.
Shen Wei had changed into a somewhat plain dress, her appearance simple and unadorned. She glanced at the herbs in the box, a smile curling at her lips. "Go to Kun Ning Palace to visit the ailing Empress."
Cai Ping was puzzled and murmured, "Mistress, the Empress doesn't treat you well; why must you go see her?"
Shen Wei smiled without answering.
A few days ago, Lu Xuan had spread rumors in an attempt to ruin Li Chengtai's reputation. Thanks to Lu Xuan's "reminder," Shen Wei realized the importance of reputation and detected a potential significant risk.
Not only did Chengtai and Chengyou need good reputations, but Shen Wei herself also needed one!
Now that Shen Wei held great power and was favored, she appeared imposing. But if some officials from the previous dynasty used this to slander her, accusing her of being a "seductive consort who misled the Emperor" or "plotting against the Empress," forcing the Emperor to eliminate her, Shen Wei would be in trouble.
She did not want to be a seductive consort; she wanted to establish her own reputation for "virtue and propriety"!
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