Chapter 269
**Chapter 267: Cause of Death**
Li Yuanjing thought carefully and realized it was indeed the case. The women in the harem employed all sorts of tactics to vie for favor, disrupting the peace and causing great displeasure.
Shen Wei tugged at Li Yuanjing's hand, her tone gentle as she said, "It’s already hard enough for a woman to be pregnant. Any discomfort during this time could lead to a miscarriage. Your Majesty, I would like to accompany you to Changxin Palace to visit Consort Shu."
Seeing the hopeful look in Shen Wei's eyes, Li Yuanjing nodded, "Alright."
The palace maid, Xiao Qi, was taken aback. Consort Shu had specifically asked her to invite the Emperor, but she hadn’t mentioned bringing Chan Fei along. As the sedan chair rose, with Chan Fei and the Emperor sharing the same seat, Xiao Qi could only grit her teeth and follow quickly behind.
The night was already late; the oppressive heat of summer had dissipated, and a cool breeze began to blow.
Shen Wei sat in the sedan chair, deliberately turning her face toward the cool wind. Before long, her delicate features began to chill, her lips turning pale. She let out a small sneeze.
Li Yuanjing, sitting in the sedan, furrowed his handsome brows and draped his cloak over Shen Wei, saying, "Don’t catch a cold."
Shen Wei rubbed her petite nose, revealing a face that had turned cold from the wind, her lips pale and her cheeks flushed. She smiled and shook her head, "Once we finish visiting Consort Shu, I’ll go back and drink a couple bowls of ginger soup. I won’t get sick."
Li Yuanjing touched Shen Wei's face, feeling its coolness. His eyes betrayed his concern.
...
...
Changxin Palace was brightly lit.
In front of the dressing table, Lu Xuan repeatedly checked her reflection in the silver mirror. Dressed in a thin, off-white nightgown, her smooth black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her face bore a light touch of makeup, intentionally appearing haggard.
"Your Highness, why do you want to wear a look of exhaustion?" the palace maid, Xiao Qin, asked, puzzled.
Lu Xuan caressed her face, "I want the Emperor to see that I’m carrying his child and that it’s very hard for me."
She aimed to touch a man’s heart through her suffering. A man’s sympathy and pity could keep him by her side in Changxin Palace.
At that moment, a palace maid entered to report, "Your Highness, the Emperor has arrived."
Lu Xuan's heart leaped with joy as she steadied herself with the maid's hand to stand. However, she didn’t go out to greet him; instead, she quickly lay back down, pretending to be tormented by morning sickness, unable to even sit up.
Footsteps approached from outside, and then the beaded curtain was lifted, revealing Li Yuanjing’s tall figure. Lu Xuan clutched her heart, feigning discomfort, and attempted to rise to greet the Emperor, weakly saying, "Your Majesty, you’ve come—"
The rest of her words caught in her throat.
Lu Xuan noticed Shen Wei standing beside Li Yuanjing.
Why was Chan Fei here too?
Her surprise flickered and vanished as Lu Xuan resumed her act, "Cough, cough... Your Majesty, I’m suffering from morning sickness and cannot rise to greet you. Please forgive me."
Li Yuanjing approached the bedside, his gaze falling on Lu Xuan’s pale face. He said, "Just lie down; there’s no need to get up."
Lu Xuan’s eyes turned red, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."
Just as Lu Xuan was about to continue her pitiful act, a flurry of footsteps echoed from outside. Shen Wei, with a sympathetic expression, stepped forward and said, "Pregnant women have it hard. The Emperor has sent for all the attending physicians to come and check on Consort Shu, to take her pulse and prescribe some medicine to ensure the baby’s safety."
Lu Xuan: ...
The physicians entered the room, taking turns to check Lu Xuan’s pulse through the bed curtains. They concluded that her "excessive worry" had caused instability in her pregnancy, leading to her persistent vomiting. They prescribed medicine, and a maid went to fetch the ingredients to brew it.
Li Yuanjing offered a few comforting words and prepared to leave. Lu Xuan couldn’t just let him walk away; she weakly sat up, "Your Majesty, I wish to—"
"Achoo—"
A sneeze interrupted her.
Not far away, Shen Wei sneezed again.
Li Yuanjing frowned slightly, recalling how Shen Wei had walked with him for a long time that evening, exposed to the wind. He instructed the palace maids to take good care of Consort Shu and decided to take Shen Wei back to Yongning Palace.
Inside Changxin Palace, Lu Xuan sat alone on the bed, watching her beloved man show such concern for another woman. Her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a sharp knife.
A palace maid brought in the brewed medicine, saying, "Your Highness, the physician has prescribed a new formula for tonight. You should drink it while it’s hot."
Lu Xuan raised her hand, and the bowl of soup crashed to the ground.
The bitter smell of the medicine spread through the air.
Lu Xuan cursed angrily, "That wretched woman! She’s deliberately trying to slap me in the face!"
Xiao Qin knelt on the ground, earnestly advising, "Your Highness, please don’t be angry. The well-being of the child in your womb is what matters most. The Emperor currently favors Chan Fei; why compete for his affection? Once the child is safely born, we will have plenty of opportunities."
"Lord Duke, the Lu family has hundreds of mouths to feed, all hoping for your safety. Our Duke’s residence was once in decline, but it’s thanks to you that we’ve risen to prominence. Please don’t act impulsively."
Lu Xuan closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Indeed, she hadn’t entered the palace solely for the Emperor’s favor; it was also for her family. She had to remain rational, keeping a clear head to contend with Shen Wei.
"That Doctor Mo, continue to keep an eye on him," Lu Xuan suppressed her anger, her pupils darkening. "Perhaps he is the key to bringing down Chan Fei."
Xiao Qin replied, "This servant understands."
...
...
Yongning Palace.
Shen Wei waved her hands repeatedly, retreating a couple of steps as if escaping, "Your Majesty, I can’t drink anymore."
Once back in the palace, Li Yuanjing had forced her to drink most of a bowl of warming ginger soup. The soup was spicy, and Shen Wei simply couldn’t take it, repeatedly refusing.
Li Yuanjing touched Shen Wei’s forehead; her temperature seemed normal. "From now on, I won’t let you out in the cold at night."
As night fell, the two of them fell asleep in their clothes.
Li Yuanjing had been busy with state affairs during the day and was quite exhausted after the evening’s events. He held Shen Wei in his arms, ready to close his eyes and drift off. However, Shen Wei, nestled in his embrace, was restless, squirming about.
"Don’t move," Li Yuanjing said hoarsely, holding her slender waist.
Shen Wei teased, "I can’t sleep, Your Majesty. What if one of the other ladies comes looking for you? I should be the one to open the palace door to greet them."
Li Yuanjing slowly opened his eyes, pinching Shen Wei’s smooth chin, raising an eyebrow, "You’re talking nonsense. Why do I smell jealousy?"
Shen Wei huffed and nestled into Li Yuanjing’s chest, her tone deliberately sour, "Three ladies came to pour their hearts out to the Emperor in one night. Of course, I’m jealous."
Li Yuanjing chuckled, enjoying Shen Wei’s straightforward and unreserved jealousy. It showed that she cared for him.
He held her close, "Stop messing around and go to sleep."
Shen Wei quieted down, the drowsiness overtaking her, and soon she fell into a deep slumber.
...
...
The next morning, Li Yuanjing opened his eyes on time. Shen Wei, fighting off sleepiness, helped him dress and crown himself.
Her own movements were much slower as she put on her clothes. Seeing her drowsy state, Li Yuanjing sighed, raised his hand, and helped Shen Wei tie her dress.
He quite enjoyed dressing Shen Wei.
She obediently let him dress her like a beautiful doll, and that feeling was quite nice.
After breakfast, Li Yuanjing left for court without delay. Shen Wei jogged a few laps in the courtyard. Cai Ping brought a towel to wipe her sweat and informed Shen Wei, "Your Highness, I followed your instructions to investigate the Second Prince’s daily life. I found that one or two of the eunuchs serving him die every month."
Shen Wei paused in her wiping, "Why do they die?"
Cai Ping looked regretful, "The palace servants claim that the young eunuchs died from illness. But when I and Ji Xiang secretly examined the bodies, we found them covered in bruises, a sight too horrific to bear, suggesting they had been abused. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to investigate further before the bodies were taken away."
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