Chapter 277
**Chapter 275: The Struggle for the Queen's Position**
The Queen pounded on the palace gates with all her might, but the grand entrance of Kun Ning Palace, a symbol of her glory, stood firm like a mountain, blocking her path.
Time slipped away, and eventually, the exhausted Queen collapsed onto the ground, sobbing softly.
...
...
In Changxin Palace, Lu Xuan's pregnancy was becoming evident. She supported her back with one hand as she strolled slowly through the palace. The weight of her belly made her feet slightly swollen, and the imperial physician advised her to walk more each day to relieve the pressure on her legs.
As September passed, the leaves in the courtyard began to turn yellow, and the lotus flowers in the pond gradually wilted. Lu Xuan walked a lap around the courtyard and took a break in the pavilion.
The maid, Xiao Qin, brought over a warm bowl of autumn pear soup.
Lu Xuan sipped a small cup and asked leisurely, “What’s happening over at Kun Ning Palace?”
Xiao Qin replied with a hint of schadenfreude, “The Queen has gone mad. She’s lost two sons in a row, and now her own mother is dead. She deserves it.”
Lu Xuan smiled faintly.
She continued, “The old matriarch of the Dantai family has passed away, and her funeral was quite extravagant. They used a coffin fit for a prince and invited all the nobles, going to great lengths.”
The laws of Da Qing were strict.
The old matriarch was merely a first-rank noblewoman, and her lavish funeral was a blatant disregard for imperial authority.
Xiao Qin understood immediately: “Are you planning to bring down the Dantai family?”
Lu Xuan revealed a cold smile. “A funeral that exceeds the regulations is a challenge to imperial power. Xiao Qin, write to my father and have him unite with the court officials to attack the Dantai family.”
Take advantage of his illness to claim his life.
Bringing down the Dantai clan would allow them to divide its interests. The Queen had made repeated mistakes, and her family was implicated; she wouldn’t be able to hold onto her position as the head of the six palaces.
Once the Queen fell, Lu Xuan would have the opportunity to ascend to the throne with her family's support.
Xiao Qin left to carry out her orders. Lu Xuan sat in the pavilion, a steaming bowl of autumn pear soup beside her.
She took another sip, her mind racing with plans for the future. First, she would topple the Queen, then the Chen Fei. The Queen's position would surely belong to her.
...
...
In Xiangyun Hall, Liu Qiao'er sat under the parasol tree, embroidering. Autumn was approaching, and the leaves of the tree began to turn yellow, a cool breeze rustling through.
“Mother, what are you doing?” Liu Qiao'er’s son, Li Chengxun, asked curiously from his little stool beside her.
Liu Qiao'er smiled. “I’m making you a little vest.”
Li Chengxun looked puzzled. “But the Neiwufu has already sent autumn clothes.”
Liu Qiao'er gently ruffled her son’s hair and said earnestly, “In this harem, you can’t trust anyone. The Chen Fei is in power, and what the Neiwufu sends might be laced with poison.”
Li Chengxun seemed to understand but didn’t argue.
Liu Qiao'er continued sewing autumn garments for her children, her mood light, even humming a lovely tune.
The palace was rife with open and covert struggles, and the Queen had lost her children one after another. Following the trajectory of her past life, it wouldn’t be long before the Queen would “pass away” from illness.
Next, the Chen Fei and the Shu Fei would surely fight for the Queen's position, battling fiercely and harming each other's children in the process.
The outcome would undoubtedly be mutually destructive.
Liu Qiao'er thought happily, “When the clam and the snipe fight, the fisherman benefits.” Let those ambitious women fight it out; she, Liu Qiao'er, would not compete and might just emerge as the ultimate beneficiary.
...
...
In Yongning Palace, Shen Wei and Zhang Miaoyu sat together at a small table, reviewing the autumn budget for the palace and calculating the summer expenses.
Outside the window, tiny osmanthus flowers hid among the branches, their elegant fragrance wafting into the room. After flipping through the account books for a while, Zhang Miaoyu felt dizzy and drained. She had already drunk two cups of lotus leaf tea. “Sister, let’s take a break; my eyes are starting to hurt.”
Shen Wei handed the account book to Mama Rong, giving her some instructions before she left with the book.
The two women relaxed in the study, sipping tea.
Zhang Miaoyu set down her teacup, her eyes sparkling with gossip. “Sister Shen Wei, have you heard? The Emperor has already taken action against the Dantai family. They’re investigating their corruption, the extravagant funeral, tax evasion, and harm to the common people. Dozens of Dantai officials have been thrown into the dungeons.”
“Tsk, tsk, they deserve it. The Dantai family has been prominent for a century, but they’re fighting both outside and within. The Queen is a disappointment. In such a grand family, not a single one has achieved anything this generation.”
The Dantai family was on the brink of collapse.
Shen Wei held her teacup and smiled. “Let’s just watch.”
Emperor Li Yuanjing had already made up his mind to strike at the Dantai family. Within a month, their estate would be confiscated, and those who deserved execution would be executed, while others would be exiled.
Zhang Miaoyu chuckled with glee. “Don’t worry, I won’t get involved. I even wrote to my father, advising him not to be a fence-sitter and not to write memorials against the Dantai family. Let the Dantai family fall on their own.”
Shen Wei praised her, “Sister Miaoyu, you truly have great wisdom.”
When the wall falls, everyone pushes.
Li Yuanjing’s determination to eliminate the Dantai family was set. Once the Dantai family was gone, other noble families would pounce like hyenas, eager to carve up the remains.
All the noble families were hoping for the Queen’s downfall. Once she fell, every concubine in the harem would have hopes of becoming the Queen.
Li Yuanjing was keenly aware of the families eyeing the Queen’s position; he was watching them closely. In the future, he would deal with them one by one.
Zhang Miaoyu finished her tea and began to nibble on some delicious pastries. She swallowed a bite of osmanthus cake and poked Shen Wei’s arm. “Sister, I’m curious about something. Why did the Second Prince willingly throw himself into the fire?”
That night, Li Chengzhen could have sought help from the Empress Dowager to distance himself from the Queen.
Yet, after just a few words from the Queen, he plunged into the flames without hesitation.
Shen Wei lowered her gaze. “It’s a kind of affliction, I suppose.”
She vaguely remembered that during her psychology elective in college, the instructor had mentioned a condition known as “Parental Trauma Stress Disorder.”
The cause of this affliction was that many people suffered long-term criticism and control from their parents, gradually developing a fear of them. When close to their parents, they felt suffocated and anxious; when away, their symptoms would greatly alleviate.
Sometimes, patients even feared answering their parents’ calls, as doing so would trigger anxiety and emotional breakdowns that could last for days.
Li Chengzhen had long been neglected by his father and oppressed by his mother. Over time, his character twisted into depression. He could have been saved, but the Queen’s voice was like a curse, pushing him into the abyss.
He chose to burn himself alive.
“Ah, the Queen probably doesn’t even realize she’s in the wrong,” Zhang Miaoyu shrugged, her face twisted in disgust. “She always thinks she’s right. You need to be careful, Sister; the Queen is mad and might blame her failures on you.”
Shen Wei set down her teacup. “I know.”
After a while, Cai Lian brought over the fabric for the autumn clothes from the Shangyi Bureau for Shen Wei to choose from. Shen Wei flipped through the materials and pointed to a piece of Shu brocade. “Have the Shangyi Bureau use this Shu brocade to make a warm autumn outfit for Yao’er.”
Cai Lian nodded.
Shen Wei then asked, “How much lunch did that child eat today?”
Cai Lian replied, “Princess Yao had a bowl of rice porridge for lunch and stayed cooped up in her room.”
Ever since witnessing her brother perish in the flames, Li Yao had fallen ill. She had only just managed to get out of bed a couple of days ago, looking pale and having lost a lot of weight.
Shen Wei sighed and instructed Cai Lian, “Have Le You and Cheng You spend more time with her.”
Children in the palace faced many storms and tribulations, including life and death. Li Yao might need a long time to recover from her pain. But as a princess approaching her coming-of-age ceremony, she wouldn’t have much time to process her grief.
At the same time, Shen Wei felt a renewed determination; she could not let her child follow the same path. Li Yao’s experiences were not a road that Le You should have to walk.
As night fell, Zhang Miaoyu happily left with two boxes of pastries.
As the lanterns lit up, Li Yuanjing returned to Yongning Palace after finishing his duties.
The night was deep, and a cool breeze brushed against his dark robes. The faint scent of osmanthus lingered in the courtyard. Li Yuanjing looked up and saw Shen Wei standing under the palace lantern, just as she always had.
Table of Contents
