Chapter 280
**Chapter 278: Seeking the Master for Help**
As autumn gradually set in, Shen Wei always enjoyed sipping on nourishing duck soup during this season.
Cai Lian entered the room, carrying a food box, and paused for a long moment.
...
After a while, Cai Lian walked in with the food box, joining the other palace maids to serve dishes for their master.
With the change of seasons, palace affairs had become hectic. Shen Wei had been busy for several days and had little appetite. At dinner, she barely touched her chopsticks, eating only a few bites of rice and sampling some stir-fried autumn bamboo shoots before she set her chopsticks down.
Li Yuanjing sat across the table, his handsome brows furrowed as he observed Shen Wei’s slightly gaunt face. Unable to hold back, he said, “Eat a bit more.”
Shen Wei pouted and shook her head like a picky child. “I can’t eat.”
Li Yuanjing raised an eyebrow. He indulged Shen Wei’s occasional whims, but that didn’t mean he would sit idly by while she grew thinner.
After a moment’s thought, Li Yuanjing suddenly set down his ivory-white jade chopsticks.
Sure enough, Shen Wei looked up in surprise. “Your Majesty, you’re not eating?”
Li Yuanjing replied softly, “We share both joy and hardship.”
The meaning was clear: if Shen Wei wouldn’t eat, then neither would he.
In her heart, Shen Wei grumbled, *What do I care if you don’t eat? Starve if you want. Tomorrow, just send my son to the throne, and I’ll retire the day after.*
On the surface, however, Shen Wei had to pretend to compromise, picking up her bowl and chopsticks again. “Then I’ll have another bowl of duck soup.”
Only then did Li Yuanjing look satisfied.
His Wei Wei truly cared for him.
The feeling of being able to manipulate Shen Wei with such small tactics brought Li Yuanjing great pleasure.
The two continued their meal. Cai Lian lifted the lid of the soup bowl containing the lily duck soup, and steam wafted up. She took a delicate white porcelain bowl and scooped a spoonful of duck soup.
Cai Lian was preoccupied with her thoughts, and in a moment of distraction, the bowl slipped from her hands.
Crash—
Warm soup spilled everywhere, soaking the hem of Shen Wei’s skirt.
Li Yuanjing snapped, “What kind of service is this?”
Shen Wei, who usually had a good temper, spoke gently, “You’ve been running around for me today; you must be tired. Go rest for now.”
Cai Lian gritted her teeth and suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down her face.
She knocked her head heavily on the ground, her tear-filled eyes pleading, “Your Majesty, Consort Shen, please save my family!”
Shen Wei was taken aback, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
Li Yuanjing, always perceptive, asked, “What’s going on?”
Cai Lian, still on the ground, choked out the details of how she had been threatened by Dan Tai Yinxue.
She embellished a bit, claiming that Xue Jieyu intended to poison Shen Wei and her three children.
In the end, Cai Lian was nearly in a faint from crying, stammering, “Consort Shen has treated me kindly; how could I do something so despicable? My grandmother is old and has been taken by wicked people. I truly don’t know how to save her... I can only... only muster the courage to ask you both...”
Cai Lian prostrated herself on the ground, her forehead pressed heavily against the floor.
Shen Wei’s heart ached for her, and she hurriedly urged Cai Lian to rise. But Cai Lian remained kneeling, unwilling to get up, pleading in agony, “I only have this one grandmother... I come from a lowly background; Xue Jieyu could crush me and my grandmother with a single finger... Please, I beg you to help...”
Shen Wei was uncertain and turned to look at Li Yuanjing.
Li Yuanjing’s expression was dark, clearly angry.
He certainly didn’t think this was just a malicious scheme from the harem. Dan Tai Yinxue was from the Dan Tai family; if she dared to risk poisoning Shen Wei, it must have been at her family’s behest.
How bold the Dan Tai family was!
Shen Wei gently tugged at Li Yuanjing’s sleeve, whispering, “Your Majesty, how about I go to Huayang Palace and confront Xue Jieyu directly... If this is true, I’ll find a way to rescue Cai Lian’s grandmother.”
Li Yuanjing had already made up his mind. “You don’t need to get involved; I will handle it.”
Li Yuanjing set down his chopsticks and left Yongning Palace.
Shen Wei knew he would be working late into the night, so she thoughtfully brought him a cloak, watching his retreating figure as he strode away.
The night wind rustled, and Shen Wei returned to the hall, picking up her chopsticks to continue her meal. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Cai Lian and praised, “Well said.”
Cai Lian wiped away her tears and bowed again. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Earlier in the day, when threatened by Dan Tai Yinxue, Cai Lian had immediately reported the matter to Shen Wei.
She was a clever girl, not foolish enough to poison Shen Wei; seeking her help was her only way out.
Shen Wei didn’t let Cai Lian down, asking her to wait until nightfall to seek help in front of Li Yuanjing.
Li Yuanjing would surely think that Dan Tai Yinxue was acting on her family’s orders to harm Shen Wei and the princes.
After dinner, Shen Wei walked around the courtyard a couple of times. Autumn had arrived, with osmanthus and chrysanthemums blooming, filling the courtyard with vitality. Shen Wei exercised for a while as usual before returning to her room to rest.
As she snuggled into her fragrant, soft bedding, she fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly, she heard the crisp sound of the bronze bell ringing in the wind.
Shen Wei immediately opened her eyes, pinching her thigh hard; the sharp pain forced her drowsiness away.
She pretended to toss and turn in bed.
After a while, Li Yuanjing quietly entered the room, about to change into his nightclothes. Shen Wei lifted the bed curtain and softly said, “Your Majesty, you’re back.”
Li Yuanjing paused in his movements, surprised. “Wei Wei, you’re not asleep?”
Shen Wei got out of bed and personally helped Li Yuanjing out of his clothes, dressing him in dark nightwear.
She forced herself to appear calm, saying, “I’ve been asleep for an hour; I just woke up because I was thirsty.”
What she said was true; she had indeed enjoyed a good hour of sleep. If it hadn’t been for the ringing of the bell hanging from the eaves, Shen Wei would have slept soundly until dawn.
But Li Yuanjing clearly didn’t believe her.
He took Shen Wei’s delicate hand in his. “I know you’re scared.”
Shen Wei lowered her head, as if he had touched on a sensitive subject, falling silent.
The flickering candlelight in the glass lamp cast a warm glow on Shen Wei’s profile, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly, revealing a hint of sadness.
Li Yuanjing pulled her into his embrace. “The Tiger Guards have investigated thoroughly. That little palace maid’s grandmother was taken away by a servant from the Dan Tai family during the day and left in an abandoned temple. She has been rescued and is fine.”
Li Yuanjing had intended to deal with the Dan Tai family slowly, but to his surprise, they were still scheming to harm Shen Wei.
Crossing his bottom line, Li Yuanjing decided to take care of the Dan Tai family in the short term.
Shen Wei rested her head against Li Yuanjing’s chest and murmured, “With you here, I’m not afraid.”
After changing into nightclothes, the two lay down together.
Shen Wei was dead tired but still had to pretend to be “tossing and turning” in bed, occasionally sighing quietly or staring blankly at the bed curtain.
Li Yuanjing held her waist, letting her lean against him. “Don’t overthink it; just rest with me.”
Shen Wei was like a quiet little cat, her head resting on his chest.
The bed curtain was silent, while outside, autumn insects sang softly.
After a long while, Li Yuanjing heard Shen Wei seemingly talking to herself. “I used to live in the Eastern Huashan Imperial Farm, far from the palace’s strife, and I didn’t have so many worries...”
Li Yuanjing fell silent.
He knew that the endless conflicts in the harem had worn Shen Wei down, both physically and mentally.
His Wei Wei didn’t like wealth and power, nor did she enjoy the struggles of the harem, but to stay by his side, she silently endured all the discomfort.
Table of Contents
