Chapter 283
**Chapter 281: The Turmoil of the Deposed Empress**
Li Yuanjing patted his youngest son on the shoulder. “Go back to your mother.”
Li Chengjue nodded obediently and scampered back to Lu Xuan’s side. Eunuch Deshun presented a memorial from the Ministry of Justice, and Li Yuanjing ordered his men to escort Lu Xuan and her son away.
The hall fell silent again, the golden bronze incense burner wafting a delicate fragrance.
Li Yuanjing flipped through several memorials, all requesting the deposition of the empress. The officials claimed that the empress was “unfilial and unvirtuous,” unworthy of being the mother of the nation.
He casually tossed the memorial aside.
He truly wanted to depose her. The edict for her deposition had already been drafted; it just needed the final seal of the jade stamp.
He intended to suppress the powerful families, and the concubines from noble backgrounds in the harem, such as Shufei and Lanpin, could never succeed her as empress.
The only candidate to succeed her was Shen Wei.
...
Lu Xuan left Chang'an Palace.
Her youngest son, Li Chengjue, followed closely, his curious eyes darting around. Spotting the blooming chrysanthemums by the roadside, he gleefully plucked two. Lu Xuan waved her silk fan, her expression inscrutable.
She had to sit on the empress's throne.
In the entire harem, only she and Shen Wei were qualified to compete for the title of empress. However, the Shen family was a new power in the court, their foundation not yet solid. Shen Wei, after all, came from a peasant background, having risen from a maid in the Wang residence to a royal consort; it was a humble ascent, unworthy of the title of mother of the nation.
Throughout history, which empress was not from a prestigious family?
Even if it displeased the emperor, Lu Xuan was determined to become empress. The title symbolized nobility; if she became empress, her son would be a legitimate heir, the most qualified to inherit the throne.
Lu Xuan lowered her gaze, deep in thought, planning to write to her family, urging her father to unite with the court officials to have the emperor depose the empress and establish a new one.
“Your Highness, ahead are Chen Fei and Princess Yao,” the palace maid Xiao Qin whispered.
Lu Xuan looked up and indeed saw Shen Wei and Li Yao.
On this cool autumn day, Shen Wei wore a striking emerald silk dress, her hair styled in a lofty bun adorned with two golden hairpins. She was slender, her beauty ethereal and radiant.
A hint of gloom flickered in Lu Xuan’s eyes.
Since her pregnancy, Lu Xuan’s figure had changed, and her complexion had grown increasingly haggard. Yet Shen Wei had already given birth to three children; how could she still maintain such a fine appearance?
As the two groups met in the palace corridor, Shen Wei and Lu Xuan exchanged insincere pleasantries. Lu Xuan turned to Li Chengjue and said, “Greet Chen Niangniang.”
Li Chengjue, ever obedient, opened his mouth: “Hello, Chen Niangniang—what a lovely fragrance! Where’s that crab from?”
Still young, he was at the age of gluttony.
He sniffed the air, catching a rich scent of crab.
Shen Wei smiled brightly. “The little prince has a keen sense of smell. Caiping, bring the food box to the little prince.”
Caiping complied, handing the food box to Li Chengjue.
Li Chengjue’s eyes sparkled with joy as he hugged the small food box, his voice sweet and innocent: “Thank you, Chen Niangniang.”
“It’s getting late; I have matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave first,” Shen Wei said, not lingering, and departed with Li Yao.
After walking a short distance, Caiping whispered, “Your Highness, aren’t you worried that Shufei will have her eyes on the food box?”
Shen Wei, who understood Lu Xuan well, replied calmly, “She’s cautious; she won’t let her child eat what I send.”
Caiping fell silent.
...
After parting ways with Shen Wei, Lu Xuan returned to Changxin Palace with her child.
As they approached a pond, Lu Xuan halted.
She took the food box from her son’s hands, opened it, and tossed the steamed crab into the water.
Splash—
Ripples spread across the surface.
Li Chengjue was stunned. “Mother... Mother?”
Lu Xuan gently patted his head, her tone soft yet firm. “From now on, you mustn’t touch or eat anything that Chen Fei gives you, understand? If you want crabs, I’ll have the kitchen prepare some for you.”
Li Chengjue nodded, half-understanding, his gaze drifting toward the pond, confusion and conflict swirling in his little eyes.
The palace maid Xiao Qin approached and informed Lu Xuan, “Your Highness, Chen Fei is heading toward Chang'an Palace.”
A trace of mockery crossed Lu Xuan’s mind.
It seemed Shen Wei shared her intentions, both aiming to visit Chang'an Palace to subtly suggest to the emperor that she should be established as the new empress.
...
...
In Chang'an Palace.
Li Yuanjing was sipping tea when Deshun came to report that Chen Fei had arrived.
Li Yuanjing paused mid-sip.
In recent days, many concubines had visited Chang'an Palace. Lanpin had repeatedly tried to curry favor, and Shufei came by every few days, all hinting at the need to depose the empress and establish a new one.
Now, Shen Wei had come too.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Li Yuanjing’s mind. Was his Weiwei also like the other concubines, coveting the empress’s position?
As the palace doors opened, Shen Wei’s figure appeared before Li Yuanjing, accompanied by Li Yao.
“Your Majesty,” Shen Wei called softly.
Li Yuanjing beckoned her over. “Sit beside me.”
Shen Wei’s face showed clear hesitation as she slowly took a seat next to him.
Li Yao, on the other hand, respectfully greeted her father.
Noticing Li Yao’s reddened eyes, Li Yuanjing raised an eyebrow. “Why are you crying? Who bullied you?”
Li Yao remained silent, quietly wiping her tears.
Shen Wei discreetly tugged at Li Yuanjing’s sleeve. After a moment of hesitation, she gathered her courage and said, “Your Majesty, I have a request.”
Li Yuanjing narrowed his eyes. “What is it?”
Shen Wei clutched her teacup, her slender fingers tracing its edge as she spoke slowly. “Yao’er is thirteen this year, and in two years, she’ll be of marriageable age... The empress is implicated by her family and confined in Kun Ning Palace. There are rumors in the palace that you intend to depose her.”
“If Yao’er faces criticism because of her birth mother, it would be too unfair. Your Majesty, could you... please refrain from deposing the empress for now?”
Shen Wei lowered her head anxiously.
It seemed she felt uneasy about her boldness.
She added softly, “The harem should not interfere in politics... but I treat Yao’er as my own daughter and cannot bear to see her suffer.”
The hall fell silent.
Shen Wei waited for Li Yuanjing’s response, stealing a glance at him.
Unexpectedly, her gaze collided with his, and her cheeks flushed instantly.
“Deshun, take the princess to the side hall for some tea,” Li Yuanjing instructed, and Deshun respectfully led Li Yao away.
In the hall, only Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing remained.
Li Yuanjing took Shen Wei’s hand. “Weiwei, don’t you want to be empress?”
Shen Wei quickly shook her head. “I don’t.”
As long as she could secure Li Yuanjing’s affection, whether or not she became empress was irrelevant. Shen Wei had thought long and hard about this; she believed it was better to keep the empty title of empress for Dantai Shuy, allowing her to remain trapped in Kun Ning Palace, unable to stir up any trouble. It was better to let a foolish person hold the position.
Li Yuanjing cupped Shen Wei’s face, gazing into her beautiful eyes.
Shen Wei’s gaze was calm and pure, clear as water.
After a long moment, Li Yuanjing sighed helplessly, pinching Shen Wei’s nose. “You really are hopeless.”
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