Chapter 294
**Chapter 292: Lady Liu**
Anguo Temple was a royal temple, where common folk were forbidden to enter for worship; only the royal family and high-ranking officials were allowed inside.
Shen Wei instructed Cai Ping to bring someone over.
As Shen Wei sipped her tea, she soon heard the soft rustle of footsteps. Dan Tai Rou, guided by a palace maid, arrived at the viewing pavilion on the temple's back mountain.
“Your servant pays her respects to the esteemed Concubine Chen, wishing you longevity and good health,” Dan Tai Rou's gentle voice rang out, soft and melodious, like a little bell hanging from the eaves.
Shen Wei set down her teacup and said, “Rise, there’s no need for such formalities.”
Dan Tai Rou stood up respectfully.
Shen Wei did not offer her a seat, allowing her to remain standing. Dan Tai Rou, with her hair styled in a married woman’s bun, wore a deep green cloud-patterned gown, her light makeup enhancing her natural beauty, which now bore the mature charm of a woman.
Her demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant, exuding an air of dignity.
Shen Wei remarked, “When I was bestowed the title of Concubine, you gifted me a natural ruby, which was quite beautiful.”
Dan Tai Rou lowered her gaze, her tone calm, “Your beauty, Concubine, is beyond compare. That the ruby could please you brings me immense joy.”
Shen Wei narrowed her eyes and suddenly asked, “Where did you acquire this ruby?”
Such a rare ruby was unique to the Southern Chu Kingdom, precious and hard to come by. As a daughter of a minor official, even marrying Yan Shilang, it was unlikely she had the means to obtain such a treasure.
Dan Tai Rou answered with composure, “A year ago, I traveled to Jiangnan and happened to save a Southern Chu merchant. Grateful for my help, he gifted me this. I have kept it well, and upon your recent elevation, I thought to present it to you.”
Shen Wei couldn’t help but smile inwardly.
Clearly, Dan Tai Rou was lying. The Southern Chu people were known for their adventurous spirit, and merchants traveled across various countries to make a living. It would be difficult for Shen Wei to track down this so-called merchant.
With no evidence to pursue, it was a dead end.
Shen Wei’s intuition was always sharp; she sensed that Dan Tai Rou was full of mysteries, far from the typical daughter of a minor official.
After chatting for a while, Shen Wei rewarded Dan Tai Rou with a plate of tribute oranges and casually dismissed her.
...
Dan Tai Rou left the autumn pavilion and, with the help of her maid, returned to the official carriage.
The carriage moved slowly.
Inside, Dan Tai Rou took a tribute orange and began to peel it. The skin was thin, and the flesh was juicy and plump, a royal delicacy, with fewer than a hundred supplied each year.
Dan Tai Rou recalled the scene in the autumn pavilion with Shen Wei. The table before Shen Wei was piled high with the thin skins of tribute oranges.
It was clear that the Emperor favored this concubine, who came from humble beginnings.
The maid remarked, “Madam, Concubine Chen seemed quite distant towards you, not even offering you a seat.”
Dan Tai Rou tasted a segment of the orange and replied lightly, “Concubine Chen and Princess Zhaoyang are close friends. Since I married Yan Yun Ting, and Princess Zhaoyang chose to marry far away in anger, it’s only natural that Concubine Chen doesn’t favor me.”
The maid pursed her lips, muttering in dissatisfaction, “Then why do we even bother visiting her? It’s just asking for trouble.”
If they disliked each other, why meet at all?
Dan Tai Rou handed the remaining half of the orange to the maid, smiling, “The master gifted her a precious rose-red ruby. I was just curious to see what makes her so special.”
A natural ruby, worth a fortune, yet given to the concubine of the Qing Kingdom.
Dan Tai Rou had never truly looked at Shen Wei before. She only knew that Shen Wei had once been an ordinary maid in the Wang residence, who had risen to become the Emperor’s favored concubine, wielding great power in the harem.
Today, as she took the initiative to visit Shen Wei, Dan Tai Rou took a closer look; indeed, the concubine was beautiful and clever, her words laced with traps.
A woman who could rise to such heights in the harem must possess extraordinary cunning and means.
“Cunning and beauty, but after all, she is the Emperor’s woman,” Dan Tai Rou mused, peeling another orange segment, puzzled, “Is the master trying to win her over? Or is he interested in her?”
The maid was equally perplexed.
The carriage continued its slow journey, arriving at the Yan residence an hour later. Dan Tai Rou stepped down just as Yan Yun Ting was leaving.
Dressed in a red official robe, Yan Yun Ting’s handsome face was serious, holding two scrolls in his hand.
Dan Tai Rou approached him, softly asking, “Husband, it’s your day off today, but are you still going to the Ministry of Rites?”
Yan Yun Ting nodded indifferently, “There are still some matters to attend to. Don’t wait for me for dinner; I’ll be staying at the Ministry tonight.”
Dan Tai Rou’s lips tightened slightly, her beautiful eyes reflecting a hint of sadness. She gently said, “The quarters at the Ministry are bare. I’ll have someone send over bedding and furniture to make it more comfortable. The autumn chill can be harsh; don’t catch a cold.”
Every word she spoke was filled with concern.
Yan Yun Ting felt a pang in his heart. After their marriage, he often thought of the distant Princess Zhaoyang, regretting that he hadn’t stopped her from marrying far away, which led to his growing distance from Dan Tai Rou.
Yet Dan Tai Rou remained gentle and dignified, never complaining, quietly managing the Yan household with grace, earning praise from everyone.
Yan Yun Ting felt guilty; he had let down Zhaoyang and had not treated Dan Tai Rou well. So he took her hand, saying, “Once I finish my duties for the arrival of the princess from Donglin, I’ll make sure to spend time with you. As for Zhaoyang... I’ll try my best to forget her.”
Dan Tai Rou gently shook her head, understanding, “Princess Zhaoyang is of noble birth, charming and lovable. It’s only natural for you to think of her. As long as you hold me in your heart, I’ll be content.”
Yan Yun Ting felt even more guilty.
To have a wife like her, what more could he ask for?
Dan Tai Rou then casually asked, “Husband, when will the princess from Donglin arrive in Yanjing?”
Yan Yun Ting replied, “In a month.”
A foreign princess traveling from afar would likely enter the palace as a consort. As an official in the Ministry of Rites, Yan Yun Ting naturally had to prepare for her arrival.
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Dan Tai Rou didn’t ask further, smiling as she saw Yan Yun Ting off in his carriage. It wasn’t until the Yan family carriage disappeared from view that the gentle smile on her face slowly faded.
She wiped her hands with a handkerchief and walked into the Yan residence.
...
...
In the afternoon, at Mei Fei’s Yu Xiu Palace.
The charred courtyard was blocked off with wooden boards, forbidding outsiders from entering. Though confined, Liu Ru Yan still sat in her study, slowly reading a copy of the *Book of Songs*.
When she reached the line, “At the banquet of youth, laughter and joy abound,” waves of nostalgia washed over her heart.
She recalled the scene of her first meeting with the Emperor, feeling a deep sense of melancholy.
Footsteps approached from outside, and a palace maid informed Liu Ru Yan, “My lady, the madam has arrived. The Liu family has requested a favor from the Emperor and has come to visit you.”
Liu Ru Yan set down her book, a bit surprised.
Moments later, a middle-aged woman dressed in simple attire hurried into the study.
Liu Ru Yan’s gaze was momentarily dazed; she hadn’t seen her mother in two or three years and almost didn’t recognize her.
Lady Liu, from a scholarly family, bore a striking resemblance to Liu Ru Yan. She had rushed into the palace, her attire casual, even forgetting to wear earrings, her face bare.
“Mother,” Liu Ru Yan called softly.
Lady Liu, anxious yet mindful of propriety, first bowed to Liu Ru Yan before dismissing the others.
In the spacious study, only Liu Ru Yan and Lady Liu remained.
Lady Liu stepped forward, her eyes falling on the *Book of Songs* in Liu Ru Yan’s hands, frowning, “What’s this about something you dug up in your courtyard?”
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