Chapter 311
**Chapter 309: The Calamity of the Aristocracy**
Things have escalated dramatically. Xie Ji, having poisoned his legitimate wife and murdered a palace concubine, has been thrown into a dark prison.
Officials from the Ministry of Justice have been burning the midnight oil, reportedly filling ten pages with the details of Xie Ji's crimes, and they’re still not done.
Zhang Miaoyu shook her head, a look of pity on her face. “The uproar outside is fierce. The Emperor is furious, and the people are condemning him with their words and pens. The Xie family is finished.”
If Xie Ji had initially taken the initiative to apologize to the Wu family and willingly agreed to a divorce, the Xie family might have salvaged some reputation and managed to survive for another three to five years.
But Xie Ji was too arrogant, believing he had the Empress Dowager backing him. His actions—poisoning his wife and killing his daughter—were digging his own grave. With his meddling, the Xie family’s collapse came even faster.
Zhang Miaoyu continued, “Lan Pin has already been buried. Her loyal maid has volunteered to guard the royal tomb—though I never liked Lan Pin much; I always thought she was arrogant and naive. She was a pitiful soul, and for her, death is a kind of liberation.”
The room was quiet, with Shen Wei holding a warm hot water bottle in her hands.
Suddenly, Shen Wei asked, “Lan Pin has been in the depths of the palace for so long. How did she know the exact time Xie Ji entered the palace to plead for forgiveness? Huayang Palace is remote, far from the front palace, and guarded by the Imperial Army. How could she have hidden a blade to carry out an assassination?”
Zhang Miaoyu was taken aback, scratching her head. “Well... that’s...”
Upon further reflection, it seemed there were indeed loopholes.
The thought sent chills down Shen Wei’s spine as she tightened her grip on the hot water bottle. “Someone must be stirring the pot.”
In broad daylight, Zhang Miaoyu suddenly felt a chill run through her.
...
In the afternoon, the sun broke through the clouds, casting warm light that filled the courtyard. Shen Wei wrapped herself in a thick cloak and had the eunuchs move a sandalwood luohan bed into the yard, where she leaned back to bask in the sun.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, soaking up some sunlight was beneficial for her health.
In late autumn, the courtyard was ablaze with colorful chrysanthemums. As Shen Wei soaked in the sun, she flipped through the recent accounts from the palace. Rong Mama, Cai Lian, and Cai Ping were quite capable; even when Shen Wei was ill, they managed the palace affairs with remarkable efficiency.
Shen Wei felt satisfied.
With excellent staff, she could save herself a lot of trouble.
As she continued to peruse the accounts, a palace maid came to report that Gonggong Deshun, acting on the Emperor’s orders, had brought her a bowl of bird’s nest and snow frog soup.
The bowl was placed on a small table.
Deshun bowed respectfully. “Your Highness, the Emperor visited the Ministry of Justice today and will come to see you again tonight.”
After a pause, Deshun added, “A few days ago, while you were recuperating in the Xuanning Hall, the Shuyi Concubine came by to check on you.”
Shen Wei raised an eyebrow. “Did she see you?”
Deshun lowered his head and smiled. “I brought her to the curtain outside, so she certainly saw you. When she left, she looked a bit dazed.”
After delivering his report, Deshun left respectfully.
Shen Wei clutched the account book in her hands. During her illness, she had casually added a bit of fuel to the fire, not knowing if it would drive Lu Xuan to lose her reason and ignite her jealousy.
Once a person loses their wits, they can easily go to extremes and bring about their own downfall.
Shen Wei continued to read the accounts.
The sunlight was warm, and she felt enveloped in a comforting glow.
Just then, the sound of pattering footsteps approached, and a soft voice called out, “Mother! Mother!”
Shen Wei looked up to see a chubby little figure running toward her. Le You dashed over and leaped into Shen Wei’s arms.
Shen Wei stroked Le You’s small face. “Mother is doing well.”
Le You buried her head in Shen Wei’s embrace and mumbled, “I hope Mother never gets sick again.”
Before long, the other children arrived.
Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou nestled beside Shen Wei, quietly seeking affection. Li Yao, Li Nanzhi, and Li Wan’er followed suit, one after another.
In no time, Shen Wei was surrounded by children.
Having just recovered from her illness, Shen Wei still lacked energy, so she instructed Rong Mama to take the children to the back hall for some pastries.
“Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has arrived,” Cai Lian reminded her.
Shen Wei quickly set down the account book and rose to greet her. The Empress Dowager waved her hand slowly. “No need, please sit.”
In the courtyard, amidst the clusters of chrysanthemums, stood Shen Wei’s favorite luohan bed. A small wooden table was placed in the center for tea and account books. The Empress Dowager took a seat on the opposite side of the table.
Shen Wei handed her a cup of hot tea. “Mother, you’ve lost some weight. You must take care of yourself.”
The Empress Dowager had a few strands of white hair at her temples, looking even more haggard than Shen Wei.
The Xie family was on the brink of collapse. Although the Empress Dowager had severed ties with them for many years, she was once a daughter of the Xie family.
Watching her maternal family decline must have weighed heavily on her heart.
The Empress Dowager sipped her tea, a hint of sorrow in her eyes. “I knew long ago that the Xie family would seek their own demise. I’ve advised them, scolded them; wealth and power can blind even the most astute. Those caught in the web are often oblivious.”
Shen Wei propped herself up, unable to resist asking, “Mother, why did you sever ties with the Xie family?”
This had always been a curiosity for Shen Wei.
The Empress Dowager set down her teacup, her expression wistful. “That was many years ago…”
Back then, the Empress Dowager was still a daughter of the Xie family, having grown up alongside the late Emperor. Coming from a prestigious family, she married the late Emperor as she had wished, and they shared a harmonious relationship.
At that time, she hadn’t forgotten her family. Using her position as Empress, she sought many benefits for the Xie family. One year during the imperial examinations, she secretly manipulated the list, allowing a male member of the Xie family to monopolize a spot.
This was a trivial matter; at the time, it was common practice among the great families.
Later, when the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor went outside the city to pay respects, they also inspected the newly constructed dam in Yunzhou. While passing by, heavy rains had washed away the dam, and they were saved by a limping, disfigured hunter.
The late Emperor noticed that the hunter spoke eloquently and was well-educated. Upon inquiry, he learned that the hunter had been a successful candidate in the imperial examinations three years prior, but his spot had been taken by a member of the Xie family. When he sought justice, he was crippled and disfigured, losing his wife and children, and was forced to live by hunting.
Even more absurdly, the official overseeing the dam construction was the very Xie family member who had taken the hunter’s examination spot. This Xie family member was utterly uneducated and embezzled funds meant for the dam’s construction, leading to its collapse during a flood, displacing tens of thousands of commoners.
Reflecting on the past, the Empress Dowager closed her eyes heavily. “At that time, I realized I had made a grave mistake. The favoritism and indulgence of those in power are like a devastating flood to the common people.”
Had the Empress Dowager not favored the Xie family back then and instead appointed the talented hunter to a position of authority, the dam he built would not have collapsed, and countless lives would not have been lost.
Those in power hold the fate of millions of commoners in their hands.
When those in power become greedy and selfish, it is the common people who suffer.
The Empress Dowager sighed, her eyes growing even more weary. “The aristocracy is a parasite on the nation of Da Qing. If not suppressed, Da Qing will eventually be devoured, leaving it riddled with wounds. I am a daughter of the Xie family, but I am also the mother of the nation. How can I, for my own selfish desires, harm my family and country?”
The Empress Dowager took the initiative to sever ties with the Xie family, hoping they would retreat into the shadows.
But alas, the greedy members of the Xie family remained ambitious, marrying into the Wu family and gradually digging their own graves.
In the courtyard of Yongning Palace, a gentle breeze rustled the autumn chrysanthemums.
Shen Wei poured the Empress Dowager another cup of hot tea, finally understanding why the Empress Dowager valued her.
Shen Wei was not a daughter of an aristocratic family; she came from humble beginnings and cared for the common people. She had not acted out of favoritism for her family, and her ability to educate her children while helping Li Yuanjing suppress the aristocracy made her the most qualified virtuous wife, a supportive partner for the Emperor.
The Empress Dowager grasped Shen Wei’s hand, her tone filled with hope. “You must take good care of yourself. I hope you can accompany Yuanjing for many more years.”
Shen Wei nodded gently. “Mother, I understand.”
The Empress Dowager, weary and fatigued, spoke with Shen Wei for a while before being supported by Qian Mama as she left Yongning Palace. Shen Wei watched the Empress Dowager’s departing figure, noticing how much older she seemed in just a few short days.
Shen Wei sighed inwardly and called for Le You and the other children, carefully instructing them to spend more time with the Empress Dowager each day.
...
As night fell, palace lanterns flickered to life, dispelling the chill of the deep palace and casting a hazy glow on the walls.
Li Yuanjing lifted the beaded curtain.
He saw Shen Wei holding a steaming bowl of rib soup in her left hand, sipping it slowly, while her right hand flipped through a map, her eyes narrowed in thought.
Shen Wei’s complexion had improved significantly; the pallor that had lingered for days was now tinged with a healthy flush.
Li Yuanjing felt a sense of relief wash over him.
He disliked seeing Shen Wei pale and frail, like grains of sand slipping through his fingers, causing his heart to ache.
A lively, healthy Shen Wei with rosy cheeks was what brought him comfort.
“What are you looking at?” Li Yuanjing took a seat and picked up the map beside Shen Wei.
It was a layout of the inner palace, with various palaces and their entrances depicted.
Shen Wei set down her soup bowl, her dark eyes fixed on Li Yuanjing. “The princess from Donglin is coming soon. I’m considering which palace to arrange for her stay and what rank the Emperor intends to grant her.”
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