Chapter 346
**Chapter 344: When Did These Feelings Arise?**
Li Yuanli was unwilling to accept it.
He wished he could kick that cunning second brother into the river to drown. He quickly mounted his horse, gripping the reins tightly, and looked down from his elevated position, saying, “Second Brother, until we meet again.”
He cast a glance at Li Yuanjing, who was holding Shen Wei, and added with a smirk that was more taunt than smile, “Take good care of her. I’ll be bringing her back to Nanchu one day.”
With a flick of his whip, he rode off into the distance.
The mountain flowers bloomed vibrantly, and Li Yuanli’s figure vanished into the wilderness.
The hidden Tiger Guards revealed themselves, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty, the harem is secure. Should we pursue the Emperor of Nanchu?”
The mountain wind tousled Li Yuanjing’s dark hair, his handsome face shadowed with a frown, as the conflict between mercy and bloodlust raged within him.
He thought of the vast lands of Nanchu; if Da Qing were to go to war, perhaps they could conquer Nanchu within ten years. Yet, he also recalled childhood memories, the times spent chasing and playing with his brother, Li Yuanli.
After a long pause, the emperor’s mercy reluctantly triumphed over his murderous intent. Li Yuanjing closed his eyes and said, “No need.”
To fix the mess in Nanchu would take Li Yuanli at least three to five years. For a long time to come, Li Yuanli would have no time to entertain any ill thoughts towards Da Qing.
...
The grand ceremony of the Qincan and Qingeng rites came to an end in the glow of the setting sun. The royal procession made its way back along the long royal path to the majestic imperial city.
The Imperial Guards cleared the way, banners fluttering. Inside the spacious imperial carriage, Shen Wei had already changed into a dry and warm spring outfit.
She was still fast asleep.
A thick fox fur blanket was draped over her.
The carriage swayed gently as Li Yuanjing sat at the table, his dark eyes lingering on the sleeping Shen Wei. In her slumber, Shen Wei’s face was serene and round, her skin as fair as the peonies blooming in the mountains.
Having shared a bed with Shen Wei for many years, he was all too familiar with her sleeping face.
He quietly studied her, his brows slowly knitting together.
He thought of Li Yuanli, who had jumped into the rushing river without a second thought to save someone;
He recalled the fiery gaze Li Yuanli had cast upon Shen Wei;
And he remembered the reckless words Li Yuanli had uttered before fleeing, “Take good care of her. I’ll be bringing her back to Nanchu one day.”
His half-brother, who had long indulged in the pleasures of the world, treating men and women as mere playthings, had unexpectedly developed feelings for Shen Wei.
When did these feelings arise?
A wave of bitterness surged within Li Yuanjing.
He couldn’t help but wonder if, in a past he was unaware of, his Wei Wei had shared a secret connection with Li Yuanli.
It felt as if his heart had cracked open, the seeds of doubt taking root and sprouting, growing wildly like weeds after a spring rain, flooding his heart with turmoil.
...
Shen Wei slept through the night, and the imperial physician, Mo Xun, came to check her pulse, prescribing a remedy for wind-cold and wind-evil before hurriedly leaving with his medicine box.
The next morning, Shen Wei awoke in the warm and comfortable bed of Yongning Palace. She felt well, with no headache or fever.
After drinking a bowl of bitter herbal medicine, she quickly popped a piece of candied fruit into her mouth and jumped out of bed. She lifted the gauzy curtain, and warm sunlight enveloped her, bringing a comforting warmth.
In the courtyard, Shen Wei practiced a set of Baduanjin (Eight Pieces of Brocade), beads of sweat dotting her forehead. As she wiped away the sweat, several small figures came running towards her from the entrance of Yongning Palace.
“Mother!”
“Your Highness!”
Le You, with her chubby legs, dashed over and threw herself into Shen Wei’s arms, pouting, “Mother, I’m so glad you’re okay! You scared me to death!”
Shen Wei smiled brightly as she hugged her daughter, gently stroking her round face. “With your father around, no one can hurt me.”
A few children surrounded Shen Wei, chattering away with questions. Shen Wei, still mindful of palace matters, played with them for a while before sending Cai Lian to take them to the back courtyard for snacks and to try on the spring clothes she had ordered from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The children scampered off in a line.
Only Li Chengtai stayed behind, his big, shiny eyes fixed on Shen Wei. Shen Wei smiled and asked, “Chengtai, do you have something to say to me?”
Li Chengtai, dressed in a spring coat embroidered with golden patterns, wore a sorrowful expression that resembled Li Yuanjing’s. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice, “Mother, Father knew about the assassin’s plan to attack Cining Palace, didn’t he?”
Shen Wei’s eyes flickered; she hadn’t expected the child to see through it so clearly.
She nodded slightly. “Of course your father knew. He left several hundred Imperial Guards and Tiger Guards in the palace, waiting for the right moment.”
The Lu family thought they were in a cooperative relationship with the Emperor of Nanchu, but in the eyes of the Nanchu Emperor, the Lu family was merely a tool for assassinating the Empress Dowager.
Once used, they would be discarded.
Li Yuanli had never considered collaborating with the Lu family.
Li Chengtai hung his head, watching two black ants scurry across the dirt in the courtyard. His father, the Emperor of Da Qing, had used the Empress Dowager and her children as bait, setting a trap to catch the unsuspecting.
Li Chengtai felt a heaviness in his heart.
It was a bit uncomfortable.
Rationality told him that his father’s plan was brilliant; emotion told him that his father was truly heartless.
Shen Wei gently patted her son’s round head, soothing him softly, “Don’t think too much; you’re still a child. When you reach a higher vantage point, your perspective on the world will change.”
Li Chengtai pursed his lips, nodding in a way that suggested he understood, and then he trotted off towards the back courtyard.
After the children left, Shen Wei returned to her study, reviewing the repair list submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The intruders had attacked the palace, injuring many innocent palace servants and damaging numerous palace items.
As she calculated the expenses for repairing the harem, her eyes widened in shock—at least two thousand taels of silver would be needed!
Shen Wei clenched her fists, silently keeping a tally against Li Yuanli.
Li Yuanli had teamed up with the Lu family, turning the Da Qing harem into a complete mess! He had fled, leaving Shen Wei with a pile of troubles!
Cai Ping entered the study, grinning as she said to Shen Wei, “My lady, I’ve heard news from the court. The Emperor surrounded the Lu family’s estate in Yunzhou last night, and everyone in the Lu family has been imprisoned for questioning. The evidence of their collusion with Nanchu is irrefutable; the Lu family is likely finished.”
Assassinating the Emperor and plotting against the Empress Dowager—any one of those charges would be enough to wipe out the entire Lu family.
The Lu family had dug their own grave and could never rise again.
Shen Wei counted on her fingers: the Dantai family had fallen, the Xie family had fallen, the Lu family had fallen, and the Wu family had turned against them. The toxic aristocracy lingering in and around Yanjing had been mostly cleared away, leaving no remaining threats from the noble families.
Shen Wei felt a sense of relief.
Life would finally be smooth sailing from now on.
Putting down the account book, she asked Cai Ping, “Is the Emperor in Chang’an Palace?”
Cai Ping nodded in response, “The Emperor summoned the officials from the Ministry of War, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Justice early this morning. He is currently in Chang’an Palace discussing matters.”
Shen Wei said, “With the court so busy, we can’t forget about lunch. Have the Imperial Kitchen prepare some delicious food and send it to the side hall of Chang’an Palace at noon. I’ll join the Emperor for lunch.”
Cai Ping immediately went to relay the order to the Imperial Kitchen.
After Shen Wei finished checking the funds needed for the repairs, she went to Cining Palace to visit the Empress Dowager. As noon approached, Eunuch Deshun came to deliver a message, telling Shen Wei, “Your Highness, the Emperor is busy and said… you don’t need to accompany him for lunch.”
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