Chapter 354
**Chapter 352: The Pitiful One**
The late emperor never admitted his mistakes to the Empress Dowager!
In history, when has an emperor ever apologized to a concubine?
Li Yuanjing couldn't bring himself to lower his pride, and surprisingly, Shen Wei didn't come to seek reconciliation either. He hadn't expected Shen Wei to be so stubborn at her core; it caught him off guard and even piqued his interest.
Shen Wei was an endless treasure, always bringing him a sense of novelty, tempting him to dig deeper.
“I take my leave,” Shen Wei said, seemingly unaware of Li Yuanjing's convoluted thoughts. She performed a courteous bow and turned to leave with the child in tow.
As she reached the door, Shen Wei suddenly paused, turning her head to glance back at Li Yuanjing across the courtyard.
The moonlight of a spring night flowed like water.
Shen Wei seemed to have a thousand words to say, yet they remained unspoken, and she could only depart in silence.
Li Yuanjing's gaze lingered on Shen Wei's slender figure as she walked away, his eyes burning with intensity, as if he could pierce through her back with his stare.
...
Shen Wei returned to Yongning Palace.
She didn't immediately change or rest; instead, she went to check the luggage for her trip to Anguo Temple. The Empress Dowager was still recovering and was concerned about Princess Zhaoyang, who was far away in Yue Country. Thus, she had asked Shen Wei to visit Anguo Temple to pray and burn incense for Zhaoyang.
They would set off the day after tomorrow.
“Your Highness, everything is packed. Should we bring the Imperial Guards for protection?” Cai Lian inquired.
Shen Wei replied, “I’ll be back within a day. I’ll be traveling on the royal road; there won’t be any danger.”
Cai Lian expressed her concern, “Although Anguo Temple is a royal temple, it’s still not the palace. Your Highness, perhaps we should still bring the guards?”
Shen Wei looked at Cai Lian and firmly stated, “No need.”
Having served Shen Wei for many years, Cai Lian had developed a keen sense of observation. Sensing Shen Wei's determination, she nodded vigorously, “As you wish, Your Highness.”
...
...
Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing were still in a cold war. To the outside world, the once-glorious Chen Guifei had fallen from grace.
There’s no wall that doesn’t let the wind through.
Even the imprisoned Empress had heard the news. She was momentarily stunned, then frantically returned to the Buddhist hall, devoutly offering a stick of incense.
“Buddha bless! That wretched woman has finally lost favor; heaven has eyes!” The Empress laughed maniacally.
She knew the emperor was inherently cold-hearted and could never maintain affection for a single woman for long.
The more glorious Shen Wei had been over the years, the more tragic her downfall would be.
The Shen family would eventually face the emperor's wrath and be annihilated.
The dim, cramped Buddhist hall echoed with the Empress's frenzied laughter.
She laughed until she nearly collapsed on the floor, her bony fingers clutching the ash from the incense, tears and snot streaming down her face.
After laughing for what felt like an eternity, faint footsteps approached from outside the hall.
The only outsider who could enter Kun Ning Palace was the Empress's daughter, Li Yao. With spring arriving, Li Yao had brought her mother two spring dresses, a pair of cotton boots, and a thin quilt.
The sight of her mother in such a deranged state filled Li Yao with fear and concern. She stood at the entrance of the Buddhist hall and softly called, “Mother?”
At the sound of her voice, the Empress abruptly lifted her head.
Sunlight filtered into the hall, illuminating the Empress's skeletal face. Her eyes were dark, her skin waxy and yellow, and she looked emaciated. She walked over in a frenzy, grabbing Li Yao's hand, “Yao'er, my good daughter, our chance to turn the tables has come.”
Li Yao frowned, “Mother, please don’t talk nonsense.”
The Empress laughed loudly, her dark, eerie eyes wide open, rambling on, “That wretched Shen has lost favor, and that wretched Lu Xuan is going to die! My chance has come! The emperor will remember my goodness and release me, allowing me to rule the harem again, ha ha ha ha!”
Her laughter was sharp and piercing.
Li Yao could hardly recognize her once-proud mother. She hurriedly took two steps back, “Mother, please stop!”
The Empress continued to laugh madly, muttering, “Once I regain control of the six palaces, I will definitely kill Shen and her wretched spawn, and support the Dantai family. I haven’t lost; I still have a chance to make a comeback!”
The more the Empress spoke, the more absurd her words became, her expression growing increasingly deranged. Li Yao could hardly bear to listen any longer.
Wiping away her tears, Li Yao turned and fled Kun Ning Palace.
The Empress, in a daze, returned to the Buddhist hall and began to burn incense again, praying, “Buddha bless, let that wretched Shen die soon, preferably tomorrow.”
The incense smoke swirled around the altar.
Amidst the acrid smoke, the statue of the Buddha still bore a compassionate expression.
...
...
In Changxin Palace,
A strong medicinal smell filled the entire chamber. The noble consort Lu Xuan lay weakly on the bed, her face gaunt and her complexion ashen.
“Cough, cough, cough.” The medicine she had just swallowed was violently expelled by a fit of coughing, leaving Lu Xuan dizzy.
The maid Xiaoqi hurried over, gently patting Lu Xuan's back and wiping the medicine stains from her lips.
The Lu family had fallen apart, with the main line imprisoned, and the Duke of Lu and others facing execution after the autumn. Lu Xuan watched helplessly as her family crumbled, unable to do anything, her worries deepening day by day, and her health deteriorating further.
With Lu Xuan gravely ill in bed, Li Yuanjing had entrusted her son to another concubine for care. Lu Xuan was powerless to stop it; she knew she had utterly failed.
She could feel the vitality within her slowly ebbing away. Yongxin Palace had become her prison, her tomb; she might never see this year’s red plums bloom again.
“What’s happening outside?” Lu Xuan asked weakly from her bed.
Her illness had worsened, and her waking hours were growing shorter, leaving her increasingly disoriented.
The maid Xiaoqi spoke in a hushed voice, “Your Highness, there’s good news. The emperor has neglected Chen Guifei for a month. Today, she left the palace to go to Anguo Temple to pray for the Empress Dowager. In my opinion, Chen Guifei has lost favor and is desperately trying to please the Empress Dowager to maintain her status.”
Lu Xuan slowly opened her eyes.
Suddenly, she let out a muffled, low laugh.
Lu Xuan croaked, “Chen Guifei... cough, cough, is nothing special.”
When Shen Wei returned to the palace, she quickly suppressed the Empress and Lu Xuan with the emperor’s favor, basking in glory for a time. Lu Xuan had thought the emperor had true feelings for Shen Wei.
But now it seemed that Shen Wei was never the most special woman in the harem.
The emperor remained the same cold-hearted ruler; the Shen family was merely the next Lu family.
A smile of schadenfreude crept onto Lu Xuan's face, but as she smiled, bitter tears began to well up in her eyes, soaking into her hair.
...
...
In Chang'an Palace,
After reviewing the important memorials delivered that day, Li Yuanjing looked up at the sky outside the window, where blue skies and white clouds painted a pleasant spring scene. He sipped his tea and summoned Deshun into the hall.
Without Li Yuanjing needing to ask, Deshun spoke up, “Your Majesty, early this morning, Chen Guifei went to Anguo Temple. Princess Zhaoyang is far away in Yue Country, nearing her delivery date. Chen Guifei is fulfilling the Empress Dowager’s request to pray for her.”
Li Yuanjing glanced at Deshun, “When did I ask you about Chen Guifei?”
Deshun quickly backtracked, pretending to slap himself, “Oh, it was my mistake, I shouldn’t have spoken.”
Table of Contents
