Chapter 361
**Chapter 359: A Calculated Scheme**
Li Yuanjing's emotions swung wildly, a flicker of hope that had finally appeared was instantly snuffed out, plunging him into despair. He touched Shen Wei's cold face, his heart aching as if it were being sliced by a blade, bloodied and raw, dragging him into an endless abyss of cold.
Shen Wei had stopped breathing.
The wind howled in the courtyard, the mulberry leaves rustling in a cacophony, while a light spring rain fell, drenching the night.
“Make way, the medicine is here!” Mo Xun's voice rang out from outside.
Mo Xun dashed in, splashing through the rain.
She glanced at the heartbroken Li Yuanjing, then quickly pulled out a pill and shoved it into Shen Wei's mouth, pretending to administer an injection to detoxify her.
Li Yuanjing watched intently, not missing a single detail.
The candlelight flickered brightly, working late into the night.
Toxic black blood oozed from Shen Wei's fingers, dripping into a small bowl.
As the poison was expelled, Shen Wei gradually regained a faint breath, her pulse beginning to thrum once more.
“Thank goodness for this detox pill. I’ll brew a couple more when I have the time,” Mo Xun wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Li Yuanjing, as he always did, held Shen Wei's wrist.
He could no longer hear the sounds of the outside world. His focus was solely on Shen Wei; he could feel the faint pulse of life beneath her delicate wrist.
Weak, but steady.
That faintly beating pulse was a ray of light piercing through the darkness, illuminating Li Yuanjing's world once again.
In the past few days, Li Yuanjing had witnessed Shen Wei slowly slipping toward death, then saw her awaken, only to watch her wither again, until finally, she began to breathe once more.
The highs and lows were a nightmarish mental torment for Li Yuanjing.
“Mo Taiyi, is the poison completely cleared from Weiwei's body?” Li Yuanjing asked anxiously.
Mo Xun replied, “Most of it has been expelled, but there’s still some residual poison. I’ll prescribe some medicine for her recovery; the Guifei will gradually heal.”
“That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful,” Li Yuanjing closed his eyes, still shaken.
After the emotional rollercoaster, a wave of nausea surged in his throat, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Li Yuanjing didn’t care about the blood; he casually wiped the corner of his mouth and held Shen Wei’s hand, which was slowly warming up, revealing a relaxed smile.
Shen Wei was his precious treasure, lost and found again; he had to hold on tightly and never let go.
Mo Xun noticed the blood at the corner of Li Yuanjing's mouth.
With a sigh, she pulled out a heart-nourishing pill from her medicine box and handed it to him. “Your Majesty, this is a heart-nourishing pill I concocted. Your worry for the Guifei has caused you distress. Take this to care for yourself. Once the Guifei wakes up and sees you spitting blood, she will be worried.”
Li Yuanjing swallowed the pill without hesitation.
Mo Xun stood up, saying, “I’ll go write a new prescription for the Guifei. I take my leave.”
Mo Xun exited the Guifei's chamber.
She lifted the ornate beaded curtain but couldn’t help glancing back. The palace lanterns cast a soft glow, Shen Wei’s breathing was faint yet steady, and Li Yuanjing held her hand, the two of them resembling an ordinary loving couple.
Mo Xun felt a twinge of envy.
She muttered, “Even the royal family has true feelings, yet that dog of a man, the Guoshi, is the most heartless.”
...
...
Thanks to Sun Qingmei delivering the detox pill in time, the near-lifeless Shen Wei was saved.
Though the poison was cleared, Shen Wei still hadn’t awakened.
That night, the Yongning Palace was quiet, the chirping of insects filling the air. In the study, the palace lanterns shone brightly as Li Yuanjing reviewed military deployment maps, the candlelight casting a hazy glow around him.
Suddenly—
The curtain was lifted.
Li Yuanjing thought it was Deshun bringing tea, so he didn’t look up and said, “Refill the tea.”
The jade tea cup on the table was picked up, and the fragrant tea was poured in, filling the room with its aroma.
Then, Li Yuanjing suddenly heard Shen Wei’s voice: “Your Majesty, have some spring tea.”
Li Yuanjing froze.
His neck felt as if it had rusted, his gaze inching forward. The lantern light illuminated the study, revealing Shen Wei in a light-colored nightgown, her black hair pinned up with a jade hairpin, holding a steaming jade tea cup, smiling brightly at him.
“Weiwei?” Li Yuanjing was taken aback.
Shen Wei said, “I just woke up and wanted to see you, so I came myself.”
Under the lantern light, she was as beautiful as a painting.
Just like before.
Joy flooded Li Yuanjing’s eyes; he tossed aside the pen and rushed forward to embrace Shen Wei tightly.
Their clothes fluttered, the jade tea cup fell to the ground, warm tea splashing onto his sleeves.
Li Yuanjing held her greedily for a moment before realizing Shen Wei was only wearing a thin nightgown. “It’s cold in the study; why are you dressed so lightly?”
Without a second thought, Li Yuanjing scooped Shen Wei up and carried her back to the chamber, tucking her snugly into the soft bed.
His movements were gentle.
He was afraid of breaking her.
The palace maid brought in the prepared medicine, and Li Yuanjing personally fed it to Shen Wei. She soon felt drowsy and drifted back to sleep.
Li Yuanjing returned to the study to continue reviewing memorials. After a while, he suddenly set the memorials down, picked up the lantern, and went to Shen Wei’s chamber.
After hesitating for a moment, he placed his fingers under Shen Wei’s nose to check her breathing.
It was steady.
Li Yuanjing let out a sigh of relief.
Tonight, the silver lamp shines, fearing that this reunion is but a dream—thankfully, it is not a dream.
Heaven has eyes; his Weiwei has finally returned.
...
...
In late spring, Shen Wei had just recovered from her serious illness and was slowly able to get out of bed, reading and reviewing account books.
The servants in Yongning Palace were busy with their respective duties, working in an orderly fashion. While Li Yuanjing was still attending morning court, Shen Wei, after finishing her breakfast, leaned against the bedside, studying the shop’s account books.
“Guifei, I’m here to check your pulse,” Mo Xun said as she lifted the beaded curtain and walked in.
Shen Wei pointed to the rosewood stool by the bed. “Sit.”
She continued to peruse the account books.
Mo Xun rested her chin on her hand, observing Shen Wei’s slightly thinner face, unable to resist asking, “Guifei, after putting on such a grand performance, what did you gain?”
Shen Wei shifted her gaze from the account book to Mo Xun, calmly replying, “A stable relationship that can last at least five years.”
Mo Xun clicked her tongue in amazement. “You’re quite ruthless.”
Shen Wei was harsh on herself.
And on others as well.
Ever since she sensed Li Yuanjing’s growing suspicion, Shen Wei had begun to plot this grand act of “poisoning and faking death.”
A man’s verbal acknowledgment of his mistakes doesn’t mean he truly understands them; more often, it’s just to “keep the peace.” Shen Wei wanted Li Yuanjing to deeply reflect on himself and confront his feelings for her.
Only through death can one gain enlightenment; only through loss can one learn to cherish.
Shen Wei said calmly, “In the future, if the Prince of Heng or any other man covets me, Li Yuanjing won’t dare to doubt me again—if he dares to suspect me, I’ll show him what death looks like.”
Mo Xun gave her a thumbs up. “Impressive. But I have a question: what if the Emperor refuses to save you?”
Shen Wei continued to read the account book. “If the Emperor doesn’t save me, you can bring me back to life. My elder brother is far away in Liangzhou; if he sees the Emperor ignoring me, he’ll know the Shen family is in trouble. I’ll endure for another two or three years, and there will be opportunities for a turnaround.”
If Li Yuanjing truly intended to eradicate her, he shouldn’t blame Shen Wei for taking the initiative.
Her brother held military power, she controlled vast wealth, and she had heirs to rely on—besides, before Shen Wei “poisoned” herself, she had already secretly administered a slow-acting poison to Li Yuanjing.
“By the way, did you detoxify the Emperor?” Shen Wei casually asked.
Mo Xun smirked, lowering her voice. “A few days ago, I gave him the antidote. I told him it was a heart-nourishing pill, and he didn’t suspect a thing.”
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