Chapter 364
**Chapter 362: Surrendering Without a Fight**
Shen Wei asked, “Has Shufei’s condition improved?”
Cailian replied, “The imperial physician has checked on her. Shufei suffered greatly after giving birth last year, and with her prolonged worries, her health has deteriorated to the point where medicine can no longer help. She doesn’t have much time left.”
Since the fall of the Lu family, Lu Xuan had been gloomy and listless, her spirit crushed, and her health waned day by day.
Out of a sense of past affection, Li Yuanjing had not stripped Lu Xuan of her title but had confined her to Changxin Palace, allowing her to wither away in solitude.
Lu Xuan’s two-year-old son was entrusted to another concubine who had no children of her own.
“Your Highness, do you wish to see Shufei?” Cailian asked softly.
Shen Wei shook her head, her voice calm. “No need.”
No matter what schemes Lu Xuan harbored, Shen Wei had no desire to meet her. She would only see her at Shufei’s funeral.
Zhang Miaoyu nodded in agreement, chattering, “Shufei is cunning; who knows what bad ideas she might be plotting? It’s best not to see her, lest trouble arises again. Back when you hadn’t returned to the palace, many concubines fell victim to Shufei’s schemes. She deserves this fate.”
Zhang Miaoyu spent about half an hour in Yongning Palace before rising to take her leave, not forgetting to pack three portions of pastries and a bucket of freshly made cold cake.
In the afternoon, after Shen Wei had finished her lunch, she prepared to return to her room for a nap. A palace maid came to report that General Sun Qingmei was requesting an audience.
Shen Wei’s face lit up with joy, and she hurried to the door to greet her. The gentle spring breeze rustled, and Sun Qingmei, clad in silver armor with her long hair elegantly tied up, looked particularly valiant.
Sun Qingmei clasped her hands in salute to Shen Wei.
Shen Wei quickly stepped forward to assist her, her eyes sparkling with delight. “Sister Sun, it’s been so long! Come in, let’s have a good chat.”
Seeing Sun Qingmei filled Shen Wei with joy.
Once inside, the palace maids served fragrant spring tea and pastries. Shen Wei had feigned illness recently, and Sun Qingmei had traveled a long way to bring her detoxifying pills, leaving Shen Wei feeling quite indebted.
“Thank you, Sister Sun, for bringing medicine for me. I will always remember your kindness,” Shen Wei said sincerely.
Noticing the rosy glow on Shen Wei’s cheeks, Sun Qingmei smiled. “Seeing the noble consort safe and sound must ease your brother’s mind. After all my years on the battlefield, a long journey like this isn’t too tiring.”
Shen Wei was deeply interested in the world beyond Yanjing. She longed to see the misty waters of the Jiangnan region, the desolate deserts of Liangzhou, and the snow-capped mountains beyond the frontier. Unfortunately, she had been trapped in the palace, forced to imagine the vast world through books.
With Sun Qingmei’s visit, Shen Wei seized the opportunity to chat and inquire about the outside world.
The two talked for the entire afternoon.
In the middle of their conversation, Gonggong Deshun made an appearance, delivering a bowl of nourishing red date and snow frog soup on the emperor’s orders. Shen Wei had been drinking tonics daily, and the faint scent of medicine lingered around her.
Not wanting to drink it herself, she offered the entire bowl of soup to Sun Qingmei to enjoy.
As the sun began to set, Shen Wei noticed the time and wanted to invite Sun Qingmei to stay in the palace for the night.
Sun Qingmei politely declined, saying, “The desert tribes are ever ambitious; the sixteen cities of Liangzhou must be on constant alert. I’ve already requested the emperor’s permission to leave the capital and return to Liangzhou tomorrow morning.”
Shen Wei was taken aback. “So soon? You’ve only just returned; you should stay a few more days.”
Sun Qingmei shook her head. “Defending the borders and repelling foreign enemies is the duty of every soldier of Da Qing. I cannot afford to slack off for even a day. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of your brother.”
Shen Wei felt a pang of reluctance.
She grasped Sun Qingmei’s hand. Sun Qingmei’s once delicate and soft hand was now roughened by the grip of swords and spears, with calluses on her palms and knuckles. The back of her hand bore scars from various battles.
Who would have thought that the once gentle and refined lady of the Hou family had transformed into a general amidst the winds and sands of Liangzhou?
Shen Wei felt a deep respect for her and said with concern, “My brother is a rough man, capable of eating, running, and fighting. You don’t need to worry about him. Taking care of yourself is what matters most.”
Sun Qingmei nodded gently.
Shen Wei had Cailian fetch some expensive wound ointment and a box full of silver notes, which she solemnly handed to Sun Qingmei.
Sun Qingmei could not refuse and accepted Shen Wei’s gifts.
Shen Wei personally escorted Sun Qingmei to the palace gates. The imperial city loomed large, the crimson gates wide open, with armored guards standing solemnly on either side.
Sun Qingmei mounted her horse and rode away, heading towards the distant smoke-filled desert.
Shen Wei felt a twinge of envy.
She silently counted on her fingers; if she could endure for another ten years, she might one day retire and live such a free life.
Just as Shen Wei was lost in thought, Cailin rushed over to report, “Your Highness, news has come from the Ministry of Justice that the Southern Chu spy, Dantai Rou, has been captured.”
Shen Wei paused for a moment, then smiled. “I suppose Lord Yan will be heartbroken.”
...
...
The streets of Yanjing were as bustling as ever, filled with people going about their lives in peace and prosperity.
On the lively notice board, wanted posters were plastered, showcasing the faces of various male criminals. Among the grim and grotesque portraits, one delicate female criminal’s image stood out starkly.
Curious onlookers gathered, chattering away:
“Whose wife is this? What did she do? Wow, the bounty is three hundred taels!”
“Dantai Furen from the Yan family; they say she’s a spy for Southern Chu.”
“The Yan family is in big trouble; the esteemed Minister of Rites married a spy.”
“She’s still hiding in Yanjing; we should keep an eye out. If we’re lucky, we might catch her and turn her in for the reward.”
The passersby buzzed with speculation.
In a shadowy corner, a woman wearing a black hooded cloak, dressed in coarse fabric, lowered her hat’s brim, her lips pale and bloodless.
It was none other than the fugitive Dantai Rou.
After the emperor’s personal farming ceremony, the authorities quickly traced the matter back to Dantai Rou. With her identity as a spy exposed, she had no choice but to hide.
In truth, Dantai Rou was quite skilled and could have easily escaped the city. But for some reason, her internal energy had suddenly dissipated, leaving her weak and vulnerable, unable to flee Yanjing, forced to scurry like a rat.
“Why has my martial arts vanished, and why am I so weak...” Dantai Rou avoided the bustling crowd and leaned against a desolate alley to rest.
She had barely settled when a cacophony of footsteps approached.
Dantai Rou looked up in shock.
There, the willful and capricious Princess Donglin approached her with a bright smile. The princess tilted her head, feigning surprise. “Sister, what a coincidence to find you here! Your husband has been worried about you day and night.”
Dantai Rou’s expression darkened; she hadn’t expected to evade the soldiers only to run into the Princess Donglin.
This seemingly lively and innocent princess had motives far from pure!
“Did you cause my martial arts to vanish?” Dantai Rou’s beautiful face was filled with suspicion.
The Princess Donglin beamed. “Sister, I truly don’t understand what you mean. Guards, take my sister to the Ministry of Justice.”
Servants from the Yan family surged forward, quickly subduing Dantai Rou.
With a long sigh, Dantai Rou looked up at the bright spring light, momentarily lost in a vision of the blooming flowers of Southern Chu.
She surrendered without a fight and said to the Princess Donglin, “We are both outsiders, forced to come to Yanjing. After I die, could you bury my body in the southern suburbs outside the city?”
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