Chapter 371
**Chapter 369: The Growth of Children**
Liu Ruyan had once been a beauty that could topple kingdoms, her lips naturally red and her complexion fair without the need for makeup. After enduring years of hardship, even the most stunning visage could not withstand the ravages of time.
As Liu Ruyan gazed into the silver mirror, her brows and eyes remained strikingly elegant, yet fine lines had begun to appear at the corners. Her lips no longer held the youthful flush they once did, and an air of fatigue emanated from her, both inside and out.
She needed to apply some cosmetics to restore a hint of her former beauty.
After finishing her grooming, Liu Ruyan, accompanied by a palace maid, made her way to Yongchun Palace for the ji ceremony.
The sun shone brightly, and Yongchun Palace was already bustling with activity. Crimson silk drapes hung high, and pots of flowers adorned the corners of the courtyard, brimming with life. The noble ladies and matriarchs invited to witness the ceremony had arrived early.
“Mei Pin Niang Niang has arrived,” announced a eunuch.
A momentary hush fell over the lively Yongchun Palace.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the late-arriving Mei Pin, Liu Ruyan. No one had expected her to attend. Liu Ruyan’s cold and unfeeling demeanor was well-known among the noblewomen.
Even her own family, the Liu clan, had distanced themselves from her.
With a detached expression, Liu Ruyan stepped into the courtyard of Yongchun Palace. The ceremony had not yet begun, and Li Nanzhi was still in the side hall preparing. Liu Ruyan walked slowly to the entrance of the side hall.
The door to the side hall stood wide open, revealing Li Nanzhi, the Empress Dowager Shen Wei, and Zhang Miaoyu inside.
Through the small window, they were busy with Li Nanzhi’s hair.
Zhang Miaoyu was combing Li Nanzhi’s hair while secretly wiping away tears. Her voice was hoarse and choked: “Nanzhi, you must come back to the palace often. If you encounter difficulties outside, just tell your mother.”
Li Nanzhi smiled sweetly, taking Zhang Miaoyu’s hand: “Mother Yu, I’m just living outside the palace, not marrying far away. I’ll definitely come back to see you and Empress Chen often.”
Thinking of her daughter’s impending marriage in a couple of years, Zhang Miaoyu felt even sadder, tears welling up: “In two years, you’ll be married off. Oh, I fear you won’t be able to visit the palace often then.”
Having spent years with Li Nanzhi, Zhang Miaoyu had long regarded her as a daughter.
As the mother and daughter faced separation, Zhang Miaoyu felt a deep sorrow. For the past few nights, she had secretly cried in bed, losing several pounds, unable to even swallow her favorite braised pork.
Li Nanzhi gently comforted Zhang Miaoyu.
Inside the small window, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious, filled with maternal love.
A breeze swept through, causing Liu Ruyan’s hair to brush against her eyes. She tucked the wind-tousled strands behind her ear and stood at the courtyard entrance for a moment, lowering her gaze before silently turning to leave.
In the main courtyard of Yongchun Palace, guests began to take their seats for the ji ceremony.
Liu Ruyan wished to avoid drawing attention, so she sat in an inconspicuous corner. When she lifted her head, she unexpectedly spotted her mother, Lady Liu, along with Xue Mei, dressed in brocade.
Since Xue Mei had left the palace, Liu Ruyan had not seen her again. Now, from a distance, she noticed that Xue Mei had gained some weight, her cheeks fuller.
Xue Mei, once a lowly servant, now had the privilege of sitting beside Lady Liu, accompanying her to witness the princess’s ji ceremony. Lady Liu wore a beaming smile, engaged in quiet conversation with Xue Mei, their relationship appearing quite intimate.
Liu Ruyan felt a pang of confusion, unable to understand why her mother was so close to Xue Mei.
She overheard the noblewomen nearby whispering:
“Who is that lady beside Lady Liu? I’ve never seen her before.”
“She’s a wet nurse from the Liu family, rumored to have served Princess Nanzhi in the palace.”
“A wet nurse can attend the princess’s ji ceremony? It seems Princess Nanzhi holds her in high regard.”
“Princess Nanzhi is pure and filial, but it’s a pity she encountered someone... sigh.”
The murmurs continued until the ceremony began, silencing the chatter.
Li Nanzhi’s ji ceremony proceeded in an orderly and grand manner. Liu Ruyan sat in the corner of the courtyard, her gaze drifting to the radiant and beautiful Li Nanzhi on the stage, a wave of nostalgia washing over her as memories of the past resurfaced.
She recalled the joy she felt when she gave birth to her daughter.
She remembered the cold war with Li Yuanjing, deliberately leaving her daughter to suffer in the snow.
She thought of her daughter tugging at her sleeve, crying and pleading not to go to the East Palace.
Finally, she remembered her daughter being sent to Yongchun Palace to be raised by others...
Li Yuanjing had once been in love with her, but he had changed; her parents had raised her with care, only to later distance themselves; the only one who had cared for her, Li Nanzhi, had now become the daughter of Yu Fei, with Zhang Miaoyu raising her well.
Liu Ruyan vaguely sensed that in her pursuit of an elusive love over the years, she had lost much of the love that was within her reach.
But alas, she could not turn back time.
...
...
As the princesses reached adulthood, marriages followed in quick succession.
Li Wan’er married the eldest son of the Dongyang Marquis, her husband a gentleman of great virtue, and they lived harmoniously after marriage.
Li Yao was ordered to marry the second son of the Zhang family, the Minister of Revenue. When Li Yao returned to the palace, she only visited the Empress Dowager and Shen Wei, never stepping foot in Kun Ning Palace.
Seasons changed.
As the autumn winds blew, wild chrysanthemums flourished in the courtyard of Kun Ning Palace. The Empress sat on the cold stone steps, the Buddhist hall behind her now abandoned, the compassionate statue of Buddha covered in cobwebs, the altar thick with dust.
Praying to the gods was futile; the deities would not help the Empress rise again.
The wind rustled the wild chrysanthemums in the courtyard, creaking the wooden door. The Empress stared blankly at the tightly shut gates of Kun Ning Palace; it had been a long time since she had seen Li Yao.
In this cold palace, it seemed everyone had forgotten that there was still an Empress in Kun Ning Palace.
“Creak—”
The long-closed door suddenly made a sound.
The Empress’s vacant eyes widened as she saw De Shun Gonggong, dressed in the eunuch leader’s attire, accompanied by two other eunuchs and two palace guards.
“Your Majesty, has the Emperor sent you to fetch me? Has the Emperor pardoned me?” the Empress exclaimed, standing up abruptly, filled with joy.
De Shun Gonggong cleared his throat and spoke truthfully: “The Emperor’s decree states that Empress Dantai colluded with traitors in the past, plotting against the Son of Heaven and harming his offspring, a crime unforgivable. You are to be given a cup of poison and depart immediately.”
The accompanying eunuchs presented the poison.
The Empress was taken aback, thinking she had misheard. Trembling, she stepped back, vehemently denying: “What collusion with traitors! I didn’t do it; it must be that vile Shen’s slander!”
De Shun Gonggong replied, “Back when the Emperor was in the hidden palace, you conspired with Prince Heng, plotting to kill your husband. The evidence is irrefutable.”
The Empress’s heart sank.
Years ago, she had been deceived by Prince Heng Li Yuanli’s sweet words, foolishly attempting to kill Li Yuanjing and Shen Wei. After Li Yuanjing narrowly escaped death, the Empress had been terrified, fearing her misdeeds would be uncovered.
For years, she had lived in fear, thinking no one had noticed.
Yet today, it had all resurfaced!
And it had become the evidence for her death sentence!
The Empress’s knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, self-mockingly saying, “The Emperor has known all along; he has always known. He truly knows how to hide things…”
“Empress, please take your leave,” De Shun Gonggong urged.
The Empress, unwilling to accept her fate, scrambled to her feet, trying to rush out of the prison-like Kun Ning Palace. The guards immediately blocked her, and she screamed and struggled: “I don’t want to die! I can’t die!”
In her madness, she thought of her son who had yet to ascend the throne, her enemies who had not yet met their end; how could she resign herself to this fate!
As the poison flowed down her throat, a slow, sharp pain began to spread through her veins. The Empress curled up on the ground, tears streaming down her face.
The surroundings seemed to freeze, her consciousness hazy. She saw the glorious scene of her marriage into the royal family, the days spent urging her children to study, the tragic deaths of her two sons—she even saw herself sitting arrogantly in the main seat, with two beautiful young women standing before her.
The Empress heard herself say—“Shen Wei, Zhang Yue, would you be willing to serve the prince as concubines?”
The girl named Shen Wei replied, “I am willing to serve the prince.”
From that moment on, the princess began her descent into hell.
“Cough, cough... I should never have elevated her to a concubine,” the Empress thought, her insides wracked with pain as she fell among the wild chrysanthemums, filled with regret.
But in reality, the Empress knew better than anyone that even without Shen Wei, she would have ended up with a heartbroken marriage and scattered children...
Because that man was inherently cold-hearted.
It seemed only Shen Wei could enter his heart.
——
In late autumn, the Empress “passed away.” Kun Ning Palace had become a desolate empty hall.
Li Yao petitioned her father, the Emperor, to have the Empress’s body buried outside the city.
The following spring, Li Yuanjing issued a decree, bestowing the title of Empress upon Shen Wei. Shen Wei disliked the eerie Kun Ning Palace and continued to reside in Yong Ning Palace.
Among the princes, the others were too mediocre, while Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou were the most intelligent.
Li Yuanjing was still assessing the abilities of his two sons, worried that appointing a crown prince too early might stir up conflicts from the previous dynasty, so he temporarily refrained from naming a crown prince, focusing instead on nurturing the two children.
...
In the Southern Chu Kingdom, within the Yeting.
Only criminals or palace servants who had erred were sent to Yeting for hard labor.
The Yeting servants worked tirelessly all day, returning to their quarters late at night to rest. Lu Yun, dressed plainly, lay quietly in the far corner of the communal bed, staring at the moonlight that filtered in.
Recently, a female merchant who had committed a crime arrived at Yeting. This merchant had traveled extensively, selling goods in various countries. At night, when everyone couldn’t sleep, they gathered around to listen to her tales.
Tonight, the merchant recounted her experiences in the Qing Kingdom, saying, “The Qing Kingdom is now powerful, and its emperor is considered a wise ruler. Did you know? The new empress was once a farmer’s daughter!”
The crowd listened in astonishment.
Someone asked curiously, “A mere farmer’s daughter became an empress? What luck!”
The merchant retorted, “Don’t judge a hero by their background! The new empress’s brother is a great general, and her younger brother is a capable official in the court. She is virtuous and dignified, so she naturally deserves the title of empress. The previous empress was jealous, and that Shu Fei was implicated by her family, leading to her tragic end... Last year, while I was selling gems in the Qing Kingdom, I happened to pass by Anguo Temple…”
The merchant spoke eloquently about the new empress, captivating her audience.
Only Lu Yun, lying in the narrow corner, had a cold gaze, filled with resentment. After the fall of the Lu family, she had used money and beauty to seduce the guards of the prison, narrowly escaping with her life to seek refuge with the emperor of Southern Chu.
In this foreign land, Lu Yun’s heart was tormented. Recently, she had also learned of her sister’s death, which caused her immense pain.
With her sister gone, she had no family left, becoming utterly alone. Lu Yun recalled the prophecy from her dreams, closed her eyes, and murmured, “What if Shen became empress? Perhaps she will follow the same path as my sister…”
In her heart, Lu Yun silently prayed, hoping for Shen Wei’s swift demise.
Lu Yun often suspected that her sister Lu Xuan’s death was closely related to Shen Wei.
The night in Yeting was cold, the pale moonlight casting a ghostly glow on Lu Yun’s face. She stared intently at the crescent moon in the sky, silently praying.
“God, open your eyes and send Shen to hell.”
...
...
Time flew by, and the ginkgo trees planted in Shen Wei’s courtyard turned yellow and green, green and yellow again.
Years passed in the blink of an eye.
The children grew quickly, shooting up like bamboo shoots, year after year. Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou were now twelve years old, having grown into sturdy young boys.
As the princes matured, discussions about naming a crown prince began to increase in the court and among the people.
Amidst the chatter, Shen Wei remained oblivious, content to be the empress, not seeking to curry favor with officials or interfere in state affairs. She understood that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, her sons were essentially guaranteed the throne.
All she needed to do was to be vigilant and ensure her children grew up healthy, letting everything unfold naturally.
On a leisurely summer afternoon, Shen Wei lay on a cool chair in the water pavilion, wearing a newly released whitening mask from Qixiangzhai, resting her eyes. With age, she knew she had to keep up with her skincare routine.
Half-asleep, she suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps.
“Mother!”
A whirlwind of energy rushed in, accompanied by a loud call.
The fish in the pond were startled, and the lotus leaves rustled.
Shen Wei had just dozed off when her little rascal woke her up. She slowly opened her eyes to see Li Chengyou rushing into the pavilion, looking aggrieved as he greeted her: “Good afternoon, Mother.”
Shen Wei wiped the mask off her face and glanced at her younger son: “What’s wrong now?”
Li Chengyou, now twelve, had a big appetite and was growing rapidly, his height shooting up, and his voice was beginning to deepen, hinting at the onset of puberty.
Having spent years training in horseback riding and archery at the training grounds, he had become quite robust, his skin slightly tanned from the sun.
Li Chengyou said, “Mother, both Grandmother and Father don’t want me to go to Liangzhou. Mother, I want to go to Liangzhou; please persuade Father!”
As he grew, the young boy was like an eagle learning to fly, no longer satisfied with the small confines of Jingcheng; he yearned for the vast world beyond.
Last year, his uncle Shen Mieyue returned to the capital for work, showcasing his skills at the palace training grounds. Shen Mieyue was tall and strong, wielding a long saber with great prowess, easily overpowering the martial arts instructors at the palace.
His impressive presence left the onlooking boys in awe.
Especially Li Chengyou, who idolized his uncle with an unending admiration.
Li Chengyou had only seen such a formidable general in folk tales. His uncle’s appearance had a tremendous impact on the young boy, inspiring him to become a man who would protect his country like his uncle!
Thus, Li Chengyou began to pester his father, wanting to accompany his uncle to Liangzhou.
Li Yuanjing, of course, did not agree!
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