Chapter 373
**Chapter 371: Liu Qiao'er’s Thoughts**
Liu Qiao'er had toiled for many years, and the twins she bore in the Yan Wangfu had now grown up.
Her daughter, Li Yan, had reached marriageable age and moved out of the palace to establish her own household. Last year, the Emperor had married Li Yan off to a low-born official, and since then, she rarely returned to the palace.
Liu Qiao'er didn’t place much value on her daughter; a married princess was like spilled water. Moreover, Li Yan was not a favored princess and brought little benefit to Liu Qiao'er.
All of Liu Qiao'er’s hopes were pinned on her son, Li Chengxuan. Among the surviving princes in the harem, Li Chengxuan was the eldest.
Unfortunately, after years of enduring, Liu Qiao'er found that Li Chengxuan had become timid and ineffectual, lacking both literary and martial skills. In recent years, he had even become obsessed with woodworking.
Watching Shen Wei’s two sons grow day by day, Liu Qiao'er was anxious and restless.
"Why is this happening... Has the Emperor not grown weary of Shen?" Liu Qiao'er pondered, unable to understand.
She had always believed that Shen Wei would gradually lose favor, and a newcomer would replace her position.
Liu Qiao'er lay in wait, patiently anticipating Shen Wei’s downfall.
She waited and waited, year after year.
As time passed, Liu Qiao'er aged, her beauty fading despite the layers of makeup she applied to hide the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Yet Shen Wei remained as radiant as ever, her face showing no signs of aging, her eyes bright and full of life.
The usually indifferent Emperor had, after meeting Shen Wei, surprisingly become affectionate.
The Emperor and Empress shared a harmonious relationship, and no new concubines entered the harem. The other concubines, knowing they could not compete with Shen Wei, simply gave up, often gathering to play cards, embroider, and weave, enjoying the company of the children.
Shen Wei was kind-hearted and never initiated harm against others, so the concubines ceased to provoke trouble.
Having spent years in the deep palace, most of the concubines were childless, and the lively and adorable Le You was gradually treated like a daughter by those without offspring. A couple of winters ago, when Le You caught a cold, nearly all the concubines rushed to care for her, each one more anxious than Shen Wei, her own mother.
The harem was filled with warmth and laughter, and the turmoil had settled. It was likely that in the history of Da Qing, there had never been such a harmonious harem.
"My lady, a letter from home," a palace maid entered the chamber, handing Liu Qiao'er a letter.
Liu Qiao'er tore open the letter and read it by the dim candlelight.
Inside, her father informed her that the Liu family was uniting with court officials to find ways to sow discord between Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou, the two brothers.
In the face of the immense temptation of the throne, even blood brothers could turn against each other. With the two most outstanding princes at odds, the clam and the snipe would fight, and the fisherman would benefit—this was Liu Qiao'er’s opportunity for her son.
Liu Qiao'er burned her father's letter, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Very well. If Shen Wei loses her two sons, let’s see how she competes with me."
She had bided her time for years, avoiding the tragic fate of being harmed by Lu Xuan in her past life, and had successfully protected her children and family.
Her goal was to support her son in ascending to the throne! With dreams of a bright future, Liu Qiao'er drifted into sleep.
...
A few days later, Liu Qiao'er was mending clothes under the eaves. She was highly suspicious, always fearing that Shen Wei wanted to harm her.
After all, her son was the eldest and the most likely to threaten Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou’s positions.
Every time the Inner Palace sent new fabrics, Liu Qiao'er meticulously inspected them, personally sewing the garments, afraid that the fabric might conceal slow-acting poison aimed at her and her son.
"My lady," her personal maid returned from the Inner Palace, whispering, "My lady, I just heard that the Ninth Prince is unwell, and the Emperor has sent him to Jiangnan to recuperate."
Liu Qiao'er’s sewing came to an abrupt halt.
In her distraction, a sharp silver needle pricked her finger, and a round droplet of blood oozed out.
Wiping the blood from her finger, Liu Qiao'er frowned in confusion. "The Ninth Prince is unwell? How is that possible?"
Among the princes in the harem, the Ninth Prince, Li Chengyou, was the strongest. This child had rarely been sick, even daring to jump into the cold waters of the Imperial Garden in winter to catch turtles.
Clearly, the so-called "recuperation" was just an excuse.
Liu Qiao'er rubbed her temples. At this critical moment, the Ninth Prince had gone to Jiangnan, making it difficult to carry out her plan to divide the brothers.
Only the Eighth Prince, Li Chengtai, remained in the court.
As Liu Qiao'er continued sewing, she began to contemplate how to deal with the Eighth Prince. Just then, footsteps approached from outside the palace gates—her son, Li Chengxuan, had returned.
Among the princes, Li Chengxuan was the eldest, yet he was neither skilled in literature nor martial arts. Due to Liu Qiao'er instilling the idea of "low-key endurance" in him since childhood, he had developed a particularly timid personality, preferring to stay indoors and work on woodworking.
"Mother, are you still making clothes?" Li Chengxuan approached, frowning. "The clothes sent by the Inner Palace fit well; you don’t need to work so hard."
Liu Qiao'er replied, "One must always be wary of others."
Li Chengxuan sat beside Liu Qiao'er, tilting his head to see the few strands of white hair mixed in with her dark locks.
After a moment of silence, he mustered his courage and said, "Mother, I know you and grandfather are in correspondence, and I understand you want to help me ascend to the throne. But... I don’t want to be Emperor."
Li Chengxuan wasn’t foolish; he had sensed that his mother was secretly communicating with the Liu family, aiming to stir up trouble in the court.
In recent years, the Liu family had enjoyed a smooth rise in their careers, leading to ambitions that should not have arisen.
Liu Qiao'er put down her needle and thread, exasperated. "You are a prince; you have every right to ascend the throne! I have endured for so long, waiting for you to take the throne!"
Li Chengxuan pursed his lips. "But I’m not cut out to be Emperor! Eighth Brother is steady and wise, Ninth Brother is strong and robust; they are both excellent children, and Father values them! I just want to be a leisurely prince, to leave the palace and establish my own household, bringing you along to enjoy a simple life."
Slap!
A resounding slap landed on Li Chengxuan’s face, leaving a bright red mark.
Liu Qiao'er was furious, "A leisurely prince? You’re dreaming! Do you believe that once Li Chengtai ascends, the first person he will deal with is not you?"
After being slapped, Li Chengxuan stubbornly replied, "Eighth Brother is not that kind of person. The Empress is kind; she can treat the late Shu Fei’s son well, so she wouldn’t harm me—after all, the late Empress and Shu Fei are cautionary tales. Do you want to follow in their footsteps and send the Liu family to the guillotine?"
Liu Qiao'er scolded, "In the royal family, there is no such thing as brotherly affection! You spend all day woodworking, and you’ve dulled your mind. After all I’ve endured, I’ve raised a useless child!"
Li Chengxuan fell silent.
After receiving a scolding, he quietly returned to his own quarters. He lived in a separate courtyard, filled with various woods and tools.
Li Chengxuan was not good at studying or martial arts, but he had excellent woodworking skills. The cabinets and stools he crafted were sturdy, beautiful, and durable. He could even design palace gardens and renovate fountains.
His craftsmanship was no less than that of the palace carpenters.
Li Chengxuan was introverted, finding peace only when working with wood. He immersed himself in it, unwilling to engage in the external struggles for the throne.
But his mother was obstinate!
How dare she dream of the throne!
Li Chengxuan felt restless and anxious. His father was strict, and the Empress was wise; the secret dealings between his mother and the Liu family might have already been discovered by them.
Those in power are often blind to the truth, while outsiders see clearly. The more Li Chengxuan thought about it, the more frightened he became, cold sweat breaking out all over him. He couldn’t bear to think any further and began pacing back and forth in his room. Finally, he mustered the courage to visit Chang'an Palace to see his father.
...
In the afternoon, Chang'an Palace was quiet.
Li Yuanjing took a break and wanted to assess Li Chengtai’s abilities, so he assigned the task of handling memorials to Li Chengtai while he hid in the side hall of Yongning Palace to play chess with Shen Wei.
Over the years, under Li Yuanjing’s careful guidance, Shen Wei’s skills in writing, painting, and poetry had improved rapidly. However, no matter how Li Yuanjing taught her, her chess skills remained abysmal.
Li Yuanjing, unwilling to give up, often caught Shen Wei to teach her chess.
"Wait, I want to take that back!" Shen Wei, playing black, saw one of her pieces surrounded by white and hurriedly pressed Li Yuanjing’s hand, shoving a white piece back.
Li Yuanjing chuckled at her antics. "In one game, you’ve taken back your move five times."
Shen Wei retorted confidently, slamming down a black piece. "I’ll take it back if I want! If you don’t like it, go find Lan Fei or someone else to play with."
The room was filled with a fragrant aroma, and Li Yuanjing gazed at Shen Wei’s beautiful face, helplessly conceding, "Fine, I’ll let you take two steps first."
They continued their game.
After a while, the black pieces on the board dwindled, and Shen Wei realized she was about to lose. Clutching a black piece, she suddenly changed the subject, "Your Majesty, Chengyou is already on his way to Liangzhou. Before he left, he told me that someone in the court is trying to sow discord between him and Chengtai. Have you found out who it is?"
Li Yuanjing paused in his chess moves.
He was well aware that someone was stirring trouble in the court. An investigation had already traced it back to the Liu family in the south.
Years ago, when Li Yuanjing was still the Yan Wang, the Qian Gui Fei had colluded with court officials to support Li Yuanli’s ascension, attempting to create a rift between Li Yuanjing and the Crown Prince.
Time had passed, and Li Yuanjing could not allow history to repeat itself.
A faint glimmer of killing intent crossed his eyes. "I will handle this matter."
Meanwhile, Shen Wei took the opportunity to stealthily pocket a white piece, and Li Yuanjing turned a blind eye, pretending not to see.
Footsteps approached from outside, and Gonggong Deshun respectfully reported, "Your Majesty, Empress, the Third Prince requests an audience."
Li Yuanjing set down a white piece. "Let him in."
Moments later, Li Chengxuan’s slender figure appeared, his head bowed as he said, "Son pays respects to Father, and to the Empress."
His voice was soft, filled with trepidation.
Li Chengxuan had always feared his father.
In his memory, his father was always stern, with a cold and imposing demeanor. Whenever Li Chengxuan performed poorly in archery or horseback riding during training, he would be reprimanded by his father.
Li Chengxuan wanted to perform well and not disappoint his father, but he simply did not enjoy riding or studying... Growing up in a stifling environment, he preferred solitude, quietly working on his crafts.
"Get up, sit down quickly." Shen Wei was always gentle, instructing Deshun to bring over a rosewood chair, while she casually pocketed another piece from the chessboard.
Li Chengxuan obediently sat down.
Li Yuanjing scrutinized him. "What is it?"
His voice was deep and magnetic, sounding to Li Chengxuan like a fearsome dragon’s roar.
Li Chengxuan felt his throat tighten, his knees weak. He suddenly regretted coming to see his father so impulsively.
But thinking of his mother’s actions, Li Chengxuan summoned all his courage and knelt on the ground, "Father, please forgive my mother! She... she was confused and harbored thoughts she shouldn’t have. Punish me instead; don’t blame my mother."
The room fell silent.
Shen Wei exchanged glances with Li Yuanjing. "I will return to the palace first."
In matters of state, Shen Wei had to pretend not to be involved, lest Li Yuanjing suspect her of meddling in court affairs.
Li Yuanjing held Shen Wei back, raising an eyebrow. "The game isn’t finished yet; don’t think you can slip away."
Shen Wei rolled her eyes internally, sitting beside him and pretending to study the board while stealthily pocketing another white piece.
"You are the eldest among the princes in the palace. Your mother has always been low-key and reclusive, yet she has harbored thoughts she shouldn’t have," Li Yuanjing reprimanded coldly.
Li Chengxuan lowered his head, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
His heart raced!
Li Chengxuan thought in terror, his father has found out! Indeed, the court’s situation could not escape his father’s eyes! His mother was too naive to think she could hide it from him.
Li Chengxuan stammered, "I know my talents are limited, and I cannot compare to Eighth Brother or Ninth Brother, so I have never thought of seizing the throne. But despite my repeated discouragement, my mother remains confused. I had no choice but to come and plead for your forgiveness."
Li Yuanjing snorted coldly.
Li Chengxuan trembled.
Li Yuanjing continued, "I will handle Qiao Fei and the Liu family. But you, knowing you are not as capable as your two brothers, still refuse to strive for improvement. You hide away all day playing with wood; you hardly resemble a prince!"
Li Chengxuan shrank his neck, speaking softly, "I really do enjoy woodworking..."
Li Yuanjing scolded, "You dare to say that! Which prince of Da Qing isn’t well-versed in both literature and martial arts, destined to serve the court and assist the ruler? You spend all day playing with wood; what future do you expect?"
Li Chengxuan dared not speak further.
Seeing this, Shen Wei poured a cup of tea and handed it to Li Yuanjing, patiently saying, "The Third Prince is pure-hearted, uninterested in women or wealth, and has never mistreated the palace maids. I believe he is a good child. This year, for Le You’s birthday, the Third Prince made her a dressing table out of rosewood, exquisitely crafted, and Le You loved it."
Over the years, Shen Wei had been quietly observing the princes in the harem.
Li Chengxuan was pure-hearted, uninterested in power and wealth, and did not exhibit the extravagance and decadence of a wealthy young master; he was simply absorbed in woodworking.
Shen Wei had seen the wooden crafts Li Chengxuan made, and they were remarkably intricate.
"Throughout history, how many princes spend their days woodworking?" Li Yuanjing frowned, but his expression gradually softened.
Li Chengxuan was drenched in cold sweat, instinctively casting a pleading glance at Shen Wei.
He knew that as long as the Empress spoke up, his father would surely consider it carefully.
Receiving Li Chengxuan’s gaze, Shen Wei gently said to Li Yuanjing, "Last year, a palace in the Eastern Garden collapsed, and the renovations were difficult. It was the Third Prince who proposed a renovation plan and even personally drew the woodworking blueprints."
"Repairing beams and building bridges, constructing dikes and dams requires the best craftsmen. In the future, the Third Prince could go to the Ministry of Works, where he would have a place to showcase his talents."
There are no useless people in this world; they just haven’t found the right place to be.
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