Chapter 380
**Chapter 378: The Tale of Wei Yan?**
The long-tailed boat swayed gently as it set off deeper into the lotus leaves and flowers.
Li Yuanjing stood on the shore, watching Shen Wei, who sat on the edge of the boat, her face radiant with a smile, bursting with vibrant life, more dazzling than the summer sun. The clusters of pink lotus flowers in full bloom paled in comparison to her beauty.
Li Yuanjing gazed at her for a moment, then suddenly furrowed his brow deeply.
"Something's not right! Wei Wei isn’t listening to me!" A strange discomfort settled heavily in his heart.
Noon came, and Shen Wei did not return.
Li Yuanjing had his meal alone.
The imperial kitchen at the royal estate was renowned for its exquisite dishes, but as he faced a table laden with delicacies, he found it hard to swallow.
Without Shen Wei to share the meal, even the most delicious food tasted like cardboard. This was nothing like the retirement life he had envisioned!
Shen Wei had gone out for a boat ride, leaving him to dine alone in the royal estate. Holding his white jade chopsticks, he felt a deep sense of unease.
...
As dusk approached, Shen Wei returned, her arms full of fresh lotus pods, along with a good number of lotus flowers and leaves. She busily instructed the palace servants to peel the lotus pods, place the flowers in various vases around the estate, and send the leaves to the kitchen for making lotus leaf sticky rice chicken.
Dinner was a "lotus" feast.
The table was filled with dishes all related to "lotus."
"Try the lotus leaf sticky rice chicken," Shen Wei said, noticing the gloom on Li Yuanjing's face. She smiled and personally handed him a chicken leg wrapped in lotus leaf.
The chicken leg was fragrant and tender, infused with the richness of sticky rice and the refreshing aroma of lotus leaves.
Li Yuanjing took a bite, and the taste was delightful.
He looked at Shen Wei, his expression softening a bit. "Wei Wei, did you go out on the boat today just to prepare this for me?"
Shen Wei touched her nose, "Sort of."
Mainly, she just wanted to have some fun.
She casually gathered ingredients to make delicious food.
The gloom that had settled in Li Yuanjing's heart over the past few days dissipated in that moment.
His Wei Wei was, as always, caring for him.
Li Yuanjing said, "You’re not well; let the servants handle this kind of thing in the future."
Shen Wei let his words go in one ear and out the other, completely ignoring him.
After enjoying a lovely dinner, Li Yuanjing felt content and wanted to take a stroll by the lake with Shen Wei. Just then, a palace servant came to report, "Your Majesty, the former Emperor and the Empress Dowager, Master Ye from Yanjing seeks an audience."
Li Yuanjing recognized Master Ye—Ye Qiushuang, a well-known merchant in the Kingdom of Qing. Over the years, her shops had flourished across Qing, Yue, Nanchu, and Donglin, making her one of the wealthiest merchants in the kingdom.
Though a merchant, Master Ye was diligent in paying taxes. When the treasury of Qing was in need, she would voluntarily offer silver. She never engaged in illegal activities and was loyal to the Kingdom of Qing.
Thus, during his reign, Li Yuanjing had never troubled her and had even extended favors to support her.
"What does she want?" Li Yuanjing raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled.
Considering Master Ye's long-standing support for the treasury, he thought for a moment and decided to meet her.
Li Yuanjing said to Shen Wei, "Wei Wei, you should go rest in your room. I’ll meet with Master Ye and then come back to keep you company."
Shen Wei propped her chin on her hand and asked the reporting servant, "Who does Master Ye want to see?"
The servant lowered their head and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Master Ye wishes to meet you."
Shen Wei smirked and said to Li Yuanjing, "You go rest first. I’ll meet with Master Ye and then come back to you."
Li Yuanjing: ...
In the midst of Li Yuanjing's shock and confusion, Shen Wei gracefully walked to the front hall to meet the wealthiest merchant in the Kingdom of Qing, leaving Li Yuanjing behind.
Inside the room, Li Yuanjing paced with his hands clasped behind his back.
He found it utterly baffling!
Shen Wei had lived in the deep palace for so long, rarely interacting with merchants. When had she become close with Master Ye?
Li Yuanjing waited and waited, and it was not until late at night that Shen Wei finally concluded her meeting with Ye Qiushuang. She stretched and yawned as she returned to her chamber.
As soon as she stepped inside, Li Yuanjing seized her wrist. The palace lanterns cast a bright light, illuminating his handsome face, which was now dark with displeasure. "Wei Wei, when did you become acquainted with Master Ye?"
Shen Wei blinked, "Nanchu has been politically stable these past two years. I want to continue my business in cotton, leather, and bookstores there. So, I called Master Ye to discuss plans for Nanchu."
The more Li Yuanjing thought about it, the more suspicious he became. "Why would Master Ye listen to your arrangements?"
Shen Wei shrugged, no longer hiding the truth. "I’m the one backing Master Ye."
Li Yuanjing: !!!
A bolt of lightning struck through Li Yuanjing's mind, leaving him utterly stunned.
Shen Wei had already wriggled free from his grasp and instructed the servants to bring in hot water.
On a summer night, behind the screen, Shen Wei began to undress and bathe. The warm water enveloped her skin, lotus petals floating on the surface, and she comfortably closed her eyes, the fatigue of the day melting away.
Li Yuanjing's unease grew as he pushed aside the curtain. "Wei Wei! You’re the one backing Ye Qiushuang, and you kept it from me! You—"
The rest of his words caught in his throat.
Shen Wei leaned over the edge of the tub, her arms, as white as jade, lazily propped on the wooden rim, her wet hair cascading down, her eyes closed as she drifted off to sleep.
Her eyelashes glistened with droplets of water, and the steam from the water flushed her cheeks.
Li Yuanjing halted in his tracks, all his questions swallowed back down. He fetched a soft cotton cloth and gently lifted Shen Wei from the tub, drying her off and changing her into fresh nightclothes.
Shen Wei, still in a daze, allowed him to clean her up before he carried her back to bed to continue her slumber.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Yuanjing had become quite adept at helping Shen Wei change clothes.
As the night deepened, Li Yuanjing found it hard to sleep.
He got up and walked to the window, calling for the Tiger Guard. "Find out how Master Ye started her business."
The Tiger Guard bowed, "Yes, Your Majesty."
The Tiger Guard left.
After abdicating, Li Yuanjing had left half of his elite Tiger Guards for his son, Li Chengtai, while keeping the other half for himself.
Returning to his chamber, he found Shen Wei still peacefully asleep, her face serene. Li Yuanjing caressed her cheek, realizing that despite sharing a bed for many years, he had thought he knew everything about her.
But now, after abdicating, he discovered that Shen Wei was an endless treasure trove.
She held many secrets.
He had never scrutinized Shen Wei closely before because he trusted her. Now, he wanted to investigate her, to explore the depths of her being.
...
The Tiger Guard worked quickly.
In less than three days, detailed information about Master Ye's rise from "rags to riches" was delivered to Li Yuanjing's desk.
In the study of the royal estate by Luoyue Lake, Li Yuanjing flipped through the thick stack of documents.
This first wealthy merchant of the Kingdom of Qing, Master Ye, was actually the maid intended for the Prince of Yan all those years ago? Shen Wei had given her silver, helping Ye Qiushuang start from nothing in Yanjing and gradually expand her business.
The first shop was named—Wei Yan Ji (微燕记, "The Tale of the Little Swallow").
Li Yuanjing's gaze fell on the name "Wei Yan Ji," and he savored a hint of sweetness.
He had certainly heard of Wei Yan Ji, the famous pastry shop in Yanjing. Little did he know, it was Shen Wei's establishment.
Wei Yan, Wei Yan—Wei Wei?
Li Yuanjing's eyes lit up. Could it be that Shen Wei was subtly expressing her affection for him?
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