Chapter 383
**Chapter 381: Together in Leisure**
Shen Wei caught several plump fish, which she handed over to the royal chef that evening to prepare a few authentic dishes.
At the dinner table, Li Yuanjing and Shen Wei shared a meal together.
Li Yuanjing had "run away from home" for ten days, but Shen Wei acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to eat and drink as usual. At the dinner table, she chatted away with Li Yuanjing, seemingly unfazed.
Pointing at the boiled fish on the table, Shen Wei sighed, “This fish was quite cunning today, nibbling at the bait but refusing to take the hook. If I hadn’t persisted, we wouldn’t have this dish tonight.”
Li Yuanjing merely grunted in response.
Shen Wei asked, “How is Cheng Tai doing in the palace? Are the court officials giving him a hard time?”
Li Yuanjing set down his chopsticks and said softly, “You care about fish and children, but have you ever cared about me?”
Shen Wei took a bite of the delicious fish, “I’ve been caring for you for twenty years; that should be enough.”
This was no exaggeration. Since she entered the Yan Wang residence as a concubine, Shen Wei had diligently served Li Yuanjing, attending to his feelings and bearing him children. Even if she had ulterior motives, at least she had done her job well on the surface.
Li Yuanjing felt a pang of discomfort in his heart.
...
As night fell, it was time to rest.
Shen Wei had moved to a spacious courtyard next door. After her retirement, her sleep quality improved significantly; she could fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The new bed was large and soft, with curtains and silk bedding arranged according to Shen Wei’s preferences. The room was filled with the scent of lotus flowers she had picked herself. In the gentle fragrance, Shen Wei quickly drifted off to sleep.
In a half-dream state, she vaguely sensed some rustling beside her pillow.
She was enveloped in a familiar scent.
In the entire Luo Yue Lake royal estate, the only person bold enough to sneak into Shen Wei’s bed at night was Li Yuanjing.
Still heavy with sleep, Shen Wei didn’t bother to open her eyes and murmured hoarsely, “What are you doing here...”
Li Yuanjing’s voice was deep and cold, “I can indulge you in everything else, but not in sleeping apart.”
He pulled Shen Wei into his embrace, listening as she mumbled a few indistinct words before falling back into a deep sleep.
The night deepened, and the scent of lotus lingered in the room. Li Yuanjing lowered his head, inhaling the faint fragrance from Shen Wei’s hair.
It was comforting.
Li Yuanjing let out a satisfied sigh. Even though Shen Wei was cunning and her feelings for him were insincere, he simply could not live without her.
...
The next morning, Shen Wei woke up early and took some guards to hunt in the back mountains.
Li Yuanjing felt a twinge of worry.
Shen Wei had slender arms and legs, and she was not strong at all. Hunting was an extremely dangerous activity; if something went wrong, the consequences would be dire.
Unable to stop Shen Wei, Li Yuanjing secretly followed her on horseback. As expected, Shen Wei’s hunting skills were quite poor; she couldn’t even draw the bow or nock an arrow. Instead, she set a trap herself and successfully caught a lone wild boar by dusk.
It was a successful return.
The small wild boar was brought back to the Luo Yue Lake royal estate, where Shen Wei planned to make roasted meat that night.
The boar was locked in a cage, its sturdy body covered in coarse, dark brown fur, with sharp tusks and fierce eyes, constantly ramming against the iron bars.
It was clear that it was wild and untamed.
The royal chef, holding a butcher’s knife, was at a loss for how to proceed.
“Your Highness, should we let the guards handle it?” Cai Lian suggested.
Shen Wei frowned, remaining silent.
Li Yuanjing strolled over leisurely, glancing at the troubled Shen Wei, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Clearing his throat, Li Yuanjing offered, “I can do it—”
Before he could finish, Shen Wei took the knife from the guard’s hand and calmly walked to the cage.
With a swift motion, the knife fell.
The wild boar let out a sharp scream.
It died on the spot.
Li Yuanjing stood there, dumbfounded, his heart racing uncontrollably.
He couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked at Shen Wei. The delicate, helpless Shen Wei he had in his mind had just effortlessly slaughtered a wild boar right in front of him!
Seeing this, the royal chef hurriedly dragged the dead boar away to prepare for butchering, busying himself with the materials for roasting.
After killing the boar, Shen Wei acted as if nothing had happened, calmly wiping the blood from her hands before asking the chef to bring the marinating spices. With her discerning palate, the chef couldn’t create the flavor she desired for the roasted meat, so she chose to do it herself.
“You... you can actually kill a pig?” Li Yuanjing approached her, his dark eyes lingering on Shen Wei’s face, as if trying to see into her very soul.
He saw another side of Shen Wei—smart, capable, passionate, decisive, and free.
No matter what kind of Shen Wei she was, she always drew him in, just like before.
Shen Wei handed him a plate of marinating spices with a smile, “Coming from a farming background, I naturally know how to do everything. Want to help me marinate the meat?”
The plate contained Sichuan salt and half a sour citrus fruit.
Li Yuanjing, as an emperor who had also spent time in the military, had hunted and roasted meat with soldiers in the mountains. He gazed at Shen Wei’s smiling face, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and silently took the plate of spices, sitting down beside her.
The two of them skillfully marinated the fresh wild boar meat.
The palace servants stood by, heads bowed in attendance, and the courtyard was quiet.
Li Yuanjing watched Shen Wei, who was focused on rubbing the salt into the meat. She wore an apron, her black hair wrapped in a plain cloth, her profile serene.
For a moment, Li Yuanjing was lost in thought.
Many years ago, he had fantasized about growing old with Shen Wei, living a simple life of farming and cooking together.
Now, far from the court, it seemed that dream had come true, though it felt somewhat different from what he had imagined.
“You don’t like sour things, so don’t put too much citrus juice on,” Shen Wei reminded him.
Li Yuanjing’s heart stirred.
Shen Wei was still the same Shen Wei; even after all these years of hiding her schemes, she still remembered his preferences and tastes.
Li Yuanjing thought to himself, even if Shen Wei vehemently denied it, she must have feelings for him.
As night fell, the barbecue grill was set up by the shore of Luo Yue Lake.
The charcoal glowed red, and the marinated wild boar meat brushed with honey slowly released a rich aroma over the heat. Li Yuanjing sat in a rattan chair, feeling the cool breeze from the lake on his face.
The delicious roasted meat filled his stomach, and the wine brewed by Shen Wei was sweet and mellow. There were no burdens of paperwork, no intrigues of the court, and Shen Wei was right there beside him—Li Yuanjing thought this was the life he had always wanted.
After eating and drinking her fill, Shen Wei shared the roasted meat with the other palace servants and strolled leisurely by the lakeside.
Li Yuanjing walked beside her, with the Tiger Guards hidden nearby for protection.
Luo Yue Lake was picturesque, a popular spot for scholars and common folk from Yanjing to visit.
As night deepened, many brightly lit boats appeared on the lake, with the sounds of pipa and singing drifting in the wind, while vendors sold snacks along the shore.
It was quite lively.
Dressed in ordinary attire, Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing looked like a pair of middle-aged wealthy merchants. As they walked through the crowd, Li Yuanjing felt a sense of happiness in sharing joy with the people.
He held Shen Wei’s hand.
Shen Wei glanced at him but didn’t pull away, allowing him to hold her hand, thinking it was like taking a large pet out for a walk.
They strolled through the bustling night market. It seemed like a festive occasion, with many visitors on the east side of Luo Yue Lake. There was a large, luxurious boat adorned with bright lights, and the sounds of music and dance filled the air, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
“How rare to see men dancing! Wow, that’s really something!”
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