Chapter 402
**Chapter 400: A Reunion of Fellow Villagers**
The emperor granted permission, and by afternoon, the garden was cleared of all the roses, swiftly replaced with a variety of fresh flowers and greenery.
Shen Wei remained dissatisfied, insisting on changing many of the palace's screens, curtains, and furnishings.
As dusk approached, Shen Wei leisurely settled into a reclining chair, a plate of her favorite snacks on the table beside her, along with a book of stories she enjoyed. She munched on treats while flipping through the pages.
Just then, Cai Zhu came in with a message: “Miss, Doctor Mo is here to check your pulse.”
Without looking up, Shen Wei replied, “Let him in.”
She assumed it was one of the palace physicians.
To her surprise, moments later, she heard a familiar voice calling out, “Your Grace—oh no, I mean, Empress Dowager, that doesn’t seem right either... What should I call you?”
Shen Wei snapped her book shut and looked up to see Mo Xun, thin and carrying a medical bag.
The evening breeze rustled, and their eyes met. Since parting ways in the palace of the Qing Kingdom all those years ago, Shen Wei had lost track of Mo Xun. She never expected to encounter her today in the palace of Nan Chu.
Years had passed, and Mo Xun’s features bore signs of aging. Perhaps due to her mood, she looked troubled, with faint lines forming at the corners of her eyes.
Shen Wei dismissed the palace attendants.
Mo Xun plopped down in the chair next to Shen Wei. Her dark, glistening eyes scrutinized Shen Wei, as if trying to peer through this unfamiliar exterior to glimpse the former Shen Guifei.
Shen Wei allowed her to observe.
After a moment of contemplation, Mo Xun suddenly whispered, “Strange changes, yet the odd remains unchanged?”
Shen Wei’s hand, which held the book, froze.
Seeing Shen Wei’s silence, Mo Xun scratched her head and murmured, “The way I love you without kneeling, I love you—”
Shen Wei gazed at Mo Xun, intrigued.
Mo Xun continued to mumble, “This doesn’t match the code; could it be... zero-zero after?”
Mo Xun was deep in thought, trying to piece it all together.
To activate the device, the soul must contain the essence of modern neutrinos. For the past two years, Mo Xun had been doubting whether Shen Wei was from the same era as her.
Today, given the chance to visit, Mo Xun wanted to subtly probe into Shen Wei’s origins.
But Shen Wei remained silent.
Mo Xun muttered to herself, “It can’t be; the souls captured in the physics experiments only come from modern people.”
Suddenly, Shen Wei asked, “Which institution are you from?”
Still lost in modern memories, Mo Xun instinctively replied, “I’m Li Qingxun, a researcher at the Special Research Institute. What about you?”
Shen Wei smiled, “I’m Shen Wei, the founder of Weijie Technology.”
Mo Xun snapped back to reality.
She stared at Shen Wei in shock, her lips trembling. Gradually, her eyes turned red, and she let out a cry, throwing herself into Shen Wei’s arms: “Fellow villager! Goodness, it’s been nearly eighty years, and I finally meet someone from my hometown!”
Mo Xun was overjoyed!
Heaven knows how lonely she had felt, landing in a strange era all alone. Even though she had once achieved great success, donned the dragon robe, and gained unparalleled power and love, deep down, she still felt as desolate as a barren wasteland.
A vast expanse, overgrown with wild grass.
That was a cry not belonging to this era.
What was worse, after Mo Xun passed away a century ago, she thought she could return to the modern world. But when she opened her eyes again, she found herself a hundred years later, forced to live in this unfamiliar world for decades more.
“Calm down, calm down.” Shen Wei handed Mo Xun a cup of tea.
Mo Xun cradled the cup, tears of bitterness falling.
After a long while, her excitement finally began to settle. Mo Xun took a sip of tea and asked Shen Wei, “You’re the founder of Weijie Technology—wait, the one in the Sanhuan Road Industrial Park?”
Shen Wei nodded slightly, “Yes.”
Mo Xun exclaimed, “I remember now! That company is quite large, specializing in tech components and even taking on port projects. The special screws for the instruments at the research institute are produced by your company, and the quality is excellent.”
Shen Wei was surprised, “You remember all that so clearly?”
Mo Xun set down her cup, wistfully saying, “With nothing to do, I often find myself imagining the world I used to know, thinking about the people and events, even daydreaming about working overtime. I’m afraid that if I stay here too long, I’ll forget the past.”
Mo Xun chattered on for a while.
Shen Wei curiously asked, “Does Li Yuanli know your identity?”
Mentioning Li Yuanli brought a frown to Mo Xun’s face. She huffed, “That little brat dared to imprison his own ancestor! Two years ago, I was out of my mind for a while and revealed a lot about the modern world, and he heard it all. He used the instruments developed by the research institute, intending to swap your soul with Lu Yun’s. The device malfunctioned, Lu Yun died, and you ended up in this body.”
With Mo Xun’s explanation, Shen Wei finally understood the truth of the matter.
Mo Xun sighed, “I caused you trouble. I shouldn’t have slept with Zhang He’an back then; who would have thought that beneath his handsome exterior, he was a delusional psychopath? The descendants of the Nan Chu royal family are all mad.”
Reunited with a fellow villager, Mo Xun chatted away with Shen Wei, eager to share decades’ worth of stories.
As night fell, Mo Xun reluctantly bid farewell to Shen Wei, saying, “You rest well tonight; I’ll come see you again tomorrow. Li Yuanli will definitely come looking for you tonight, so remember to protect yourself. If he tries to force himself on you, just grab a knife and castrate him.”
Mo Xun cautioned her repeatedly, glancing back three times as she left.
Night descended.
The imperial kitchen served up exquisite dishes, mostly from the Qing Kingdom, along with a few of Shen Wei’s favorite Nan Chu delicacies. Shen Wei, feeling hungry, picked up her chopsticks and began to savor the food.
Cai Zhu stood by, hesitating to speak. Dinner was ready, but they had to wait for the emperor to join. It was quite inappropriate for this girl to start eating without him.
Outside Chang Le Palace, the sound of footsteps approached. Li Yuanli, having finished his state affairs, arrived at Chang Le Palace under the cover of night.
The palace attendants announced his arrival.
The attendants in Chang Le Palace knelt on the ground, but Shen Wei did not come out to greet him.
Li Yuanli was not angry; this was just Shen Wei’s nature. Though she appeared delicate, her resolve was stronger than anyone else’s.
His gaze swept over the disheveled courtyard, where all the roses had been uprooted, and the newly planted flowers looked a bit wilted. The palace lanterns under the eaves shone brightly, casting a warm glow.
After years of solitude, Chang Le Palace finally welcomed its master back.
As night enveloped the palace, the attendants knelt in silence, no one daring to speak. Li Yuanli paused under the eaves, watching the warm candlelight spill out. Shen Wei was picking up a pair of jade chopsticks, delicately lifting fresh asparagus from the platter, enjoying her meal with a sense of ease and contentment.
Li Yuanli watched quietly.
For the first time in many years, his heart, once empty, felt full.
Table of Contents
