Chapter 408
**Chapter 406: A Short Life**
Li Chengyou wiped the sweat from his forehead as he sprinted, his horse having already collapsed from exhaustion.
He was worried about Li Yuanjing's health. At over forty years old, despite being strong and robust from years of martial training, he was no longer a young man. After such a long journey, Li Chengyou knew his father must be fatigued, so he gently advised, “Father, the Emperor of Nanchu has taken Mother hostage to threaten the Kingdom of Qing. I believe he won’t harm her life for now.”
Having spent time training in the military camp of Liangzhou, Li Chengyou had recently learned that his mother had fallen victim to a terrifying curse. Anxious and restless, he rushed back over a thousand miles to accompany Li Yuanjing into Nanchu.
Along the way, the killing intent radiating from Li Yuanjing was almost palpable.
He pulled on the reins, gritting his teeth as he said, “Li Yuanli would never harm Weiwei. My concerns lie elsewhere...”
He feared that Shen Wei might be deceived by Li Yuanli’s sweet words!
Since her retirement, Shen Wei had shed her virtuous facade, revealing her cunning true self. Li Yuanjing gradually realized that Shen Wei had always prioritized her own interests, choosing only the path that benefited her the most.
Shen Wei was like a resilient flower, thriving in any soil. If Li Yuanli offered her enough benefits, she might very well abandon her husband and children in pursuit of freedom! She could easily discard the past.
Unfortunately, Li Yuanjing was the pitiful “old man” in this scenario.
These days, Li Yuanjing had been so anxious that he couldn’t sleep!
He didn’t want to be abandoned! At his age, having some scoundrel trying to steal his wife was simply infuriating!
He had to act quickly to bring Shen Wei back to his side and completely eliminate any terrifying thoughts of her “abandoning her husband and children.”
“Let’s continue through the night,” Li Yuanjing commanded, urging his horse forward, leading the Tiger Guards through the deep mountains, straight towards the distant capital of Nanchu.
...
The next day.
After breakfast, Shen Wei received a visit from Mo Xun, who came to check her pulse and examine her health.
Having not seen her for a day, Mo Xun looked even more haggard.
As she took Shen Wei’s pulse, she muttered, “Yesterday, the Emperor executed Concubine Qin, and the news has spread like wildfire. I hear the Prime Minister’s residence is terrified—oh, Shen Wei, you really have some skills.”
But Mo Xun could understand.
Who wouldn’t love Shen Wei?
She was a flower blooming in the sunlight, a light in the abyss, always attracting the beasts lurking in the shadows.
Mo Xun rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Shen Wei with admiration. “Sometimes, I really admire you. Back when I was forced to marry as a princess of the Kingdom of Qing, my father didn’t care for me, my mother didn’t love me, and I was pushed into a marriage I didn’t want. I was so depressed for a long time that I even thought about throwing myself into the river... Eventually, I had no choice but to rise up and declare myself queen.”
“And you? You had it worse when you crossed over. I was at least a princess; you became a servant selling yourself, and yet you ended up as the Empress of Qing. I truly admire you.”
Shen Wei smiled, “Strong people never complain about their circumstances.”
Mo Xun scoffed, “Hmph, I not only complain about my circumstances, but I also complain about the strong.”
Shen Wei: ...
The strong Shen Wei awkwardly touched her nose, shifting the topic. “Mo Xun, ever since I became Yuan Xier, I’ve been trying to take care of my health. But strangely, after taking medicine for over half a month and exercising diligently, why do I still feel so drained?”
Shen Wei had originally planned to focus on her health first.
However, after days of careful nurturing, her body showed no signs of improvement and remained weak.
Mo Xun replied, “I won’t hide it from you; you have at most six months to live.”
Shen Wei was taken aback.
She sat up straight, eyes wide. “Explain.”
Mo Xun told her the truth: “My real name is Li Qingxun. After a lab accident, I crossed over into the body of someone also named Li Qingxun. Similarly, your real name is Shen Wei, and the maid in the palace is also named Shen Wei. You can think of it as we’ve become another version of ourselves in a parallel universe.”
“When I died, that scoundrel Zhang He’an activated the device to forcibly keep my soul. A hundred years later, I was reborn as Mo Xun, but I’m still not Mo Xun; my soul doesn’t fit, and my life is short... Zhang He’an forced my life to continue, which is why I’ve managed to survive until now.
Now that Zhang He’an has been missing for two years, I suspect he’s most likely met a tragic end. Those who meddle with fate rarely have a good outcome. With his death, my life is probably nearing its end as well.”
At the mention of Zhang He’an, Mo Xun lowered her gaze.
Tears fell silently.
Mo Xun quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes, suppressing the ache in her heart, forcing a smile. “Well, life is like a candle; I’ve lived enough, so if I die, I die—Li Yuanli forcibly transferred you into Yuan Xier’s body, and since your souls don’t match, if you can’t return to Shen Wei’s body in time, you’ll also meet your end.”
Shen Wei’s expression darkened.
No wonder Mo Xun looked more haggard each day; it turned out her life was running out.
Shen Wei opened her palm, examining her young, delicate hands, gradually furrowing her brow. She had thought she could live on as Yuan Xier and start a new chapter in Nanchu.
Unfortunately, Yuan Xier could only live for six months at most.
The adventurous thoughts that had just emerged in Shen Wei’s mind last night vanished without a trace! With her life hanging by a thread, how could she still have the chance to build a career in Nanchu?
She had to find a way to return to her original body!
After Mo Xun finished checking Shen Wei’s pulse and left two prescriptions, she shouldered her medicine box and departed.
Her figure was thin and solitary.
Shen Wei watched Mo Xun leave, her heart heavy with regret. Despite Mo Xun’s carefree demeanor, deep down, she must still hold a place for Zhang He’an.
The weather was beautiful today, with blue skies and white clouds. Caizhu suggested to Shen Wei, “Miss, many precious flowers and plants have been newly planted in the Imperial Garden. You should go take a look and enjoy the blossoms.”
Shen Wei nodded in agreement.
Li Yuanli had not restricted Shen Wei’s freedom, allowing her to move freely within the harem. In the Imperial Garden of Nanchu, all the rose bushes had been uprooted and replaced with vibrant, precious flora.
The garden was a riot of colors.
As palace maids passed by and saw Shen Wei, they all bowed nervously to greet her. Shen Wei sat in a pavilion, where a stone bench was covered with soft cushions, and the table was laid with a delicate cloth, with exquisite fruit platters and tea already prepared.
As she sipped tea and admired the flowers, she suddenly spotted a plump figure rolling around in the flowerbed.
It was a fox.
Shen Wei had never seen such a fat fox before; it looked like a fluffy white ball, and she couldn’t help but stare in amazement.
At that moment, a pair of embroidered black boots appeared beside the plump fox, the toe gently nudging it.
The fox, with a bad temper, lunged at the boot, trying to bite it.
Shen Wei looked up to see the owner of the embroidered black boots—a young man around seventeen or eighteen years old. He wore a dark black python robe, his features sharp and defined, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, and a bruise on his lip that hadn’t yet healed, resembling a fierce wild leopard.
Noticing Shen Wei’s gaze, the young man turned to her, his eyes glinting with a chilling coldness.
“Miss, that’s the Ninth Prince... he must have just returned from the martial arena,” Caizhu whispered to Shen Wei.
As soon as she finished speaking, the legendary Ninth Prince of Nanchu strode towards Shen Wei.
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