A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 239

Le You gave a sweet smile, her voice soft and tender: "Grandmother Empress Dowager said there were bugs in the medicine, so I couldn't drink it. Don’t worry, Mother, I spat it all out."

Shen Wei smiled and hugged the child.

Not far away, Li Wan'er watched the scene, her eyes brimming with barely concealed envy. When her own mother was alive, she too had been embraced and cared for like this every day.

But alas, her mother was gone now.

No one had held her since.

"Wan'er has just moved into Cining Palace. Le You, go pick out some soft pillows from the storeroom and bring them to Wan'er’s room," Shen Wei said, patting Le You’s small shoulder.

Le You nodded obediently. "Right away!"

She dashed off toward the storeroom, her two personal maids hurrying after her.

Shen Wei stood and turned her gaze to Li Wan'er in the distance. With a gentle smile, she said, "Summer is approaching, and the weather will grow hotter. There’s a white jade cooling mat in my quarters—I’ll have it sent to your room so you can sleep comfortably in the heat."

Li Wan'er quickly curtsied, her voice soft. "Thank you, Consort Shen."

Shen Wei stepped into Li Wan'er’s room. Cining Palace had many empty chambers, and this western room had been cleaned and furnished with Li Wan'er’s belongings.

The space was tidy and elegantly simple.

Just as Shen Wei reached the tea table, Li Wan'er suddenly dropped to her knees behind her and kowtowed deeply. "Wan'er thanks Consort Shen for saving my life."

Shen Wei was taken aback.

She helped Li Wan'er up. "When did I ever save you?"

Li Wan'er pressed her lips together, tears glistening in her eyes. "Granny Liu said that when the time came, I would be freed from suffering. Thinking carefully about everything that’s happened today, I believe it was you who helped me in secret."

Shen Wei’s expression softened with admiration. "What a clever girl."

Truly the daughter of the late Crown Prince—her insight and discernment were extraordinary.

Shen Wei guided Li Wan'er to sit down. With a faint smile, she admitted, "I won’t hide it from you. Helping you also served my own purposes."

She had used Li Wan'er’s plight as part of her scheme to wrest control of the imperial harem from the Empress.

Shen Wei’s poisoning, the near-poisoning of the Empress Dowager and Le You, and the Empress’s mistreatment of Li Wan'er—all these misdeeds combined were enough to crush the Empress beyond recovery.

"I know," Li Wan'er replied with a gentle smile. "But you still helped me, and for that, I’m grateful."

Impressed by her wisdom and clarity, Shen Wei felt a surge of fondness. She spoke calmly, "Wan'er, I can help you once, but life is long. You can’t expect someone to rescue you every time. You’re clever, but your nature is too meek."

Li Wan'er lowered her head.

She knew she was timid, always wallowing in self-pity.

Shen Wei’s tone grew earnest. "Your life should be carved out by your own hands. A life handed to you by others is never truly yours."

Li Wan'er clutched her embroidered handkerchief, her stagnant heart stirring with ripples of emotion.

When her mother was alive, she too had often urged her to be brave and self-reliant.

Li Wan'er’s nose stung, and she nodded through her tears. "I understand."

Shen Wei didn’t stay much longer, for Nanny Qian arrived, saying the Empress Dowager had summoned her.

Shen Wei took her leave. She had given Li Wan'er her advice—how much the girl would take to heart was up to fate.

...

...

In the main hall of Cining Palace, the atmosphere was heavy. Shen Wei lifted the hem of her pale yellow skirt and stepped inside cautiously.

The Empress Dowager sat on the central throne, her usual warmth absent.

The servants withdrew, leaving only Shen Wei and the Empress Dowager in the hall.

Shen Wei’s heart pounded as she softly called, "Mother?"

The Empress Dowager’s expression darkened. She slammed her hand on the table and commanded sharply, "Kneel!"

Shen Wei dropped to her knees without hesitation.

She knew she had angered the Empress Dowager. She had bribed Granny Liu, the Empress’s attendant, and used Li Wan'er, the Empress Dowager, and even Le You in her plot to seize power from the Empress.

Her methods had been far from honorable—even somewhat underhanded. The Empress Dowager’s fury was justified.

The Empress Dowager demanded, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Shen Wei answered meekly, "Your Majesty, this humble one should not have used you and Wan'er to expose the Empress’s misdeeds, tarnishing the imperial family’s reputation—"

Before she could finish, the Empress Dowager cut her off angrily, "That’s not why I’m angry!"

Now it was Shen Wei’s turn to be stunned. Bewildered, she asked, "Then… is Mother upset that Le You nearly got poisoned? I truly had no idea that would happen."

She never imagined the Empress would dare to poison the Empress Dowager!

The Empress Dowager rubbed her temples and sighed deeply, her eyes filled with both exasperation and concern. "Why didn’t you tell me about the slow-acting poison in your contraceptive tea?"

Shen Wei’s jaw dropped.

She never expected the Empress Dowager to be upset over something like this.

Could it be that, compared to Le You and Li Wan'er, Shen Wei—an outsider with no blood ties—held the most weight in the Empress Dowager’s heart?

Stammering, Shen Wei struggled to respond. "I… I wasn’t seriously harmed. After taking the antidote, I’ll recover soon."

The Empress Dowager sighed again and stepped forward, helping Shen Wei to her feet. "From now on, if you want something, tell me directly. We’ll plan together. There’s no need to scheme in circles and harm yourself in the process."

Only from Doctor Mo had the Empress Dowager learned that Shen Wei had been poisoned. Yet Shen Wei had kept silent, quietly orchestrating her revenge against the Empress.

Ever since meeting Shen Wei, the Empress Dowager had noticed how unyielding the girl was. Shen Wei appeared gentle and considerate in all things—but she was ruthlessly harsh on herself.

She never spared her own well-being and kept her guard up against everyone.

Shen Wei was stunned.

She hadn’t realized the Empress Dowager trusted her so deeply!

Forcing a smile, Shen Wei said, "Mother, I can’t rely on you for everything. I must walk my own path and fight for what I want."

Too smooth a life would make one complacent and careless.

The Empress Dowager poked Shen Wei’s forehead in exasperation. "If only Zhao Yang had half your resilience, I wouldn’t have to worry about her future day and night. Go back to Yongning Palace and take your medicine. I’ll handle the Empress’s punishment."

Shen Wei obediently clung to the Empress Dowager’s arm, her eyes shining. "Thank you, Mother!"

In the imperial harem, only the Emperor and Empress could address the Empress Dowager as "Mother." Other consorts had to respectfully call her "Your Majesty."

But Shen Wei was an exception. In private, she always used "Mother," bridging the distance between them.

With a light heart, Shen Wei took her leave.

The Empress Dowager stood beneath the palace eaves, watching Shen Wei’s slender figure retreat. A pang of regret struck her. If only she had met Shen Wei earlier, she would have defied all opposition to make her Li Yuanjing’s principal wife.

Shen Wei had strategy, foresight, administrative skill, the ability to win her husband’s heart, a talent for raising children, and filial devotion—she was the perfect candidate for Empress.

But fate was unkind.

The Tantai family’s influence was too deeply rooted to uproot quickly, so the position of Empress had to remain with Tantai Shuya for now.

Just as the Empress Dowager turned to visit Le You, she caught sight of Li Chengtai lurking in the shadows.

Li Chengtai was dressed in a dark golden brocade robe with gold-threaded embroidery along the sleeves and hem, paired with black-patterned boots. He looked like a miniature version of Li Yuanjing. However, his eyes were brimming with tears, his little face etched with sorrow. It was unclear how long he had been standing there or how much he had overheard.

The Empress Dowager beckoned to him with a gentle smile. "Chengtai, what are you doing here?"

Li Chengtai's voice trembled as he clenched his small fists. "Grandmother, my mother... she's been poisoned. And I... I can't do anything to help her."

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