Chapter 405
Shen Wei, upon hearing this, picked up the book from the desk again and leaned back into the rattan chair to continue reading, her expression indifferent.
Caizhu, seeing Shen Wei remain utterly unmoved, grew anxious and gently reminded her, "Miss, Concubine Qin governs the inner palace with strict discipline. No one in the harem dares to defy her. If you don’t go to Hanzhang Palace, something terrible might happen!"
Caizhu still remembered the last concubine who had dared to challenge Concubine Qin’s authority—she had been forced to kneel for three days and eventually froze or starved to death.
When the Emperor learned of the incident, he did not intervene.
From then on, the entire harem believed the Emperor held a special favor for Concubine Qin. No newcomer dared to defy her authority again.
Shen Wei had just entered the palace and was temporarily residing in Changle Palace, but she had yet to serve the Emperor and had not been granted an official title. She was merely a low-born foreign fisher girl, insignificant as dust compared to the powerful Concubine Qin.
A mere flick of Concubine Qin’s finger could crush Shen Wei.
Caizhu, kind-hearted, tried once more to persuade her: "Miss, please listen to this servant’s advice and go pay respects to Concubine Qin. As long as you don’t provoke her, you can surely keep your life."
Without lifting her head, Shen Wei turned a page of her book. "No need."
Hadn’t Li Yuanli repeatedly claimed to adore her? Shen Wei wanted to use this incident to test the limits of his tolerance toward her.
The sunlight was warm as Shen Wei reclined lazily in the rattan chair, ignoring everything else.
At the gates of Changle Palace, the Old Matron from Concubine Qin’s entourage waited and waited until her legs grew sore, but Shen Wei never appeared.
The Old Matron held considerable prestige in the palace, and servants trembled before her. Never had she suffered such humiliation. She immediately scolded Caizhu, "This Yuan Xi’er has quite the audacity! Concubine Qin oversees the entire harem, yet this nameless, titleless Yuan Xi’er dares to defy her?"
Caizhu bowed her head deeply, scrambling for an excuse. "Matron, please don’t be angry... The young lady is frail and must take medicine daily to nourish her health. She truly cannot move."
The Old Matron sneered. "Cannot move? Should we send a palanquin to fetch her, then?"
Caizhu fell silent, terrified.
With a flick of her sleeve, the Old Matron stormed off, leaving Caizhu drenched in cold sweat. She knew Shen Wei had just earned Concubine Qin’s enmity.
...
Hanzhang Palace.
The courtyard was in full bloom with roses. Inside the pavilion, Concubine Qin, dressed in red, had her long sleeves tied back with a red sash. A roasting rack stood nearby, surrounded by rows of exquisite spice bottles. Lady Tuoba picked up a brush and began glazing the roasting venison with honey.
The charcoal fire crackled, filling the air with the rich aroma of grilled meat.
Concubine Qin sliced a piece of venison and handed it to a palace maid. "Taste this. Does the honey improve the flavor?"
The maid took a small bite, her face lighting up with admiration. "Your Highness, the venison is crispy, and the honey adds a mellow richness. It’s delicious."
A satisfied smile graced Concubine Qin’s flawlessly maintained face. "Excellent."
She sliced the roasted venison into thin pieces, dividing them into two portions—one large, one small—and placed them into food boxes.
The Emperor was a man of cold temperament, his tastes unpredictable. Ordinary concubines struggled to discern his preferences. After years of observation, Concubine Qin had noticed that he seemed fond of roasted meat, horseback riding, and opera.
She had tailored her efforts accordingly—learning to ride, sing, and roast meat. Her diligence had borne fruit; the Emperor indeed regarded her differently.
Concubine Qin instructed the maid, "Send the smaller portion to the Ninth Prince. Then fetch some citron slices. Later, I will personally deliver the roasted meat to His Majesty."
To win the Emperor’s favor, she would employ any means necessary.
Unlike other rulers, Li Yuanli was decisive and ruthless, using iron-fisted methods to stabilize the court. Though Concubine Qin was the daughter of the Prime Minister, she had begun to sense that the Emperor harbored murderous intentions toward the increasingly powerful Prime Minister’s estate.
To protect her family, she had no choice but to curry the Emperor’s favor.
A gentle breeze drifted through the pavilion under the bright sun. Concubine Qin untied the sash binding her sleeves, her soft, alluring gaze sweeping over the roses in the courtyard.
She sighed faintly. "'Like a fierce tiger, yet pausing to smell the roses'... Who would have thought the Emperor’s favorite flower would be the rose?"
No one could truly enter the Emperor’s heart.
Not even when, over a decade ago, Concubine Qin had taken a near-fatal blade for him—it had still not earned her his affection.
Footsteps approached from outside the palace. The Old Matron returned with her entourage. Concubine Qin’s beautiful eyes scanned the group, but the rumored fisher girl was nowhere in sight.
The Old Matron reported, "Your Highness, that girl from Changle Palace is utterly insolent. Knowing you had summoned her, she refused to take a single step."
Concubine Qin’s eyes narrowed, and she smiled. "What an audacious Yuan Xi’er. Does she think residing in Changle Palace grants her immunity?"
Truthfully, Concubine Qin had never imagined the Emperor of Southern Chu would personally travel beyond the borders to retrieve a fisher girl, then house her in Changle Palace—reserved for the Empress.
But a fisher girl was still a fisher girl, with no backing. If she didn’t tread carefully in the harem, her fate would be tragic.
The Emperor’s actions were always inscrutable. Perhaps he had brought the girl into the palace on a whim. Once his interest waned, he might very well dispose of her without a second thought.
Concubine Qin asked the Old Matron, "What does Yuan Xi’er look like?"
The Old Matron replied, "This old servant did not enter Changle Palace, so I did not see her face. But according to the servants who attend to her, Yuan Xi’er has a complexion like soy sauce, rough skin, and is not particularly beautiful."
Concubine Qin mused, "How strange... Why would the Emperor lower his standards so? Unless Yuan Xi’er is deliberately disguising herself to deceive others?"
The Old Matron nodded. "That is possible."
The harem was a battlefield. Perhaps Yuan Xi’er was feigning ugliness to lull others into complacency.
"If she refuses to come, then I shall go to her." Concubine Qin rose gracefully.
She would meet this infamous fisher girl herself.
...
...
Changle Palace.
Shen Wei seized every moment to absorb knowledge, striving to quickly familiarize herself with Southern Chu’s customs, geography, and history.
Since she had nothing better to do, reading and learning could only benefit her.
Lost in her book, Shen Wei paid no heed to the restless Caizhu beside her, who kept glancing nervously toward the door, fidgeting like an ant on a hot pan.
Then, a eunuch’s voice announced from outside—
"Concubine Qin has arrived!"
Caizhu’s nerves snapped. Her legs trembled violently as the gates of Changle Palace swung open. A lavish palanquin halted at the entrance. A jewel-embroidered slipper stepped down, resting on the back of a kneeling eunuch, before the sweeping golden-red hem of Concubine Qin’s robes brushed the ground.
Concubine Qin, now thirty, had maintained her beauty meticulously over the years. Her face was exquisitely enchanting, ranking among the most beautiful in Southern Chu’s harem. But the palace servants knew all too well the cruelty hidden beneath that lovely facade.
Everyone feared her.
The servants of Changle Palace knelt shakily, offering their respects.