Chapter 413
Li Chengyou gazed at the aged face of Moxun before him. Despite being a grown man of towering stature, his eyes gradually reddened.
He knelt on one knee before Moxun, his voice choked with emotion. "Mother Empress, you've suffered so much... sob sob."
Moxun: "..."
Li Chengyou continued to weep, only to be abruptly smacked on the head from behind. A cold voice rang out, "What are you crying for? I'm not dead yet."
Tearfully, Li Chengyou turned and saw a young fisherwoman with a slightly tanned complexion.
Her appearance was entirely different, but the way she smacked his head was uncannily similar to his mother empress.
Moxun burst into laughter. "You fool, you can’t even recognize your own mother. I’m not your mother empress—she is."
Li Chengyou’s tears froze in his eyes as shock overtook him.
Throughout this journey, Li Chengyou had followed his father, sneaking into Southern Chu through wind and rain. He only knew that his mother empress had swapped souls with a Southern Chu woman.
But who could have guessed that this delicate-looking young girl before him was actually his mother empress?
Li Chengyou’s eyes fell on Shen Wei’s slender frame—so thin she was practically skin and bones.
Grief surged in his heart. Damn that Southern Chu emperor! Not only had he stolen his mother empress through underhanded means, but he hadn’t even fed her properly!
Just look at how thin she’d become!
"Mother Empress, sob sob, your son has come too late. You’ve suffered so much," Li Chengyou said, tears welling up. "But don’t worry, Mother Empress. With a hundred thousand troops at the border, Southern Chu won’t dare act recklessly."
He stepped closer to Shen Wei, eager to pour out his hardships over these past days and comfort his poor mother empress.
Shen Wei patted his muscular arm. "Stop crying. Help me find something—a box and a key."
Li Chengyou blinked through his tears, baffled. "Huh?"
Shen Wei had no time for reunions. An extra pair of hands meant more help in the search. "What are you standing around for? Start looking!"
Li Chengyou stammered, "Oh—oh, right!"
Suppressing his overwhelming longing, he reluctantly joined the hunt for the key.
The three of them turned the bedchamber upside down.
Nothing.
Shen Wei frowned, her gaze shifting to the polished marble floor. Had Li Yuanli hidden a secret compartment in the chamber, stashing the key and the device in some concealed corner?
A headache crept in—this was proving far too difficult.
"Mother Empress! There are so many portraits of you!" Li Chengyou exclaimed while rummaging through drawers, uncovering scroll after scroll of paintings on the table.
Every single one depicted Shen Wei’s face.
Li Chengyou gaped in disbelief.
What was the Southern Chu emperor playing at? Why hoard so many portraits of his mother empress?
And there was even one of her butchering a wild boar!
Nonsense! His mother empress was gentle, virtuous, and dignified—she would never do something as crude as slaughtering a boar!
Outside, the clashing of swords and ongoing skirmish showed no signs of stopping. Shen Wei turned to Li Chengyou. "How many men did you bring this time?"
Li Chengyou replied, "Less than a hundred. But don’t worry, Mother Empress. Da Qing has many spies in Southern Chu, and border troops are already in position."
Shen Wei gave a slight nod.
With no luck finding the key or the device inside the chamber, Shen Wei decisively abandoned the search—it was a waste of time. She stepped into the courtyard, the thick scent of blood filling the air as fighters on both sides bore injuries.
This pointless fighting couldn’t continue.
It was nothing but a drain on stamina.
Shen Wei grabbed her restless son by the arm and spoke in a calm, almost conversational tone, "There’s hot tea prepared inside. Everyone, stop fighting and come in for a drink."
Boom—
The battle came to an abrupt halt.
With that, Shen Wei turned and walked back inside, paying no further mind to the chaos outside. She settled comfortably into bed, ready to sleep. It was already late, and staying up would only harm her health.
She needed proper rest to handle matters with a clear mind tomorrow.
Emptying her thoughts, Shen Wei soon drifted into a peaceful slumber. The next morning, sunlight streamed in as the sounds of ocean waves and birdsong filled the air. Stretching with a yawn, she rose and freshened up.
The Southern Sea villa was eerily quiet.
Stepping out, Shen Wei saw Southern Chu’s cavalry and Da Qing’s elite guards stationed outside the courtyard, locked in a tense standoff like dragons and tigers sizing each other up.
Strangely, an uneasy balance had been struck.
"Mo—Mother Empress! Breakfast is ready!" Li Chengyou called out cheerfully as he hurried over.
Even now, he still struggled to adjust to her unfamiliar face.
In the dining hall, an elaborate spread awaited. Moxun sat waiting at the table, while Li Yuanjing and Li Yuanli faced each other in oppressive silence.
The moment Li Yuanjing spotted Shen Wei, his hostility melted away. He rushed forward eagerly. "Weiwei!"
Shen Wei noticed the streaks of silver at his temples.
Three months apart had left Li Yuanjing looking weary and aged. Gripping her thin wrist, his heart ached at the sight of her gaunt face. "You’ve suffered so much these past days."
Shen Wei replied simply, "It wasn’t too bad."
Li Yuanjing studied her eyes.
A stranger’s face, but the same familiar gaze.
This was his Shen Wei.
All this time, Li Yuanjing had been consumed by longing and anxiety. Yet now that he finally had her before him, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed—Shen Wei didn’t seem to have missed him at all.
She was far too composed, not even bothering to pretend. The realization left him conflicted.
What a heartless woman.
Over twenty years, Shen Wei had successfully ensnared Li Yuanjing’s heart. While he drowned in devotion, she remained detached, watching from the sidelines.
"Enough. Let Shen Wei eat first," Moxun called from the table.
Hungry, Shen Wei ate until she was stuffed.
Once the servants cleared the dishes and she had rinsed her mouth, Shen Wei returned to the hall. She noticed the bruise swelling at the corner of Li Yuanli’s lips—a remnant of yesterday’s brawl.
"Are you badly hurt?" Shen Wei asked him.
Li Yuanli smirked. "Just a scratch."
Meanwhile, Li Yuanjing was practically seething.
Watching Shen Wei fuss over Li Yuanli was like pouring vinegar straight into his veins. He couldn’t take it. "Weiwei, I’m injured too!"
Twenty years of marriage, and now she was doting on another man!
Li Yuanjing was drowning in jealousy.
Shen Wei sighed. "Li Yuanli has the device and the key. If he dies, I won’t last long either."
Her concern wasn’t for Li Yuanli—she just didn’t want him beaten to death by Li Yuanjing.
Li Yuanjing snorted indignantly.
Li Yuanli chuckled lazily, his eyes glinting as he said to Shen Wei, "As long as I’m still useful to you, that’s enough."
Li Yuanjing snapped, "Weiwei is my wife! If not for your cursed witchcraft, she never would’ve been stranded in Southern Chu!"
Li Yuanli tsked. "Second Brother, you’ve just been lucky. Father favored you, the crown prince conveniently died, and Shen Wei happened to enter your household... Your life has been smooth sailing, paved by others."