Chapter 416
Qing State, Imperial Manor in Yanjing City.
When Shen Wei awoke, it was already the late spring season, a full month later. As consciousness returned, she felt an ache in every bone of her body. Glancing down at her palms, she noticed how much thinner she had become—her knuckles protruded sharply under her skin.
"Mother Empress!"
"Mother Empress!!"
A startled cry reached her ears.
Shen Wei lifted her gaze and saw Le You, who had also visibly lost weight, her eyes brimming with tears as she threw herself into Shen Wei’s arms.
Shen Wei patted her daughter’s back gently. "I’m fine. Tell me, what’s been happening in Yanjing City lately?"
Between sobs, Le You recounted the major and minor events of the capital.
Li Yuanjing and Li Chengyou were still on their way back, rushing from the southern seas of Chu to Yanjing City—a journey that would take at least a month. They were already pushing their horses to the limit.
In the meantime, the Ninth Prince of Southern Chu had held a grand funeral for the late emperor, who had passed away from illness. Along the way, he had executed a number of stubborn old ministers, stepping over their corpses to ascend the throne.
Tensions between Southern Chu and Qing State remained high, and Li Chengtai had been swamped with work these past few days.
Shen Wei said, "Help me outside for a walk."
Le You immediately supported her with gentle hands. The Imperial Manor was just as she remembered—outside its gates lay the shimmering Luoyue Lake. Shen Wei stood by the lakeshore, closing her eyes as the warm sunlight bathed her skin.
Her pores relaxed.
The warmth was soothing.
It felt good to be alive...
In the late spring waters of Luoyue Lake, tender green lotus leaves had unfurled one by one. Painted pleasure boats drifted lazily across the surface, while the distant silhouette of Yanjing City’s towering walls loomed on the horizon.
Shen Wei felt as though she had stepped out of a long dream—figures like Yuan Xi'er, Yuan Fu, and Li Yuanli now seemed like illusions from another world.
Not long after Shen Wei regained consciousness, Li Chengtai, who had been in the palace, received the news and rushed over without delay. Seeing her lucid again, his nose stung, and his eyes reddened instantly.
"Mother Empress..." His voice trembled.
Shen Wei patted his shoulder. "Don’t cry. I’m fine. The new emperor of Southern Chu—that young man is no simple figure. You must keep an eye on him."
The new ruler of Southern Chu was the Ninth Prince, Li Mi. Having endured Li Yuanli’s cruelty since childhood, he was resolute and cunning.
With the shift in power, both Qing State and Southern Chu had new rulers. The older generation had gracefully stepped aside, leaving the stage to the younger ones.
"Mother Empress, I understand." Li Chengtai blinked back his tears—his mother was still the same, caring for him as always.
Li Chengtai brought imperial physicians and countless rare medicinal herbs, lingering at the manor for three full days, unwilling to leave her side.
Finally, Shen Wei could bear it no longer and kicked him back to the palace to attend to state affairs.
Her body was still terribly weak. Peering into a silver mirror, she noticed her complexion had dulled slightly, and faint lines had appeared at the corners of her eyes. Horrified, she immediately resolved to focus on beauty regimens and physical exercise.
She would train hard, diligently nourish her skin, and strive to live to a hundred!
Between workouts, Shen Wei didn’t forget to summon Shopkeeper Ye of Yanjing City to discuss plans for opening businesses in Donglin and Southern Chu. During her time as "Yuan Xi'er," she had gathered valuable commercial intelligence about Southern Chu and now knew exactly what kind of shops would thrive there.
Life had returned to normal—and without Li Yuanjing around to disturb her, Shen Wei adored her current retirement.
Comfortable, carefree, and utterly liberated!
"Master, a letter from the Retired Emperor." At the Luoyue Lake Manor, Cai Lian presented an urgent missive.
Shen Wei was deep in her study of Southern Chu’s commercial landscape. Without looking up, she said, "Leave it there. I’ll read it when I have time."
Li Yuanjing had rushed off to Southern Chu in a hurry, only to turn around and race back the moment Shen Wei was rescued. The journey was long and arduous—he wished he could sprout wings and fly to her side.
But the road stretched endlessly before him.
All he could do was send letters ahead, pouring out his longing in ink.
After finalizing her plans for Southern Chu’s business expansion and sipping fragrant lotus tea, Shen Wei leisurely opened Li Yuanjing’s letter. It was brief, every word brimming with concern, and ended with a plea for her reply.
After some thought, Shen Wei acknowledged that Li Yuanjing had indeed been through a lot lately. She took up brush and paper and penned him a short response.
...
...
Yanjing City, Yan Residence.
Prince Wu had been in low spirits these past few days. Upon learning of Yuan Xi'er’s death in Southern Chu, he was overwhelmed with mixed emotions—including a faint trace of sorrow.
Though Yuan Xi'er had not been a great beauty, she had been his betrothed concubine. Slumped in his chair, Prince Wu struggled to process the grief in his heart.
Princess Donglin entered the room and glanced at her despondent younger brother. "Yuan Fu has already gone to Southern Chu to retrieve his sister’s body and bring her back to Donglin. I gave him some silver—enough for a fine coffin."
Prince Wu sighed. "Elder Sister... what if we buried Yuan Xi'er in the grounds of Prince Wu’s Mansion? When my time comes, she could rest beside me in the same tomb."
Yuan Xi'er’s greatest wish in life had been to marry him.
Prince Wu wanted to grant her that, even in death.
Princess Donglin scoffed. "Yuan Fu refused. He wants his sister buried beside their parents."
Prince Wu’s heart sank.
Though he lived in luxury at the Yan Residence—surrounded by delicacies and draped in fine silks—he had begun to feel an emptiness inside. Yuan Xi'er’s death only deepened the void.
He stood. "Elder Sister, I’m going out for a walk. Don’t wait for me at dinner."
Princess Donglin nodded. "Take two guards with you. Don’t stay out too late."
Prince Wu wandered out of the residence, weighed down by melancholy.
Yanjing City was as bustling as ever—streets crowded with people, taverns fragrant with wine, flower vendors with delicate features. But Prince Wu’s heart was heavy, and nothing could lift his spirits.
Finally, his guard, Fifth Brother Zhang, suggested, "Your Highness, why not visit Luoyue Lake to admire the lotuses? They say many beauties gather there."
Prince Wu nodded glumly.
Their carriage arrived at Luoyue Lake, where late spring blossoms bloomed along the shore, and pleasure boats bobbed gently at the docks, laughter drifting over the water. Prince Wu fanned himself with a white jade-handled fan and sighed. "The revelry belongs to them. I am but a lonely, handsome man."
Fifth Brother Zhang: "..."
Disliking the crowd, Prince Wu turned and walked along the shore, searching for a quieter spot. Fifth Brother Zhang cautioned him, "Your Highness, we shouldn’t go further west. That area is reserved for the Qing State princes and princesses—outsiders aren’t permitted."
Prince Wu waved him off. "I know my limits. But Yuan Xi'er is gone... my heart aches. When I think about it, she was quite remarkable—gentle, brave, clever."
The world was full of beauties, but few were as intelligent and resilient as Yuan Xi'er.
Regret gnawed at him.
Had he known she would meet such an early end, he would have married her sooner, settled her safely in his mansion—perhaps then, she might have lived.
Prince Wu closed his eyes, bitterness flooding his chest. "Such a woman is hard to find. In this lifetime, I fear I shall never love another—"
His words cut off abruptly as his fan stilled mid-motion.
There, in a pavilion not far along the shore, stood a figure of breathtaking beauty.
Lush lotus leaves swayed, sheer curtains fluttered in the lake breeze, and the woman sat with her chin resting on one hand, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she gazed at the tranquil waters of late spring.
Prince Wu's heart pounded wildly!
What a breathtaking figure—it felt as though she had appeared in his dreams a thousand times before!
His instincts told him this must be the extraordinary woman foretold by the State Preceptor of Yue!