Chapter 40

The palace servant, hearing these words, also stopped in her tracks.

She followed Shen Wei’s gaze and looked ahead, but when she saw the palace building, her face immediately turned pale, and her voice began to tremble slightly, “That…”

Shen Wei noticed the odd tremor in the servant’s voice and turned to look at her. Seeing her deathly pale complexion, Shen Wei’s heart filled with more confusion. What was it about this abandoned palace that could frighten the servant so much? As she thought about this, she placed her hand gently on the servant’s hand and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

The palace maid, upon hearing this, seemed to regain some composure. She lifted her eyes to look at Shen Wei, and seeing her gentle expression, she unconsciously calmed the turmoil in her heart. After taking a deep breath to calm her thoughts, she softened her expression and said, “Please forgive me, Madam. (lost composure).”

After speaking, she looked at Shen Wei and softly added, “The Empress is waiting for you. Madam, please follow me and let us hurry.”

Shen Wei, hearing this, didn’t say anything in response. She only glanced at the palace maid as she stepped forward and couldn’t help but cast a glance at the palace.

Even though the palace maid was trying her best to mask it, Shen Wei could still see the panic and confusion on her face. She didn’t show any emotion, but her tone carried a bit more hesitation as she spoke, “I’ve been here a few times, but I didn’t know there were such places. If it’s not too much trouble, I would appreciate it if you could tell me about it so I don’t offend anyone in the future.”

“You know the rules in the palace. If you accidentally offend any noble, it’s never a good thing.”

The palace maid, hearing this, felt her back stiffen for a moment, but she slowed down her steps. Biting her lip, she looked around, and then lowered her voice to respond, “This is indeed a forbidden area in the palace. The head housekeeper has strictly forbidden us to talk about it.”

If it weren’t for the fact that she was speaking to the wife of the Duke of Rongguo, she would never have dared to bring it up.

She paused for a moment, then lowered her voice even further and continued, “Madam, are you familiar with the Eastern Palace?”

The Eastern Palace?

Shen Wei was taken aback when she heard this. She had watched a few palace dramas in her previous life, so she naturally knew that the Eastern Palace was where the Crown Prince resided. Could the abandoned palace they had passed earlier be the Eastern Palace? But the Crown Prince is still alive, so why is this palace abandoned like that? Wait, if she remembered correctly, the Crown Prince, Zhao Xu, currently resides outside the palace.

This wasn’t something she learned from the book, but from the memories of her former self.

The Crown Prince, Zhao Xu, had been named heir since his youth, and according to the regulations, he should have lived in the palace. However, when he turned fifteen, the emperor had arranged for him to live in a mansion outside the palace.

At the time, this decision caused quite a stir in Bianliang city.

People didn’t understand why the Crown Prince, who was supposed to live in the palace, was living outside, just like the other princes. Later, rumors spread about the emperor favoring Prince Jin, and many people started to talk. However, none of the nobles in the palace showed any reaction, and the matter eventually died down.

Shen Wei thought about this and reined in her thoughts, replying, “I remember this was originally where the Crown Prince lived…”

The palace maid softly responded, “Yes, it was originally meant for the Crown Prince, but…” She trailed off, unconsciously looking around again, then, seeing no one, lowered her voice further to continue, “After the former Crown Prince was deposed, some strange incidents happened here. To avoid any trouble for the Crown Prince, the emperor decided to seal off this place and set up a new residence for the Crown Prince outside.”

Deposed Crown Prince?

Shen Wei didn’t expect that the conversation would touch on the issue of the deposed Crown Prince. She was momentarily stunned, but she did know a little about the deposed Crown Prince.

Though the book mentioned it vaguely, there were still some clues. She remembered that after the death of the Crown Prince’s consort, Qi, the Crown Prince, Zhao Ye, had repeatedly offended the late emperor. Later, it was revealed that Zhao Ye had conspired with the court officials, and the late emperor, unable to tolerate this, deposed him and confined him to the Eastern Palace.

What surprised her was that not long after, the late emperor died of poison, and evidence soon emerged that pointed to the deposed Crown Prince as the culprit. When they went to arrest Zhao Ye, he had set fire to the entire Eastern Palace.

More than a hundred people in the Eastern Palace died in the fire, including the late emperor’s most favored legitimate grandson.

But Shen Wei found it strange. The book mentioned that Zhao Ye was the late emperor’s most trusted son, but why did their relationship deteriorate so rapidly after Qi’s death? Also, if she remembered correctly, the person who found the poison evidence was the current emperor, Prince Zhao Zhun.

Had the evidence not been found, Zhao Ye would have likely lived out a life of wealth and honor, even if he couldn’t regain his position as Crown Prince.

And that fire…

Many people had said that Zhao Ye committed suicide out of guilt.

But even if it was suicide, why would he take his own child with him to die? The late emperor had adored his legitimate grandson, and even though Zhao Ye was deposed, the emperor had still retained the title of Crown Prince for him and often kept him close.

If the legitimate grandson had survived, the late emperor would probably have passed the throne to him instead of Zhao Zhun.

Perhaps after experiencing so much…

Shen Wei couldn’t help but indulge in some conspiracy theories. Maybe the fire wasn’t set by Zhao Ye, and the court officials were just overly suspicious due to their own unease.

The palace maid noticed Shen Wei’s deep contemplation and, fearing that she might overthink things, hurriedly said, “Madam, please never mention this matter to anyone, especially in front of the other masters in the palace. The issue of the deposed Crown Prince is highly sensitive in the palace, and few people dare to speak of it. I only brought it up because I was worried you might accidentally offend someone. If the head housekeeper finds out, I’ll be punished severely.”

Hearing this, Shen Wei’s expression softened. She smiled gently, then lightly patted the palace maid’s hand, saying, “Thank you so much…” As she spoke, she took off a pearl bracelet from her wrist and placed it in the palace maid’s hand. She added, “If it weren’t for you, I might have truly offended someone in the future.”

The palace attendant looked at the handcuffs in her hand and naturally declined once.

However, before she could speak, Shen Wei smiled and spoke first: “Alright, let’s go. It would be unfortunate to miss the time for paying respects to the Empress.” Seeing this, the palace attendant didn’t say anything more but softly acknowledged and carefully put away the handcuffs, then continued leading Shen Wei forward.

Just before leaving, Shen Wei glanced back at the palace.

The moss was scattered across the stone, and the greenery was lush. This place, which should have been the most prosperous besides the imperial palace, had now been buried here. As she thought about the things she had once considered, her gaze lowered. No matter what the past had been like, it no longer mattered to her.

After recalling these thoughts, Shen Wei turned her attention away and, supported by Mo Qi, continued walking forward.

—-

Weiyang Palace.

By now, the time for the morning and evening rituals had passed, and the grand Weiyang Palace naturally had fewer people. Shen Wei had just been led there by the palace attendant, and an older palace maid, who was waiting outside the hall, came forward to greet her.

The maid smiled and, after bowing to Shen Wei, respectfully said, “The Empress has been waiting for you for a while.”

After finishing her words, the maid personally lifted the curtain and invited Shen Wei inside.

Seeing this, Shen Wei didn’t say anything but withdrew her hand from Mo Qi’s arm and followed the maid’s lead into the palace. The hall was filled with a pleasant fragrance, which became even more refreshing as the spring breeze blew and spread the scent in the air.

She walked inside, half-bowing, just like she did the last time.

When the maid reported, Shen Wei took a few more steps and then respectfully performed a formal salute, saying, “May the Empress be at peace.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Mengxian, sitting on the upper seat, smiled and said, “Please rise quickly.”

Shen Wei thanked her and, with the maid’s help, stood up.

Once seated, Liu Mengxian smiled and said with a hint of teasing, “Last time, I told you that if you had nothing to do, you should come to the palace and chat with me.”

Shen Wei naturally noticed that compared to the last time, both the palace attendants’ and the Empress’s attitudes were much more welcoming this time. She found it somewhat amusing, knowing that this was all due to Lu Qi Huai.

But regardless of what she thought, Shen Wei’s face still bore her usual respectful expression. She smiled softly and replied, “Your kindness is appreciated, but I am still in mourning, so it wouldn’t be proper.”

Liu Mengxian, hearing this, gently patted Shen Wei’s hand and said with a half-joking tone, “You’re such a stickler for rules. Alright, alright. But now I can see you’re much livelier than before, and that makes me relieved.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid brought in some seasonal fruit and pastries.

“I knew you were coming, so I had the kitchen prepare some of the latest pastries,” Liu Mengxian continued while speaking to Shen Wei, and then added, “During the spring hunt last time, I happened to catch a cold and couldn’t go. I never expected something like that to happen.”

As she said this, she gently patted Shen Wei’s hand again and continued, “If not for your son, I fear the Emperor would be in a much worse situation now.”

Hearing this, Shen Wei quickly responded, “Please don’t say that. His Majesty is the true dragon of the heavens, and with Heaven’s protection, even without Xuan Yue, His Majesty would have been fine.” After a brief pause, she added with utmost respect, “Such words are truly undeserving of us.”

Seeing Shen Wei’s respectful demeanor, Liu Mengxian’s satisfaction with her grew.

While she was grateful that Lu Qi Huai had saved the Emperor, if Shen Wei or the Lu family ever took advantage of this favor and became arrogant, then Liu Mengxian would have no need for them in the future. Fortunately, this woman, although young, was sensible. Liu Mengxian thought to herself and then smiled more deeply.

She released Shen Wei’s hand and softly said, “Now that the Emperor has personally bestowed upon him the position of third-rank governor, as long as he performs well, his future will be bright.”

When these words were spoken, Liu Mengxian added, “Once his path is secure, your life in the household will also be much easier.”

“Thanks to the Crown Prince, Xuan Yue has such an opportunity,” Shen Wei said with a smile and in a gentle tone. “Both Xuan Yue and I will forever be grateful for the Crown Prince’s kindness.”

Liu Mengxian, hearing this, glanced at Shen Wei. In the past, when Lu Buwei was still around, she had interacted with Shen Wei a few times. She always felt that Shen Wei was a bit too naive and overly indulged by Lu Buwei, so today she was afraid that Shen Wei might not grasp her meaning and had tried to hint more clearly about the reason for Lu Qi Huai’s good fortune.

But unexpectedly, Shen Wei took the initiative to say such things.

Smart people always prefer to associate with other smart people, so Liu Mengxian, after a moment of surprise, smiled and said, “It’s good that you understand. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne, and once he ascends, your family will have great fortune.”

Her last sentence was very light, only audible to Shen Wei.

Shen Wei naturally smiled and replied, “Yes.”

After that, they did not discuss the matter further, engaging in casual conversation instead. At lunchtime, Liu Mengxian invited Shen Wei to stay and have the meal. When the time came for her to leave, Liu Mengxian granted her permission. As she left, she was given many fine gifts to take home, along with arrangements for a sedan chair.

This was truly a great blessing.

Shen Wei, of course, didn’t decline and sincerely thanked her.

—-

By the time Shen Wei returned to the Lu residence, it was already around the time of the Shen hour.

Mo Qi personally helped her down from the carriage and asked, “Madam, how should we handle the items the Empress bestowed upon you?”

Shen Wei glanced at the carriage behind her, then calmly replied, “As per the rules, send them to each respective room…” She then looked at a brocade box and added, “Bring the medicine that the Empress personally gave to the eldest son and come with me to Wenyuan Pavilion.”

Mo Qi, hearing her instructions, didn’t say anything further. She had the other gift boxes sent according to the rules and personally carried the brocade box while assisting Shen Wei toward Wenyuan Pavilion.

It had been a few months since Shen Wei last visited this place.

Wenyuan Pavilion remained as peaceful as it had always been. Even though everyone in the household was eager to please Lu Qi Huai, he wasn’t one to enjoy crowds, and especially now that he was ill, he still kept only his usual attendants around.

Shen Wei was supported by Mo Qi as they crossed the courtyard. She looked at the willow trees swaying gently and the lush greenery, evoking the subtle charm of spring.

The people in the yard saw her and were momentarily stunned, then hurriedly greeted her. Shen Wei accepted their greetings with a simple nod, but when Spring Xi was about to report, she stopped him.

She took the brocade box from Mo Qi’s hands and walked inside. As she saw the two approaching, she said, “You two wait outside.”

The two didn’t say anything, only gently responding.

Shen Wei drew back the curtain and stepped inside. The room, with its wide-open window, didn’t have a strong medicinal smell, likely due to the fresh air coming in. Holding the brocade box, she passed through two more curtains and saw Lu Qi Huai standing by the footstool.

The sunlight in the room was just right. Shen Wei, seeing the man standing in front of the footstool with his clothes only half-done, hadn’t expected him to be changing clothes at this time. As she saw him like this, she instinctively turned to leave.

But before she could move—

Lu Qi Huai had already turned around. His clothes were half-worn, and upon seeing Shen Wei, he froze for a moment, then called out to her, “Mother?”