A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 202

Donghua Mountain, the imperial retreat where the Empress Dowager resided for her recuperation.

The summer heat was relentless, but the lotus pond in the estate was in full bloom, its emerald-green leaves swaying gently in the breeze. Shen Wei lounged in the pavilion by the pond, a specially crafted whitening and nourishing mask on her face, her eyes narrowed in contentment.

"Madam," Cai Lian hurried into the pavilion, her steps brisk.

Shen Wei lifted her eyelids lazily. "What is it?"

Cai Lian lowered her voice. "Lu Xuan, the daughter of the Duke of Lu, was recently confirmed to be with child and has been granted the title of Consort Xuan. Meanwhile, Consort Lan suffered a miscarriage, and her health has deteriorated severely. The imperial physicians say it will be difficult for her to conceive again."

Shen Wei arched her delicate brows slightly.

Lu Xuan, the daughter of the Duke of Lu, had entered the palace as a noble lady. Blessed with striking beauty and a scholarly mind, she had quickly won the Emperor's favor, gradually overshadowing Xie Fanglan of the Xie family.

Now that Lu Xuan had been confirmed pregnant and elevated to the rank of consort, the Emperor's affection for her was undeniable—no less than what Consort Lan had once enjoyed.

Cai Lian continued her report. "That Lu Xuan is practically another Consort Mei—equally beautiful, equally talented, but unlike Consort Mei's aloof nature, she is warm and engaging. The Emperor is utterly smitten."

Consort ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍Mei was none other than Liu Ruyan.

Back when Li Yuanjing was still a prince, Liu Ruyan had been his secondary consort and had borne him a daughter, Li Nanzhi. After the new Emperor ascended the throne, Liu Ruyan was granted the title of Consort Mei.

Liu Ruyan had never been particularly favored, nor was she one to vie for attention. Her reserved nature meant she had few enemies in the palace—or rather, the newer consorts didn’t even consider her a threat.

Cai Lian fretted. "Madam, perhaps we should find a way to return to the palace? With the Lu girl monopolizing the Emperor’s favor, what if he forgets his past affections for you..."

Men were fickle creatures. With a breathtaking beauty like Lu Xuan constantly before his eyes, how could he resist temptation?

Cai Lian was deeply worried that, given enough time, the Emperor might forget about Shen Wei and their children at Taihua Mountain.

Shen Wei shook her head lightly, her gaze drifting toward the shimmering lotus pond in the distance. "No need to rush. Let’s wait a little longer."

Lu Xuan was indeed a formidable rival—beautiful, talented—but she was merely a replica of "Liu Ruyan."

Shen Wei knew Li Yuanjing well. The man thrived on novelty. No matter how exquisite a woman was, he would eventually grow tired of her.

Lu Xuan was flawless, a master of the arts, but that very perfection would inevitably breed disinterest.

Li Yuanjing preferred the process of cultivation—the thrill of shaping a blank canvas into a masterpiece.

---

Time flowed like water, and another year passed in the blink of an eye. Shen Wei had now spent two years at Donghua Mountain. Le You had begun climbing trees in search of bird nests, while her two sons had learned to run around freely.

The Empress Dowager was overjoyed.

Her three darling grandsons surrounded her daily, calling her "Imperial Grandmother" with such sweetness that her heart bloomed with delight. She would have given them the world if she could.

In the estate, Shen Wei wiped the sweat from her brow after her morning exercises and flipped through the account books sent by the merchants of Yanjing.

Cai Lian arrived with more palace news. "Madam, something major has happened in the palace!"

Shen Wei paused mid-page, her tone unhurried. "Oh? Has the Lu girl been promoted to Noble Consort?"

The Lu family was an ancient lineage, though their influence had waned in recent years. The Duke of Lu had no sons, only two daughters. A few months prior, Lu Xuan had given birth to a son, and the Emperor had granted her the title of Virtuous Consort, bringing great honor to the Lu family.

The Emperor was a busy man, with limited time to summon his consorts each month, yet he still showed Lu Xuan considerable favor—spending five or six nights a month in her chambers.

Five or six nights—such frequency was considered exceptional in the harem.

"Virtuous Consort has not been promoted further," Cai Lian said, her expression grave. "The Crown Prince has passed away. The Emperor is furious and has ordered the Empress to kneel in the ancestral hall. Virtuous Consort has been temporarily entrusted with managing the harem affairs."

Shen Wei was taken aback. "The Crown Prince is dead?"

The current Emperor had many children—ten sons in total, including those who had died young.

The Empress had borne the Crown Prince, Li Chengke, and the Second Prince, Li Chengzhen. The secondary consorts from the prince’s household had given birth to four boys, Liu Qiao'er had borne the Seventh Prince, Shen Wei had the Eighth and Ninth Princes, and Virtuous Consort Lu Xuan had the Tenth Prince.

Who could have imagined that the Crown Prince, Li Chengke, would die so suddenly?

Cai Lian explained, "They say the Crown Prince had been studying relentlessly for days. He collapsed at his desk late at night, and by the time the old maidservant found him, his face had turned ashen, and he was already gone. The Emperor was enraged and punished the Empress."

The Empress was notoriously strict with her sons, forcing them to study from dawn till dusk—a fact well-known throughout the harem.

After examining the body, the imperial physicians declared that the Crown Prince had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to "extreme exhaustion."

In other words, he had died of overwork.

Shen Wei narrowed her eyes, lost in thought. "A child of ten or so dying of exhaustion... How bizarre."

Was it an accident? Or had someone orchestrated it?

With the Crown Prince’s death, the Empress had been punished and stripped of her authority over the harem. From every angle, Virtuous Consort Lu Xuan stood to gain the most.

This Lu Xuan was truly no ordinary woman.

Shen Wei had a premonition that, when she eventually returned to the palace, Lu Xuan would prove to be a formidable adversary.

---

Flowers bloomed and withered, and another year slipped by.

Spring returned to Donghua Mountain, painting the slopes in vibrant blossoms. Shen Wei had now spent three years at the mountain retreat.

Peach blossoms burst forth in radiant pink, and butterflies flitted among the flowers.

"Chengtai, Chengyou, let’s go catch butterflies!" Le You, dressed in a delicate pink gown, clutched a glass jar containing two struggling butterflies.

She dashed into the house to fetch her younger brothers.

The study was spacious and bright. Le You bounded inside, where her brothers, Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou, were seated.

Though twins, the boys looked nothing alike. The elder, Li Chengtai, resembled their father, while the younger, Li Chengyou, took after their mother.

"Brothers, what are you doing?" Le You asked curiously, leaning in.

Li Chengyou clutched a brush, his chubby cheeks smudged with ink. "Gege is teaching me to write," he answered in a childish voice.

Li Chengtai huffed. "You can’t even write your own name. So dumb."

Li Chengyou tossed the brush aside and scrambled down from the desk like a little monkey. "No more writing! I want to catch butterflies with Jiejie!"

He grabbed Le You’s plump hand, and the two of them sprinted into the garden, their laughter ringing like silver bells.

Back in the study, three-year-old Li Chengtai bit his lip, his chubby face unusually solemn.

He watched his sister and brother darting around outside and sighed like a weary adult. "They’re all so foolish."

It had been three years since their father had last visited. Perhaps he had already forgotten about their mother and the three of them. Yet his siblings remained oblivious, still clinging to hope.

Li Chengtai lifted his gaze to the portrait of his father hanging on the wall.

In the painting, Emperor Qing, Li Yuanjing, exuded an aura of authority—his sharp brows and piercing eyes reminiscent of a mighty tiger.

Li Chengtai stared up at the image, like a young wolf still growing its fangs, sizing up the legendary alpha of the pack.

"Chengtai, have some cloud cake. You’re still little—don’t spend all day cooped up in the study. You should go outside more." Shen Wei’s gentle voice drifted in.

Li Chengtai turned to see his mother, as radiant as ever.

Shen Wei set the cloud cake on the desk and glanced at the sheets of paper scattered across it. The characters scrawled on them were crooked and uneven, far from neat.

It was all written by her dear sons.

Le You and Li Chengyou, who had been playing in the courtyard, heard the commotion and rushed into the house in a flurry. They first paid their respects to Shen Wei, then snatched up some cloud-shaped pastries with their chubby little hands before dashing back to the garden to chase butterflies.

Noticing that her eldest son hadn’t taken any pastries, Shen Wei couldn’t help but poke his plump little cheek. "Why aren’t you eating? Don’t you like them?"

Li Chengtai pursed his lips slightly, his voice muffled as he asked, "Mother... isn’t Father going to bring us home?"

Shen Wei pretended not to understand. "Your father is very busy."

Li Chengtai grew even more worried. "Has Father forgotten about us...?"

Shen Wei shook her head. "No, don’t think like that."

Every two months, Shen Wei would write to Li Yuanjing in the imperial palace. Li Yuanjing almost always replied, though his letters were brief, they carried the warmth one would expect.

In fact, over the past year, Li Yuanjing’s responses had become even more frequent.

Li Chengtai tugged at Shen Wei’s sleeve, his face clouded with concern. "Mother, maybe Father doesn’t want us anymore."

Shen Wei patted his little head reassuringly. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. Your father is just occupied. Once he’s finished with his duties, he’ll bring us back to the palace."

Li Chengtai lowered his head and nodded glumly.

Shen Wei still had to go exercise and practice yoga, so she gave her son’s small shoulder a gentle pat before leisurely walking away.

Before leaving, while her eldest wasn’t paying attention, Shen Wei slipped an illustrated copy of The Case of Chen Shimei from her sleeve and quickly tucked it into the bookshelf.

The Case of Chen Shimei told the story of a man named Chen Shimei, who abandoned his wife and children in pursuit of wealth and status—a classic tale of a heartless scoundrel.

Li Chengtai didn’t know many characters yet, but he especially loved picture books like this.

Before stepping out of the study, Shen Wei glanced back at her son by the desk and slowly curved her lips into a smile.

Royal children couldn’t afford to be too naive. A sense of caution—well, that was something best instilled early.