After Mo Xun left, Chen Wei was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort. Life in the harem was peaceful and smooth.
Spring goes and summer comes.
When the lotus flowers bloomed, Li Wan'er, the oldest princess in the palace, turned fifteen.
Chen Wei personally arranged for a grand coming-of-age ceremony for Li Wan'er by inviting the noble ladies from the court.
The Empress Dowager personally tied up Li Wan'er's hair and inserted a hairpin in it. Li Yuanjing canonized Li Wan'er as "Princess Shou'an" and gave her a house near the imperial city as Princess Shou'an's Mansion.
The coming-of-age ceremony was grand and ended at dusk. Li Wan'er wore gorgeous princess clothes and came to Yongning Palace to kowtow to Shen Wei.
"No need to kneel, stand up." Shen Wei personally helped Li Wan'er up. Li Wan'er was fifteen years old. She was quiet and gentle. She was well-read and intelligent. She was a very good girl.
A smart and grateful girl, Shen Wei likes her very much.
Shen Wei pulled Li Wan'er to sit down and told her: "From now on, you will live outside the palace and manage your own household. If you encounter any trouble, just come to the palace to find me."
Li Wan'er nodded gently: "Wan'er is no longer a child. When encountering difficulties, she will find ways to solve them herself."
Li Wan'er's position is special and somewhat awkward. She is not the biological daughter of the current emperor, but the bloodline of the late prince.
Without the protection of her parents, Li Wan'er lived a miserable life and was sensitive. Fortunately, Shen Wei treated her very well and taught her how to behave in society.
Over the years, Li Wan'er has always remembered what Shen Wei once told her.
[Life is long, you can't expect someone to help you every time. 】
[You should create your own life.] 】
Li Wan'er is no longer the crybaby and sensitive girl she used to be. She has learned a lot from Shen Wei.
Shen Wei told Li Wan'er: "You have reached the age of marriage, and the Emperor and the Queen Mother are selecting a gentleman of the right age to be your consort. Marriage is not a joke, so you need to be careful when choosing a consort."
Li Wan'er nodded obediently.
Chen Wei invited Li Wan'er to have lunch with her, and selected a group of capable women and palace maids to serve Li Wan'er in her princess mansion.
After a busy day, it was getting dark. Li Yuanjing arrived at Yongning Palace in the night. After dinner, the two of them took a walk in the courtyard full of flowers and plants to digest the food.
It was midsummer, and the night breeze in the pavilion was cool. Shen Wei sat on the bench in the pavilion and glanced at the beautiful lotus flowers that grew to the edge of the pavilion railing. Li Yuanjing saw it, picked a lotus flower and handed it to Shen Wei.
"How did Your Majesty know that I wanted lotus flowers?" Shen Wei held the lotus flowers in her hands, pretending to be surprised.
The lotus is beautiful, and Shen Wei is also beautiful.
Li Yuanjing hooked Shen Wei's nose and said lovingly, "Your thoughts are all on your face."
Shen Wei smiled without saying anything, leaned her body and leaned on Li Yuanjing's shoulder lovingly: "Your Majesty treats me so well."
Li Yuanjing held Shen Wei's hand, feeling the warmth of her palm, and said solemnly: "Weiwei, I will treat you well for the rest of my life."
I really mean this.
Li Yuanjing never thought that one day he would be obsessed with a woman and worry about her. His Weiwei is the best woman in the world. He must cherish her and give her the best in the world.
Ever since Shen Wei fell seriously ill, Li Yuanjing has taken care of Shen Wei in every way and showed her meticulous concern. Even the inner garments that Shen Wei wore, Li Yuanjing had to personally inquire about the fabric.
Sometimes when Li Yuanjing was separated from Shen Wei for a little longer, he would secretly feel anxious. He felt relieved only after he had to send someone to confirm Shen Wei's physical condition.
Shen Wei smiled and agreed casually: "Your Majesty, I will also stay by your side for the rest of my life."
Shen Wei played with the delicate lotus in her hand and didn't take Li Yuanjing's words to heart.
Life is long and full of unexpected events.
Don’t take the pledges made seriously.
The night wind blew the lotus flowers and leaves in the lotus pond, and Li Yuanjing thought of the coming-of-age ceremony that took place during the day. He sighed slightly, "The children are growing up day by day. Yao'er will be coming of age next year, and in a few years, Leyou will also be coming of age."
Shen Wei counted on her fingers: "Leyou is only six years old, it's still early."
Li Yuanjing snorted and told Shen Wei: "At the palace banquet last month, the brat from the Minister of War's family kept staring at Le You, drooling all over the floor! This young boy, still wet behind the ears, actually coveted my daughter."
Li Yuanjing disliked the son of the Minister of War.
The child was dark and ugly, with thick skin and flesh. He wielded swords and guns every day and smelled terrible.
Shen Wei chuckled, "Your Majesty, the son of the Minister of War is only eight years old. How can an eight-year-old child understand these things? Le You was eating sugar cakes at that time, maybe the little boy was craving for sugar cakes."
Li Yuanjing snorted again.
I feel very uncomfortable.
Li Yuanjing decided that when Leyou grew up, he would carefully select a man who was both civil and military, virtuous and talented, good-looking, loyal in love, and gentle and elegant to be Leyou's son-in-law.
...
Time flies, and the hot summer slowly passes. The north wind blew hard overnight, and the leaves in the yard gradually turned yellow and withered in the autumn wind.
Changxin Palace.
The whole yard is bleak and the sycamore trees are turning yellow. The weather turned cold suddenly, and Lu Xuan's health was getting worse and worse. She vomited a lot of blood last night. She leaned on the pillow, looking at the withered yellow leaves outside the window with a sad look in her eyes.
Lu Xuan murmured: "It's already autumn..."
There are red plum trees in the courtyard of Changxin Palace. In early autumn, the red plums do not even have buds. Lu Xuan recalled the time when she was at Duke Lu’s mansion, covered in snow and with red plum blossoms blooming all over the yard.
She and her sister were playing and frolicking under the red plum tree, while her father and mother were standing on the eaves watching them with smiles on their faces. There was no power struggle at that time, only a warm and happy family.
"Master, please drink some medicine first and don't pay attention to the rumors outside." The palace maid Xiaoqi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and tried to feed Lu Xuan medicine.
Lu Xuan closed her eyes and pushed the medicine bowl away: "Autumn is coming. After autumn, my father and sister will be executed..."
The Lu family has collapsed, and the direct descendants will be executed in the autumn. Lu Xuan was powerless to stop it and could only look out the window at the sky and watch the wild geese flying south.
Lu Xuan asked: "Has the emperor ever been here?"
Xiaoqi: "No...no. But don't worry, Master. I went to see him yesterday. He is doing well. The Imperial Concubine and the others have never treated him badly."
Lu Xuan sighed deeply.
Her son is only two years old, and two-year-olds don't remember anything. When she grows up a little, she will soon forget her biological mother who has committed so many crimes.
Lu Xuan asked again: "Has the Imperial Concubine ever been here?"
Xiaoqi replied: "Never..."
Lu Xuan smiled bitterly: "She is cautious. With me in this state, how can I have the energy to harm her?"
In Lu Xuan's opinion, Shen Wei is a very contradictory person.
Shen Wei is meticulous and full of conspiracy and calculations. She takes every step carefully to overthrow the Queen and Concubine Shu.
But Chen Wei was kind and generous, and did not kill the palace concubines. As long as the palace concubines obeyed her, she would not kill them.
This shows that Shen Wei is a very confident and strong woman. She won't cut the roots, she believes in her own abilities.
The autumn breeze blew in the yard. Lu Xuan leaned on the soft pillow with a dazed look in her eyes: "Xiaoqi, I have been dreaming these days... In the dream, there is no Chen Wei. I have won the emperor's love and become the queen."
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