"But, the emperor is heartless. He used me to harm the concubines. He killed my sister and me... After I died, the emperor didn't even give me a posthumous title."
"Is this a dream or is this really happening...I really can't tell. The world is just one big dream."
Xiaoqi thought Lu Xuan was so sick that she was talking nonsense. She lowered her head and couldn't help crying.
The autumn wind was blowing in the yard, and the yellow leaves on the branches were swirling in the wind, swaying and falling.
That night, Li Yuanjing was still discussing matters with court officials outside, and Shen Wei had dinner alone.
Shen Wei had just taken two chopsticks of food when Cai Ping came hurriedly to report: "Master, the one in Changxin Palace has passed away."
Shen Wei wasn't surprised.
Lu Xuan is seriously ill and may die at any time. Chen Wei calmly put down her white jade chopsticks and told Cai Ping: "Inform the emperor and the empress dowager about this. Ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to send the coffin to Changxin Palace, and do everything according to the rules."
Caiping went to work.
Lu Xuan's funeral was simple. Li Yuanjing was still angry about the Lu family's affairs and took his anger out on Lu Xuan, so he did not give Lu Xuan a posthumous title.
Before Lu Xuan was buried, Shen Wei went to take a look at her remains.
Seeing that Lu Xuan's clothes were too thin, Shen Wei thought for a moment and sent someone to help Lu Xuan put on her concubine's wedding dress. She also ordered someone to dress up Lu Xuan and put all the jewelry in her hair.
After all the operations, Lu Xuan was buried in a decent manner.
The thin coffin contained the former favorite concubine, which was escorted by eunuchs and guards to a corner of the imperial mausoleum for burial.
The once bustling Changxin Palace has become completely deserted.
After late autumn, Duke Lu and others who were imprisoned in Tianlao were executed and their bodies thrown into a mass grave.
The once prosperous Lu family was completely lost in the long river of history.
...
Autumn passes and winter comes. In the blink of an eye, spring flowers are blooming again and a new year is approaching.
Not long after the beginning of spring, the palace welcomed another grand event. The current emperor's eldest daughter, Li Yao, is coming of age this year.
As usual, Chen Wei prepared a grand coming-of-age ceremony for Li Yao and invited all the noble ladies in the court. Li Yao was named "Princess Shoukang" and a princess's mansion was also set up outside the palace. She was about to live out of the palace.
Shen Wei always treated the princesses equally and prepared money and servants for Li Yao.
At dusk, the door of Kunning Palace, which had been closed for many days, opened, and Li Yao, wearing the princess's wedding dress, walked into the Kunning Palace. The Kunning Palace was covered with weeds, withered chrysanthemums were leaning, and the strong smell of incense was pungent.
Li Yao felt a pain in her heart.
She dismissed the palace maids and walked into the Buddhist hall of Kunning Palace. The incense and candles were burning in the Buddhist temple, the candlelight was dim, and the broad daylight was like hell. The skinny queen knelt on the cushion, holding Buddhist beads in her hands and muttering curses.
"Mother." Li Yao called softly.
The queen paused in pinching her Buddhist beads, and turned her neck as if it were rusty, and saw Li Yao at the door of the Buddhist hall.
Li Yao is fifteen years old this year. Although her eyebrows and eyes have not fully grown yet, she has already grown into a graceful and elegant lady. Her every move and gesture has the demeanor of a princess. Li Yao was dressed beautifully and elegantly today and also put on beautiful makeup.
The queen took a long time to identify her before she realized that it was her daughter. The queen was delighted. She rushed over and held Li Yao's hand: "Yao'er, are you coming of age today?"
Li Yao nodded slightly.
She longed to hear her mother's blessing.
The queen took out a paper bag from her pocket and stuffed it into Li Yao's hand: "This is rat poison. A few days ago, the palace maids came to Kunning Palace to kill rats, and I secretly left a bag. My dear child, find a way to put this medicine in the food of that bitch Shen. If she dies, I can turn things around."
The queen's eyes were shining.
It is better to do it yourself than to pray to gods.
She couldn't wait for Shen Wei to die.
Li Yao's nose was sour: "Mother, today is Yao'er's coming of age, and you want me to poison Empress Chen?"
The queen kept on nagging: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Once you leave the palace, it will be difficult for you to get close to Shen. My dear child, whether your mother can escape from the sea of suffering depends entirely on you."
Li Yao felt heartbroken.
The coming of age of a girl is one of the most important days in her life. Although Shen Wei is not Li Yao's biological mother, she held a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her and carefully considered Li Yao's future, teaching her how to manage the house and servants.
Li Yao is grateful to Shen Wei, and deep down she considers Shen Wei as her biological mother.
The Queen, as Li Yao's biological mother, did not even offer her blessing and instead instigated Li Yao to commit a crime.
Li Yao took two steps back and threw the rat poison in his hand into the corner in disappointment. Tears flowed from her eyes. "Mother, I will rarely be able to enter the palace in the future. Father has already chosen a prince consort for me, and the imperial decree has been issued to grant me marriage. I will be married next year at the beginning of summer."
The queen froze in shock.
Li Yao knelt on both knees and kowtowed three times to the queen.
Li Yao said: "Take care, mother. From now on, Yao'er will go her own way."
She left the temple in disappointment.
The queen was stunned for a moment, as if her heart was torn apart alive by a pair of hands, and she cried so hard in pain. The Queen hurriedly chased after him, trying to explain: "I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you, how dare you deny me! What kind of magic potion did that bitch Shen feed you? Come back to me! Li Yao, come back to me!"
With a creaking sound, the heavy and dark door of Kunning Palace closed.
The queen desperately slammed the palace door, screaming and cursing: "Li Yao! Yao'er, come back! Mother needs you! Come back soon..."
Boom boom boom——
There was a constant knock on the door.
It was not until the sky darkened and the night fell that the queen leaned weakly against the closed door. The Kunning Palace was dead silent at night; the wind blew and strange noises filled the yard.
The queen curled up in a corner, staring at the dead silent yard with wide eyes. One moment she saw her two dead sons, the next she saw her concubines and maids who were poisoned to death by her, and the next she saw her mother and father...
The queen closed her eyes in pain, as if she was falling into the abyss.
Even Li Yao, the only person willing to approach her, gradually left, and the queen became completely alone.
...
...
Cining Palace.
The sun is warm and the flowers in the yard are blooming luxuriantly. Li Wan'er and Li Yao moved out of the palace, Li Chengtai and Li Chengyou were riding horses and shooting arrows in the training ground, and the Cining Palace became a little quieter.
The Queen Mother's birthday is approaching, and several wives of noble lords and high-ranking officials have come to the palace to pay their respects to the Queen Mother in advance. In the pavilion of the Cining Palace, the empress dowager sat in the main seat, Shen Wei sat next to her, and the three court ladies took their seats in turn.
Cakes and tea were prepared and everyone was chatting about family matters.
The wife of the Minister of War smiled and said, "The second son of the Zhang family is both excellent in character and learning, and has a good character. He is a perfect match for Princess Shoukang."
The Queen Mother nodded and said, "Wan'er will marry this year, Yao'er will marry next year, and when Nanzhi's child reaches the age of marriage, her marriage will also be put on the agenda."
It is no small matter for a princess to choose a husband. She has to consider many aspects, including family background, character, ability, and faction.
To some extent, the princess was the bond between the royal family and the court officials.
Everyone was talking about the princess's marriage.
Seeing that the sun was hot, the Queen Mother summoned Madam Qian to ask, "Where did Leyou go to play again? It's hot, don't get a heat stroke."
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