Prince Yan held Shen Wei tenderly in his arms, gently touching her soft hair. "I am fine. But Wei Wei, you shouldn't have risked going out to look for me."
Every year during the hunting season, danger seemed to follow Prince Yan. He wasn’t foolish; he had long known that assassins lurked in the Eastern Mountains during the hunt. Therefore, he and the Crown Prince had secretly devised a plan to trap the culprits.
Today, Prince Yan intentionally separated from the hunting party. As expected, once he was alone in the mountains, he was ambushed.
The Tiger Guards, who had been lying in wait, swiftly took action, eliminating all the assassins except for two who were captured alive.
The two captured assassins were sent back to Yanjing for interrogation, and Prince Yan returned safely.
What he never expected was that his adorable little concubine, Shen Wei, would boldly venture into the mountains to search for him, even getting separated from her maid, Cai Lian.
From the dirt on Shen Wei’s dress, the torn hem from thorns, and the mud on her shoes, it was clear she had been tirelessly searching for him.
Deep within Prince Yan’s heart, it felt as though a soft feather had brushed past, stirring uncontrollable emotions and joy.
She loved him so much!
Shen Wei sniffled and held Prince Yan’s hand. Her eyes glistened with tears, and her eyelids were slightly red. "Your Highness is my everything. If something had happened to you today, I would have followed you in death without hesitation."
She was even willing to die for him!
Wasn’t that touching?
Wasn’t that heartwarming?
Prince Yan took a deep breath and tightened his embrace around Shen Wei’s delicate frame. The overwhelming emotions surging within him threatened to spill over.
He held her so tightly, as if he wanted to merge her into his very bones.
The setting sun bathed the two of them in its golden light, making them appear like the most loving couple. Prince Yan’s heart was gradually succumbing to her.
Not far away, Prince Heng, who had followed Shen Wei back, silently observed everything.
This woman was truly a masterful actress! She knew exactly how to play her part!
Prince Heng leisurely stepped forward, intending to expose Shen Wei. "Second Brother, be careful. Your concubine is quite the performer. She even killed a wild boar earlier."
Shen Wei peeked out from Prince Yan’s embrace, her face innocent and clueless, as if she had no idea what Prince Heng was talking about.
Prince Yan didn’t believe a word of Prince Heng’s nonsense. He glanced at him coldly. "If you were involved in the assassination attempt in the Eastern Mountains, you’d better hope I don’t find out."
Prince Heng’s handsome face stiffened, but he quickly forced a smile. "Second Brother, you’re mistaken. If I wanted to kill you, I’d do it openly."
A flash of killing intent appeared in Prince Yan’s eyes, but he didn’t want to show his cold and cruel side to Shen Wei, so he suppressed it for now.
Prince Yan took Shen Wei’s soft hand and turned to leave.
Prince Heng stroked his chin.
He suddenly became very curious. What would Prince Yan’s reaction be when he discovered that his beloved Shen Wei had always been two-faced?
That scene would surely be entertaining.
...
After the Eastern Mountains hunt, the group returned to Yanjing in grand fashion. Prince Heng first went to the palace to pay his respects to his mother, the Imperial Consort, before returning to his own palace.
As soon as he entered, his concubines, side consorts, and various beauties rushed to greet him.
Looking around, the palace was filled with stunning faces, each more beautiful than the last. But Prince Heng suddenly found it all meaningless. Beautiful, yes, but devoid of soul.
He called for the palace steward.
"Find me a new concubine," Prince Heng said lazily, sitting on a garden swing. The roses in the courtyard were in full bloom, vibrant and eye-catching.
The roses reminded him of Shen Wei.
He wanted to find a concubine similar to Shen Wei, someone who could keep him entertained.
The steward wasn’t surprised. His prince was known for his dalliances and often sought new companions. The steward bowed respectfully. "What kind of woman does Your Highness desire?"
Prince Heng thought for a moment. "She must be beautiful, with a slender waist."
The steward thought to himself, that’s easy enough.
Prince Heng continued, "She must be a good actress."
The steward nodded. Beautiful, slender actresses weren’t hard to find.
Prince Heng added, "She must be skilled at horseback riding."
The steward paused. Horseback riding?
Prince Heng fanned himself with a white jade fan. "She must also be able to roast venison better than a chef. Oh, and she must know how to kill a wild boar."
The steward froze, feeling like banging his head against a wall.
The first few requirements were reasonable, but horseback riding and killing wild boars? Where on earth was he supposed to find such a woman?
"If you can’t find her, bring me your head," Prince Heng said with a smile, though his tone carried a hidden threat.
The steward gulped and stammered, "Your servant will... will find her immediately..."
A gentle breeze blew through the garden, carrying the delicate fragrance of roses to Prince Heng’s nose.
He took a deep breath, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
...
After the Eastern Mountains hunt, Shen Wei and Prince Yan’s relationship deepened further. Shen Wei’s dress was torn, and her riding outfit was damaged. Prince Yan, feeling pity for her, specially sent Fu Gui to deliver twenty rolls of precious fabric.
In addition, he gifted her numerous pieces of jewelry.
A steady stream of lavish gifts flowed into the Glazed Pavilion. Shen Wei looked at her growing treasure trove and smiled with pure joy.
Prince Yan’s greatest virtue was his generosity—he loved giving Shen Wei money and adorning her with gold, silver, and jewels.
Shen Wei loved Prince Yan’s generosity!
Upon returning to the Glazed Pavilion, the ever-diligent Shen Wei didn’t rest immediately.
She lay on a cool recliner in the waterside pavilion and summoned Cai Ping and Nanny Rong to inquire about the happenings in the palace during her three-day absence.
Nanny Rong began her report in an orderly manner. "My lady, there are a few matters to report."
"First, Zhang Yue is pregnant and has been moved back to the Rose Garden to rest. Second, a few days ago, following your orders, I went to the Temple of Literature and noticed someone was following me. Third, the Princess Consort has sent for a merchant’s daughter from Jiangnan, and the girl is almost in Yanjing."
Shen Wei held a fresh green lotus pod in her hand. She peeled open a lotus seed and said leisurely, "Let’s talk about the first matter. Zhang Yue is pregnant... The prince has visited her only a handful of times. With her slender frame, how could she get pregnant so easily?"
Cai Ping leaned in and whispered, "My lady, Nanny Rong and I also found it suspicious. So, we collaborated with Fang Er and Cui Er from the Rose Garden. They secretly uncovered something shocking."
The child in Zhang Yue’s belly belonged to the stablehand, Sanlang!
After becoming the prince’s concubine, Zhang Yue couldn’t bear the loneliness and often secretly met with Sanlang.
Now that she was pregnant, she wanted to use the child to improve her standing.
"My lady, if we expose this, Zhang Yue will never recover," Cai Ping said, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
Shen Wei peeled another lotus seed and shook her head slowly. "It’s not the right time to expose her yet."
Shen Wei was already preparing for pregnancy, so Zhang Yue, who had been targeting her, had to be dealt with. A hypocrite was hard to guard against, but a cunning villain was even harder.
To ensure her own safety during pregnancy and the smooth birth of her child, Shen Wei needed to make the most thorough preparations.
Shen Wei continued, "Now, let’s discuss the second matter. Nanny Rong, you said someone was following you to the Temple of Literature?"
