Nanny Rong nodded: "On the day I was sent to the Wen Temple, your younger brother, master, wrote a letter and entrusted me to deliver it to you. When I held the letter, the carriage driver gave me a very strange look."
Nanny Rong handed Shen Xiuming's letter to Shen Wei.
Shen Wei opened it and saw that it was filled with words of concern. Shen Xiuming urged Shen Wei to stay strong, promising that he would study hard and strive to rescue her from her predicament.
The letter was filled with genuine affection.
Shen Wei held the letter in her hands, pondering for a moment: "Nanny Rong, I will write a letter to my brother later. Tomorrow, you will go to the Wen Temple again to deliver it, and see if anyone is following you."
Nanny Rong replied, "Yes."
Shen Wei ate two lotus seeds. They weren't particularly tasty—moist, crispy, and slightly bitter. She put down the lotus pod and began to discuss the third matter: "The princess has selected a girl from Jiangnan. Do we have detailed information about her?"
The princess had chosen a merchant's daughter from Jiangnan, and her intentions were clear.
Perhaps because Shen Wei had been favored for too long and had yet to conceive, the princess had brought in a new woman to share the prince's attention.
To prevent the newcomer from rising too quickly, the princess had deliberately chosen a girl from the lowest social class—a merchant's daughter.
Shen Wei was never afraid of competition.
If a new employee wanted to steal the spotlight, so be it. Everyone would rely on their own abilities.
During the Dongshan hunting trip, Shen Wei had firmly secured a place in Prince Yan's heart. But she would not let her guard down, always striving to maintain her position.
Cai Ping, who had an excellent memory, chattered away as she told Shen Wei: "Master, I've gathered very detailed information. The merchant's daughter is named Ye Qiushuang, and her family is in the silk business."
"Ye Qiushuang is actually quite pitiful. Her family has fallen into decline, and she alone has managed to keep the business afloat. She revived the nearly bankrupt business, ensuring a surplus every year. But her brother is addicted to gambling and has squandered the family fortune."
"Ye Qiushuang is quite famous in Jiangnan. She is beautiful and renowned for her skill with the pipa. For the sake of her family, she accepted the princess's invitation to become a concubine in the prince's household. Master, if she comes to the palace, she will undoubtedly do everything in her power to win favor."
Cai Ping was worried.
Although Shen Wei was favored, she had yet to conceive. If the newcomer, Ye Qiushuang, were to become pregnant first, Shen Wei's position would be in jeopardy.
Shen Wei remained calm. She casually tossed the half-eaten lotus pod onto the table and seized on a key detail: "Ye Qiushuang is skilled in business?"
Cai Ping was taken aback, not expecting Shen Wei to focus on such a minor point, but she replied, "It is said that the Ye family was on the brink of collapse, but Ye Qiushuang single-handedly turned things around and brought the family business back on track. She has contributed greatly to the Ye family, yet they have abandoned her..."
Shen Wei smiled.
Her dessert shop was in need of an excellent manager.
Just as she was in need, an excellent manager had appeared.
Shen Wei instructed, "Cai Ping, have someone keep an eye on Ye Qiushuang. As soon as she arrives in Yanjing, inform me immediately."
Cai Ping nodded vigorously.
After the discussion, Shen Wei did not forget to reward Nanny Rong and Cai Ping with ten taels of silver. A good boss is always generous, offering appropriate rewards to employees to boost their morale.
This time, Cai Ping and Nanny Rong had worked hard to gather information, and they deserved to be rewarded. The other employees in Liuli Pavilion would see this and work harder in secret.
Maintaining healthy competition among employees is beneficial for the company's growth.
...
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Nanny Rong left the palace dressed inconspicuously. She used the excuse of running errands to have the palace carriage driver take her to the Wen Temple.
The carriage driver was Sanlang, Zhang Yue's lover.
Sanlang kept his head down, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the letter in Nanny Rong's hand, addressed to "Shen Xiuming."
Sanlang sneered inwardly. It seemed that Shen Wei had tasked Nanny Rong with delivering a letter to her lover.
The carriage rolled through the quiet, empty streets of Qingcheng, arriving at the Wen Temple in the suburbs after half an hour. Nanny Rong entered the temple, stayed for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and then emerged, the letter no longer in her hand.
Nanny Rong quietly returned to the palace and specifically instructed Sanlang: "Tomorrow morning, my master will go to the White Tiger Temple to offer incense. Make sure to feed the horses well tonight."
Sanlang's mind raced, but he pretended to be respectful and said, "This servant will make sure the horses are well-fed and will drive the carriage carefully for the master tomorrow."
Nanny Rong slipped a tael of silver into Sanlang's hand and warned in a low voice, "If you serve my master well in the future, there will be more rewards for you."
Sanlang expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Nanny Rong!"
Nanny Rong turned and left.
Sanlang squinted, a strange smile creeping across his dark face.
Going to the White Tiger Temple to offer incense?
More likely, she was going to meet her lover.
Sanlang pocketed the silver and headed to the secluded Rose Garden to report. As he passed by Liuli Pavilion, he suddenly saw Cai Lian, a maid from Liuli Pavilion, peeking around suspiciously.
Sanlang's curiosity was piqued, and he secretly followed her.
He watched as Cai Lian walked to a corner, lit a few pieces of paper, and then hurried away. Sanlang quickly went to inspect the scene. The papers were mostly burned, with only a small portion of a letter remaining.
Sanlang recognized a few characters on the unburned fragment: "Thinking of you day and night, unable to sleep" and "Wishing you peace from afar."
"Could this be a love letter to Shen Wei?" Sanlang immediately pocketed the unburned letter and hurried to the Rose Garden.
...
In the Rose Garden, Zhang Yue lay in bed, slowly drinking a bitter potion to protect her pregnancy.
She was irritable.
When Prince Yan returned to the palace, he was immediately informed of her pregnancy. Zhang Yue had expected that Prince Yan would be overjoyed, visit her in the Rose Garden, and shower her with gold and silver.
But Prince Yan had shown no reaction whatsoever, not even sending a single reward. Only the princess had made a slight gesture, sending her a daily dose of the pregnancy potion and slightly improving her meals.
This was completely different from what Zhang Yue had imagined.
"I'm pregnant, so why isn't the prince favoring me?" Zhang Yue was baffled.
Could it be that Shen Wei had persuaded the prince to stay away from her?
After all, Zhang Yue's pregnancy posed the greatest threat to Shen Wei.
Zhang Yue clenched the medicine bowl tightly. She had to bring Shen Wei down! Only if Shen Wei fell out of favor would she have a chance to win the prince's affection.
As Zhang Yue was drinking her medicine, the window creaked, and Sanlang slipped in.
Sanlang told Zhang Yue everything that had happened that day.
When Zhang Yue saw the partially burned letter, she was ecstatic. Shen Wei was so foolish to think that burning the letter would erase all evidence of her scandalous affair.
Zhang Yue quickly freshened up and hurried to the princess's Kunyu Pavilion to report the matter.
Meanwhile, in the early morning at Kunyu Pavilion, the princess was devoutly burning incense in the prayer hall.
The biannual examination at the Imperial Academy was approaching, and the princess hoped that her two children would excel and bring her honor.
"Princess, Lady Zhang from the Rose Garden is here," Granny Liu entered the small prayer hall and gently reminded her.
The princess lit three sticks of incense and said indifferently, "Tell her to return to the Rose Garden and rest."
Granny Liu said, "Lady Zhang claims to have important news to report. Should we see her?"
The princess placed three sticks of incense in the altar: "What important news could she have? It's likely just more petty harem drama."
After finishing the incense offering, the princess leisurely returned to the main hall. Zhang Yue had been waiting in the hall for some time. Though she was pregnant, her belly had not yet shown, but her complexion had improved.
The princess sat on the main seat, took a sip of the tea Granny Liu handed her, and then spoke calmly: "Lady Zhang, what brings you here?"
Zhang Yue knelt gently and said firmly, "Your Highness, I accuse Shen Wei of adultery. Her actions have brought disgrace to the palace, and she deserves to be punished severely!"
