The Princess Consort was stunned for a long moment before recalling the events of the past.
Back when she had just married Prince Yan, the Empress had treated her with great kindness, frequently bestowing gifts upon her. The Empress’s generosity was boundless, but the Princess Consort, exhausted from years of raising children, could hardly be expected to remember a single jade ruyi scepter from a decade ago.
"Mother Empress... this daughter-in-law admits her fault." The Princess Consort felt wronged—the mistake had been made by negligent servants, yet she, the mistress, was the one forced to bear the blame.
The Empress saw through her pretense. "You say you admit your fault, but in your heart, you must still resent me. Tantai Shuya, had you merely taken the time to check the records in the storage room before sending gifts, this oversight would never have occurred."
Yet the truth was, the Princess Consort had never cared much about Princess Zhaoyang’s birthday gift in the first place.
She lowered her head deeply, fingers tightening around the prayer beads hidden in her sleeve.
An elderly maid presented a fresh cup of chilled tea, and the Empress drank half of it before suppressing the anger simmering within her.
Then, shifting the subject, the Empress brought up Shen Wei’s pregnancy, delivering a stern warning: "If anything happens to Shen’s child, I will hold you personally responsible."
The Princess Consort pressed her lips together in silent resentment. So this was the real reason the Empress had summoned her to Kunning Palace—for the sake of Shen Wei’s unborn child.
A low-born concubine—what right did she have to command the Empress’s attention?
Was Shen Wei even worthy?
The Empress spoke coldly. "Bury those thoughts of yours. I know exactly why Liu Qiao'er suffered a difficult birth, why Zhang Miaoyu gained weight, why Liu Ruyan became too frail to conceive, and why those concubines’ sons turned out timid and weak."
The Princess Consort paled in horror, as if doused in icy water from head to toe, leaving her numb.
Only one thought echoed in her mind: *Mother Empress… she actually knows everything.*
With disgust, the Empress commanded, "Go kneel in the courtyard of Kunning Palace. You are not to leave until nightfall. And if anything happens to Shen’s child, I will see to it that Yuan Jing replaces you as Princess Consort."
Numbly, the Princess Consort rose and staggered out of the main hall.
Even in the sweltering summer heat, the Kunning Palace courtyard was unforgiving. Resentful, she knelt before the gates. The Empress, at least, had spared her some dignity by ordering the maids and eunuchs to leave the courtyard.
Yet even without their prying eyes, the Princess Consort felt her pride trampled into dust.
Inwardly, she reflected—she *had* committed many wrongs in the struggles of the inner household. But those had been acts of self-preservation. If she hadn’t acted, others would have harmed her and her children.
But the Empress refused to see her plight, condemning her only as jealous and cruel.
Slowly, hatred for the Empress took root in her heart.
Under the scorching sun, sweat beaded on her forehead. Mechanically, she clenched the prayer beads in her sleeve, counting them one by one, pressing each between her fingers, trying in vain to quell the rising tide of resentment.
...
Inside Kunning Palace, after reprimanding the Princess Consort, the Empress turned her attention to the summer account books presented by the head stewardess. As the ruler of the imperial harem, the Empress had little leisure time.
Her mornings were spent receiving the concubines’ greetings, attending to the Emperor, paying respects to the Empress Dowager, reviewing household expenses, managing palace staff, and presiding over celebrations during festivals—her days were ceaselessly busy.
And that was precisely why she worried about the Princess Consort.
If Prince Yan ascended the throne, with Tantai Shuya’s temperament, the harem would descend into chaos. If a favored concubine rose to power, authority would slip from the Empress’s grasp—would Tantai Shuya even be able to hold her position as Empress then?
Exhausted, the Empress rubbed the crease between her brows, fingertips brushing the wrinkles there.
Her daily toil, her relentless planning for her children’s futures, left her no time to care for herself. Sometimes, when she looked in the mirror, she saw the lines at the corners of her eyes, the deepening furrows on her forehead, the white hairs no longer hidden.
At least the Emperor remained devoted. He understood the burdens of managing the harem and never scorned her fading beauty.
The Empress touched her face, then thought of Concubine Qian, Prince Heng’s mother. Even in her later years, Concubine Qian remained radiant, her delicate charm preserved as if time had spared her.
Sighing, the Empress compared her own weary reflection.
As she distractedly flipped through the account books, Nanny Qian returned from delivering tonics to Shen Wei.
Nanny Qian bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty, the supplements have been delivered to Lady Shen. In gratitude for Your Majesty’s kindness, she presented a beauty recipe to combat aging and wrinkles."
The Empress paused mid-page, surprised. "A recipe for wrinkles?"
Nanny Qian reassured her, "Your Majesty need not worry—this servant has already consulted the imperial physicians. The herbs in the recipe are all beneficial for women’s beauty and anti-aging, and the proportions are excellent. Even the physicians praised it, calling it a remarkable formula."
The Empress brightened.
Her impression of Shen Wei improved further.
Holding the recipe, she mused aloud, "Shen Wei comes from humble origins—I expected her to be timid and unremarkable, yet she shows such insight. Nanny Qian, what do you make of her?"
Having weathered decades in the palace, the Empress recognized Shen Wei’s shrewdness in offering this gift.
Nanny Qian answered truthfully, "This servant visited Lady Shen’s Glazed Pavilion. The courtyard was vibrant and full of life, and all her maids and eunuchs were sharp and capable. It seems Lady Shen has her own methods."
If even Nanny Qian spoke well of her, Shen Wei must indeed be capable.
Setting the recipe aside, the Empress gazed through the latticed pearwood window. Outside, under the blazing sun, the Princess Consort knelt alone in the courtyard, her posture slouched, sleeves slightly puffed, her head bowed but her body tilted.
She couldn’t even kneel properly.
A clear sign of lingering resentment.
Disappointed, the Empress shook her head slowly. "We shall wait a few more years. If Tantai Shuya proves useless, I will naturally support someone else to replace her—only with a stable harem can the imperial court remain peaceful."
To plan deeply for one’s children—that is the love of a parent.
The Empress wanted Prince Yan to secure the throne, and that meant ensuring his harem was orderly and his heirs promising.
"May Shen Wei give birth to a son," the Empress murmured to herself. "With a clever mother, the child will not be dull."
...
The Princess Consort remained kneeling until nightfall before Granny Liu helped her limp away from the palace.
Prince Yan’s carriage rolled slowly through the streets.
Inside, Granny Liu applied medicine to her mistress’s bruised and swollen knees, her voice thick with guilt. "My lady, this old servant is to blame... I failed to check the records of the jade ruyi, bringing this undeserved punishment upon you."
The Princess Consort’s eyes reddened, tears of resentment welling. "It isn’t your fault. Mother Empress seizes every chance to criticize me—there’s no guarding against it."
She couldn’t understand how the dignified, kind Empress of years past had grown so harsh in such a short time.
Belittling her, scolding her, humiliating her.
She was, after all, the second daughter of the Tantai family, raised in comfort and doted upon by her parents, her life once free of worries. Who could have imagined that marriage would bring her a cold-hearted husband and a spiteful mother-in-law?
At least she still had her three children.
If her son grew up to inherit the princely title, then her suffering now would not be in vain.
Granny Liu cautioned the Princess Consort: "My lady, Shen Wei is now with child and enjoys the Empress's favor. If she were to bear a son in the future, we must be on our guard."
