A Concubine’s Competitive Life in the Prince’s Household

There are no walls without cracks. News that the Princess Consort sought support from her family soon reached Shen Wei’s ears.

The morning sun was bright and gentle, not too harsh on the eyes. Shen Wei had the maids move the cradle into the courtyard so the child could bask in the sunlight and absorb some calcium. Li Yao hovered eagerly by the cradle, shaking a rattle-drum and giggling as she entertained her little sister.

Shen Wei stepped aside and quietly asked the well-informed Cai Ping, "Are you certain the Princess Consort plans to return to her family in three days?"

Cai Ping nodded hurriedly, her expression wary. "My lady, the Princess Consort’s mother holds an imperial title and was once close friends with the late Empress Dowager. When the current emperor was young, he was even fostered in the Tantai family for a time. If the old Madame Tantai speaks up, even the empress might find it difficult to refuse."

The authority over the household that Shen Wei had only just secured might slip through her fingers again.

Cai Ping was deeply concerned for Shen Wei.

Shen Wei lowered her gaze in thought. In truth, the situation wasn’t dire—she already had at least two countermeasures in mind.

She could inform the empress about the Princess Consort’s plan to seek her family’s support and ask for her intervention. The empress had openly elevated Shen Wei’s position, which suggested she wasn’t intimidated by the Tantai family.

For the stability of Prince Yan’s Mansion, the empress would surely side with Shen Wei.

Shen Wei instructed Cai Ping, "The old nannies who care for Yao’er are due to report back to Kunning Palace tomorrow. Speak with them and have them relay the Princess Consort’s schemes to the empress."

The four elderly nannies sent by the empress to care for the Princess Consort’s children returned to Kunning Palace every month to give their reports.

Cai Ping nodded calmly. "This servant will see to it at once. But... what if the empress, under pressure from the Tantai family, decides to return the household authority to the Princess Consort?"

Shen Wei smiled faintly, her voice cool as she wiped her fingers with a handkerchief. "If the Tantai family insists on interfering, I’ll have no choice but to ensure the Princess Consort falls gravely ill and is confined to bed, unable to manage affairs."

She had gone to great lengths to secure this authority—she would not surrender it easily. If pushed too far, Shen Wei wouldn’t hesitate to act decisively.

...

The next morning, just after Shen Wei finished her Eight Brocades exercises, a messenger arrived from the palace. The empress had summoned her and Zhao Yang Princess to the palace that afternoon, with instructions to bring young Little Leyou along.

Shen Wei was momentarily taken aback.

The palace?

The sudden summons likely meant the empress wanted to discuss the matter of the Princess Consort’s return to her family face-to-face.

Without delay, Shen Wei had her maids begin preparations—bathing, dressing, and adorning herself in attire befitting her status. By midday, she set off from the mansion with the children and her attendants.

This was Shen Wei’s first time entering the palace!

She felt both nervous and excited.

At the gates of Prince Yan’s Mansion, Zhao Yang Princess’s carriage was already waiting. The wet nurse and child rode in a second carriage, while Shen Wei shared the first with the princess.

The interior was luxuriously decorated, exuding a delicate fragrance.

Zhao Yang eagerly told Shen Wei, "The envoys from Southern Chu have arrived in Yanjing and are presenting themselves to Father today. They’ve brought all sorts of exotic tributes. Mother must be summoning us to share some of the treasures with me!"

In recent years, Southern Chu had weakened under continuous natural disasters and now relied on the Great Qing Kingdom for survival.

Every year, Southern Chu sent a tribute of rare and valuable goods.

As the carriage entered the imperial palace of Qing, Shen Wei lifted the thin curtain and gazed at the towering walls that seemed to blot out the sky. Rows of heavily armed imperial guards stood watch at the gates, their expressions stern.

An overwhelming sense of imperial majesty pressed down on her—the absolute authority of the throne, demanding submission.

The carriage moved slowly along the lengthy palace road. Along the way, eunuchs and palace maids in uniform bustled about in orderly fashion, like ants in an anthill, mechanically bowing and going about their duties.

"Vivi, isn’t the palace enormous? Much bigger than Prince Yan’s Mansion," Zhao Yang Princess remarked cheerfully, sipping tea.

Shen Wei nodded. "It is."

So vast it seemed endless—like a giant golden cage.

She sighed inwardly, grateful she didn’t have to live here. Prince Yan’s Mansion was spacious and walled off, but at least she could come and go freely. Life in the palace, bound by endless rules, would have been suffocating.

Lost in thought, Shen Wei was jolted back to reality when the carriage abruptly halted.

An imperial guard approached respectfully and reported, "Your Highness, the main path ahead is blocked. Please take the side route."

Zhao Yang lifted the curtain and asked curiously, "Is Father receiving the Southern Chu envoys?"

The guard confirmed, "Indeed."

Since the main thoroughfare was occupied, Zhao Yang didn’t mind the detour and directed the coachman to take a quieter side path.

The side road passed by older, slightly dilapidated palace walls, though the scenery was lush and green. Under the blue sky and white clouds, Shen Wei suddenly spotted a tall silk tree, its verdant leaves stretching over the wall, clusters of pink blossoms blooming like clouds.

Amid the crumbling palace walls, the silk tree stood vibrant and full of life.

"How ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‍beautiful," Shen Wei murmured sincerely.

Zhao Yang peeked out and chuckled. "Ah, that’s the silk tree in Qiuliang Palace. It’s over a hundred years old. When I was little and playing hide-and-seek with Third Brother, I climbed up that tree once. He couldn’t find me and actually cried in frustration!"

Shen Wei tried to picture Prince Heng’s face—struggling to imagine the composed prince reduced to tears.

As the carriage passed the courtyard where the silk tree bloomed, Shen Wei noticed the faded characters "Qiuliang Palace" on the gate. The surrounding area was worn and neglected, yet the entrance to Qiuliang Palace remained clean, with few weeds growing.

The gate was shut, its lock rusted, as if no one had lived there for years.

Shen Wei asked curiously, "Your Highness, who planted this silk tree?"

With a long way still to Kunning Palace, Zhao Yang was happy to indulge her. "For a hundred years, Qiuliang Palace has stood empty. According to the old palace maids, it was once the residence of Princess Taihua."

From Zhao Yang, Shen Wei learned for the first time about this legendary princess from a century ago.

Princess Taihua Li Qingxun was the daughter of a palace maid and the emperor, neglected since childhood and relegated to the remote Qiuliang Palace. In the early days of the Qing dynasty, a small southern kingdom called Yelang repeatedly harassed the borders. To stabilize the situation, Emperor Qing arranged a political marriage.

The overlooked Princess Taihua Li Qingxun was chosen as the sacrificial bride.

Neither the emperor nor his ministers could have predicted that this seemingly docile princess would accomplish something earth-shattering.

On her long journey to Yelang for the marriage, before even reaching her destination, Princess Taihua became pregnant!

Furious, the king of Yelang refused to accept a woman who was already with child. Returning to Qing would have meant certain death for the princess. But Princess Taihua was no ordinary woman—she rallied her escort party, conquered the tribes between Yelang and Qing, and established her own kingdom: Southern Chu.

A skilled strategist, Princess Taihua led her forces to crush Yelang, absorbing it into Southern Chu’s territory.

She declared herself empress and forcibly married the prime minister who had escorted her, making him her imperial consort.

The Southern Chu held no hostility toward Qing State, and the two nations coexisted peacefully. Later, when Princess Taihua Li Qingxun passed away in the prime of her life and her imperial husband followed her in death, the Southern Chu court fell into chaos. As its national strength gradually declined, Southern Chu had no choice but to seek reliance on Qing State.