Chapter 12

Wei Lenghou knew the little emperor had a glib tongue, so he didn’t bother to argue with him.

He ordered a maid to bring an inner garment for the little emperor to change into.

Nie Qinglin took the inner garment, glanced at the Grand Tutor who was also changing his clothes, and, using the excuse that she was a bit cold, declined the maid’s assistance.

She quickly changed behind the drawn bed curtains.

Fortunately, the winter inner robe was made of soft, thick fabric, and since Wei Lenghou’s clothes were quite large, it draped over her body like a sack, making it difficult to notice anything unusual.

Just as she was changing, food was brought in.

But besides the steward Liu and the servants, there was also a young, delicately charming maiden dressed in luxurious attire.

Her exquisite face was adorned with a sweet smile.

“I heard that the Grand Tutor went out riding today, and I thought that after returning, you must be chilled from the cold air. So, I personally prepared a bowl of cordyceps flower and pork bone soup, waiting all this time without daring to sleep. Now that you’ve returned, I’ve brought it over while it’s still hot.”

As she spoke, she gracefully lifted a tray with her delicate hands.

On it was a small vermilion porcelain pot, emitting a rich aroma, as she approached with elegant steps.

Such a considerate beauty—Nie Qinglin could smell the fragrance even through the curtains.

Yet, Wei Lenghou’s expression turned cold.

Before the beauty could get close, he scolded Steward Liu behind her.

“Xiang’er is new to the household and may not understand the rules of the Wei residence, but have you also just entered the household? Since when could a concubine enter my chambers without being summoned?”

Steward Liu was a perceptive servant.

He immediately bowed his head and admitted fault to the Grand Tutor.

However, inwardly, he thought: This lady from the Shang family only just entered the household and doesn’t yet realize how strict the rules are. But with her noble upbringing, she insists on acting like a high-born lady—how could I possibly stop her? His heart couldn’t help but grow a little more resentful toward the newly arrived Fourth Madam.

The young woman, called Xiang’er, was humiliated by Wei Lenghou’s reprimand.

The sweet smile she had maintained finally wavered, her face flushing red.

She bit her lower lip and softly replied,

“It was my own recklessness, not the steward’s fault. Please, don’t be angry, Grand Tutor—I will leave at once.”

Only then did Wei Lenghou soften his tone.

“Xiang’er, you are new here and should not overwork yourself. From now on, you need not concern yourself with kitchen matters. You are the legitimate daughter of the Shang family—I should not have taken you as a concubine. But your brother’s kind intentions, along with your willingness to lower yourself, have led to this arrangement. So, you may rest now. I will visit your chambers later tonight.”

These words immediately filled Shang Yunxiang’s heart with delight.

She had only entered the household yesterday, and since the mourning period for the late emperor had not yet passed, even the formal concubine ceremony had not been conducted.

Since her arrival, she hadn’t had the chance to serve the Grand Tutor at all.

But now, hearing his words…

Her delicate face turned a deeper shade of pink, the blush spreading like morning clouds over snow.

As she shyly turned to leave, she glanced subtly at the lowered bed curtains.

Meanwhile, Nie Qinglin had been hiding in bed, feeling sorry for the beauty.

Wei Lenghou truly was a man who had wasted such a stunning face—completely lacking in any tenderness toward women.

He was better suited to join those rough brothers of his, the ones bathing in the frozen lake—an uncivilized bandit through and through.

What a pity for that fragrant bowl of soup…

Still, from the way things played out, it seemed that after a slap, a sweet date was given to pacify the beauty.

Sigh.

So, it turns out that women outside the palace were no different from those within it—spending their entire lives scheming just to win the heart of a man who could never belong to them alone.

The stories in those romantic tales, where a couple lived in harmony, growing old together, were truly just meant for the stage—sung in delicate tunes to provide the women of deep courtyards with a fleeting illusion of sweetness to balance the bitterness of reality.

Once Xiang’er had left, Steward Liu hurriedly instructed the servants to set up the meal before also withdrawing with them.

As he stepped out and rounded the corridor, he noticed that Shang Yunxiang had not returned to her chambers but was instead waiting for him in the hallway.

She immediately spoke in a gentle voice.

“Steward Liu, it was my fault earlier, causing you to be reprimanded by the Grand Tutor.”

Steward Liu quickly bowed his head and replied, “Fourth Madam, you are too kind.”

Shang Yunxiang smiled and signaled for her maid to present a jade pendant—a piece of translucent green, glistening with moisture.

“This is something I brought from my maiden home. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation. If there’s anything I overlook in the future, I would be grateful for your guidance.”

Steward Liu hesitated briefly before finally smiling and accepting the jade, expressing his thanks.

Seeing that he had taken the gift, Shang Yunxiang smiled and then asked,

“Earlier, I noticed that the Grand Tutor seemed to be carrying someone when he entered. And the bed curtains were drawn—could it be that one of the other madams is inside?”

Steward Liu immediately understood—this was an attempt to pry for information.

But there were some things a mere concubine had no business asking.

The Grand Tutor’s residence had never had a formal wife.

No one knew his true intentions, but the position of his main consort had only grown more valuable over time.

Everyone understood that the woman who became Wei Lenghou’s wife today could very well be the Empress of tomorrow.

Even if the Grand Tutor refused to take a primary wife, the concubines in his residence all vied for favor.

After all, if they couldn’t be Empress, they could at least enter the palace as high-ranking consorts.

After the coup, the noble families with political ambitions had been sending portraits of their daughters to the Grand Tutor’s residence one after another.

And the Shang family? Shameless beyond compare.

First, they had their illegitimate daughter break off her engagement with him.

But now, seeing the Grand Tutor hold military power and stand on the cusp of seizing the throne, they pushed forth their legitimate daughter as a concubine instead.

Still, the Grand Tutor had been quite unexpected in his choice, selecting only this one lady out of all the portraits.

Could he truly have a soft spot for women from the Shang family?

Steward Liu knew that this Fourth Madam was newly arrived and came from an influential family.

She would likely remain favored for some time, so it wouldn’t do to offend her.

He put on his best smile and replied,

“Fourth Madam, you are overthinking. Since the Grand Tutor has said that he will spend the night in your chambers, he would not summon another madam. It’s getting late—you should go and prepare yourself.”

Shang Yunxiang noticed how he dodged her question, and a flicker of irritation crossed her face.

If this had been in her maiden home, she would have had a servant like him disciplined for accepting bribes while still being evasive.

But she knew that, as a new arrival, she couldn’t afford to make an enemy of the steward just yet.

So, she merely forced a smile and turned to leave.

By the time the Fourth Madam disappeared at the end of the corridor, Chief Steward Liu withdrew his smile, curled his lips in contempt, and casually stuffed that expensive piece of jade into the pouch where he kept loose silver…

Meanwhile, inside the Grand Tutor’s chambers, Wei Lenghou lifted the curtain and said to the emperor, who had just finished watching a fine performance, “Your Majesty, time to dine.”

Nie Qinglin had just heard that Grand Tutor Wei was going to spend the night in his concubine’s chambers, which immediately put her at ease.

So, she got out of bed without hesitation and sat down at the table.

The dishes on the table had all been tested with silver needles, and the servants had also sampled them one by one.

It seemed that the security at the Grand Tutor’s residence was no weaker than that of the imperial palace.

But of course, assassins weren’t fools—they knew exactly who to kill to make a name for themselves.

To master the deadly arts of swordplay and poison, only to assassinate a mere puppet emperor, would be a complete waste of talent.

If one could instead take down the treacherous minister who wielded power by “controlling the emperor to command the lords,” now that would be a feat worthy of eternal fame, a legacy of iron-blooded devotion!

Thinking of this, she glanced at the Grand Tutor with a hint of sympathy.

The Grand Tutor didn’t seem very hungry.

He merely watched the young emperor eat for a while without saying a word before suddenly rising with a solemn expression and leaving the room.

He was probably headed for the Fourth Madam’s chambers.

Nie Qinglin was finally able to enjoy her meal in peace, and in the end, every last drop of the delicious soup, delicately prepared by a beauty’s hand, made its way into the emperor’s stomach.

When the young emperor finally lay down on the Grand Tutor’s wide bed, inhaling the unique scent lingering on the pillow, she drowsily mused to herself:

Back then, Father Emperor was utterly dim-witted and indulgent in debauchery, neglecting state affairs.

In the end, he suffered from Qi deficiency and kidney weakness, his body growing increasingly frail.

And now, this Grand Tutor—not only must he labor over national affairs, scheme for the throne, and guard against assassins, but he must also return home every night to diligently plow the fertile fields of his numerous concubines…

This is truly a hundred times more exhausting than Father Emperor—he’s probably not far from Qi depletion and kidney exhaustion himself.

No wonder his face looks as dark as if he were walking to his execution when favoring a new concubine.

One can only hope that more ministers seeking to attach themselves to power will emerge, pushing the Grand Tutor to take in even more beautiful concubines.

By the time he has indulged in both wine and women to the fullest, leaving himself utterly hollowed out, he might just drop dead naturally… Now, wouldn’t that be a case of “no move surpassing all moves”?

Thinking this way, perhaps her own future wasn’t so bleak after all! She rolled lazily under the covers a couple more times, and before long, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

As for the Grand Tutor, his expression was indeed unpleasant when he left the room, though only he knew the true reason behind it.

Just the other day, the chief steward had brought a whole basket of portraits for him to choose from.

He had glanced through several but found himself particularly drawn to one of the young ladies in a painting.

Upon inquiring, he learned that she was the legitimate third daughter of the Shang family—at the prime of her youth, exceptionally delicate and charming.

Wei Lenghou immediately saw through the calculations of Shang Ningxuan, the Assistant Minister of War.

Seeing as Shang Yunchu in the palace was already a leftover dish, the minister had naturally presented him with a fresh and exquisite offering to win his favor.

Shang Ningxuan was indeed someone who knew how to assess the situation.

Back when the palace coup was at its most crucial moment, he had decisively chosen to side with him.

However, he was not one of  Wei Lenghou’s personally cultivated subordinates, so he was in dire need of using marriage to solidify his ties with this powerful minister of the Great Wei court.

Yet, since the Grand Tutor had never taken an official wife, even if Shang Ningxuan had the guts of eight men, he wouldn’t dare to flaunt his sister’s noble status to force a marriage upon him.

He could only hope that his sister’s beauty and cleverness would win the Grand Tutor’s favor.

If that happened, his own standing in the Grand Tutor’s eyes would naturally rise.

Thinking of Shang Ningxuan’s little scheme, Wei Lenghou felt that during such turbulent times, it would be beneficial to pull this important minister closer and signal their alliance.

However, in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel a slight contempt for the man.

He had once thought Shang Ningxuan was a bold and upright figure, yet he turned out to be someone who would exploit his own sister’s chastity for political gain.

Then again, such petty men were the most convenient to use—easy to control and easy to discard without remorse…

Thus, it was only natural that he selected the third Miss Shang, Shang Yunxiang, to enter his household.

It should have been a perfect arrangement, a mutually beneficial affair.

Yet, the moment Shang Yunxiang entered the room earlier, the Grand Tutor felt an intense sense of suffocation.

When this newly taken concubine stood in the middle of the chamber, separated from that little dragon by only a thin curtain, Wei Lenghou suddenly realized why he had found the Shang family’s daughter so exceptionally pleasing to the eye in the first place!

That delicate, pointed chin… That slender figure…

They bore an uncanny resemblance to the one behind the curtains.