Chapter 318: The Scandal Exposed

The Scandal Exposed

The Emperor had been preoccupied with court affairs these past few days, and with the Empress Dowager bedridden due to illness, Shen Wei grew overly bold. In broad daylight, she secretly met with an outsider.

Lu Xuan clenched her sleeves tightly.

She knew—this was her chance to bring Shen Wei down.

Though Little Qin was excited, she retained a sliver of caution. "Mistress," she said, "Consort Shen has always been bold yet meticulous. Such a glaring mistake today—could it be a trap?"

Lu Xuan curved her lips into a smile. "Opportunities like this don’t come twice."

Fortune favors the bold—it was worth the risk.

Besides, Lu Xuan was pregnant. Even if she made a mistake, the Emperor would likely show leniency for the sake of the child in her womb.

...

Night fell.

Yongning Palace was quiet, the rooms warm as spring. Shen Wei lay sprawled on a pillow, dressed in a soft white cotton sleeping robe. The hem had ridden up, revealing a slender, pale waist, smooth yet resilient.

The palace lanterns cast a gentle glow, illuminating the fair skin of her waist, where faint red marks from silver needles could be seen.

"Be gentle, it stings a little," Shen Wei murmured, her delicate brows furrowing as she rested her cheek against the pillow.

Li Yuanjing dipped his fingers into a jar of ointment and carefully applied it to her skin.

A seasoned warrior, his fingers were rough with calluses. The creamy ointment smeared across Shen Wei’s waist, the friction causing a faint prickling sensation.

Before long, her skin flushed pink.

Grimacing, Shen Wei tried to sit up and apply the medicine herself. Li Yuanjing pressed her back down, raising an eyebrow. "In this entire harem, you’re the only one I’ve ever tended to like this. Stay still."

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Shen Wei huffed but obediently settled back. "Then be gentler, Your Majesty. My waist still aches from the acupuncture."

Li Yuanjing continued applying the ointment with patience.

Strangely, he enjoyed caring for her—like tending to a willful white cat.

"How many more days of acupuncture do you need?" he asked.

Shen Wei yawned, her eyelids drooping. "Five or six."

Li Yuanjing softened his touch, his long fingers lingering on the curve of her waist. After a while, he heard the faint, steady rhythm of her breathing.

Shen Wei had fallen asleep.

From his angle, he could see half of her face pressed into the pillow, her fair cheek slightly squished, looking utterly adorable. The lantern light spilled over her features, casting a serene, almost dreamlike glow.

Li Yuanjing studied her for a moment before setting the ointment aside, wiping his fingers clean, and pulling her close to sleep.

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...

The next afternoon, Shen Wei freshened up and changed into a new gown delivered by the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau.

With Cai Lian and two palace maids in tow, she discreetly made her way to the Imperial Hospital. The Empress Dowager had been suffering from melancholy, her condition unresponsive to medicine. After reviewing the Empress Dowager’s medical records, Shen Wei instructed the senior physicians to spare no effort in treating her.

After a brief tour of the hospital, Shen Wei excused herself under the pretense of admiring the chrysanthemums in the courtyard, leaving Cai Lian to stand guard while she slipped into Moxun’s quarters.

Moxun was napping. She drowsily sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Consort, you’re here again?"

Shen Wei settled on the edge of the bed. "Go back to sleep. I’ll just read for a while."

Moxun mumbled something under her breath—"Too cunning"—before flopping back under the warm covers.

Her room wasn’t large, but the shelves were packed with medical texts and folk tales.

Sunlight slanted through the papered windows, filling the room with a golden glow. Shen Wei leaned against the bedside, engrossed in a storybook while Moxun sprawled out in deep slumber.

Meanwhile, Little Qin, Lu Xuan’s head maid, arrived at the Imperial Hospital.

Clutching a bundle of herbs, she summoned the chief physician and feigned outrage. "Physician Li, what kind of medicine have you prescribed? My mistress has been suffering from abdominal pain after taking it!"

The old physician paled. "Th-That’s impossible! I’ll go to Changxin Palace at once to examine Her Ladyship!"

Little Qin scoffed, dramatically unwrapping the herbs to reveal a few moldy pieces.

"You physicians draw generous salaries, yet you dare serve my mistress spoiled medicine? When she reports this to the Emperor, your heads will roll!"

Administering spoiled medicine to an imperial consort was a grave offense.

The physician trembled. "The herbs couldn’t have spoiled—"

Little Qin cut him off, her eyes gleaming with malice. "The storage must be damp, causing the herbs to mold in this heat! I’ll inspect the storeroom myself to see if there are more!"

With that, she stormed toward the rear courtyard.

The physician cried out, "Ah, young miss, you’re going the wrong way! That’s the physicians’ resting quarters!"

But Little Qin pretended not to hear, striding ahead with two eunuchs in tow. At the courtyard entrance, she spotted Cai Lian standing watch.

Cai Lian’s expression darkened as she blocked the path. "No entry."

Little Qin feigned surprise. "Aunt Cai Lian, what are you doing here?"

Cai Lian remained silent.

Little Qin smirked, her malice undisguised. "Don’t stop me. These quacks gave my mistress spoiled medicine. I must inspect the storeroom for evidence."

When Cai Lian tried to stop her again, the eunuchs intervened. Little Qin barged into the courtyard and flung open the closed door.

BANG—

The door swung wide.

Little Qin stepped inside, loudly exclaiming, "This storeroom is so dark—why isn’t it lit? Oh—Consort Shen! Y-You… why are you here?"

The room was thick with the scent of herbs. Shen Wei was in the middle of dressing, while Physician Moxun lay fast asleep on the bed.

The noise startled Moxun awake.

Little Qin covered her mouth in mock shock, her eyes alight with triumph. In broad daylight, Consort Shen was here—half-dressed—with Physician Moxun!

Perfect!

If this reached the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, Consort Shen’s reign of favor would crumble.

Playing the part of the flustered witness, Little Qin staggered back, raising her voice even higher. "I—I didn’t mean to intrude! Forgive me, Your Highness! I’ll leave at once!"

She fled in exaggerated panic, deliberately spreading the news and stirring up the entire Imperial Hospital.

The physicians stood frozen.

They had all noticed Shen Wei’s daily visits to Moxun, but none dared speak of it. Now that the secret was exposed, dread settled over them.

The harem was about to change.

Shen Wei calmly finished dressing and walked out of the hospital as if nothing had happened. Shortly after, Moxun, now fully awake, donned her physician’s robe and sleepily returned to duty.

The physicians gaped. Even after being caught in such a scandal, she had the nerve to show up for work?

"Physician Moxun," an elder physician stroked his beard, sighing in disappointment. "You’re skilled and dignified—how could you stray down such a path?"