A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 192

The sky darkened as the fish stew was ready.

The Liu brothers were still out hunting in the mountains and hadn’t returned yet. Shen Wei set aside half a pot of fish for them. The night was cool, so Shen Wei, Prince Yan, and Granny Liu ate the fish in the courtyard.

“Drink more fish soup—it’ll help your wounds heal faster,” Shen Wei said, filling Prince Yan’s bowl to the brim with soup. She carefully picked out the fish bones, mashed the meat, and mixed it into the broth.

Granny Liu teased from the side, “Young master, you’re lucky to have met such a fine lady. You must treat her well in the future.”

Prince Yan’s eyes glimmered with amusement.

By the time they finished eating, the night had fully settled. The village retired early, and with no candles to spare, Shen Wei and Prince Yan squeezed onto the narrow bed.

The bed was small, its thin frame creaking under their weight. Shen Wei couldn’t sleep, her hands kneading her sore lower back. The toll of childbirth had left her with lingering pain, and now her back ached in waves.

Prince Yan’s large, warm hand reached over. “Stay still. Let me help.”

Shen Wei lay facedown, murmuring into the bedding, “Your Highness, your shoulder wound hasn’t fully healed yet. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s fine,” Prince Yan replied, his fingers working gently along her back.

Having survived life-and-death trials together, Shen Wei had remained steadfastly by Prince Yan’s side. To him, she was more than just his woman—she was his confidante, the one who held his heart.

Her place in his heart grew heavier with each passing day.

Prince Yan’s skilled fingers eased the tension in her back. Shen Wei’s eyelids grew heavy, and she mumbled drowsily, “You’re so good to me… I wish it could always be like this…”

Soon, she drifted into sleep.

Moonlight spilled through the broken window. Prince Yan gazed down at Shen Wei’s peaceful face, his expression unreadable. He sighed silently. He longed for an ordinary life with her, free from burdens—but the weight on his shoulders was far too great.

The kingdom came first. Personal affections had to wait.

---

Under the cover of night, in Kunning Palace…

The Empress was still awake, cradling plump Little Leyou in her arms as she dangled a carnelian horse toy before the child.

Little Leyou stretched out her chubby hands, her big, bright eyes fixed on the Empress as she babbled sweetly, “Fang-zhu mu… Fang-zhu mu…”

Now over a year old, Little Leyou could speak and recognize faces.

The Empress’s heart melted. Softly, she coaxed, “Say ‘Grandmother.’ Come, my dear, say it again.”

Little Leyou grasped the Empress’s finger and repeated, “Fang-zhu mu… Grandmother…”

Warmth bloomed in the Empress’s chest.

Perhaps it was the bond between generations, but holding her chubby little granddaughter, listening to her sweet voice and innocent laughter, made the entire Kunning Palace feel alive again.

“Your Majesty,” Nanny Qian entered, her expression grave.

The Empress looked up. “Has Prince Yan returned?”

Nanny Qian shook her head. “Not yet. But His Highness always plans for contingencies. The Tiger Guard has already found the missing horses, so they should locate him soon.”

After a pause, she added, “As you instructed, everything is in place.”

The Empress smiled faintly. “Tonight, we wait for the fish to bite.”

In her arms, Little Leyou mimicked, “Bite, bite~”

The Empress stroked her granddaughter’s round cheek and murmured, “If Leyou says ‘bite,’ then it shall be so. And if the fish won’t bite, we’ll make sure the blame sticks anyway.”

Late into the night, Kunning Palace lay silent.

The wind rustled through the lush trees in the courtyard. Inside the side chamber, two infants slept soundly in their cribs, their wet nurse dozing beside them.

Two maids slipped in quietly, their steps measured—until they suddenly drew sharp daggers and lunged toward the cribs—

Thud!

The “sleeping” wet nurse sprang up, swiftly subduing the assassins.

Kunning Palace blazed to life with lanterns. The Empress emerged in her night robes, her gaze icy. “Attempting to murder infants—such cruelty. Dispatch the imperial guards to surround Qihua Palace. Arrest Concubine Qian.”

The guards mobilized.

In the cribs, the two babies slept on, blissfully unaware they had just served as their grandmother’s bait.

---

On their fifth day in Liu Family Village…

The afternoon sun shone brightly. Liu Daniu and Liu Erniu squatted in the yard, skinning the six wild hares they had caught the night before. Shen Wei and Granny Liu bustled about in the kitchen.

“Brother, you’re tough as nails!” Liu Daniu remarked, handing Prince Yan a stool. “Took an arrow and several blade wounds, yet you’re already up and about.”

Prince Yan sat. “I’ve trained in martial arts since childhood. My body recovers quickly.”

His gaze drifted to the kitchen, where Shen Wei kneaded dough beside Granny Liu. A dusting of flour smudged her nose, unnoticed as she focused on shaping the dough.

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He looked away, turning his attention to the plump hares. The Liu brothers worked deftly, their hands skilled from years of hunting.

Prince Yan noted their impressive archery—even in the dim light of night, they had shot the fleeing hares with precision.

“Your marksmanship is excellent,” he remarked.

Liu Erniu grinned. “Of course! We’ve hunted since we were boys. I wanted to join the army in Liangzhou, but my younger brother beat me to it—last year, he wrote saying he’d been promoted to centurion. He even mentioned General Shen Mieyue, how he’s driving the Yue invaders back with unmatched valor!”

At the mention of Shen Mieyue, the brothers’ eyes shone with admiration.

To defend their homeland—that was the aspiration of every Da Qing man.

Prince Yan nodded. “A man’s ambitions lie beyond his home. If not Liangzhou, you could serve as guards in the capital.”

Liu Erniu’s expression dimmed as he peeled the hare’s hide. “Brother, truth be told, we admire two men above all—General Shen and Prince Yan. The general guards our borders, and the prince protects the people. Five years ago, bandits plagued these mountains until Prince Yan sent troops to wipe them out. The villages have known peace since.”

“We owe him. We’d gladly join the capital guards—but those posts require bribes. Instead of protecting the city, they leech off the people. What kind of defenders are they?”

Prince Yan’s jaw tightened.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‍capital guards have rotted to this extent? Once he returned, he would purge the corruption. The emperor’s own soldiers could not be a pack of extortionists.

“You’re from the capital—have you ever seen Prince Yan?” Liu Erniu asked eagerly. “Is he as mighty as General Shen?”

Before Prince Yan could answer, the ground trembled faintly—the rhythmic thud of approaching horses. The yard fell silent.

Liu Daniu and Liu Erniu snatched their hunting knives from the wall. “Bandits again? Mother, take Shen Wei inside—now!”

A mass of armored cavalry halted outside the gate.

Beyond the fence, black banners emblazoned with a golden Yan fluttered in the wind.

The wooden door swung open, and two armored tiger guards strode in, dropping to one knee and cupping their hands in salute. "We beg your forgiveness for our tardiness, Your Highness!" they declared.