A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 193

The Liu brothers stood dumbfounded.

What prince?

In the kitchen, Shen Wei silently set down the half-kneaded dough in her hands. The five blissful days of pastoral life had finally come to a perfect end.

Shen Wei thanked Granny Liu for taking her in and left the Liu family’s courtyard. Outside, rows of black-armored Tiger Guards stood in formation, their imposing presence under the bright daylight making them look like stern underworld demons.

What an awe-inspiring procession.

With no carriage prepared, Shen Wei had no choice but to ride on Prince Yan’s horse. In the courtyard, Prince Yan addressed the still-stunned Liu brothers: "Come to the capital in three months to serve as city guards. I assure you, no bribery will be tolerated."

The Liu brothers remained in a daze.

Prince Yan ordered the Tiger Guards to leave silver behind, then stepped outside and mounted his horse.

These five days of recuperation in Liu Family Village had imprinted a serene tranquility deep in Prince Yan’s heart. But he knew this was no time for complacency—the weight of duty to his country still rested on his shoulders.

With a crack of the reins, Prince Yan shielded Shen Wei in his arms and led the Tiger Guards galloping away. Dust swirled as the entourage vanished into the distance.

In the courtyard, Liu Erniu stammered, "Brother… Mother… was that really His Highness Prince Yan?"

Granny Liu, still clutching the unfinished dough in her hands, smiled faintly. "I didn’t even finish kneading the dough. If only I’d worked faster, he could’ve had a bowl of noodles before leaving."

...

Shen Wei wasn’t fond of horseback riding—the jolting made her uncomfortable. She glanced down at her palms, still dusted with flour.

She felt a twinge of regret. It was her first time kneading dough—she should’ve at least tasted the noodles before leaving.

The wind howled past them. Noticing Shen Wei’s subtle movements, Prince Yan murmured, "Reluctant to leave?"

Truthfully, Shen Wei wasn’t that reluctant.

Though pastoral life had its charms, the bed was too hard, mosquitoes bit her at night, and the food was too simple. She much preferred the comforts of wealth.

But for appearances, Shen Wei adopted a wistful tone and nodded meekly. "A little. But Your Highness isn’t an ordinary man—the people need you. These five days… they were the happiest of my life. I’ll cherish them forever."

Prince ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‍Yan’s heart swelled.

Having survived life-and-death trials together, these five days of recovery were, to him, equally precious.

Holding Shen Wei close, he urged his horse forward. In the distance, the towering gates of the capital loomed into view.

...

Upon returning to the capital, Prince Yan didn’t take Shen Wei back to his residence. Instead, he settled her in a secluded courtyard outside the city.

Shen Wei understood his reasoning.

The prince’s manor might still be under threat—returning now would be risky. Exhausted from the journey, she felt dizzy and sore all over.

Prince Yan clasped her hand. "Weiwei, stay here for now. Once the situation stabilizes, I’ll bring you home."

Dazed, Shen Wei nodded without pondering the deeper implications of "stabilizing the situation." With practiced ease, she conjured a look of concern. "Your Highness must take care. I’ll wait for your return."

Prince Yan embraced her tightly once more before departing with the Tiger Guards. Shen Wei, utterly spent, stumbled to the bed inside the courtyard and collapsed into deep slumber.

She was overjoyed.

This misfortune had turned into a blessing—she and Prince Yan now shared a bond forged through adversity. From this moment on, Shen Wei had firmly rooted herself in his heart as his most cherished woman.

Giddy, she rolled happily on the bed, envisioning her future: in a decade or so, she’d retire comfortably as the prince’s honored dowager consort, free to travel the world at leisure!

She drifted off, content.

By dawn, Shen Wei awoke stretching lazily. In her buoyant mood, everything seemed delightful—the soft morning light, the blooming roses on the courtyard walls, the gentle breeze.

The remote courtyard had few servants, just an elderly lame woman cooking in the kitchen. Shen Wei found it odd—why hadn’t Prince Yan sent Cai Lian and Cai Ping to attend her?

"My lady, please don’t wander off," the lame woman advised while bowing. "Prince Heng has rebelled—the city’s in chaos. It’s safest here."

Shen Wei froze mid-stretch. Surely she’d misheard. "Who rebelled?"

The old woman sighed. "Prince Heng and Concubine Qian poisoned His Majesty and assassinated the Crown Prince. His Highness is leading troops to quell the uprising—the capital’s in turmoil. But don’t fret, Prince Yan will surely prevail."

Shen Wei’s mind reeled.

Each word struck like thunder, leaving her dizzy.

"Rest now. The congee will be ready soon," the woman said before shuffling back to the kitchen.

Shen Wei stood motionless in the courtyard. The sunlight no longer felt warm, the roses lost their fragrance, the breeze turned stifling. The assassination attempt at the hot springs—she’d assumed it was routine, given Prince Yan’s frequent brushes with danger.

But now it was clear—Prince Heng was undoubtedly behind it.

With the Crown Prince and Emperor dead, only Prince Yan and Prince Heng remained. Two outcomes loomed: if Prince Yan won, she’d ascend from consort to imperial concubine; if Prince Heng won, she’d be executed.

"Are you certain Prince Yan will win?" Shen Wei burst into the kitchen.

The lame woman chuckled, mistaking her panic for concern. "Don’t worry, my lady. His Highness planned everything—even his five-day disappearance was strategic. Only by vanishing could Prince Heng reveal his claws..."

Shen Wei stopped listening, her mind in turmoil.

Since transmigrating here, her life plan had been simple: [Retire as a pampered dowager]. Everything had gone smoothly—until Prince Yan decided to become emperor!

Why did he have to aim for the throne?

Overnight, the princely manor threatened to morph into a palace—a private enterprise transforming into a bureaucratic state monopoly.

Perched on the stone steps beneath the eaves, Shen Wei faced the potential collapse of her meticulously crafted retirement scheme.

Had she known Prince Yan would claim the throne, she’d never have drawn attention early. A new emperor’s harem would overflow with ambitious beauties—women with powerful families, unlike the lackadaisical Liu Ruyan or Zhang Miaoyu. As a favored consort with children, Shen Wei would become their prime target.

She pondered seriously:

If she faked her death now and fled the capital, abandoning Prince Yan and court politics, would she fare better?

If she stayed, there’d be no turning back. A palace was an entirely different battlefield from a prince’s household.

The courtyard gate stood wide open, the blinding sunlight beckoning. The lame woman busied herself inside while Prince Yan fought in the city. Amidst this power struggle, everyone was preoccupied—if Shen Wei disappeared now, few would notice. Even if Prince Yan realized, he’d be too consumed by the throne to spare effort searching for her.

Sitting on the steps, Shen Wei stared at the open gate. Beyond it, the vast world seemed to whisper, luring her to abandon everything for freedom.

Shen Wei quickly formulated a plan in her mind—she could fake her death, flee to the southern mountains to seek refuge with Shen Qiang, and lay low for a while. Once she had altered her appearance, she would transfer her assets in Yanjing and leave the capital with her vast fortune.

Closing her eyes, Shen Wei refused to spend the rest of her life trapped within the palace walls. No one mattered more than her own freedom.

Never one to hesitate, she sat on the stone steps of the courtyard for less than the time it took to drink half a cup of tea before resolving to escape. From this moment on, there would be no more Consort Shen—only the merchant Shen Wei.

In the kitchen, the limping old woman was still boiling porridge. Shen Wei abruptly stood up and strode toward the world beyond the courtyard. Outside, she saw the shimmering waters of Luoyue Lake and the undulating green mountains in the distance.

As she reached the courtyard gate, the thorns of a rose bush snagged her skirt. Irritated, she grabbed the hem and yanked, but it wouldn’t budge. The roses were in full bloom, their petals lush and vibrant, but Shen Wei had no patience to admire them.

After a futile struggle, she bent down and tore the trapped fabric with a sharp tug.

The pale corner of her skirt fell away, freeing her. Shen Wei dashed out of the courtyard, the crisp wind brushing against her face and lifting the dark strands at her temples. A new journey seemed within reach—

"Weiwei!"

A frantic voice called out.

Her arm was seized, and she turned to see the anxious face of Prince Yan.

Shen Wei knew there was no turning back now.