The Supporting Male Characters Who Died Alone All Those Years Later

In the eventful autumn, the entry of the side consort into the mansion was kept simple. Several tables were set up in the Prince’s Mansion, and the servants made merry. The old Emperor bestowed jewels, while families in the capital also sent congratulatory gifts.

Shen Weining wore a watermelon red wedding gown hastily made by the Ministry of Rites. She was carried into the mansion through the side gate in a flower sedan, finally stopping in a festively decorated courtyard, the Mingyue Pavilion.

As the sedan curtain lifted, a hand with distinct knuckles entered her view. Shen Weining’s heart skipped a beat for a moment, then began to flutter wildly. It was evidently a man’s hand. In this Prince’s Mansion, the only person who would come to escort her was the Prince himself.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Weining placed her hand in the overly exquisite hand before her, which was then grasped, leading her out of the sedan chair. Stepping over the brazier, she entered the bridal chamber. Just as she sat on the bed, a gentle male voice sounded in her ears.

“Everyone else, leave.”

“Yes,” the maids responded, backing out in single file, her footsteps quickly fading away. The room fell into silence, with only the occasional crackle of the candles breaking the quiet.

Shen Weining instinctively held her breath, her body tense, hands tightly gripping her skirt hem, her heart pounding.

Seeing her nervousness, He Dongchen slightly curled his lips, picked up the marriage scale rod from the side, and calmly lifted the veil. With the movement of his hand, a delicate face came into view. The fluttering eyelashes, the slightly pursed lips, and the shy expression in her eyes, resembling a lotus about to bloom, all appeared.

As Shen Weining looked at the person in front of her, who remained still, she mustered the courage to lift her head. Suddenly, her gaze met a pair of deep eyes, an eternal gaze.

In the distance, a pair of wedding candles burned and danced, filling the air with an ambiguous atmosphere.

[Wow, this bride is quite beautiful,] the system, appearing out of nowhere, spoiled the moment.

He Dongchen snapped out of his trance, glanced at the small yellow dog at his feet, picked it up, and threw it out the window with one swift motion.

Outside the window happened to be a lake. The system struggled in the water like a dog, shouting, [Boss, you’re heartless! You’ve forgotten about me after getting married.]

The boss ruthlessly closed the window, shutting out the voice.

Shen Weining, still in a daze, couldn’t help but ask, “What about that dog…?”

“Don’t worry about it, it can swim,” He Dongchen said, slowly moving to the table, picking up a white jade wine pot and pouring two cups of clear wine. Then, he picked up the two cups and walked towards the bed.

Shen Weining realized something, her face flushing with embarrassment. She shifted her body to the side, but accidentally sat on a pile of red dates and peanuts. It was awkward to sweep them away, but she felt too embarrassed to say anything, making her face even redder.

Thinking she was shy, He Dongchen sat down beside her, handing her one of the cups of wine, then clinking glasses with her.

As they drank, instead of easing, the atmosphere became even more heated.

Then, Shen Weining obediently removed her headdress, wiped off her makeup, bathed, and changed into a thin watermelon-red nightgown. She quietly closed her eyes and lay down, her face flushed, looking incredibly alluring.

He Dongchen lay down beside her, pulling the blanket over them. “Let’s sleep.”

Shen Weining nodded shyly, her mind filled with her mother’s instructions before marriage. She waited anxiously, but there was no movement from beside her.

Growing increasingly anxious, Shen Weining’s hands and feet gradually grew cold. Her heart was sour, her mind a mess. Does the Prince despise me?

Just as she thought so, she heard a sigh from beside her. He turned to face her, one hand resting on her stomach under the blanket.

“I was angered recently and harmed my body. The imperial physician said I need some time to recuperate. You don’t need to worry,” he said in a gentle voice, explaining and soothing her.

Shen Weining opened her eyes, turning her head slightly to look at the handsome face so close to hers. His naturally affectionate eyes were filled with sincerity, without a trace of falsehood.

“I understand,” she murmured softly.

“Sleep,” He Dongchen said.

“Mm.”

As He Dongchen felt girl had fallen asleep, he wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, looking at the delicate features that seemed so tender and sensitive, thinking she was truly a sensitive beauty.

Just reached the age of adulthood, still too young.

***

The next day, when Shen Weining woke up, the bed beside her was already empty. Her heart sank for a moment, but feeling the warmth lingering on the bedding, she smiled.

Just as she smiled, she heard a commotion outside. Qin Momo, accompanied by two maids, entered the room, her face full of smiles. “Miss, no, I should say Madam now.”

(T/N: Momo = Nanny// older senior maid.)

Shen Weining looked at her nursemaid, Qin Momo, unable to help but furrow her brow. “What madam?”

As a side consort entering the mansion, according to custom, she could only be addressed as Lady or Aunt, how could she be called Madam?

Qin Momo’s smile remained unchanged as she took the wet towel from the maid’s hand and stepped closer. “It’s what His Highness ordered.”

“The prince?” Shen Weining was stunned, then pursed her lips, looking desolate. “What’s the point of this self-deception? Can an Aunt still be a future Empress? If so, why delude oneself?”

Qin Momo was anxious, whispering, “Miss, don’t be foolish. At this time, contradicting the Prince, with the position of Crown Princess vacant, you are the only mistress. What you should do most is to seize the moment, leaving some leverage for yourself and the future little master.”

Shen Weining’s mind was in turmoil. I hadn’t even done the deed, where would a little master come from?

As they were talking, He Dongchen entered the room, followed by a line of maids carrying dishes of various colors.

“Is madam awake?”

“Awake!” Shen Weining didn’t dare to think too much, quickly got up to wash and dress, hurriedly circled around the screen after tidying up, lifted the bead curtain, and immediately saw the man sitting in the main seat. He wore a green robe, a jade crown on his head, a smile on his lips, tenderness in his eyes, exuding an ethereal aura, like a mural, not like a real person.

He Dongchen also looked over, then raised his eyebrows slightly.

The candlelight in the bridal chamber was dim last night, and Shen Weining was wearing a gorgeous wedding dress, heavy makeup, and looked stunning. Today, although she was still in a red dress, her makeup was much lighter, the sunlight from outside shining on her face, making her look youthful and delicate, like an unripe girl.

He Dongchen was glad he hadn’t taken advantage of her last night.

“Come, let’s eat,” he waved his hand.

Shen Weining came back to her senses, her face blushing slightly, and she walked gracefully over. The two of them moved to the table and began the meal.

“What do you like to eat? Let the kitchen prepare it. In your own mansion, there’s no need to be formal,” He Dongchen said.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Shen Weining looked at the exquisite dishes on the table, not knowing where to start for a moment. Just as she hesitated, an unknown pastry appeared in her bowl, crystal clear and fragrant.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Shen Weining felt a little overwhelmed by the favor and took a small bite of the pastry. It was soft, sweet, with a faint scent of mint, very refreshing.

He Dongchen watched her eat the pastry with a pleased expression, thinking she was an easily satisfied girl.

***

After they slowly finished breakfast, He Dongchen rinsed his mouth and said, “Since you’re new here and not familiar with the surroundings, I’ll give you a tour.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Shen Weining obediently replied, noticing that he referred to himself as ‘I’ instead of ‘this king’, which made her happy.

As they left, she met eyes with Qin Momo, who looked anxious in the inner room, shook her head slightly, and then followed the man out of the courtyard.

At first, they walked one after the other, but later they walked side by side, and He Dongchen would say a few words at each place they passed.

“There are only the two of us in the mansion, so it’s relatively quiet. I usually read medical books in the study or discuss medical skills with a few imperial physicians in the front courtyard. In the future, the affairs of the back courtyard will be managed by you. Later, I’ll have the steward send the account books and the keys to the storeroom to your courtyard.”

Shen Weining was already nervous, and hearing about managing the household and account books made her stutter, “I’m afraid… afraid I won’t do well.”

Shen Weining felt that the skills she and her mother had learned about managing the household in the Shen family were simply inadequate for such a large mansion.

He Dongchen smiled, “You haven’t even started yet, how do you know you won’t do well? Relax, you have my support.”

Seeing his trusting expression, Shen Weining’s uneasiness gradually subsided, and she nodded seriously, “I won’t let Your Highness down.”

He Dongchen was satisfied, and he reached up to straighten the hairpin on her head that was slightly askew. “Let’s go, the courtyard is quite large, we still have to stroll around for a while.”

The two of them continued to tour the mansion, one in green and one in red, wherever they went was a sight to behold. Along the way, the servants they encountered respectfully bowed, secretly noting that the newly arrived side consort seemed to be very much favored by the Prince.

They toured the mansion, and He Dongchen returned to the study in the front courtyard, while Shen Weining, with a smile on her face, went back to the Mingyue Pavilion, then met the anxious face of Qin Momo.

Her smile faded, she motioned for the others to leave, and pulled the person into the inner room, explaining softly, “His Highness is unwell and needs to recuperate for a while.”

Qin Momo’s expression softened upon hearing this. Yes, Prince Jing had lost the position of the Crown Prince causing him to fall ill, so it was reasonable that he needed time to recover.

“But, the wedding night should still be arranged as soon as possible.” There was something Qin Momo didn’t say; it would be best to quickly conceive a child before the arrival of the new Princess. Having a son and a daughter under her knees would provide a support even if she lost favor in the future.

Shen Weining lowered her head, recalling His Highness’s behavior just now, and two blushes rose on her face.

***

On that day, the steward handed over the account books and keys to Shen Weining. Since the mansion had only been established recently, the account books were easy to understand. Under Qin Momo’s guidance, Shen Weining quickly got the hang of it and handled things in an orderly manner. The first thing she took charge of was the kitchen.

“Your Highness, I consulted the imperial physician, and these dishes are good for your health,” Shen Weining said solemnly.

He Dongchen glanced at her and then at the table full of nourishing dishes. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, but unwilling to disappoint Shen Weining’s kindness, he ate everything, then felt a surge of qi and blood and proactively bought a Clear Heart Pill in the store.

The system laughed like a pig; [Scary, scary, scary, scary!!! So this is what kind of big shot you are~~]

He Dongchen looked at the little yellow dog rolling around at his feet, his smile sinister, and he kicked it away.

As soon as Shen Weining entered the room, she seemed to see something swiftly pass by her side, blinking in confusion.

He Dongchen cleared his throat and changed the subject, “Why are you here?”

Shen Weining immediately snapped back to reality, joyfully saying, “I heard from the steward that Your Highness will accompany me back to my family tomorrow?”

It sounded good to be called a side consort instead of a concubine. According to the rules, she didn’t have to return to her family, but if her husband valued it, it was another matter.

Shen Weining hadn’t expected this, but seeing the steward busy preparing gifts, she curiously asked, and only then did she realize that His Highness planned to accompany her back to her family. For a moment, she was overjoyed and went straight to the study in the front courtyard to inquire.

Seeing her joyful expression, He Dongchen’s eyes softened slightly, and he smiled, saying, “I was planning to tell you during dinner. It’s hot in the capital, and there are many mundane matters. After we return tomorrow, we’ll go to the temporary palace to stay for a while.” It just so happened to avoid the mess of the succession crisis, and as long as the old Emperor remained healthy, whoever danced around would die.

“Really?” Shen Weining didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind it, but hearing about going to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat, she was excited.

She had never been farther than the temples in the suburbs and didn’t know what the temporary palace was like. Shen Weining twirled around the room, the lotus-colored skirt swaying with her, stirring hearts.

“Of course.” He Dongchen chuckled, thinking she was still just a child.