Shen Wei did not particularly like the Kunyu Courtyard where the Princess Consort resided. It was too solemn, too rigid, and the room was filled with the heavy scent of incense from the Buddhist shrine. The Princess Consort's greatest pastime, aside from teaching her children, was burning incense and worshiping Buddha. She had even spent a fortune to purchase a rare white jade Buddha statue, which she enshrined in a small hall and knelt before daily in devotion.
When Shen Wei entered the dimly lit main hall, she saw the Princess Consort dressed in a dark purple robe with a high collar, the color dull and aging. Her sharp gaze swept over Shen Wei, exuding an overwhelming sense of authority.
