[Deposed empress raising a child | Hilarious child-rearing | Lighthearted palace intrigue | The heroine lies flat but gets things done]
Shen Weiwan was once Empress, seated high in the central palace. Then she was accused of a crime, stripped of her title, and banished to the Cold Palace.
Everyone was waiting for her to lose heart and die. The only thing they left her was a baby prince, still swaddled and unwanted by the emperor.
Everyone in the palace was certain that the deposed empress could barely look after herself, so the child was bound to grow up frail and die young.
But Shen Weiwan had no intention of following the script.
There was no fine food or clothing, no wet nurse at her side, and supplies in the Cold Palace were scarce. Her approach to raising a child was simple: make do.
When she ran short of fabric, she altered old clothes. When food ran low, she made baby food herself. When the Imperial Physicians didn't come, she experimented with folk remedies. As long as the child survived, that was enough.
Other people raised princes in luxury, taking care with every last grain of rice.
She raised a child to eat well, dress warmly, and stay alive. Tough and sturdy was the goal.
