The harem is too complicated; the empress, a lazy bum, wins by doing nothing.

Chapter 110 Men
Shen Qingwan turned her head and looked thoughtfully at Jiang Wenlan.

"Not bad." Emperor Yuanwu was very satisfied and said to Wu Jixiang, "Go and bring over my Songhua stone inkstone and bestow it upon the First Prince."

“The Songhua stone inkstone is Your Majesty’s favorite inkstone. The eldest prince is truly blessed,” Wu Jixiang exclaimed.

Emperor Yuanwu didn't speak, but his brow furrowed slightly, clearly feeling that he was talking too much.

Wu Jixiang withdrew.

This pine stone inkstone wasn't particularly rare or precious, but this sudden gift suggests that Emperor Yuanwu would no longer be indifferent to his eldest son as he had been before.

Now he not only inquires about his studies, but also rewards him.

Although it's a good thing, it may not really be a good thing.

Jiang Wenlan is the eldest son of Emperor Yuanwu, and without his mother by his side, if he shows too much talent in the harem, he may attract jealousy, and may even bring about his death.

Shen Qingwan glanced sideways at Emperor Yuanwu, who was staring intently at Jiang Wenlan.

The gentle light in his eyes, like a father looking at his son, was different from his usual expression.

A strong suspicion suddenly formed in her mind: could it be that Emperor Yuanwu's previous dislike of Jiang Wenlan was all an act?

He loved Consort Li so deeply, how could he not love their child?

The reason he always disliked Jiang Wenlan was actually because he feared that his excessive pampering would become a weapon used by others to kill Jiang Wenlan.

It seems that in the palace over the years, whenever the First Prince is mentioned, the most common thing people say is that the Emperor dislikes him the most, so we should stay away from him to avoid upsetting the Emperor.

If Emperor Yuanwu were merely a prince, then his child with Consort Li would simply be an illegitimate son, posing no threat to anyone.

But if he were an emperor, it would be different. He would be a prince, and any prince has the right to inherit the throne. Moreover, Jiang Wenlan is the eldest son. If the principle of primogeniture is upheld, and the legitimate heir is chosen over the eldest son, then as long as the empress has no legitimate son, Jiang Wenlan is very likely to become the crown prince in the future.

Shen Qingwan seemed to suddenly wake up, realizing something.

The original owner was quite beautiful; even among the many concubines in the harem, her beauty surpassed all others. Her later arrogance and domineering nature came later. The fact that the two did not consummate their marriage on their wedding night suggests there must be something fishy going on.

Shen Qingwan seemed to have found the real reason why Emperor Yuanwu had never touched the original owner. It wasn't that he disliked the original owner; he just didn't want to have children with her and didn't want a legitimate son.

Regardless of whether the original owner was a princess or an empress, it's unlikely that anyone would dare to offer her a contraceptive soup after she had been with the emperor. Therefore, Emperor Yuanwu had no choice but to avoid touching her.

As long as you don't touch her, you won't have a child.

He could give the empress all the honors, but he didn't want to give her a child.

Could it be said that Emperor Yuanwu already had a candidate for crown prince in mind the moment Consort Li became pregnant?
It's truly unbelievable that Emperor Yuanwu, with his harem overflowing with beauties, is such a love-obsessed man.

In other words, Emperor Yuanwu had already been planning how to ascend the throne when he was still a prince.

What illness did Prince Rui suffer from?

As Shen Qingwan came into his mind, he finalized one thing after another.

Shen Qingwan was so shocked that she broke out in a cold sweat.

Startled, she was also quite sleepy, but... "What's wrong with the Empress?" The moment Emperor Yuanwu turned around, he met Shen Qingwan's pale face: "She was fine just now, why does her face suddenly look so pale? Wu Jixiang, summon the imperial physician!"

Shen Qingwan suddenly came to her senses: "Your Majesty, I'm fine. I just ate too many sweets and feel a little nauseous."

Emperor Yuanwu looked at her suspiciously.

"It seems the Empress is tired, so I will take the First Prince back first."

Shen Qingwan: ...

He discovered all of this.

Emperor Yuanwu was a meticulous person, and his usual indifference towards his concubines was probably just an act.

O man!

Jingyang Palace.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Empress Dowager decrees: Consort Xian, née Pang, is gentle and virtuous, beautiful and intelligent, naturally gifted, graceful and generous, with extraordinary temperament and exquisite literary talent. I greatly admire her and hereby bestow upon her the title of Noble Consort Xian. So be it." After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Li waited for a while but saw no response from Noble Consort Xian. He then called out again, "Noble Consort Xian, it is time for you to receive the decree and express your gratitude."

Consort Xian suddenly came to her senses: "This concubine thanks Your Majesty the Empress Dowager for your grace."

Even after Eunuch Li stepped out of the gates of Jingyang Palace, Consort Xian remained kneeling on the ground, unable to react for a long time.

Xia Fuchuan stood up, walked to her side, and supported her arm: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Li has been gone for a long time. Let me help you up. Your Majesty, you have finally gotten what you wanted. The Emperor still cares about you. Although the imperial decree to confer the title of Imperial Concubine was a little late, it was still issued."

Consort Xian looked somewhat dazed, letting Xia Fuchuan help her into the house. The more she thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. She sat down on a stool and shook her head: "No, the imperial edict just now wasn't issued by the Emperor."

Xia Fuchuan was taken aback, then suddenly realized, "Your Majesty, although the imperial edict was not issued by the Emperor, how could the Empress Dowager have issued such an edict if it wasn't the Emperor's intention? Whether it was the Empress Dowager or the Emperor, this edict was discussed beforehand. Your Majesty should be happy to become a Noble Consort."

Consort Xian nodded, but her expression did not soften at all: "Yes, we should be happy. Where is the Emperor? Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year. The Emperor does not have to attend the morning court. Where is the Emperor now?"

emperor?

Xia Fuchuan, who was originally happy for Consort Xian, looked troubled when he heard the word "Emperor". However, he could not lie and say, "Your Majesty, His Majesty had lunch in the Empress's palace today."

Consort Xian's expression finally softened a bit, and she slowly nodded: "Today is the first day of the month, His Majesty should be having lunch in Kunning Palace. Lunch is good..."

If lunch is eaten, there is no need for dinner, so Emperor Yuanwu will not stay overnight in Kunning Palace.

Now that she's a Noble Consort, why does she feel even more anxious than when she was a Consort?

What happened to her?
"Your Majesty, what's so good about it? It's not good at all." Xia Fuchuan sighed. "This servant just heard from the Imperial Kitchen that at noon today, not only the Emperor was dining in Kunning Palace, but also Consort Liang, Consort Zhen, Consort Shu, a princess, and three princes."

Consort Xian's already pale face turned even paler: "What did you say?"

“It’s not strange that the Second Prince and the Third Prince are here. Perhaps the two empresses were traveling together with the princes to pay their respects to the Empress and happened to run into each other, so they stayed. But the First Prince…” Xia Fuchuan said, then looked up at Consort Xian: “I don’t know what happened in Kunning Palace, but the Emperor actually gave the First Prince the Songhua stone inkstone that he had treasured for so long.”

"What?" Consort Xian was completely stunned: "Didn't His Majesty always dislike the First Prince? Why would he suddenly bestow something upon him?"

(End of this chapter)