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

Chapter 131 Secret Report
It wasn't the Emperor, nor a guard, could it be... Prince Rui?

"Zhen'er, how is Prince Rui?"

Zhen'er was taken aback by Shen Qingwan's abrupt question: "Your Majesty, Physician Zhang is a miracle worker. After taking the medicine, Prince Rui is much better and left the palace to return home before dinner."

Not in the palace?

Shen Qingwan felt like her mind was a tangled mess, and the more she tried to sort it out, the more confused she became.

In the entire palace, who else besides Emperor Yuanwu and a few princes could write such characters?
"Your Majesty." Zhen'er came in from outside carrying a bowl of white fungus soup. "This servant noticed that Your Majesty didn't eat much for dinner. Why don't you finish this bowl of white fungus soup before going to sleep?"

Shen Qingwan nodded and sat down in front of the food platter.

As Zhen'er set out the dishes, she said, "A message just came saying that the hostage from the northern desert has arrived at the post station in the capital and will be able to enter the palace early tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow morning?
So fast?
Shen Qingwan paused, her hand holding the spoon still.

She hurriedly stood up, walked to the desk, picked up a pen, tore off a piece of paper, and wrote the four characters "君子非嫡" (a gentleman is not the legitimate heir) with her left hand.

"Go to Yanxi Palace and invite the Emperor over. I have urgent business with the Emperor."

Emperor Yuanwu and Consort De had just finished their dinner. Consort De nestled in Emperor Yuanwu's arms, her smile more beautiful than any flower: "Your Majesty, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"

"Does Consort De prefer a boy or a girl?" Emperor Yuanwu asked, touching Consort De's belly with one hand.

"Of course I want a son," Consort De said, pursing her lips.

Emperor Yuanwu raised an eyebrow: "Consort De is sincere. Other concubines who are pregnant will say that they want a daughter, for fear that I will become suspicious."

"Let them have their doubts. Anyway, I'm telling the truth. I want a son. There are so many outstanding ladies in the palace, especially the new ones. Aren't they all young and beautiful? If the Emperor ever thinks I'm old and faded and no longer likes me, I'll still have someone to rely on." Consort De pushed Emperor Yuanwu gently in his arms.

Emperor Yuanwu laughed out loud: "Consort De, Consort De, in a few decades, not only will you grow old, but I will also grow old."

"Your Majesty will never grow old. Your Majesty will live ten thousand years! Long live Your Majesty ...

"You," Emperor Yuanwu pinched her waist.

"Your Majesty promised me that you are not allowed to go anywhere tonight and that you must stay with me in Yanxi Palace," Consort De said coquettishly, tugging at Emperor Yuanwu's sleeve.

"Alright, I promise you." Emperor Yuanwu embraced Consort De: "Now that you are pregnant, you are naturally the most important person..."

Just now.

Su Tianhe walked in from outside the hall: "This servant greets His Majesty and Consort De."

Su Tianhe?
What is he doing here at this hour?
Consort De's expression stiffened: "Is there something you need, Eunuch Su?"

"Your Majesty, the Empress wishes to invite His Majesty over."

Emperor Yuanwu stared at Su Tianhe kneeling on the ground, his gaze gradually narrowing.

In the past, Emperor Yuanwu might not have paid any attention to such matters, simply assuming that the Empress was using some means to vie for his favor. However, since the Empress fell seriously ill, she had never taken the initiative to seek him out. Even when he went to her palace, the Empress never tried to persuade him to stay, and on several occasions, she even took the initiative to send him away.

The fact that Su Tianhe came in person at this time suggests that something truly important must have happened.

"What business does the Empress have with me?"

"Your Majesty, this servant does not know. I only saw that Her Majesty the Empress was quite anxious. She only took one bite of the white fungus soup that was sent over and could not eat any more."

Emperor Yuanwu lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then turned to Consort De and said, "I suppose the Empress really has something to discuss with me. I'll go see her and then come back to keep you company."

The smile on Consort De's face was a little stiff. She stood up and tugged at Emperor Yuanwu's sleeve: "Then I will wait here for Your Majesty. Your Majesty must return soon."

Emperor Yuanwu grunted in agreement and followed Su Tianhe to Kunning Palace.

Shen Qingwan handed the note she had written with her left hand to Emperor Yuanwu: "Your Majesty, when I came out of the palace today, a little eunuch slipped this note into my hand. I am just a woman in the inner palace and I certainly do not know anything about the affairs of the previous dynasty. This matter concerns the safety of the people of both countries and I dare not conceal it. I beg Your Majesty to make a wise judgment."

Emperor Yuanwu stared at the four characters on the note: "A gentleman is not the heir apparent." "Does the Empress believe this note is related to the hostage in the northern deserts?"

"It's not certain. The name of the hostage in the northern desert happens to contain the character 'Jun'. This person is so thoughtful, I'm afraid it's not just a simple literal meaning. Better safe than sorry, Your Majesty should investigate the hostage's identity before making a decision."

Emperor Yuanwu took the note, walked to the candle, and lit it: "Before lunch, I also received a secret report from the spies on the frontier. The person sent to the palace as a hostage is not Moganxie's eldest son, but his son with his concubine Jiang."

It turns out that Emperor Yuanwu had known about this all along.

The person who tipped her off was not trying to get her to tell Emperor Yuanwu about it, but rather to warn her to be careful of the hostages who were entering the palace.

What should we do about this?

"In the Empress's opinion, what should be done about this matter?"

"Mo Ganxie found someone to impersonate him out of a sense of enigma. Either he loves his son dearly and can't bear to send his most beloved son to our dynasty as a hostage, or he has ulterior motives. Regardless of which one it is, one thing is certain: the son who was sent to the palace as a hostage and his birth mother must not be favored. The fact that he obediently obeyed his father's orders and traded his later years for the future of the legitimate son suggests that someone used his mother's life as leverage."

"What the Empress says is very true."

"However, I think we should pretend we don't know who they sent. Since Mo Ganxie said he was Mo Ganjunyi, then he is Mo Ganjunyi. If it is true as we guessed, the hostage's hatred for Mo Ganxie must be greater than his affection for his father."

"Empress, are you so sure?" Emperor Yuanwu asked in return.

“Your Majesty does not understand how difficult life is for concubines who are not favored in the harem. If the hostage’s mother were not favored, she would still be able to raise him safely. I’m afraid she has suffered a lot over the years. Now, because of the son that Mo Ganxie loves, she has abandoned him directly. How can the mother and son not feel hatred in their hearts?” A hint of sadness flashed in Shen Qingwan’s eyes.

"I feel that the Empress's words have a hidden meaning," Emperor Yuanwu said with a slight smile.

"Your Majesty, please don't wrong me. I didn't do it." Shen Qingwan burned the note in front of the candle. "I just felt that the concubines in the harem all came from the families of the emperors, ministers, and generals of the previous dynasty. If they live in harmony in the harem, the court will naturally be peaceful as well. Isn't what Your Majesty most wants to see peace and prosperity for the country?" Shen Qingwan said calmly.

Emperor Yuanwu pondered for a while: "What did the Empress have for dinner at Cining Palace tonight?"

(End of this chapter)