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

Chapter 133 Great Supplement
"Your Highness, there is another small team remaining in the capital, ready to be dispatched by Your Highness at any time."

On his way back to Chang Le Palace, Mo Gan Junyi happened to run into Consort Xian, who was returning to the palace from Yong He Palace.

Since Consort De became pregnant, all the affairs of the harem have fallen on Consort Shu's shoulders. She is busy all day long and spends very little time in the palace.

This gave Consort Xian an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, finding excuses to visit Yonghe Palace and check on the Third Prince.

Consort Shu was annoyed, but she had no time to care.

Consort Xian, however, was oblivious to this. Seeing that Consort Shu remained silent, she visited her more and more frequently.

“Your Highness, that woman sitting in the chariot, dressed like a canary, must be Consort Xian,” Kawa said.

Consort Xian?
The legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion.

Mo Ganjunyi sneered. Her crown as a noble consort was made from the blood of countless warriors.

A mere general managed to bring about a new king in the northern deserts; it was an utter disgrace.

If it weren't for her maternal family, why would he have to live such a life of dependence and suffer endless humiliation?

When Mo Ganjunyi saw Consort Xian, she also saw him.

Consort Xian raised her hand to stop her arrogance: "I suppose this is the prince of Mobei, Mogan Junyi."

"I am new here and do not know which palace Your Highness is from?" Mo Ganjunyi bowed.

"I am Consort Xian of Jingyang Palace. The Chang Le Palace where the hostage resides was arranged by me. If the hostage lacks anything in the future, he can simply send someone to Jingyang Palace to inform me."

"I am very grateful for the grace of Consort Xian." Mo Ganjunyi bowed.

Consort Xian's proud carriage traveled further and further away, gradually disappearing from sight.

Kawa frowned: "Why should the prince waste his breath talking to such a woman?"

Mo Gan Junyi didn't say anything, but walked towards Chang Le Hall.

When they returned to Chang Le Palace, the palace servants who had greeted them at the entrance were all replaced by imperial guards.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to imprison our prince?" Kawa quickly stepped in front of Mogan Junyi.

"By imperial decree, the hostage is of great importance, and we have been specially dispatched to protect his safety."

Kawa sneered: "Protect? I think it's surveillance."

The imperial guards standing at the entrance of Chang Le Hall did not reply to Kawa, but instead gestured for Mo Gan Junyi to enter.

Kawa moved his lips as if he wanted to argue, but Mogan Junyi had already taken a step toward Changle Palace.

"Your Highness, this emperor is a hypocrite, he says one thing and does another, he's disgusting." As soon as Kawa entered the Chang Le Palace, he couldn't help but curse in the northern dialect.

Mo Ganjunyi sat on the couch in the main hall, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a small sip: "I already knew this would be the result before I came, so why are you so angry?"

After saying that, he took out a pastry from the food box that Shen Qingwan had given him. The white pastry was crystal clear and had a few osmanthus petals on it. It looked really good.

In this foreign land, I'm afraid it will be difficult to enjoy such delicious snacks again in the future.

"Your Highness, don't eat." Kawa grabbed his wrist.

Mo Ganjunyi looked up at him and smiled slightly: "Don't worry."

“Your Highness, this was given to you by the Empress. That emperor is such a cunning dog, how good can his Empress be? She might have put something unclean in this. Your Highness, you should have me throw it away.”

"Don't panic." Mo Ganjunyi pulled his wrist away, put a pastry in his mouth and took a bite, chewing it carefully: "How could their emperor be willing to let me die so quickly? If I really die in this harem, wouldn't that just give the Northern Desert an excuse to send troops?"

"Does the prince mean that although they've placed him under house arrest, they won't actually kill him?" Kawa asked, puzzled. Mogan Junyi stared at the half-eaten pastry in his hand for a long while, then put it in his mouth and took another bite.

Of course, we won't let him die; we'll only make him wish he were dead.

“I’ve heard before that this empress…”

"how?"

"It's nothing." Mo Ganjunyi took a green pastry from the food box and placed it in Kawa's hand: "Eat it."

For several days in a row, Emperor Yuanwu stayed in the inner palace every day.

He did, however, favor all the concubines he hadn't previously visited, as well as those he had.

When he arrived at Kunning Palace for dinner in the evening, his face looked noticeably haggard.

Shen Qingwan placed a bowl of carrot and mutton soup in front of Emperor Yuanwu. She had originally wanted the kitchen to stew black-boned chicken, angelica, astragalus, and wolfberry soup, but she was afraid it would upset the emperor's young mind, so she simply changed it to carrot and mutton soup, which is good for strengthening yang and replenishing blood.

After all, he's a man.

Admitting nothing means admitting you're incapable.

"The Empress's kitchen usually produces some novel dishes, so why is it that today she has stewed such a common mutton soup?" Emperor Yuanwu took a sip. He had thought that the Empress would add something new to the soup, but he did not expect it to be so ordinary as he had seen.

Shen Qingwan: ...

Being an empress is difficult, but being the empress of an emperor with kidney deficiency is even more difficult.

She also wanted to try something new and interesting. Wasn't she afraid that Emperor Yuanwu wouldn't accept the goji berries and astragalus in the bowl?

"It's cold today, so mutton soup is the perfect choice. It warms the stomach, dispels the cold, and nourishes the body. Your Majesty should have a few more bowls."

Emperor Yuanwu was skeptical, and looked up at her, asking, "Really?"

“You are the Emperor. Who would dare to lie to you? Wouldn’t that be a crime of deceiving the Emperor?” Shen Qingwan clicked her tongue.

"When the Empress coaxed me into eating the crab roe pastry, she didn't say it like that."

Shen Qingwan: ...

It's unbelievable that Emperor Yuanwu was actually quite vengeful!
Men with kidney deficiency are indeed not to be trifled with.

"Has His Majesty chosen a concubine tonight? Which palace will he be staying in?" Shen Qingwan placed some okra in Emperor Yuanwu's bowl. Okra is also known as a kidney-tonifying herb. After drinking so much carrot and mutton soup, eating a plate of okra like this would allow him to visit a few more concubines' palaces tonight.

Emperor Yuanwu frowned and slowly put down his chopsticks: "Does the Empress really enjoy me visiting other concubines?"

Shen Qingwan: ? ? ?

No!

What did Emperor Yuanwu mean by this?
She spent her days poring over ancient books, searching for various recipes to enhance his virility and kidneys. Instead of favoring the concubines in the harem and having more princes and princesses, did he do right by her?
"Your Majesty's question is strange." Shen Qingwan couldn't help but sigh: "As the Empress, I naturally have to think about Your Majesty. Having offspring is also one of the ways to consolidate the foundation of the country. I cannot share the burden of the court for Your Majesty, so I can only do my best in the inner palace."

Emperor Yuanwu stared at her intently for a while, then said, "Tonight I will not go anywhere; I will stay in the Empress's palace to rest."

Shen Qingwan: ...

She couldn't control herself for a moment and choked on her own saliva, coughing.

"Cough cough cough..."

(End of this chapter)