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

Chapter 186 Please

"Ah?" Zhen'er exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, what are you doing at the Hall of Mental Cultivation at this hour?"

Shen Qingwan didn't say anything, but Su Tianhe rolled his eyes at Zhen'er, clearly feeling that she had talked too much.

When Shen Qingwan arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she had just stepped off the sedan chair when she met Minister Wen of the Ministry of Rites, the father of Consort Rou.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be blessed." Minister Wen bowed and paid his respects.

"Lord Wen," Shen Qingwan returned the greeting.

"Your Majesty, since my daughter entered the palace, she has received much care from Your Majesty. My wife and I are deeply grateful and have never had the opportunity to express our gratitude in person." Minister Wen said, bowing again.

"Consort Rou is deeply favored by the Emperor, and her due date is approaching. I have only done what I should do, so Lord Wen need not take it to heart."

"Your Majesty the Empress has come to see His Majesty. When I came out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, His Majesty was the only one there."

"Then I'll go in first."

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was different from other palaces in the palace; it was where Emperor Yuanwu handled state affairs.

Although she was the Empress and no one would stop her from going anywhere in the palace, Shen Qingwan still asked Wu Jixiang to go in and announce her arrival before entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"The Empress...has arrived?" Emperor Yuanwu put down the vermilion brush in his hand and looked up at Wu Jixiang.

The last time Shen Qingwan visited the Hall of Mental Cultivation was more than a year ago.

At that time, a red coral was brought into the palace from the East Sea. Emperor Yuanwu did not know that Shen Qingwan had also taken a liking to that red coral. When Consort Xian said she liked it, he casually gave it to her.

Unexpectedly, after Shen Qingwan learned of this, she went to the Imperial Study and caused a scene, even smashing a vase. In the end, the Empress Dowager had to personally intervene to quell the matter.

However, since that incident, Shen Qingwan has never set foot in the Hall of Mental Cultivation again. Not to mention the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she has not been to any of the places she used to frequent. Instead, she prefers to cause trouble for Consort Xian.

Just a few days ago, she demoted Consort Xian to Concubine Xian. Could there be something else that displeased her?
Emperor Yuanwu's brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Although she didn't want to see her, since the Empress had come in person, he couldn't very well refuse her directly. Besides, the Empress didn't seem to be as unreasonable as before.

"Let her in," Emperor Yuanwu said leisurely.

Zhen'er and Su Tianhe waited outside, while Shen Qingwan entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation alone. "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Although Shen Qingwan usually didn't bow to Emperor Yuanwu when he visited Kunning Palace, this wasn't Kunning Palace after all, so Shen Qingwan still curtsied according to palace rules.

Emperor Yuanwu paused, his hand holding the memorial still, his eyes dark and unreadable. He asked in confusion, "Why is the Empress performing such a grand ceremony?"

Shen Qingwan: ...

She just gave a normal bow; there's nothing special about it.

Emperor Yuanwu swallowed hard as he looked at her, and couldn't help but twitch his lips. "What brings the Empress to see me?"

"The Third Prince is unwell. I just visited him at Yonghe Palace. On my way back, I passed by Yangxin Hall and wanted to ask His Majesty if lunch has been arranged?"

"Lunch?" Emperor Yuanwu repeated Shen Qingwan's words, glancing up at her. "Did the Empress come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation just to ask me this?"

"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs all day long. If you don't eat well, how can you have the energy to review memorials?" Emperor Yuanwu: ...

Although it sounded like the empress was concerned about him, it still felt awkward no matter how you looked at it.

Since it was just lunch, Emperor Yuanwu naturally had no reason to refuse. It had been a long time since he had dined at Kunning Palace, and thinking of the dishes in her small kitchen that the imperial kitchen could not usually make, he was really craving them.

Emperor Yuanwu did not verbally agree, but he had already stood up. "The Empress has come in person to invite me to dine in your palace. What special dishes have you prepared that you wish to eat with me?"

Shen Qingwan: Uh…

Not really.

Zuo Yi's visit was just a spur-of-the-moment decision; she couldn't very well tell Emperor Yuanwu directly that she had suddenly had the idea while sitting in the carriage to invite him to dine at Kunning Palace.

She hadn't originally expected Emperor Yuanwu to go; she just wanted to use this incident to see if he was angry that she had demoted Consort Xian's rank.

If she really gets angry about this, she might think twice before making any decisions when managing the harem in the future.

If not, then she can act freely in the harem. After all, regardless of whether Consort Xian is favored or not, she is an extraordinary figure in the harem.

"If Your Majesty wishes to eat anything, I will immediately instruct the Imperial Kitchen to prepare it." As Shen Qingwan spoke, Emperor Yuanwu had already walked up to her.

This was the first time Shen Qingwan had stood face to face with Emperor Yuanwu like this. Only then did she realize that Emperor Yuanwu was more than a head taller than her, and it seemed like he was a neck taller as well.

Because they were standing so close, Shen Qingwan had to look up when she wanted to make eye contact with him.

However, the moment I met his gaze, I could clearly sense that he didn't seem to be in a very high mood.

If he didn't want to dine with her at Kunning Palace, he was already standing right in front of her. But if he did want to dine with her at Kunning Palace, his expression clearly showed his reluctance.

Shen Qingwan couldn't quite figure out what Emperor Yuanwu was thinking, but luckily Wu Jixiang reminded her.

"Your Majesty, since we're dining at Kunning Palace, why not have the Kunning Palace's small kitchen prepare a few dishes that we don't usually eat? Aren't you most skilled at making novelties that aren't available in the palace?"

Shen Qingwan suddenly realized that Emperor Yuanwu was tired of the food from the imperial kitchen. However, having eaten it since childhood, it always tasted the same. It seemed that the chefs in the imperial kitchen had passed down their skills. It was no wonder that he was tired of eating the same food for more than 20 years!
"Since His Majesty has graced us with his presence to dine at Kunning Palace, I naturally have many people prepare extra food," Shen Qingwan said with a gentle smile.

She was naturally beautiful, with delicate features and an ethereal beauty. She possessed a natural freshness that was unadorned, especially the elegance and gentleness between her brows and lips. She was approachable, and her warm expression revealed a hint of indifference.

Emperor Yuanwu was momentarily lost in thought as he watched.

Shen Qingwan took a few steps, then, seeing that Emperor Yuanwu hadn't followed, turned and asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, aren't you going?"

Emperor Yuanwu then realized what was happening and followed Shen Qingwan's footsteps.

From the Hall of Mental Cultivation to the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Shen Qingwan did not ride in a sedan chair, but walked back with Emperor Yuanwu.

Along the way, many people in the palace witnessed it. Before the two even reached Kunning Palace, the news that Shen Qingwan had invited Emperor Yuanwu to Kunning Palace had already spread.

In the imperial harem, anything related to imperial favor spreads incredibly fast.

The first person to know was Consort Xian...

(End of this chapter)