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

Chapter 311 Envy
A general who had fought for many years, in the end, whether for official position or for personal gain, ultimately chose to form cliques with the imperial harem for personal gain.

How he wished that when Qiu Zongxi came to see him, he would bring that letter instead of a request for his beloved daughter to enter the palace as a concubine.

"Outrageous!" When the Empress Dowager heard this, she slammed her hand on the table in anger, causing the tea in the teacup to spill. "The Emperor is getting more and more confused."

Zhang Mama hurriedly came over, picked up the teacup with one hand, and tried to persuade, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Perhaps the Emperor has his own difficulties. Letting the Qiu family's illegitimate daughter enter the palace to serve is only a temporary measure."

"I am not an unreasonable person, but the Emperor just consummated his marriage with the Empress last night, and today he has sent a minister's daughter to the palace as a concubine. I know he wants to consolidate the court and appease his ministers, but those with ulterior motives will surely think that the Emperor deliberately sent the Qiu family's daughter to the palace. Isn't this a slap in the face to the Empress?" The Empress Dowager's lips trembled with anger. "Yesterday I did go to the Empress's palace, but it's not like I haven't sent him before. Did he listen to me? He never listens to my words. He's driving me crazy every day."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured. I believe that Your Majesty the Empress is no longer the kind of person who is unreasonable. She will understand that it is not easy for the Emperor to govern the court and will not take these trivial matters to heart."

As she spoke, Zhang Mama had already cleared the tea from the table and brewed another pot of tea for the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, please relax. The imperial physician instructed us not to get angry, as it is not good for your health. I have brewed a pot of green tea for you and specially added honeysuckle, which Her Majesty the Empress instructed. Please take a sip and calm down."

"I don't want to get angry, but there are always people who deliberately try to upset me." The Empress Dowager took the teacup that Zhang Mama handed her and took a sip. "Don't think that I'm too old to know anything. The concubine's daughter from Lord Qiu's family entered the palace. Someone deliberately instigated her behind the scenes. She's been confined to her quarters but still can't behave. It seems that the punishment is too lenient."

Granny Zhang blew on her eyes, remained silent, and waited for a long while.

The Empress Dowager drank half a bowl of honeysuckle tea before sighing helplessly, "Go to the storeroom and pick out some novel items, preferably writing brushes and ink, and send them to the Empress."

"Yes, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager," Zhang Mama curtsied in response.

"And one more thing," the Empress Dowager paused before continuing, "send some more tonics to Consort Xi. I reckon she's almost finished with the tonics I sent last time."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will take care of it immediately."

After Zhang Mama finished speaking, she turned to leave, but the Empress Dowager called her back, saying, "You will handle this matter personally."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant knows what is important."

When Granny Zhang delivered the tonics ordered by the Empress Dowager to Lingxiang Pavilion, Consort Xi and Consort Ruan were sitting in the courtyard of Lingxiang Pavilion, drinking tea and eating melon seeds.

"Sister is so lucky to be able to live alone in Lingxiang Pavilion, unlike me, who lives in Jingyang Palace all day long. It's so annoying. The Consort and Consort Wen don't get along, especially Consort Xian, who looks at me like I don't have eyebrows or a nose, as if I owe her money." After saying this, Consort Ruan cracked a melon seed shell and spat it on the ground.

“Sister, you don’t understand my suffering. What is there to envy? If you hadn’t remembered me today and come to my palace to sit and talk with me, I would be alone in this Lingxiang Pavilion all day long. When I open my eyes and close them, all I see is this square sky and walls that never see the sun. What difference is there between this and living in the Cold Palace?” Consort Wen sighed.

“Even if my sister isn’t perfect, she has her own child now. If she gives birth to a prince, she’ll have nothing to worry about in the future,” said Consort Ruan, glancing enviously at Consort Wen’s belly.

Why is it that everyone in this harem either has the emperor's favor or a powerful backer, except for her...?

She was rejected by Emperor Yuanwu when she was to serve him in bed; she was probably the only one in the entire harem to suffer such a fate. From then on, Emperor Yuanwu never favored her again. Now that Consort Xian's family has fallen from grace, the Emperor not only did not hold a grudge against her, but also restored her to the rank of Consort.

How could she have such a miserable life in the harem!
Just as Ruan Changzai was lost in thought, Zhang Mama led a large entourage into Lingxiang Pavilion.

"This servant greets Consort Wen. May Consort Wen be blessed."

When Zhang Mama entered, she curtsied. When she looked up and saw Consort Ruan, she was slightly taken aback.

"This servant greets Consort Ruan. May Consort Ruan be blessed."

"No need for such formalities, Granny Zhang." Consort Wen hurriedly stood up upon hearing this. "Why have you come at this hour, Granny? Does my aunt need me for something?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Her Majesty the Empress Dowager thought that the tonics she sent you last time should be almost finished, so she instructed me to send you some more," said Zhang Mama.

Consort Wen's eyes lit up, and she walked towards Zhang Mama's back, her lips curving upwards in an uncontrollable smile.

Ganoderma lucidum, deer antler, ginseng...

Even the bird's nest was blood bird's nest. These top-quality things were not something that anyone other than the Empress Dowager and the concubines in the palace would normally be qualified to use, let alone someone who was only a Noble Lady.

Ruan Changzai's eyes reddened as she looked at the gifts bestowed by the Empress Dowager. Her mood, which had just plummeted to its lowest point, seemed to sink into an abyss.

Only her!
She was the only one living a life worse than death in the harem. Wasn't it said that she was allowed to serve in the palace because her father had made meritorious contributions and received a reward?
Now it seems more like a punishment than a reward!
Consort Xi is the kind of person who is truly rewarded. Although Consort Xi is not favored by the Emperor, she has the Empress Dowager, so she can still eat and use the same good things as the Empress.

Granny Zhang explained to her one by one how to eat those things, and what to pair them with to make them taste better.

Consort Xi was completely immersed in the joy of receiving the Empress Dowager's reward and did not notice Consort Ruan standing on the other side. It was only after she saw Zhang Mama out of Lingxiang Pavilion that she realized that Consort Ruan had left at some point.

"Your Highness, this Consort Ruan is so ill-mannered, leaving without even saying goodbye," the maid Qiu'er couldn't help but say.

Consort Xi was preoccupied with whether to eat deer antler or stew chicken with ginseng tonight, and completely ignored Qiu'er's words.

But just then, halfway there, Consort Ruan realized that it wouldn't be right to leave without saying goodbye. Besides, the Empress Dowager's personal nanny, Granny Zhang, was still in Lingxiang Pavilion. After thinking it over, she decided to go back and tell Consort Xi before returning to the palace.

Just as he reached the entrance of Lingxiang Pavilion, he heard Qiu'er shouting there. Ruan Changzai's breath hitched, the color drained from his face and he became visibly pale. His body trembled uncontrollably.

The maidservant hurriedly supported her, "Consort, perhaps we shouldn't go in..."