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

Chapter 328 Embarrassment
What's the best place to eat barbecue?
Emperor Yuanwu was genuinely stumped by this question: "Where is the best place to roast meat?"

"The best part of the barbecue is naturally the part that's been grilled over charcoal. The meat slices sizzle on the charcoal or grill pan, and the aroma of bananas fills the air," Prince Rui added.

"So, if you put large pieces of meat directly on the grill, very little of it will be grilled. If you cut the large pieces of meat into small pieces, even less of each small piece will be grilled. What's the difference between that and cooked meat?" Shen Qingwan countered.

Emperor Yuanwu nodded thoughtfully. "So the Empress cuts the meat into small pieces before roasting, so that every piece can be roasted?"

"It's about every piece and every side. Since we're eating barbecue, we should naturally taste the smoky, smoky flavor to make it more authentic."

Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but laugh when he saw her unusually serious expression...

Just then, Consort Zhen walked in from outside with Jiang Wanying. Perhaps because of the laughter and chatter inside the hall, Consort Zhen seemed less awkward than usual when she came in to pay her respects. "This concubine greets Your Majesty and the Empress. May Your Majesty and the Empress be blessed."

"Get up." Emperor Yuanwu seemed to be in a good mood.

“Prince Rui.” When Consort Zhen saw Prince Rui, she didn’t seem too surprised. After all, when the Emperor bestowed Qiujiang Pavilion upon Prince Rui to live in, it was she who sent people to tidy it up.

"Your Highness Consort Zhen," Prince Rui returned the greeting.

Emperor Yuanwu turned to look at Jiang Wanying behind Consort Zhen and said, "Come here and let Father see you. I haven't seen the eldest princess for some time."

Jiang Wanying, whether because she hadn't seen Emperor Yuanwu for a long time or because she had grown up and become shy, timidly hid behind Consort Zhen.

At this moment, Consort Zhen's smile froze. She pulled Jiang Wanying forward while laughing awkwardly, "This child, really, why are you hiding behind? Let your imperial father see her."

The more Consort Zhen tried to pull her, the more Jiang Wanying refused, and her eyes reddened as she burst into tears.

"Don't make things difficult for the child." The Empress Dowager came out of her bedchamber upon hearing this. Seeing the scene before her, her eyes darkened. "Come, come to your grandmother's side."

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Wanying sniffled and cautiously walked towards the Empress Dowager's side.

The Empress Dowager tenderly took her handkerchief and wiped away Jiang Wanying's tears. "If you ask me, this is the Emperor's fault. If the Emperor could care more about the child and spend more time with her, how could the child not be close to the Emperor? It was a perfectly happy occasion, but he had to make the child cry."

Emperor Yuanwu's face was grim. "Yes, Mother Empress is right."

Consort Zhen turned pale with fright and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, please calm down. It's all my fault for not disciplining the eldest princess properly."

“Consort Zhen is indeed in the wrong. The Emperor is busy with state affairs and has no time to visit your palace. Can’t you take the initiative to bring the eldest princess to see the Emperor?” The Empress Dowager wiped away Jiang Wanying’s tears while helping her straighten her clothes, which had been somewhat disheveled by Consort Zhen.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me, it's all my fault."

Consort Zhen knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head. Emperor Yuanwu's face was extremely gloomy. Jiang Wanying, who had just been comforted by the Empress Dowager, cried even harder than before when she saw this scene.

The Empress Dowager was bewildered by her crying, her fingertips pausing heavily in surprise. "What's wrong with the eldest princess now?"

Jiang Wanying was timid by nature, and Consort Zhen was not favored. From birth until now, she had only seen Emperor Yuanwu a few times a year, let alone been close to him. The last time she was this close to Emperor Yuanwu was at the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, when the Empress arranged for her and Jiang Wenlan to celebrate the Empress Dowager's birthday and perform. At that time, there were many people in Baohe Hall, and although they were reserved, they were not as frightened as they were now.

Just then, Consort Liang led the Second Prince in from outside.

Before Consort Liang could finish her greeting, she was stunned by what she saw.

Her knees were bent, and it was unclear whether she was standing up or bending down; her ambiguous smile was frozen on her face.

Shen Qingwan: ...

Shen Qingwan was speechless. She should have just closed the door in Kunning Palace and eaten by herself. What a mess she made.

Shen Qingwan got up, walked to Jiang Wanying, squatted down in front of her, and reached out to wipe away the tears on her face.

"Princess, listen to the Empress. Whether it's Father Emperor or Grandmother Emperor, they are all your family. They all love you and cherish you. The Empress invited you and your mother to have barbecue today because she wants the whole family to be together and have a good time. The eldest prince and the second prince will also be coming later, so... our Wanying is the best girl. Don't cry, okay? The Empress will take you to eat candy."

Jiang Wanying nodded. Zhen'er took a handful of candy and stuffed it into Jiang Wanying's hand, and then took another handful and stuffed it into the Second Prince's hand.

Children are always easy to coax; a piece of candy is enough to soothe them. Before their tears have even dried, they're already laughing.

"Alright, you don't need to kneel anymore, you can get up now," the Empress Dowager said to Consort Zhen.

"Thank you for your kindness in not intervening, Your Majesty the Empress, and thank you for your grace, Your Majesty the Empress." Consort Zhen's expression was solemn, and she dared not relax for a moment.

The group sat there awkwardly, and Shen Qingwan racked her brains trying to think of a way to liven up the atmosphere. She couldn't let everyone just eat their own food and not talk to each other when they were having the barbecue later.

Just as she raised her eyes, she inadvertently caught sight of Prince Rui sitting next to Emperor Yuanwu. The moment their eyes met, Shen Qingwan turned her head away somewhat awkwardly.

She felt her mind go blank for a moment.

What was she trying to do?

“Brother, I reckon it will be a while before the Empress Dowager arrives. Why don’t we each play a game of chess with the Empress Dowager?” Prince Rui’s suggestion eased the atmosphere in the hall considerably.

"You two brothers can leave now, I won't leave. I want to talk to the children."

The Empress Dowager's expression softened a bit. A rustling sound came from the doorway, and Jiang Wenlan was brought over from the Prince's quarters by Su Tianhe.

Jiang Wenlan walked to the center of the main hall and performed a deep bow.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty live ten thousand years! May Your Majesty be blessed, may Your Majesty the Empress be blessed, and may Your Majesty the Imperial Uncle be blessed."

Of the three princes, at least one was well-mannered, polite, and knew the rules. The Empress Dowager seemed to find some comfort, and her solemn expression finally gave way to a kind smile. "Get up quickly and let your grandmother see that the eldest prince has grown quite a bit taller."

Jiang Wenlan walked to the Empress Dowager's side and said, "Grandmother."

"Good boy." The Empress Dowager smiled kindly and patted his head. "Go watch your father and uncle play chess."

“Yes, Grandmother.” Jiang Wenlan walked behind Emperor Yuanwu and looked at him quietly.