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

Chapter 34 Trouble comes from the mouth
Emperor Yuanwu's eyes flickered, and his gaze inadvertently fell on the palace maid beside him who was wiping the sweat off Consort Xian.

Although she was dressed as a palace maid, it still couldn't hide her eyebrows, which were as green as emerald feathers, and her skin, which was as white as snow.

"I...why haven't I seen you at Jingyang Palace before?" Emperor Yuanwu asked curiously.

Lan Cui hurriedly put down the silk in her hand: "Your Majesty, I only entered the palace to serve Your Highness a few days ago."

Emperor Yuanwu stood up and glanced at Lan Cui: "Take good care of your lady. If you do a good job, I will reward you."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lan Cui replied.

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent on the way back until halfway through his dinner.

"Your Majesty need not be so sad. Even if Consort Xian cannot have any more children in the future, she already has the Third Prince by her side. The most important thing now is to help Consort Xian recover her health."

Shen Qingwan didn't want to offer any advice, but as the Empress, comforting the Emperor was also part of her job... no, wait!
It's part of the job.

Just now, Emperor Yuanwu rewarded her with so many things because she handled things well.

"What does the Empress think?"

"Ok?"

Shen Qingwan didn't quite understand what Emperor Yuanwu meant, and simply hummed in agreement.

"I mean, what does the Empress think about Consort Xian's fall?"

In fact, from the moment Shen Qingwan saw Consort Xian, she had already begun to have doubts.

If it's just accompanying the Third Prince to play in the courtyard.

The Third Prince was only a few months old, a baby who couldn't walk yet and had to be carried.

It's because it's too small.

Holding him and teasing him, Consort Xian wouldn't run or jump around or do anything too strenuous.

With so many palace maids and eunuchs in Jingyang Palace, Consort Xian would never be alone with the Third Prince in the courtyard.

How could Consort Xian have fallen so hard?
"Could it be that Consort Xian, out of love for her son, was afraid of hurting the Third Prince when she fell, and thus accidentally injured herself?" Shen Qingwan said.

She couldn't bring herself to voice her suspicions.

After all, it was just her suspicion; without evidence, she couldn't say it directly.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will visit Jingyang Palace more often these days, and I will make sure that the palace maids and eunuchs do not neglect Consort Xian."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded.

After dinner.

Emperor Yuanwu did not stay in Kunning Palace any longer, but returned to Yangxin Hall to review memorials.

As soon as he left, Zhen'er couldn't help but come over and ask, "Your Highness, do you really think that Consort Xian's incident was an accident? And that maid who served her, it seems that Consort Xian brought her in from outside the palace."

“Whether it’s an accident or not, you can’t just say things without evidence. Since we’ve both had our doubts, let’s wait and see.” Shen Qingwan turned her head and looked at Zhen’er. “If you want to survive in the harem, remember this: loose lips sink ships. If you have no evidence, keep it to yourself. And if you have evidence, say as little as possible.”

Zhen'er rarely saw her so serious: "Yes, Your Highness, this servant will remember."

The next morning.

Although they had to pay their respects to the Empress every morning, the concubines arrived at Kunning Palace exceptionally early today.

Before Shen Qingwan even got out of bed, many concubines had already gathered at the entrance of Kunning Palace and started chatting.

"Did you hear last night? It seems that Consort Xian fell, and it was quite a fall. I heard from the people at Jingyang Palace that she won't be able to get out of bed for a while."

"That's terrible. How could someone fall so badly in their own palace? I don't know how the servants in Jingyang Palace are doing their jobs." "I heard that the Emperor was furious and wanted to drag all the servants in Jingyang Palace out and behead them. It was the Empress who pleaded for them."

"Although Consort Xian suffered, it was just a fall, it shouldn't have cost so many people their lives."

"It's not just a fall; it seems like I'll never be able to have children again."

"So this person shouldn't be too arrogant. He just mocked Consort De for not having children, and now he himself..."

Several concubines were huddled together, chatting away.

Zhen'er walked out of the Kunning Palace's sleeping quarters.

"Your Majesties, Her Majesty the Empress will be arriving in a little while. Her Majesty the Empress said that it is cold outside, so please come to the main hall to rest first. Her Majesty the Empress has prepared tea for each of you."

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty the Empress." Consort Liang led the way in expressing her gratitude.

Zhen'er returned the greeting and went back to her bedchamber.

The weather gradually cooled down. I didn't feel cold while walking, but after standing for a while, my hands did get a little cold.

In the past, let alone autumn, even in the dead of winter, when they stood shivering from the cold at the door, the Empress would not allow them to enter Kunning Palace even a little while earlier.

What's wrong with the current Empress?
Not only were they allowed to come in early, but a cup of hot tea was also placed at each of their seats.

The concubines, moved, scolded Consort Xian again.

Shen Qingwan came out after she finished tidying up.

Now that Consort Li and Consort Rou are pregnant, they are exempt from paying their respects in the morning, and Consort Xian has also harmed her health.

With three people gone at once, a large part of the main hall of Kunning Palace was instantly empty.

Recently, the previous dynasty was in dire straits. It was heard that the governor of Anhui had embezzled a considerable amount of grain and salary in the local area over the years, and had also embezzled and accepted bribes of more than a hundred taels of gold and silver. Dozens of officials had been implicated as a result. Emperor Yuanwu Longyan was furious.

Having not entered the inner palace for several days, there was naturally nothing to do.

As usual, Shen Qingwan asked all the concubines, princes, and princesses a few questions before dismissing everyone.

She had just turned around to go back to her palace.

Rong Yingyi knelt down in front of her with a thud, crying.

"Your Majesty, I beg you, please allow me to leave the palace."

Shen Qingwan frowned and asked Zhen'er to help her up, but Rong Yingying wouldn't listen to reason and refused to get up no matter how much she was pulled.

There was nothing we could do but let her be.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that since entering the palace, there have been no other ladies-in-waiting who have served the emperor. Now, there is only Consort Rong.

“Consort Rong, you may speak freely. However, once you enter the palace as a concubine, you cannot leave the palace without the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s permission. Even if I were the Empress, I would not have such a right.” Shen Qingwan said helplessly.

"Your Majesty, I beg you! I know that His Majesty consults with you on many matters these days. Please, I beg you, speak to His Majesty and ask him to let me leave the palace for just one day. Just one day is enough. I know that I am of lowly status and not favored by His Majesty. I will repay Your Majesty's great kindness even if I have to serve you like a cow or a horse in my next life!"

Rong Ying knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly.

Zhen'er forcefully pulled her up from the ground.

If she really kowtows until her head is bleeding, and word gets out, people will think the Empress has made things difficult for her.

“Consort Rong, you can say what you have to say directly. You have been crying and kowtowing here, begging Her Majesty the Empress to let you leave the palace. Even if Her Majesty the Empress wants to help you, she should know the reason.”

Rong Yingying cried uncontrollably...

(End of this chapter)