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

Chapter 358 True Love
"After asking around, I learned that Physician Zhang came on the Emperor's orders." Consort Rou smiled and said, "Since it was the Emperor who invited the physician, I certainly dared not delay. However, I don't understand why Consort Yan's personal maid was in such a hurry to send money to Physician Zhang when the Emperor invited him to treat her."

"Consort Yan, what exactly is going on here?" Emperor Yuanwu's eyes darkened.

"Your Majesty..." Consort Yan was speechless.

"Your Majesty, I see that my sister doesn't look well. Perhaps we should examine her first. As for the rest, we can inquire about it later," Consort Rou said with a smile.

Emperor Yuanwu looked coldly at Consort Yan, "Imperial Physician Zhang, what exactly is Consort Yan's illness?"

Physician Zhang hesitated before Emperor Yuanwu and knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, Consort Yan is suffering from a venereal disease."

"A sexually transmitted disease?" Emperor Yuanwu's eyes darkened. "Is it certain?"

"Your Majesty, although this disease is rare, I have practiced medicine for many years and am certainly not mistaken in my diagnosis. When I first entered Consort Yan's palace, I smelled a foul stench mixed with a fishy smell. If I am not mistaken, Consort Yan's genitals have already begun to ulcerate and are unbearably itchy. If Your Majesty agrees, please allow me to take a look so that I can make a diagnosis and prescribe medicine to restore Consort Yan's health as soon as possible."

Have a look……

While men and women are not distinguished when it comes to healing and saving lives, Consort Yan is a palace concubine, so…

"Your Majesty, I heard that after Consort Shen served the Emperor, she also felt unwell. After the imperial physician examined her pulse, she had some doubts. Consort Shen had a female physician examine her, but the imperial physician who examined her at the time did not dare to make a diagnosis. Could it be like Consort Yan? If Your Majesty is wary, perhaps you could have the female physician come and take a look, and then relay the information to Imperial Physician Zhang before making a final judgment?" Consort Rou pondered.

"Since Consort Shen has been examined by the female physician, and they haven't been able to diagnose her, what's the point of having her examined again now?" Emperor Yuanwu flatly refused, waving his hand at Imperial Physician Zhang. "How can a palace concubine have contracted such a disease? What sense of propriety and shame do she have left?"

After examining her, Physician Zhang made a definitive diagnosis: Consort Yan was suffering from a sexually transmitted disease.

"Your Majesty," Consort Rou said after a long pause, as if startled, "I suspect that Noble Lady Shen was also infected by Consort Yan. Noble Lady Shen was sent to the palace by Prince Rui's mansion. If this gets out and the imperial relatives find out, what will become of us?"

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent, only staring at Consort Yan, who was slumped on the edge of the bed, from afar. He felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

"Your Majesty," Consort Rou knelt on the ground, "Your Majesty must stand up for the sisters in the harem! I was just wondering why Consort Yan's personal maid was in such a hurry to stop Imperial Physician Zhang, who was about to treat Consort Yan, and give him money. It turns out that the two of them were plotting this: to have Imperial Physician Zhang help Consort Yan conceal the fact that she has contracted a venereal disease while treating her. How could they do such a thing? Now, besides Noble Lady Shen, who else in the harem has been infected? How could she abandon the health of the sisters in the harem for her own selfish desires, and even disregard Your Majesty's health? Your Majesty must stand up for the sisters in the harem!"

Emperor Yuanwu's chest heaved heavily.

Zhen'er fell to the ground, crying and shouting, "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! It was all my idea. My lady was unaware of it. It's all my fault. I only thought of giving the imperial physician some money because I saw that my lady was unwell, so that my lady could get better sooner. Your Majesty, my lady only has you in her heart and is devoted to you. My lady must have been framed. If Your Majesty wants to punish someone, punish me instead."

Consort Rou couldn't help but roll her eyes as she listened to her words.

"Guards!" Emperor Yuanwu's deep eyes flashed with anger. "Take him away and beat him to death with sticks."

"Your Majesty!" Upon hearing the voice, Consort Yan rushed out of her bedchamber in three quick steps.

However, she ran too fast and failed to stop the guards who were dragging Xia'er out. Instead, she accidentally stepped on her skirt and fell in front of Emperor Yuanwu. Consort Rou seemed to be disgusted by something dirty, as if afraid of being touched by her, and took a big step back.

"Your Majesty, I am truly innocent! I must have been framed. When I entered the palace, I was a virgin. After entering the palace, I stayed by Your Majesty's side every day. How could I have contracted such a disease for no reason? Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Consort Yan knelt and took a few steps toward Emperor Yuanwu. Her disheveled hair and tattered clothes made her look as wretched as could be. However, what she said didn't make any sense. Consort Rou glanced at Emperor Yuanwu with lingering fear.

She had thought that once Emperor Yuanwu learned that Consort Yan had contracted a sexually transmitted disease, he would immediately order her to die with a cup of poison to prevent her from tainting the harem. But now it seemed that Emperor Yuanwu was still somewhat hesitant.

Could it be that the Emperor has truly fallen in love with her? If that's the case...

“Your Majesty, what Consort Yan said is true. If Consort Yan was a virgin when she entered the palace, it means she contracted this disease in the palace. However, Your Majesty had not entered the harem for a long time before Consort Yan entered the palace. It seems you only stayed one night in the Empress's palace. Could it be…”

Queen?

When Emperor Yuanwu heard these two words, his brow twitched slightly.

He did stay in Kunning Palace that day, but he was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open after finishing his meal.

Although he stayed in Kunning Palace, he couldn't tell outsiders that he had never had anything happen with the Empress.

Emperor Yuanwu snorted coldly, "What does Consort Rou mean by this? Does she doubt the Empress?"

"No, no, no!" Consort Rou's face turned pale with fright. "That's not what I meant. How could it be Her Majesty the Empress? I was just worried about my sisters in the harem."

Emperor Yuanwu snorted coldly.

Consort Rou's eyes reddened, and she choked up as she said, "Sister Consort Yan, shouldn't you think carefully about what you've used and who you've met since entering the palace? If someone really used such a despicable method to harm others, Your Majesty should find out the real culprit as soon as possible."

What have you used?
Who did you meet?

These two sentences instantly awakened Consort Yan.

“Your Majesty, I have only been in the palace for a short time. Since entering the palace, I have been learning etiquette from the nannies during the day in Zhongcui Palace, and spending the evenings with Your Majesty. All the things I use are sent to me by the Imperial Household Department. Apart from some undergarments, the rest of my clothes are washed by the laundry department…”

Consort Yan thought about it carefully, "Since I entered the palace, only Consort Xian has come to my palace. She questioned me about why I hadn't paid my respects to her for so long and scolded me a couple of times. It must be that Consort Xian wants to harm me. Please, Your Majesty, do justice for me."

"Consort Xian?" Consort Rou asked in confusion, "Isn't Consort Xian under house arrest?"