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

Chapter 380 Planning
Consort De's brow twitched slightly.

Why would the Emperor be with the First Prince at this hour?
"Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite. Please get up."

"Thank you, Consort De." Jiang Wenlan bowed again before straightening up.

"Your Majesty," Consort De raised an eyebrow, "Where are you taking the First Prince so late?"

"I just had dinner at Kunning Palace. It's getting late, so I plan to send the eldest prince back to his residence first, and then go to Consort Xia's place."

Consort De's expression hardened. "Yes, yes, His Majesty favored Miss Xia tonight. It's getting late, so perhaps..."

At this point, Consort De placed her hands on the eldest prince's shoulders and said, "Why don't I help His Majesty send the eldest prince back? Since His Majesty has chosen Sister Xia, he shouldn't keep her waiting."

Emperor Yuanwu was taken aback and looked at Consort De incredulously. "Is Consort De feeling any better?"

"Your Majesty, Physician Zhang has already examined my pulse, and I have been taking the medicine on time. I am well now."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded slowly.

In the past, he probably wouldn't have believed that a person could change overnight.

But since that serious illness, the Empress has changed more than just a little. Now she is not only dignified and proper, but also performs exceptionally well in managing the harem and other aspects.

"Father, you go to Consort Xia's place first. I will go back with Consort De. That's fine," Jiang Wenlan said, seeing that Emperor Yuanwu looked hesitant.

"Very well." Emperor Yuanwu responded, then looked up at Consort De and instructed, "Make sure to send the eldest prince back to the princes' quarters."

"Your Majesty, please rest assured," Consort De said with a smile. "First Prince, let's go."

Jiang Wenlan followed Consort De toward the direction of the prince's residence until Emperor Yuanwu and his entourage completely disappeared into the night.

Jiang Wenlan suddenly stopped, shrugged his shoulders, took a step back, and distanced himself from Consort De.

"Your Highness, Father Emperor has already gone far away. Please speak your mind directly."

Consort De stared at her empty hand for a moment, then looked at Jiang Wenlan with great surprise.

Jiang Wenlan, who is standing in front of us, is not yet eight years old.

His tone of voice and the expression on his face gave her an inexplicable sense of authority.

"What is the First Prince saying? I'm just escorting you back to the palace. There's no need for you to be so distant." Consort De gave an awkward laugh.

"It's getting late, so there's no need for Your Highness to make the trip. I'll go back on my own." Jiang Wenlan said, then crossed his arms and bowed.

Seeing that Jiang Wenlan had already turned around, Consort De quickly chased after him, saying, "Eldest Prince, please wait."

Jiang Wenlan seemed to have anticipated something, and stopped in her tracks the instant she finished speaking.

Consort De looked very uncomfortable. She walked up to Jiang Wenlan and said, "Eldest Prince, look how dark it is. Why are you going back to the Princes' Residence so late? If you had a foster mother like the Third Prince, why would you have to suffer such injustice?"

Jiang Wenlan's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Empress Dowager was still thinking of me during her confinement period. She even made dumplings by hand and invited me to eat. I had dinner with Father and Empress Dowager, and Father even personally escorted me back to the palace. What grievance could I possibly have?"

The expressions on Consort De's face flashed by like a revolving lantern.

Hearing Jiang Wenlan say this, she didn't seem aggrieved at all. On the contrary, it was her appearance that drove away Emperor Yuanwu, who was originally going to send him back to the prince's residence, and she was the one who felt aggrieved. "Eldest Prince, that's not what I meant. I just think that a child as outstanding as you should have a mother of high rank to take care of you so that she can better plan for your future."

Consort De paused for a moment and continued, "Look, now in the palace, not only are there the Second Prince and the Third Prince, but even Consort Xi and Consort Ying are pregnant. Before long, after they give birth, if they are both princes, there will be five princes in the harem. Consort Ying is the head of a palace, and her brother is favored by your father, the Emperor, and has made outstanding military achievements. Although Consort Xi's rank is low, she is your grandmother's cousin. If that time comes, I'm afraid the First Prince..."

"Your Highness, what are you saying?" Jiang Wenlan looked up at her thoughtfully. "I don't understand."

Concubine De: ...

Can't understand?
Consort De couldn't help but swallow hard.

This eldest prince deserves to be a child born of a mother but raised without one.

A sharp glint flashed in Consort De's eyes, but it was only for a fleeting moment before her lips returned to their usual wide smile. "If the First Prince doesn't understand, then Consort De, please be more direct. Consort De wishes to bring the First Prince to Yanxi Palace to live permanently. I wonder if the First Prince would be willing?"

"Go live together in Yanxi Palace?" Jiang Wenlan was very surprised.

"Yes." Consort De patiently bent down, looking at him intently. "Is the First Prince willing?"

"Then..." Jiang Wenlan hesitated, "Does Father Emperor know about this?"

Consort De's eyes lit up with joy. "As long as the eldest prince is willing, he can tell the Emperor that he wants to live with Consort De, and your father will definitely agree."

Jiang Wenlan's expression was solemn. "But Father Emperor has always said that I am an unlucky person. If it weren't for me, Mother wouldn't have died. Father Emperor will definitely not agree to let me live with Consort De. This will harm Consort De."

"This……"

Consort De moved her lips, but before she could speak, she did not.

Jiang Wenlan looked somber, as if she were about to cry.

"Consort De has been so good to me, I don't want to harm her, I can't harm her..."

After leaving those words behind, he quickly ran towards the prince's residence, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he ran.

It seems like crying.

Concubine De: ...

Upon seeing this, the eunuch following Jiang Wenlan bowed to Consort De and quickly followed after her.

"Your Highness, please slow down and wait for me..."

Concubine De: ...

What's going on here?
How did you manage to make the eldest prince cry?

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Pei'er saw Consort De staring blankly and gently touched her with her hand.

Consort De suddenly came to her senses, "Why did the First Prince run away? Did he even understand what I said?"

Pei'er shook her head. "Your Highness, since the First Prince has already returned, let's go back to the palace too. It's getting late, and it always feels eerie outside."

Consort De looked around and couldn't help but shudder. Ever since that incident last year, she had become terrified of the dark. Now, even when she slept at night, she would keep a lamp lit in her palace. Otherwise, she would always feel that there were people all around her, and that they were reaching out to her, trying to grab her neck and strangle her to death...