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

Chapter 432 (Extra Chapter 5: The Grand Wedding)

Jiang Yuxian kept his eyes closed and didn't say anything.

He seemed completely unsurprised by this outcome.

Jiang Yuyan moved his lips, wanting to say something, but in the end, all the words in his mouth were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say a single word.

In the end, he still stayed at Huguo Temple for one night.

When he returned to the Prince's residence, Consort Pang was standing in the courtyard. Upon seeing him, she couldn't stop her tears from falling.

"Third Prince, you're finally back..."

"what happened?"

Jiang Yuyan's brows furrowed deeply, his already somewhat irritable mood becoming even more agitated.

Consort Pang threw herself into his arms and cried as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Third Prince, during the two days you were away, our concubine went to pay her respects to the Prince Consort early in the morning. The other consorts chatted casually together as usual. I don't know what they said, but it displeased the Prince Consort. Without saying a word, she went up and slapped our concubine."

As Xiang'er spoke, she looked up at Jiang Yuyan and noticed the change in his eyes. She continued, "Third Prince, you didn't see it at the time, but our Fujin's face was slapped until it bled, and the swelling didn't go down all night."

Xiang'er choked up as she spoke, and cried out of heartache, "Our concubine is the legitimate daughter of the General's Mansion. She has been pampered by the master and madam since she was a child. Let alone being beaten, even if she trips while walking, the master is so worried that he can't sleep for half the night. If the master finds out that I didn't protect the concubine, he will definitely beat me to death."

"Alright, stop talking. Who told you to say these things?"

Just as she finished speaking, Consort Pang stopped her.

"Third Prince, don't listen to Xiang'er's nonsense. These are all untrue. I know you've been troubled lately because of the Seventh Prince's matter. You can go ahead and do your work. Don't worry about me. It's nothing for me to suffer a little, as long as I don't cause you any trouble."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuyan frowned deeply. He gripped Consort Pang's shoulders with both hands, his lips taut and straight: "Don't worry, I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter. You should go back to your own courtyard and rest first."

A sly smile crept across Consort Pang's lips unnoticed. "I know the Third Prince loves me the most."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "By the way, Father sent a letter today. Xiang'er, why don't you hurry to my room and get the letter and give it to the Third Prince?"

letter?
Even though Jiang Yuyan hadn't seen the letter, he seemed to have already guessed its contents.

General Pang must have known that he went to Consort Pang's room on the day of his wedding to his wife, and thought that his warning had worked...

He couldn't help but sneer inwardly, feeling like a man exchanging his body for power. A strong sense of humiliation instantly overwhelmed him.

He glanced at the letter briefly. The matter he had been worried about—the Sixth Prince's collusion with former officials and his alleged factionalism—had been addressed by General Pang, who had secretly arranged for the collected evidence to be sent to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. If all went according to plan, the imperial edict for the execution would arrive at the Sixth Prince's residence in the next few days. Jiang Yuyan's eyes darkened. "Go to the Princess Consort's side."

Upon hearing this, a smug smile appeared on Consort Pang's face: "What do you mean by liking or loving? All that fighting and scrambling for the position of the primary consort, in the Third Prince's eyes, nothing is more important than his power. Xiang'er, do you know why the Third Prince has always doted on me?"

Xiang'er thought about it seriously, "It must be because the Third Prince likes the Empress!"

Consort Pang seemed quite pleased with what Xiang'er had said. She wiped away the tears that hadn't dried from the corners of her eyes and said, "Alright, let's go back now."

"Yes, Consort!" Xiang'er thought for a moment and then asked, "Consort, would you like me to boil water and serve you a bath? The Third Prince just returned today and will definitely stay in your room."

Consort Pang couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips. "Go ahead, I really do want to take a bath. I feel quite uncomfortable after sweating all year round."

Jiang Yuyan didn't have anyone announce his arrival and went straight into Shen Qingwan's room.

When Shen Qingwan saw him coming, she did not get up to greet him, but simply sat at the table and ate the osmanthus cake in her hand.

"You really have no manners at all these days?" Jiang Yuyan's chest heaved several times. "Don't you even need to bow when you see me?"

Shen Qingwan sneered, "Bowing? Do you expect me to get up and kneel? Didn't the Third Prince come to interrogate me? I don't think I've done anything wrong, why should I kneel?"

"Why did you hit Consort Pang?" Jiang Yuyan questioned.

"Don't you already know? If you already know, why are you asking me?" Shen Qingwan didn't even look up at him, slowly picked up the tea on the table, and took a sip.

"Shen Qingwan!" Jiang Yuyan suppressed his anger. "Although you are the principal wife of the household, you cannot arbitrarily punish the concubine. Although she is a concubine, she..."

“But she is also a concubine.” Shen Qingwan stood up with a cold smile and walked up to him. “She is the legitimate daughter of General Pang Da of the current dynasty. It is already a disservice for her to be your secondary consort.”

Jiang Yuyan's brow twitched slightly. He moved his lips, wanting to say something, but before he could utter a word, Shen Qingwan abruptly interrupted him.

"Third Prince, there's something I hope you can understand. It's you who's wronged her, not me. She didn't feel wronged at all after being your concubine for several years, so why is she wronged now that I've married into the family? If you really care about her that much, then divorce me and make her your principal wife. There's no need to come here and confront me."

"Shen Qingwan, say that again!" Jiang Yuyan was furious, his chest heaving. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "You want a divorce?"

"What?" Shen Qingwan chuckled. "Third Prince doesn't want to? Oh! That's right. The reason Third Prince originally married me was because when I was born, auspicious clouds filled the sky, and the monks said I had the destiny of a phoenix. Now that Third Prince has not yet ascended to that supreme throne, how could he bear to divorce me!"

Jiang Yuyan, whose secret had been exposed, had bloodshot eyes and a deep, cold, and unsettling look in his pupils. His lips trembled slightly.

"Third Prince, since you've already assumed I deliberately picked a fight with her, even if I explain, do you think you'll believe me?" Shen Qingwan's eyes flashed with cold sharpness, but she smiled. "Do you think I'd be jealous of them?"

Seeing Jiang Yuyan remain silent, her smile deepened. "Why won't you speak? Because you already have the answer in your heart. I won't. Since I won't, why should I deliberately cause her trouble?"