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

Chapter 73 Majesty
Shen Qingwan quickened her pace, and the two of them, talking as they went, arrived at the entrance of the Prince's residence.

It's true that the eldest prince is disliked by Emperor Yuanwu. He's unconscious, and there's only one imperial physician in the entire palace. Shen Qingwan doesn't even know the physician's name. What kind of situation is this?

"How dare you!" Shen Qingwan walked up to Jiang Wenlan, whose cheeks were flushed purple and whose hair was still damp. She touched his forehead and found it burning hot, without even a damp cloth to cool it down. "Who gave you the audacity to serve the First Prince like this?"

The room was filled with servants kneeling on the floor, saying, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. We know we were wrong."

It would have been better if they hadn't spoken; Shen Qingwan was even angrier listening to their drawn-out and insincere apologies.

"How exactly are you all taking care of the First Prince? You went to the lakeside in this freezing weather and didn't even keep an eye on him? Drag you all away and give each of you thirty strokes of the cane!" As Shen Qingwan finished speaking, the guards walked in from outside.

"Your Majesty, spare me! It was the First Prince who wanted to go to the lake to catch fish. We servants could only obey him. We really couldn't stop him!" The nanny beside the First Prince cried out. "This servant really didn't know anything! The First Prince asked this servant to go back and get him the fishing net. When this servant left, I told him that the ice on the lake was thin and he shouldn't step on it. This servant doesn't know how the First Prince fell in just a short while after I left."

Shen Qingwan sneered: "You dare to talk back even though you don't serve well? Add another twenty strokes of the cane."

Fifty strokes of the cane? That would be enough to beat someone to death, or at least cripple them.

The empress, who I used to think was brainless, now exudes such great majesty.

No one dared to plead for them anymore.

However, all of the eldest prince's servants had been punished by Shen Qingwan, and Jiang Wenlan couldn't do without anyone to take care of him.

"Su Tianhe, bring the eldest prince back to Kunning Palace. Zhen'er, go to the Imperial Hospital and personally invite all the imperial physicians on duty today to Kunning Palace."

Zhen'er curtsied: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Su Tianhe picked Jiang Wenlan up in his arms and followed Shen Qingwan back to the palace.

The news of the First Prince falling into the water spread throughout the palace in an instant. At this point, it was impossible to cover it up. Shen Qingwan ordered all the servants in the First Prince's quarters to be flogged. During the punishment, screams and cries filled the air.

The people in the palace began to discuss the matter indignantly.

"Hasn't Her Majesty the Empress always been uninvolved in worldly affairs? Why is she suddenly meddling in the First Prince's affairs today?"

"The Empress can't really be said to be completely uninvolved these days; she even made arrangements for Consort Rong a few days ago."

"Knowing that she was out of favor, the Empress simply pushed her close concubines to the Emperor, which could be considered as consolidating her position as Empress."

"I heard that the Emperor intends to promote Consort Xian to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort. I'm afraid the Empress is also anxious about this. Since she is not favored, she naturally cannot have children. Could it be that she wants to adopt the First Prince?"

"Why adopt the eldest prince of all people? The emperor dislikes him the first time. Just wait and see, when the emperor finds out, the empress will never have a good life."

"It's a bit of an exaggeration that an unfavored prince falling into the water could cause such a stir in the Imperial Hospital."

"This empress has been acting up for a long time, so what's so surprising about it? Let's just wait and see what happens."

"..."

When Shen Qingwan brought Jiang Wenlan to Kunning Palace, the imperial physician arrived just then.

After being treated by Physician Zhang, the eldest prince, although he had drowned and had a lot of fluid in his lungs, was not in any immediate danger. However, the weather was too cold and he had fallen into the icy lake, causing him to have a persistent high fever. The main reason for this was that he had been frightened.

Such a young child, raised by nannies and eunuchs since childhood, even if he is strong-willed, is still only a seven-year-old child. How could he not be frightened by such a thing?

Shen Qingwan was talking to the imperial physician when Jiang Wenlan, lying on the bed, trembled and muttered something unintelligible. "The Emperor has arrived!"

"The Queen Mother is here!"

When the Empress Dowager and the Emperor heard about this, they rushed over. The imperial physician then repeated what he had just told Shen Qingwan to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

When Emperor Yuanwu heard that the man had fallen into the water, he was furious.

"What a bunch of eunuchs and palace maids! The whole palace is full of servants, and they can't even take care of a seven-year-old child. What use are you to me? Take all the people serving the eldest prince out and behead them."

Shen Qingwan: ...

She was just worried that thirty strokes of the cane might be too harsh, but it seems that it was indeed too lenient.

"Your Majesty, I have already punished them. Before the matter is investigated, let's spare their lives for now. Whether the First Prince fell into the water accidentally or intentionally, we do not know."

Emperor Yuanwu frowned slightly upon hearing Shen Qingwan's words.

"The Empress's words make a lot of sense. Your Majesty, please calm down. It's better to investigate thoroughly before imposing any punishments," the Empress Dowager said.

"Send all the people around the First Prince, as well as the palace maids and eunuchs in the Imperial Garden, to the Censorate. Within three days, they will find out the truth for me."

After Emperor Yuanwu finished speaking, he walked to Jiang Wenlan's bedside.

He stared at Jiang Wenlan for a long time, then reached out and touched his eyebrows.

Jiang Wenlan looked remarkably like Consort Li, especially her eyes. Every time Emperor Yuanwu saw her eyes, he would think of Consort Li. In the years immediately following Consort Li's passing, he was particularly afraid to see Jiang Wenlan's eyes.

I don't know if it's because time has passed, I've come to terms with what happened to Consort Li back then, or because I've gotten older and my feelings have faded.

Emperor Yuanwu felt a pang of heartache as he looked at Jiang Wenlan lying on the bed with a pained expression.

"Your Majesty, please take good care of the First Prince. I will come later."

"Yes." Shen Qingwan curtsied.

at dusk.

Jiang Wenlan's high fever has subsided somewhat. Although she hasn't woken up yet, she is much more peaceful when she's asleep than before, and she doesn't startle or talk nonsense.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry. Physician Zhang said that the eldest prince's restless sleep is related to his high fever. He should be fine once the fever subsides."

Shen Qingwan nodded and helped Jiang Wenlan change the handkerchief.

Zhen'er winked at the people in the palace, and after everyone left, Zhen'er whispered in Shen Qingwan's ear: "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened. Consort Qi of Ning Shou Palace has passed away."

"So fast?" Shen Qingwan was taken aback: "Didn't you say you weren't feeling well a while ago? Didn't Consort Shu send the imperial physician to check on you? How could someone who was perfectly healthy just suddenly be gone?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Qi's health was already failing; her passing was only a matter of time. However, someone just reported that when Consort Qi felt unwell, she went to the Imperial Hospital to summon the imperial physicians, but Your Majesty summoned them all to Kunning Palace instead..."

(End of this chapter)