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

Chapter 116 Abnormality
Emperor Yuanwu's gaze darkened further as he looked at Physician Zhang: "If I desire a legitimate son, Physician Zhang, do you have any brilliant ideas?"

"Your Majesty, the matter of offspring depends on fate, but Her Majesty's health is indeed not at its best for pregnancy at this time. Her Majesty is still young, so why should Your Majesty be in such a hurry? Since Your Majesty has this intention, I will add more medicinal herbs when I treat Her Majesty's health in the future."

Imperial Physician Zhang advised him not to rush things. He explained that the Empress was not yet in a suitable position to have children, but Prince Rui…

Could it be that she, like Physician Zhang, is thinking of him and the Empress?

Or perhaps there are other ulterior motives.

"Does Physician Zhang mean that now is not the best time for the Empress and me to have a child?"

Physician Zhang's shoulders trembled: "Your Majesty, it would be better to wait until Your Majesty has fully recovered before having children. If we rush things, given Your Majesty's current condition, it may be difficult to ensure the child is born at full term. If she were to harm her health, she might never be able to have children again."

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent for a moment before speaking again: "Are there any unusual occurrences in the other palaces?"

"Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual about the other ladies in the palace. However, when my apprentice went to Jingyang Palace to check on Consort Lan's pulse before the New Year, he noticed that the incense in her palace was a bit unusual. There have been some trivial matters in the palace these past two days due to the New Year, and I haven't had a chance to report to Your Majesty yet."

"What's wrong?" Emperor Yuanwu frowned.

"It seems to contain musk, but the smell is very faint and not easily detected. However, this is only what my apprentice said. I am planning to personally take Consort Lan's pulse in the next two days and then report to Your Majesty. I would like to ask Your Majesty if this matter can be informed to Consort Lan?"

Lan Changzai was sent in by the General's Mansion.

Although she was sent in as a personal maid to serve Consort Xian, it was such a coincidence that she happened to be changing clothes in Consort Xian's palace when he went to visit her.

Consort Xian was jealous by nature. If it weren't for the woman Consort Xian arranged for him to consolidate her position, then Consort Lan would have been the General's woman.

He was already very careful when he favored her, but Consort Lan still became pregnant.

"No need." Emperor Yuanwu raised an eyebrow: "But I need to know where this musk came from."

"Your Majesty, I understand."

Just as Shen Qingwan got up, Emperor Yuanwu, due to his fondness for drinking, summoned the Imperial Physician Zhang early that morning, and the news reached Kunning Palace.

"It's not that Prince Rui is incompetent, that he gets drunk after just one cup, but how did he manage to get the Emperor drunk to the point that the imperial physician had to be summoned?"

How much did they drink?

No matter how much you drink.

What she wants to do most right now is to thank Prince Rui's ancestors for saving her from this calamity.

I'm afraid I can only dodge the first day of the month, not the fifteenth.

What should she do if Emperor Yuanwu wants to stay overnight at Kunning Palace again?
She really didn't want to sleep with this public man, much less have a child with him.

In the end, it all comes down to the concubines in the harem not being hard enough.

If they dressed up in their finest clothes and pestered Emperor Yuanwu all day long, how could Emperor Yuanwu possibly have any interest in them?

Shen Qingwan secretly vowed in her heart that when the concubines from all the palaces came to pay their respects early the next morning, she would definitely use her influence to brainwash them.

"Go to the Imperial Household Department and bring me the register of those who have served the emperor in bed," Shen Qingwan said. Chen Gui, the head of the Imperial Household Department, stood trembling at the entrance of Kunning Palace, holding the register of those who had served the emperor in bed.

"Eunuch Chen, what are you doing? Hurry up and go inside. Her Majesty the Empress is waiting for you in the palace." Su Tianhe said sullenly.

It's not that he doesn't want to go in, it's that he's afraid to go in.

Back then, whenever the Empress wanted to see the list of those who had served her in bed, everyone in the Imperial Household Department would suffer as a result.

Although they were in charge of this task, ultimately it was up to the emperor to decide which concubine's name to choose and which concubine to have for his nights.

The Empress dared not do anything to the Emperor, and she could only vent her anger on the servants.

Chen Gui, thinking of the list of concubines who had served him in bed, not a single one of whom was the Empress, was already sweating profusely.

"Eunuch Su, could you give me a heads-up? Why does Her Majesty the Empress suddenly want to see this? Hasn't she stopped interfering in palace affairs for more than half a year?" Chen Gui said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"How could we servants possibly fathom Her Majesty's thoughts? Since Her Majesty has instructed you to send it to her for her to see, then you should simply deliver it. Do you intend to go against Her Majesty the Empress's wishes?"

"Oh dear, Eunuch Su, what are you saying? Even if I had a hundred heads, I wouldn't dare disobey Her Majesty the Empress's wishes. I... I'm just afraid..."

Chen Gui sighed as he spoke, then steeled his resolve and walked toward the main hall of Kunning Palace.

"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be blessed."

"Get up." Shen Qingwan took a sip of osmanthus tea.

The windows of the house were tightly closed in winter, and the door was also sealed shut. The house was filled with a faint and pleasant fragrance of osmanthus, but it made Chen Gui shiver.

He secretly glanced at the Empress, who calmly flipped through the records of the Imperial Household Department's concubines' nights with her face turned.

its not right!
If it were in the past, the Empress would have already been furious when she turned to the second page, throwing things, smashing the book, and even cursing him out.

Why is everything so strange today?

Is this just the calm before the storm?

Chen Gui raised his head tremblingly. Although he knew in his heart that nothing he said would matter when the Empress saw this list, he still wanted to make one last effort to save face.

He moved his lips, but before he could speak.

"The Imperial Concubine served the Emperor three times last month, the Virtuous Concubine twice, the Gentle Concubine once, Noble Lady Yao once, and Noble Lady Rong twice."

Shen Qingwan slowly closed the booklet as she spoke.

"Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die!" Chen Gui cried, kowtowing several times on the ground.

"Consort Yao can no longer have children. If she loses his favor, I'm afraid her days in the palace will be difficult. Her green nameplate should be placed in a more conspicuous place. Apart from the Imperial Concubine and the Consort De, the Emperor visited Consort Rong's palace the most last month. When you place the green nameplates each day, you should also consider who the Emperor likes and who he wants to visit. Place their green nameplates at the front, especially those young concubines who are strong, healthy, and fertile. I remember there are some concubines who have entered the palace but have not yet served the Emperor. Don't put their green nameplates at the bottom just because they are out of favor. The Emperor has never seen them, so how can he know if he likes them or not? Have you all remembered what I said?"

Chen Gui looked up in bewilderment, glanced at the Empress, and after a long while slowly said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)