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

Chapter 125 Gaudy
Consort Xian awkwardly adjusted the gold ornaments on her head and said embarrassedly, "I really didn't expect that my headdress would clash with the Empress's today."

If we're talking about a clash, we can only say that both Shen Qingwan and Consort Xian wore gold headdresses today.

However, even though they are both gold ornaments, there are still differences. After all, Shen Qingwan only used a gold fork and some scattered decorations, which seemed a bit bland compared to Consort Xian's full head of gold ornaments.

"The General's love for his daughter is well known. This gold ornament exudes nobility. Even our Prince Rui, who is not interested in women, was captivated by it. This shows how magnificent the Imperial Concubine is!" Prince Yao teased.

A thousand and one phoenix-like beauties?

The phrase "凤乃" refers to the Empress, and it's likely a compliment to her.

Now that Prince Yao is praising the Imperial Concubine like this, could it be that in Prince Yao's heart, he has already regarded the Imperial Concubine as a secondary empress?
“However, the Emperor favors the Consort, but he cannot neglect the Empress. Such favoritism will inevitably arouse suspicion.” Prince Yao said, glancing again in Shen Qingwan’s direction.

Prince Rui was taken aback, quickly averted his gaze, and said leisurely, "Your Majesty is mistaken. The Noble Consort is elegant and graceful, and her charm is still intact. She is indeed worthy of such gold ornaments. However, the Empress is not yet twenty years old. If she were to wear a full head of gold ornaments, it would appear gaudy."

Shen Qingwan didn't care that an older man was commenting on her appearance; after all, they weren't the same age or shared the same aesthetic.

Perhaps people of Prince Yao's age do like some exaggerated and magnificent decorations, but she didn't like them. She felt that they were not only gaudy but also particularly heavy.

Shen Qingwan really couldn't imagine that Consort Xian would wear such gold ornaments all day long. Wouldn't her neck get sore?

Prince Rui's words almost made her burst out laughing.

Still retaining her charm?

Just say she's past her prime, that she's really old.

Shen Qingwan raised her eyes and glanced at Prince Rui, who was dressed in a blue robe. She didn't expect Prince Rui to be so good at being sarcastic.

However, in her impression, Prince Rui dressed elegantly and simply, and was a person who loved tranquility, so naturally he could not tolerate anything exaggerated or vulgar.

Consort Xian's face flushed with shame at what she was being told.

Although she was younger than Emperor Yuanwu, in the vast harem, her age was not considered young at all.

The imperial harem is never short of young women. With a new wave entering the palace, the older concubines have nothing left to do.

Even the most devoted emperor will eventually reveal his true male nature when faced with beautiful women.

This Prince Rui is just deliberately making trouble for her. Thinking about it carefully, Prince Rui spends his days traveling and having fun, living a carefree and irresponsible life. He hasn't even participated in the competition for the throne. How could he have a grudge against their General's Mansion? Why would he embarrass her in front of so many people? Could it be...?

Consort Xian's gaze fell upon Shen Qingwan, who was tilting her head, seemingly engaged in conversation with the Empress Dowager. Her smile was like a clear spring, pure and transparent. Her lips parted slightly, radiating a sweet and gentle charm that captivated all who beheld her.

Prince Rui had already sat down, sipping his tea gently, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a passing cloud.

Could it be that she was overthinking things? After Emperor Yuanwu arrived, no one paid any attention to Consort Xian anymore. With the Empress's advice last time, during the Lantern Festival family banquet, the concubines in the harem toasted Emperor Yuanwu one after another, trying to get close to him.

This was said by the Empress herself. Even if the Emperor is busy with state affairs and doesn't have time to take care of the concubines in the harem, they should still take the initiative.

They were all initially reserved, but when they saw Consort Chun approach first, and the Emperor not only wasn't displeased but also shared a drink with her, they all followed suit and approached her one by one.

Emperor Yuanwu watched the song and dance performances while dealing with the concubines in the harem.

Shen Qingwan, on the other hand, was able to relax and chat with the Empress Dowager about the songs and dances she had watched that day, while eating the food in her bowl.

Consort Xian wondered if it was the weight of her headdress or the oppressive atmosphere of the tightly closed doors and windows of the Baohe Hall that made it hard to breathe.

As the legitimate daughter of a general's family and a noble consort, how could she possibly act like those lowly concubines, holding a wine cup and crowding around the emperor?

Shen Qingwan put down her chopsticks and looked up to see the Imperial Concubine secretly leaving Baohe Hall from behind the crowd.

"What is the Empress looking at?" The Empress Dowager, sitting to the side, seemed to notice her unusual expression and followed her gaze, just in time to see Consort Xian walking out of the side gate of the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Although the Empress Dowager never said anything about Consort Xian's headdress, it doesn't mean she had no thoughts about it.

When Emperor Yuanwu took Consort Xian as his secondary consort, there was no primary consort in the household. It is likely that the general agreed to this marriage and made his daughter a concubine because he was thinking about the position of the principal wife. Otherwise, the daughter of the general's family was already of high enough status, how could she possibly condescend to be a concubine? But no one expected that Shen Qingwan would suddenly appear out of nowhere.

The Empress Dowager neither liked nor disliked Consort Xian. She took her into her household because she coveted the military power held by Consort Xian's father, which she had previously relied on but had gradually turned into a source of fear.

As Emperor Yuanwu's reign became increasingly stable, Shen Qingwan, whose family held only a title but no real power, and who posed no threat to Emperor Yuanwu's throne even if she had children, was easier to control and thus received more favoritism from him.

However, it must be said that the entire harem is now under Shen Qingwan's rule and is indeed much more peaceful than before.

Shen Qingwan has never liked gold and silver, and her usual attire consists of simple jade in light colors. Today, she was wearing a gold hairpin, which just so happens to match the headdress of Consort Xian.

Shen Qingwan went to Cining Palace early in the morning, and many people must have seen her along the way.

Consort Xian's attire must have been carefully chosen.

However, as the previous champion of palace intrigue, how could the Empress Dowager not see through Consort Xian's little trick? She originally wanted to outdo the Empress with her headdress, and at first, she did achieve her goal. However, Prince Rui's few words directly stabbed her pride.

"The Imperial Concubine is proud and always wants to be superior to others. Her attire today is simply to attract everyone's attention. After all, she was just conferred the title of Imperial Concubine, and the novelty hasn't worn off yet." The Empress Dowager patted Shen Qingwan's hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Mother, I didn't think too much about it," Shen Qingwan said gently.

"I know you don't like gold and silver. I have collected a set of white jade teacups, which are crystal clear and carved with osmanthus flowers, which is also your favorite pattern. I have already sent them to Kunning Palace. After the palace banquet, I will go back and see if you like them."

(End of this chapter)