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

Chapter 13 A small punishment but a big warning
Su Tianhe was the first to react. He immediately called two guards to drag Gao Da out.

After dealing with the Gundam.

The imperial kitchen delivered another meal, which, while not exactly delicacies, was certainly much better than before.

Shen Qingwan also called Xi Changzai over, and the three of them sat around the food platter.

Xi Changzai secretly glanced at Shen Qingwan.

Before she entered the palace, she had always heard that the current empress was arrogant and domineering, and very difficult to get along with.

I only had a brief visit to Cining Palace and didn't think much of it.

At this moment, she felt that the Empress was very dignified and truly deserved to be called an outstanding person.

"These are pastries made by Her Majesty herself. Please, Your Majesties, have a taste." Zhen'er placed the food box on the table.

"Yes, give it a try. I'm not very good at cooking, and I don't know if it will taste good," Shen Qingwan said frankly.

"Thank you, Queen."

Consort Jin and Consort Xi expressed their gratitude.

Made by the Empress herself, Consort Jin picked up a piece of mung bean cake, took a small bite, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Before entering the palace, her mother instructed her to be careful with her words and actions in the harem and never lose the emperor's favor. She did not yet understand the meaning of these words.

After falling out of favor, she realized that even as a concubine, she was not as well off as a palace maid in the palace of a favored concubine.

Over the years, she has witnessed the coldness and warmth of human nature, and lives a heart-wrenching life every day. It feels like even the rats in the palace would detour when passing by her palace gate.

Not to mention that there are people who think of her and give her food.

What's more, today, the Empress even stood up for herself and offended Consort Xian.

Consort Jin felt even more uneasy, but she was still grateful.

"Quickly, make a cup of tea for Her Majesty the Empress. Remember to use the best tea leaves."

The tea that Consort Jin had described as the best was one that Shen Qingwan could no longer drink after just one sip.

It's not a matter of good or bad.

The tea must have been stored for a long time; it has a strong musty smell.

Tea leaves that have only gone through one rainy season would not have such a strong musty smell.

It is conceivable that this tea was a gift from Emperor Yuanwu when Consort Jin was favored, and that she never drank it again after losing favor, thus saving it.

Even after falling out of favor, she lived alone in Xianfu Palace before the imperial concubine selection. She noticed that there didn't seem to be many palace maids and eunuchs in Xianfu Palace.

The monthly allowance for a concubine was more than enough to cover her food, clothing, daily necessities, and basic expenses in the palace.

The only possibility is that the Imperial Household Department embezzled the monthly allowance for Xianfu Palace...

Shen Qingwan wasn't sure if her idea was correct, so she could only wait and see.

"Are there only a few people serving you in your palace on a regular basis?"

"Your Majesty, I don't need so many servants. I saw that they had better places to go, so I sent them away."

Consort Jin's voice grew softer and softer until she herself felt a little embarrassed.

Shen Qingwan didn't speak, but gave a slight smile: "Eat quickly."

On her way back from Xianfu Palace, Shen Qingwan passed by the Imperial Garden.

She was just about to go to the Imperial Garden to pick a few flowers to take back to the palace when she was bumped into by a clumsy little boy.

"Mom, be careful!"

"The eldest prince?"

Shen Qingwan was helped up from the ground by Zhen'er.

Jiang Wenlan turned pale with fright, hurriedly threw away the fishing net in her hand, and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am sorry for my rudeness in paying my respects to Your Majesty. It was all my fault. I offended Your Majesty."

The nannies and eunuchs following Jiang Wenlan were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground.

"Your Majesty, please forgive us. It was our failure to properly protect the eldest prince. Please punish us." Shen Qingwan recognized the person who had come.

There was no intention to blame anyone, and everyone was asked to get up.

Shen Qingwan brushed the dirt off Jiang Wenlan and said softly, "Why is the eldest prince here at this hour? Why isn't he in the study?"

Princes were to begin studying at the age of three; this was the rule in the palace.

Jiang Wenlan is now over seven years old.

When I saw him catching fish here last time, I had a lingering doubt in my mind.

"Your Majesty, I have already memorized what my tutor taught me in the study. As a reward, my tutor allowed me to play in the Imperial Garden today."

Shen Qingwan frowned slightly.

The power struggles within the imperial harem truly never cease.

She had just been thinking that it was truly remarkable that the eldest prince, without a birth mother to care for him, could grow up so well.

It turns out that these people knew they couldn't easily harm him, so they simply focused their efforts on his tutor.

An ignorant and incompetent prince will naturally pose no threat in the struggle for the throne in the future; it was truly a wise move.

Shen Qingwan squatted down and straightened Jiang Wenlan's collar: "Eldest Prince, when you study, you must review what you have learned to gain new knowledge. Learning without thinking is futile, and thinking without learning is dangerous. Even if you have learned everything your master has taught you, you still need to read more books."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty. However, I don't enjoy studying; I much prefer catching fish." Jiang Wenlan finished speaking and waved the fishing net in his hand. "Would Your Majesty like to catch fish with me?"

"Your Majesty the Empress has other matters to attend to today. Would it be alright if we went fishing together another day?"

"Is Your Majesty going to visit Father Emperor? I haven't seen Father Emperor for a long time and I miss him terribly. May Your Majesty take me to see Father Emperor?"

"This……"

Shen Qingwan looked troubled.
Jiang Wenlan wanted to see Emperor Yuanwu, but he really didn't choose the right person.

After all, she was someone who only saw Emperor Yuanwu a few times a year.

"Your imperial father is both a scholar and a warrior, and naturally he likes children who are diligent and inquisitive. If the eldest prince really wants to see the emperor, why don't you ask him for help next time you encounter a passage you don't understand? I think he would be happy to teach you."

"Really?" Jiang Wenlan's eyes lit up: "Then I will go back to my studies now."

Watching his leaving figure.

Shen Qingwan sighed silently in her heart.

Jiang Wenlan's mother was a concubine in Emperor Yuanwu's palace. She died in childbirth while giving birth to Jiang Wenlan.

After Emperor Yuanwu ascended the throne, he posthumously conferred the title of Consort Li upon Jiang Wenlan's birth mother.

Consort Li was Emperor Yuanwu's ideal woman.

man.

Having both new and old flames.

Consort Li tragically died in the very year he loved her the most.

But for this reason...

In Emperor Yuanwu's mind, Jiang Wenlan's birth had caused the death of Consort Li, so he had kept her in the palace since birth and rarely paid attention to her.

Everyone in the harem knew the status of Consort Li in Emperor Yuanwu's heart.

They dared not neglect the child and took good care of him.

Who knows if Emperor Yuanwu might one day see something that reminds him of his son, Consort Li.

Jiang Wenlan lost his mother at a young age, but among Emperor Yuanwu's few sons, he was the only one who was healthy.

Consort Li can rest in peace now, if her spirit is watching over us.

Shen Qingwan felt that rather than being an emperor and worrying about state affairs every day, it would be better to be a carefree prince, traveling around the world, just like Prince Rui.

However, everyone has their own ambitions.

The supreme throne must be something every man longs for.

(End of this chapter)