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

Chapter 136 Demotion
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress replied: After careful inspection, we found that the hostage's bed had become quite moldy due to long-term neglect. The journey from the northern desert to the capital was bumpy, and the hostage, who was already weak, was exposed to the moldy air during his afternoon nap, which caused him to suffer from emotional distress, external wind-cold, internal damp-heat, spleen deficiency with dampness, and blood deficiency with dryness. The imperial physician has already treated the hostage and administered medicine, and he is much better now. The hostage has been moved to a side hall, and I have had a new bed installed. Please rest assured, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."

When Consort Xian received Wu Jixiang's report, she was completely stunned.

Bed board?

How could mold grow on a perfectly good bed board? Could someone have deliberately tampered with it?
Chang Le Palace had been in disrepair for many years. Although she ordered the servants to clean it, they only cleaned the surface.

Indeed, no one was allowed to examine the furniture and furnishings in detail.

The proton's body was far too weak; a little bit of mold almost cost him his life.

At this moment, Emperor Yuanwu and Shen Qingwan landed on her simultaneously.

Consort Xian rose and knelt on the ground, her face ashen: "Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress, please forgive me. It was my negligence. I did not have someone clean thoroughly. I am willing to accept punishment."

Shen Qingwan turned her head indifferently. This matter was to be decided by the Emperor, so there was no need for her to speak. Although Consort Xian had made a momentary lapse, it concerned the affairs of the court. No matter how she was punished in the end, she would not have to bear such a bad reputation.

Emperor Yuanwu's brows were full of displeasure. He had been thinking these past few days that Consort De was pregnant and could not be bothered with such things. Although the Empress was in charge of the vast harem, there were too many trivial matters. Consort Shu also had to take care of the Third Prince. He wondered if he should find a suitable day to restore Consort Xian's right to assist in managing the six palaces.

It seems……

“This matter cannot be dismissed with a careless oversight. The hostage’s entry into the palace is related to the peace and stability of both countries. In order to maintain diplomatic relations with the northern desert, I did not allow the hostage to live outside the palace, but instead built a palace in the palace. However, I did not expect such a thing to happen. Consort Xian should indeed be punished.”

Consort Xian's eyes reddened, and she choked out, "Your Majesty."

"Consort Xian was seriously derelict in her duties in arranging the entry of the hostage from the northern desert into the palace, and therefore is not qualified to serve as a consort. By imperial decree, Consort Xian is demoted to a concubine and sent back to Jingyang Palace to reflect on her mistakes in seclusion for one month."

Demotion?

Emperor Yuanwu's words plunged the entire main hall of Kunning Palace into a terrifying silence.

Shen Qingwan glanced at Emperor Yuanwu indifferently.

Just because the bed board for the progenitor in the northern desert wasn't clean enough, he was demoted directly. Isn't this punishment too severe?

Even if he didn't want this matter to leave any room for gossip in the future, he didn't have to demote Consort Xian's rank. Emperor Yuanwu knew perfectly well that this person was just an unfavored prince from the northern desert, not the real "Mogan Junyi".

Could it be that the Emperor never intended to promote Consort Xian to the rank of Imperial Noble Consort from the very beginning, but instead forced him to do so by pressing him with one matter after another?

However, it's good that her rank has been lowered. Currently, Consort De is pregnant and cannot assist in managing the six palaces. If Consort Xian were to regain the power to assist in managing the six palaces, she would truly be equivalent to a deputy empress.

It wasn't that Shen Qingwan was petty or wanted to monopolize power in the harem; it was just that she couldn't condone the sordid things Consort Xian had done behind the scenes.

"Your Majesty." Consort Xian, fighting back tears, looked up at Emperor Yuanwu with a complex expression. She called out again, her heart filled with resentment, "Your Majesty, I..."

Emperor Yuanwu seemed not to hear him, and turned to Shen Qingwan, saying, "Go and see Chang Le Palace yourself, and make sure there are no more mishaps."

Shen Qingwan curtsied: "Your Majesty, rest assured, I know what is important."

Emperor Yuanwu composed himself and rose.

"Congratulations to the emperor."

Now that Emperor Yuanwu had spoken, Shen Qingwan had no choice but to go to Chang Le Palace in person to see what the hostage's situation was before making a decision.

After the concubines left, Shen Qingwan, along with Zhen'er and Su Tianhe, went to a side hall of Chang Le Palace. The hostage prince had taken his medicine and was already asleep. Shen Qingwan didn't have anyone wake him up, but instead chatted with Physician Zhang about the hostage prince's condition.

Although Chang Le Palace was clean, it had indeed been uninhabited for a long time. Judging from the furnishings in the palace, Consort Xian must have done a perfunctory dressing.

As for the moldy bed board, it was probably just a momentary oversight by Consort Xian.

Shen Qingwan looked around and her gaze fell on a painting in the main hall of Chang Le Hall. The landscape was nothing special, but the painting was accompanied by two lines of poetry: "A solitary lamp faces the green stream, how can one bear to ride the wind on a bamboo mat?"

The two bedrooms were nothing special, but they depicted a lonely and desolate atmosphere.

However, if we delve deeper into the meaning of this poem, the "lonely lamp" can symbolize a lonely and helpless child, while the "green stream" and "wind-blown mat" evoke a sense of desolation.

The text makes no mention of fatherly love, but the atmosphere of loneliness may evoke the solitude of not having a father's presence.

The hostage was sent to the palace because Mo Ganxie favored another son and had him impersonate him.

Despite being the son of Mo Ganxie, his circumstances were completely different, suggesting that his childhood was also quite unsatisfactory.

Hanging such a painting in the hall inevitably makes people think, and even feel that someone did it on purpose, that it was a hermaphrodite.

"Su Tianhe, go and take that painting down."

Su Tianhe was taken aback, but still followed the Empress's instructions and put the painting away.

"You will remain in Chang Le Palace for the next two days. Do not cause any more trouble." Shen Qingwan composed herself, exuding an air of authority.

"Yes, Queen."

Chang Le Palace has no underground heating, so this winter is exceptionally cold, with several snowfalls already. Shen Qingwan had extra charcoal and quilts sent over to keep warm, and also had some top-quality wild ginseng and deer antlers brought from the storeroom to nourish him.

In the depths of the palace, no amount of gold and silver can compare to the value of charcoal. Moreover, the hostage has lived in the palace since childhood. Although the northern desert cannot compare with them, it is a vast and prosperous region, so they probably don't care for such mundane things.

With two stoves lit in the main hall, we can get through this winter.

The morning of the twentieth day of the first lunar month.

It snowed heavily in the capital all night again. The light snow weighed down the branches, and the entire palace was covered in a layer of white.

The sound of horses' hooves came from outside the Kunning Palace.

"I thought Mother wouldn't come because it snowed all night last night," Shen Qingwan said, standing at the palace gate to greet her.

Liu Shi helped Shen Qingwan's outstretched hand as she got off the carriage.

Shen Qingwan had assumed that Lady Liu had entered the palace alone, and had just turned to leave when Liu Ruyan followed her down from the carriage.

"Cousin." Liu Ruyan jumped down from her horse with a smile.

Shen Qingwan turned to look at Madam Liu, who seemed guilty and dared not look her in the eye. The list of those entering the palace had to be sent to the palace for approval well in advance. Perhaps Madam Liu was afraid that Shen Qingwan would disagree if she wrote Liu Ruyan's name on the list, so she simply kept it a secret.

The people at the palace gate knew that Lady Liu was the Empress's mother, so even though she immediately brought an extra female relative, they dared not stop her. This allowed Liu Ruyan to take advantage of the situation.

(End of this chapter)