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

Chapter 141 Princess Chang Le
"So what if you're a concubine? If you can become a favored concubine, the woman he cherishes most, what does it matter if you're a concubine? Consort Shu in the palace is also a concubine, but she still brings glory to her family and is the emperor's most beloved woman. She's still better than my cousin, who has never been favored by the emperor. What about you, the principal wife?"

Shen Qingwan raised her hand and slapped Liu Ruyan across the face.

Her stunningly beautiful face revealed a smile in the candlelight, but the smile was unmistakably sarcastic: "Congratulations on your marriage, Princess of the Northern Desert."

Liu Ruyan touched her burning cheek, which had been slapped by Shen Qingwan, and stormed outside. Just as she opened the door, she bumped into Lady Liu, who was returning from Cining Palace.

"What happened to her face?" Madam Liu strode forward.

"Aunt." Liu Ruyan covered her cheek with one hand, her eyes brimming with tears, and threw herself into Liu Shi's arms, crying out, "My cousin hit me."

Just then, Shen Qingwan also came out of the palace. Her eyes were sharp and cold, but she smiled and said, "Mother is back?"

Liu moved her lips, wanting to stand up for Liu Ruyan, but was shocked by her cold aura. "It's getting late, you should rest early too. Tomorrow morning, I will send Ruyan back to the Sansheng Nunnery."

"No rush." ​​Shen Qingwan sat on the couch, picked up her teacup, poured herself a cup of osmanthus tea, blew on it gently, and sipped it.

After the palace gates of the main hall opened, palace servants came in one after another. Shen Qingwan picked up a book casually and began to read it while drinking tea.

Two palace maids gently massaged her legs, while Zhen'er refilled her teacup.

Seeing that Shen Qingwan had no intention of paying attention to them, Madam Liu could only awkwardly pull Liu Ruyan back to the side hall.

Since Liu Ruyan herself requested this marriage, she naturally shouldn't object. After all, someone has to jump into this fire pit. Originally, she had been struggling with who should be chosen as the princess for the peace marriage, but now she suddenly understood.

The lights in the side hall of Kunning Palace remained lit until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM).

"Ruyan, are you crazy? This time it's really not your aunt who's scolding you. Your cousin is not letting you go on the marriage alliance for your own good."

"Aunt." Liu Ruyan sat in front of the bronze mirror, wiping the blood that had seeped from the corner of her lips with a silk thread.

Shen Qingwan's slap was quite forceful; not only was her cheek swollen, but even her teeth felt loose.

How can the current empress be so strong?

Although Madam Liu was angry, she softened when she saw Liu Ruyan's swollen cheeks. She found some ice cubes outside, wrapped them in a handkerchief, and applied them to Liu Ruyan's face: "Let's drop this matter. I'll go and tell your cousin tomorrow that what I said today was just said in anger. After all, she is the Empress. If the Emperor asks her to speak to her, I think the Emperor will give her that face."

"Aunt, what are you talking about? I want to go for a political marriage, I want to marry into the northern desert." Liu Ruyan was stunned.

"What kind of behavior is it for an unmarried woman to start talking about marriage? Doesn't she care about being laughed at? And that new king of the Northern Desert is not only old, but also has a violent temper. What is there to marry about a king of the Northern Desert who usurped the throne from a certain dynasty?" Lady Liu said angrily.

"Aunt," Liu Ruyan shook her head, finding it laughable, "I suppose these words were taught to you by my cousin, and then you told me to say them!"

“Since entering the palace, except for today when I went to Cining Palace, I have been with you every day. What did your cousin say to me? How could you not know? The matter of the new king of the northern desert has long been turned into a song by the opera troupe. How could your cousin, a woman in the deep palace, know these things?”

Liu Ruyan put down the blood-stained silk and sneered, "Auntie underestimates my cousin too much. Since she married the Emperor, Auntie has only seen my cousin a few times a year. Now she has changed a lot. Even the Emperor has to discuss things with her." "Really?" Liu's eyes trembled, and the candlelight flickered, making it appear exceptionally bright.

“Aunt doesn’t know, during dinner, the Emperor came to Kunning Palace to have dinner with my cousin. They were chatting and laughing, and everything was going well. The Emperor listens to my cousin now.” Liu Ruyan almost squeezed out the last word through gritted teeth.

After hearing these words, Madam Liu was overjoyed: "You've finally made it through! Your cousin has finally made it through!"

Liu Ruyan: ...

“She has finally made it, but that’s the Shen family’s glory. What does it have to do with our Liu family? My cousin has the Emperor’s favor now, but she hasn’t brought any glory to our family. When Consort Xian is favored, the entire General’s Mansion benefits from her. My cousin is the Empress. If she were willing to put in a good word for Father and Uncle in front of the Emperor and get them some official positions, then our Liu family would truly be honored.” Liu Ruyan walked to Liu Shi’s side, took her arm with both hands, and leaned her head on Liu Shi’s shoulder coquettishly: “Aunt, if I become the concubine of the Northern Desert, I will definitely bring glory to our family. All the glory will belong to our Liu family.”

Liu was somewhat tempted by what she heard, but she was still worried: "The people of Mobei are all barbaric. I suppose your cousin is afraid that you will suffer after you marry into that family."

Liu Ruyan's smile froze for a moment.

Shen Qingwan wasn't worried that she would suffer after marrying into the family; she was just afraid that she would affect her wealth and status, and even more afraid that she would gain favor and overshadow her.

"Don't worry, Aunt, Ruyan doesn't feel wronged."

The next morning.

After Shen Qingwan saw off the concubines who came to pay their respects, Emperor Yuanwu arrived at Kunning Palace.

They sat side by side on chairs in the main hall of Kunning Palace.

Liu Ruyan and Madam Liu knelt on the ground.

"Have you really thought it through? Are you willing to go to the northern desert for a marriage alliance?" Emperor Yuanwu asked uncertainly.

"I am willing." Liu Ruyan lowered her head, not daring to look up: "My mind is made up, and I am willing to share the Emperor's burdens."

"Since you have made up your mind, then you shall be granted the title of Princess Chang Le. Since you are marrying as a princess, you will have no further connection with the Liu family. The Ministry of Rites will handle the matters related to the marriage of Princess Chang Le as appropriate."

Has there been no further connection with the Liu family?
When Liu Ruyan heard these words, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

What does Your Majesty mean by this? If she has no connection with the Liu family, does that mean she also has no connection with the Empress?

Who is her maternal family?
A princess without a maternal family to support her marries into the northern desert. What will become of her in the future...?
Aren't you going to thank me?

Liu Ruyan looked up blankly, only to meet Shen Qingwan's icy gaze, which made her tremble. Her lips quivered as she asked, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by saying that we have no further connection with the Liu family?"

“The one seeking a marriage alliance with the Northern Desert is a princess of our dynasty, not a relative of our dynasty. Since you are a cousin of the Empress, how could you be a princess? Since you are going to the Northern Desert for a political marriage, you can only marry as a princess.”

Liu Ruyan frowned. Although Emperor Yuanwu's words were reasonable and well-founded, she still felt that something was wrong with this matter.
(End of this chapter)