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

Chapter 142 Sisterly Affection
Shen Qingwan's eyes were dark and unreadable: "Since she is a princess, she must have a lineage. Why not adopt her under Consort Qi's name?"

Concubine Qi...?
Wasn't Consort Qi already dead?

Now that she has no connection with the Liu family, which means she has no connection with the Empress, and has been adopted by a dead person, isn't she trying to tell everyone that she has no one backing her?

"emperor……"

Liu Ruyan seemed to want to say something more.

"Forget it, it would be safer for me to choose a princess from among the imperial relatives for a marriage alliance. What does the Empress think?"

Emperor Yuanwu stood up, and Shen Qingwan followed suit.

Liu Ruyan seemed to be making a difficult decision, and struggled for a while.

On one side was the concubine of the King of the Northern Desert, and on the other side were Buddhist robes and vegetarian food.

"Your Majesty, I am willing. From now on, I will have no further connection with the Liu family. I am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens and marry into the Northern Desert as a princess."

Shen Qingwan stared at her blankly.

She tried to stop her, but she insisted on doing something foolish, so she could only let her have her way.

Lady Liu did not understand the implications of this matter; she simply believed that marriage was the best outcome for a woman.

Although the northern desert is a bit far, she is still a concubine, and she can at least live a life free from worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life.

She used to worry about the treacherous nature of people in the harem, but now, seeing Shen Qingwan living a life of luxury and treating Emperor Yuanwu with respect, it seems really quite good.

After the marriage was arranged, Liu Ruyan returned home with Madam Liu.

Now that she has no connection with the Liu family anymore, she naturally doesn't dare to make a big fuss and can only go back to say goodbye to her family after dark.

The following morning, the Liu family held a grand funeral, announcing to the public that Liu Ruyan had passed away.

Three days later.

Liu Ruyan boarded the bridal sedan chair for her marriage from Ning Shou Palace, where Consort Qi had passed away.

As the sound of the suona faded into the distance, Shen Qingwan, who was standing on the top of the imperial city tower, turned her gaze away.

Standing on the city wall with Shen Qingwan to see her off were Consort Shu, Consort Jin, Consort Zhen, and Noble Lady Rong.

"Your Majesty need not be sad. Princess Chang Le is beautiful and will surely be favored by Prince Mogan. In this harem, as long as one has the emperor's favor, life will not be too difficult," Consort Shu comforted her.

“Yes, Your Majesty, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. In ancient times, there was Wang Zhaojun who went beyond the Great Wall. Perhaps Princess Changle will live as well as Wang Zhaojun after marrying into the border region,” Consort Jin added.

"Your Majesty, the city wall is very large. Let's go back as soon as possible," Consort Rong reminded her.

Only Consort Zhen remained silent from beginning to end. She wanted to comfort the Empress and tell her not to be sad, but it was as if something was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word.

She has been suffering from insomnia for the past two days.

They were afraid that something else might happen and fall on Jiang Wanying.

You can dodge the first day of the month, but how can you dodge the fifteenth?

As long as Jiang Wanying doesn't marry, she risks being sent to a political marriage. She admits that she is narrow-minded and unable to care about the previous dynasty. She is just a mother, and she only hopes that her daughter can live a peaceful life. For the honor of her family, she entered the palace as a concubine. She is the proud mother of the eldest princess, Consort Zhen, in her family's eyes.

But no one knew the hardships and difficulties she faced in the deep palace.

Shen Qingwan remained silent, but her mood was a little down; her cousin had been too willful since childhood.

However, this marriage alliance in the northern desert was actually a huge windfall. Whether it was a hostage or a princess sent for marriage, they would undoubtedly be victims of war should the two countries go to war.

However, Liu Ruyan had always insisted on comparing everything to the original owner of the body since childhood, so naturally she didn't believe her words. When they reached the foot of the city wall, Shen Qingwan stopped in her tracks.

"Now that Consort De is pregnant, she should not be too stressed. There are many trivial matters in the palace, and Consort Shu cannot handle them all by herself. Consort Jin and Consort Zhen should assist her. You two should consult with Consort Shu more often, and always keep things in harmony. Do not let trivial matters damage your sisterly relationship."

Consort Jin was startled. She looked up at Shen Qingwan before curtsying and saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings."

She already felt like she'd won the lottery with this imperial concubine position, and now she was being asked to assist in managing the six palaces.

She really wanted to pinch herself, wondering if she was dreaming.

Consort Zhen was stunned for a while before she came to her senses. "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"

Following the direction of the sound, the group of people simultaneously looked up and gazed at Su Tianhe.

"Lady Lan has passed away."

Is Lan Changzai dead?
This Lunar New Year is truly unlucky; one thing after another keeps happening without a break.

Consort Shu complained inwardly, but thankfully the Empress had just asked Consort Jin and Consort Zhen to help her manage the six palaces, otherwise she would have been busy again.

"What exactly happened?" Shen Qingwan asked calmly.

"Your Majesty, this servant discovered that Consort Lan committed suicide by poison last night. Her body was already cold when I found her," Su Tianhe said.

"Commit suicide by poison?" Shen Qingwan's eyes darkened.

For a concubine to commit suicide is a grave crime that would implicate her maternal family. How could she dare to do that?
"Is His Majesty aware of this matter?"

"I guess they already know, but the Emperor hasn't said how to deal with it yet."

Shen Qingwan sighed inwardly, "Let's go take a look."

The moment the suona horn sounded in the palace, Mo Ganjunyi stood in the courtyard of Chang Le Hall and released the carrier pigeon in his hand.

“Your Highness, I’ve heard that the princess they married isn’t a real princess, but the Empress’s cousin. Should we send a message back about this?” Kawa asked.

Mo Ganjunyi's brows furrowed, and he returned to the main hall of Chang Le Palace at a leisurely pace. He stared at the empty wall and remained silent for a long time.

When he first entered the palace, he remembered that on this wall hung a landscape painting with two lines of poetry.

A solitary lamp faces the green stream; how can I bear to ride the wind on my bamboo mat?

Consort Xian herself said that she personally arranged all the furnishings in Chang Le Palace.

It's likely that the painting hanging in the main hall was also a masterpiece she carefully selected.

What a "lone lamp"!

Was she trying to subtly imply to him that he was the prince least favored by his father, which was why he was sent to this vast palace, imprisoned, and used as a hostage in the war between two countries?
According to the servants, on the day he fell seriously ill, the Empress personally came to Chang Le Palace to visit him and had the painting taken down.

The blank wall may look desolate, but it's still much better than the satirical painting.

Mo Ganjunyi tugged at the corner of his lips, his eyes seemingly misty, but upon closer inspection, they revealed a sharp edge: "The Emperor must already know about my impersonation, and is using this to reprimand my father. We are under house arrest every day, so if this news was deliberately leaked by someone else, it is difficult to tell whether it is true or false. Do not rush to send a message."

“Yes, I understand,” Kawa replied.

Shen Qingwan didn't bother with Lan Changzai's affairs. A woman who had lost her child and was not only not pitied but also banished to the cold palace was indeed not worth her attention.

Consort Shu also entrusted her funeral arrangements directly to the Ministry of Rites. She was originally sent in by the General's Mansion, so whether or not the General's Mansion would be implicated depended on the Emperor's decision.

(End of this chapter)