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

Chapter 179 Demoted to the rank of Concubine
Consort Xian's eyes widened in panic. The concubines in the palace fighting each other was already a violation of the palace rules. If the Empress found out that they were talking about her behind her back, their punishment would be even more severe.

"Your Majesty, I was just arguing with my sister. I got angry and started fighting. I know I was wrong. Please don't pursue this matter any further."

After Consort Xian finished speaking, she nudged Consort Ruan's arm with her own.

Just moments ago, Consort Ruan was still angry, but her reason was instantly brought back. "Your Majesty, Consort Xian is right. It was just a quarrel over some trivial matters. Now that everything has been said, please do not pursue the matter any further."

Shen Qingwan's expression softened slightly, "If you all say that, then I..."

Consort Xian and Consort Ruan breathed a sigh of relief.

They knew that the Empress was someone who didn't care about anything, and that all the affairs of the palace were usually left to a few concubines who assisted in managing the six palaces, so they figured she wouldn't investigate too deeply.

"...I really want to know every single detail."

Consort Xian: ...

Ruan Changzai: ...

Shen Qingwan's eyes darkened. "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

Consort Xian raised her eyes with a solemn expression and glanced at Shen Qingwan.

From the day she entered the Prince's residence, this Empress has always liked to oppose her in every way. If she were to seize upon any mistake she made now, she would surely be severely punished.

"Yes, yes, what Consort Ruan was talking about wasn't really a fight. It was just that we were playing around in the palace when we had nothing to do."

"Play?"

Shen Qingwan looked at Consort Xian. Her hair was disheveled, with a lock of hair hanging down her face, covering half of her eyes. Her belt was loose, her clothes were messy, and even one of her shoes was missing. There were two clear nail scratches on her face. If she hadn't been wearing more clothes in winter, she would probably have been injured in many places.

Ruan Changzai looked at Consort Xian in surprise.

Has Consort Xian taken the wrong medicine?

She's trying to fool the Empress in a grand way. Given their current state, would anyone believe she's just "playing around"?

Ruan Changzai thought through the whole story, and the more he thought about it, the more something seemed wrong.

"Your Majesty, it's not as Consort Xian said. Consort Xian and I weren't playing around, we were fighting!" Consort Ruan said solemnly.

Consort Xian's breath hitched, and she turned her head incredulously to look at Consort Ruan.

Her face turned pale, and she lowered her voice, "Are you crazy? Do you know what you're saying? Are you afraid that the Empress won't blame you or punish you?"

Ruan Changzai glanced at her sideways, then straightened her knees. "Your Majesty, I was reprimanded by the Emperor in the Imperial Garden today, and I was in a bad mood, so I wanted to take a stroll in the courtyard. However, Consort Xian started spewing sarcastic remarks at me. I couldn't stand it and retorted. I know that Consort Xian is a consort, and no matter how harsh her words were, I should have endured them. I shouldn't have talked back to Consort Xian, and I shouldn't have retaliated when Consort Xian slapped me and tried to hit me. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

"Nonsense!" Consort Xian glared fiercely at Consort Ruan, especially seeing her tearful face, which only fueled her anger. "Your Majesty, please don't listen to her nonsense. It was Consort Ruan who spoke disrespectfully to me, so I used my position as a patriarch to reprimand her. It was just a reprimand." "Oh?" Shen Qingwan asked curiously. "Then tell me, Consort Xian, what exactly did Consort Ruan do that made you feel she was so disrespectful?"

"This..." Consort Xian hesitated, her face showing difficulty, "Your Majesty, please don't pursue this matter."

"Your Majesty, I did not say anything disrespectful to Consort Xian. I merely said that Your Majesty and the Emperor are a loving couple, and that the concubines in the harem who are close to Your Majesty are all favored by the Emperor. If Consort Xian feels that I was being disrespectful to her, does Consort Xian think that Your Majesty and the Emperor should not be a harmonious and loving couple? Or is it that Consort Xian disrespects Your Majesty from the bottom of her heart, which is why she hit me when she heard me say that Your Majesty and the Emperor were a loving couple, thinking that I had said something wrong?"

Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow. "Consort Xian, is this what Consort Ruan said?"

"No." Consort Xian blurted out almost without thinking, "Your Majesty, please don't listen to Consort Ruan's nonsense. I have never said such a thing, nor have I ever thought of it."

"Consort Xian, if you haven't thought of this, could it be that you were angry and struck me because you heard me say that I am just like you, one of the Emperor's concubines? Does Consort Xian think I'm wrong, that you are not the Emperor's concubine? Or do you covet the Empress's position and therefore refuse to admit to outsiders that you are a concubine?" Consort Ruan said indignantly.

"Absurd, utterly absurd! Ruan Changzai, don't frame me!" Consort Xian trembled with rage, losing control of her emotions and standing up abruptly. Just as she raised her hand to strike Ruan Changzai, Su Tianhe stopped her.

"Your Majesty, save me! Your Majesty..." Ruan Changzai cried out, covering her head with both hands, looking terrified.

"Enough!" Shen Qingwan's eyes flashed sharply. "Have you made enough of a scene?"

Consort Xian withdrew her hand, but her chest still heaved heavily several times, unable to calm down.

"Your Majesty, Consort Xian dared to lay a hand on me in front of you. You can imagine how she bullies me all the time," Consort Ruan said pitifully.

Although Shen Qingwan wanted to see Consort Xian look bad, this Consort Ruan was such a good actress.

However, she really hadn't expected that this Consort Ruan was quite eloquent.

"Consort Xian, look at yourself now, do you even have the demeanor of a patriarch? If you don't want to be the patriarch anymore, there are plenty of people who can take your place!" Shen Qingwan's eyes darkened. "You keep saying that Consort Ruan is lying and has wronged you. Then tell me, where did she wrong you, and how did she wrong you? I will naturally stand up for you, but you can't say anything. Even if I wanted to help you, I wouldn't know how to ask."

Consort Xian took a deep breath and knelt on the ground. "What happened today was my fault. Please punish me, Your Majesty the Empress."

Seeing that Consort Xian had admitted her mistake, Consort Ruan stopped the standoff and knelt down to kowtow, saying, "Your Majesty, I am willing to accept the punishment."

Shen Qingwan then slowly stood up from the stool. "Consort Xian and Consort Ruan have caused trouble in the harem, violating palace rules. They shall be slapped thirty times and have their salary reduced for half a year. As a principal consort, Consort Xian has failed to set an example and has deliberately provoked trouble. She shall be demoted to the rank of Consort."

Demoted to the rank of concubine?

When Shen Qingwan uttered those four words, the entire Jingyang Palace fell silent, so quiet that not even a breath could be heard.

It took Consort Xian a while to come to her senses. Thirty slaps to the face were not enough humiliation; she was even to be demoted.

Consort Xian stood up abruptly from the ground, "Your Majesty the Empress..."

(End of this chapter)