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

Chapter 188 Letters
The screams coming from outside the palace made Xia Fuchuan's eyes darken little by little, and he looked up at Consort Xian.

Such pitiful cries could not evoke even a trace of pity in her.

Consort Xian seemed to be in a very good mood. She was humming a little tune in front of the bronze mirror and drawing her eyebrows with a snail-shell ink stick.

A voice announced from outside the palace, "Consort Wen has arrived."

Consort Wen?
Consort Xian paused in drawing her eyebrows, then turned to the side, asking in confusion, "What were they saying outside just now?"

"Your Majesty, it is the princess from the northern desert who has entered the palace. The Imperial Household Department has chosen a title for her and arranged for her to reside in our Jingyang Palace," Xia Fuchuan said cautiously.

"The princess of the northern desert?" Consort Xian glanced towards the direction outside the palace.

This princess from the northern desert has quite a grand entourage; the courtyard of Jingyang Palace is almost overflowing with her dowry.

"There are so many empty palaces in the palace. Who is so blind as to arrange for her to be in the same palace as me?" Consort Xian said irritably.

"It seems that this matter was arranged by Consort Jin," Xia Fuchuan said.

As soon as Xia Fuchuan finished speaking, Consort Xian indeed spotted Consort Jin among the crowd.

"Consort Jin?" Consort Xian couldn't help but sneer. "How the tables have turned! Consort Jin used to be so lowly that she wasn't even worthy to carry our General's Mansion's shoes, but now she's in charge of the affairs of the harem..."

As Consort Xian spoke, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.

“Your Majesty, this servant believes that although Consort Wen is only a Noble Lady, she is, after all, a princess from the Northern Desert, sent here for a political marriage. If it weren’t for the Empress’s authorization, Consort Jin would not have such great power,” Xia Fuchuan said.

"It's not that she doesn't have that much power, it's that she doesn't have that much courage. Look at her poor, petty ways; even if you gave her the rank of a concubine, she wouldn't be able to live up to the clothes she wore."

"Does Your Highness wish to go out and take a look?" Xia Fuchuan asked.

"Never mind." Consort Xian was displeased. Now that she was a concubine, was she supposed to bow to Consort Jin when she went out? Anyway, she would see Consort Wen many times after she moved in, so there was no rush. "I'm a little tired."

After finishing her sentence, Consort Xian turned and walked towards her bedchamber.

"Is this where Consort Xian lives?" Consort Wen glanced at Consort Xian's palace from afar.

"Yes." Consort Jin followed her gaze.

"Her Majesty the Empress is really something. The harem is so big, why did she have to arrange for me and her to be in the same palace? It's so annoying to look at." Consort Wen clicked her tongue.

Consort Jin paused for a moment before suddenly realizing what had happened.

The border regions have been plagued by constant warfare, and the person who quelled the chaos in our dynasty was none other than Consort Xian's father, General Pang Da.

It wasn't until Moganxie ascended the throne and Rong Yuze took over border affairs that the border region truly became stable and peaceful.

"May I ask, Your Highness Consort Jin, I've heard that Mogan Junyi also resides in the inner palace. My brother asked me to bring some of his favorite hometown treats to my nephew. I wonder if it would be convenient for me to deliver them to him?" Consort Wen's voice was soft and gentle, with a touch of coquettishness, seemingly different from the forthright and spirited women of the northern deserts she remembered. Even she, a woman herself, was captivated by her soft, alluring voice and couldn't bear to refuse.

“Mo Gan Junyi is indeed in the inner palace, but he lives in Chang Le Palace, which is quite a distance from Jingyang Palace. Consort Wen has had a long and tiring journey here. Why not rest for a couple of days before going to see Mo Gan Junyi?”

Consort Wen's smile froze for a moment. "It's not that I'm in a hurry to see my nephew. It's just that I have some fresh food. It's taken quite a while to get here, and I'm afraid it will spoil if left out for too long. It would be a waste to bring it all this way."

“If that’s the case, I’ll be passing by Chang Le Palace on my way back to the palace. Why don’t I deliver the food to Consort Wen first? It won’t be too late to visit Mo Gan Jun Yi after Consort Wen has recovered,” Consort Jin said softly.

She felt that when she spoke to someone who spoke gently, her own voice would become gentler as well.

“In that case…” Consort Wen hesitated for a moment, “then I will trouble Consort Jin.”

at the same time.

Emperor Yuanwu and Shen Qingwan had just arrived at Kunning Palace when the Imperial Kitchen received the news. Eunuchs delivered the prepared dishes to Kunning Palace one after another, and the small kitchen also prepared warm pots.

Emperor Yuanwu's satisfied expression softened somewhat after seeing a full plate of food. The two washed their hands and sat down facing each other.

Since it wasn't specially prepared, there wasn't anything particularly novel about the food, so Shen Qingwan naturally didn't bring up that topic.

"I heard that the princess from the northern desert has entered the palace. Will Your Majesty choose her tonight?" Shen Qingwan said casually while eating the sea cucumber in her bowl.

"Is the Empress in such a hurry to arrange women to serve me in bed?" Emperor Yuanwu put down his chopsticks and scoffed.

"I was just chatting with the Emperor casually. Whether the princess of Mobei suits His Majesty's taste or not, she has the entire Mobei behind her. If she is neglected as soon as she enters the palace, I'm afraid that if this gets back to Mobei, it will be detrimental to the relations between the two countries. That's why I just mentioned it casually. As for whether His Majesty wants to go or is willing to go, that's up to His Majesty to decide. I have no intention of stopping him." Shen Qingwan pouted aggrievedly.

"Oh!" Emperor Yuanwu said indifferently, "Did the Empress eat this cabbage? Why does it taste so sour to me?"

Shen Qingwan: ...

Vinegar-pickled cabbage isn't sour, so how could it be sweet?
Emperor Yuanwu was truly difficult to please.

"Your Majesty, please try this Eight Treasure Rice. It's absolutely sweet." Shen Qingwan pretended not to understand what Emperor Yuanwu was saying, scooped a spoonful into his bowl, and placed it there.

Emperor Yuanwu:...

He couldn't help but think she was doing it on purpose.

“However, Your Majesty, there is another matter. Now that Consort Wen has entered the palace, if the hostage's side is heavily guarded, I'm afraid Consort Wen will report this matter back to the Northern Desert. I'm afraid that if she adds fuel to the fire, it might provoke Mo Ganxie’s thoughts.” Shen Qingwan paused and continued, “He must be aware of the situation on the hostage’s side. Even if we guard it very tightly and have checked all the letters between the hostage and Mo Ganxie, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have other correspondence.”

"Other correspondence?" Emperor Yuanwu repeated her words. "What other correspondence does the Empress think there is?"

"For example, they might send messages by carrier pigeon, or they might use seemingly ordinary yet special words in their letters to convey messages. These special words are simply words they agreed upon beforehand. For instance, a letter might mention the foods the person usually eats: rice represents safety, noodles represent insecurity, and steamed buns represent the presence of suspicious people. If such a letter were to be sent out, we probably wouldn't be able to tell the problem just from the literal meaning of the words."

(End of this chapter)