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

Chapter 210 Face
After Shen Qingwan emphasized it again, Emperor Yuanwu slowly turned his head and looked at her, seemingly understanding what Shen Qingwan meant.

"This……"

Hu Zhouce was speechless for a moment when asked the question.

Shen Qingwan stood up and walked to him, looking down at him. "What Lord Hu just said about Mars lingering in the constellation zone during the transition between retrograde and direct motion, and the two fires meeting, daring to compete with the emperor's brilliance, will surely threaten the emperor's power. Isn't this the celestial phenomenon of Mars guarding the heart of the constellation as recorded in ancient books?"

Is Mars guarding the heart?

When Hu Zhouce heard those four words, his eyes widened in shock.

It's not true that everyone says the Empress is just a fussy, clueless fool who knows nothing and can't do anything.

How could she possibly know from just a few words he said that he had just mentioned Mars guarding the heart?
Could she have just guessed?

But if it was just a guess, how could it be such a coincidence...?
Did I actually guess right?
Hu Zhouce's lips twitched.

"If I remember correctly, the record of Mars guarding the heart of the sky is an ominous sign of the emperor's death. I wonder which astrological book you read, Lord Hu, mentioned that this star is related to the birth of a prince? Why don't you show it to me and let me see if I am mistaken, or do you believe that Consort Rou's child is the emperor?"

The Empress actually understands astrology?

Emperor Yuanwu shared the same doubts as him.

Even if the Empress was literate, knew a few characters, and had read some ancient books on astrology, it did not mean that she was so knowledgeable about astrology.

Such a thing is very difficult to achieve, unless one is an official in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau who specializes in studying celestial phenomena. They can know what celestial phenomenon it is and what it refers to just from a few words.

Shen Qingwan was also in a dilemma. There were already few children in the harem, and just when she finally had a few pregnant concubines, one after another, something happened.

"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words." Hu Zhouce was so frightened that his face turned pale. He crossed his arms and bowed to Emperor Yuanwu. "Your Majesty, this humble subject did not mean it that way."

Before Emperor Yuanwu could speak, Shen Qingwan spoke first, "If Lord Zhou believes that this celestial phenomenon has nothing to do with Consort Rou's pregnancy, then wouldn't that be..."

Shen Qingwan didn't say what she was going to say next; she simply turned and glanced at Emperor Yuanwu.

"Ah...this..." Hu Zhouce's face turned noticeably paler, and even his once confident and upright back bent over.

With just one glance, almost everyone in the room knew what Shen Qingwan meant.

"Your Majesty!" Consort Shu's face paled, and she knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, please be wise! This Lord Zhou has audacity! Consort Rou gave birth to Your Majesty's heir and is on the verge of death. This Lord Zhou is spouting nonsense, using some astrological phenomenon that he himself cannot explain to slander Consort Rou. He is simply outrageous!"

Consort Jin also knelt on the ground. "Your Majesty, the intentions of this Lord Zhou are crystal clear. Fortunately, Her Majesty the Empress is well-versed in literature, otherwise I would have almost been deceived by this Lord Hu. For a mere envoy of the Imperial Observatory to slander a concubine who is in labor is extremely vicious. Using the saying that a calamity has descended from heaven, he wants Your Majesty to get rid of the prince in Consort Rou's womb before she gives birth. His heart is extremely wicked. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

"Your Majesty, I believe that since Lord Hu and Consort Rou are complete strangers with no grudges against each other, this matter is not so simple. Someone may have deliberately bribed Hu Zhouze, hoping to take advantage of Consort Rou's death along with her unborn child. I beg Your Majesty to see the truth..." Consort Zhen said.

All the concubines in the room knelt down to speak for Consort Rou, a rare display of unity in the harem.

Hu Zhouce was completely dumbfounded. Wasn't it said that the concubines in the harem were constantly vying for favor, openly and secretly fighting each other? If Consort Rou's child was indeed a prince, then he would have a chance to inherit the throne as Empress. Were they all out of their minds?

Especially that Consort Shu, wasn't she the Third Prince's adoptive mother?
If the Third Prince is likely to ascend the throne in the future, then Consort Rou's pregnancy will also become a threat to the Third Prince. Not only did she not speak up for him, but she also took this opportunity to get rid of Consort Rou directly, and was the first to kneel down and speak up for Consort Rou.

This Consort Shu...

No wonder she could never have a child!
Shen Qingwan glanced at the three concubines kneeling on the ground, her gaze finally settling on Hu Zhouce. "Lord Hu, do you have anything else to say?"

"I..." Hu Zhouce knelt on the ground, looking bewildered. He looked up at Shen Qingwan, then at the three concubines kneeling on the ground. "Your Majesty, I..."

Emperor Yuanwu's face darkened. "Guards, strip Hu Zhouce of his official robes and drag him away to be beaten to death with clubs."

what?
Beaten to death with sticks?

Hu Zhouce was stunned for a while before he reacted. "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I am just not good at academics and have no intention of harming anyone. Your Majesty cannot have me beaten to death just because I am dull-witted."

Before anyone could react, amidst Hu Zhouce's cries, his arm was already being held up by the guards who entered through the door.

"Your Majesty, even if I misjudged the stars, many people in the palace witnessed Consort Xian's palace being struck by five bolts of lightning. I did not fabricate any facts; I merely misjudged the stars. I am truly not guilty of a capital offense. Please, Your Majesty, have mercy!"

Hu Zhouce's cries were so loud that they attracted the attention of everyone busy in the delivery room.

Shen Qingwan turned her head and glanced at Emperor Yuanwu.

The fact that they beat someone to death without even a trial shows how angry Emperor Yuanwu was.

However, a large part of his anger was probably due to Hu Zhouce misreading the celestial signs, which almost ruined his relationship with Consort Xian. He was certainly not as angry as he was about to be easily deceived by Hu Zhouce's few words.

People often consider different things when they are anxious and when they are calm. Just like Emperor Yuanwu at this moment, he was so furious when he realized what was happening.

He wasn't angry that he had been deceived by Hu Zhouce, but that he had been deceived without realizing it, and that others had exposed him instead.

Moreover, he is the emperor; with the dignity and prestige of an emperor, how can he maintain his composure?
Shen Qingwan didn't care about Emperor Yuanwu's face at this moment, but wouldn't it be too easy for him to just drag him out and beat him to death?

Whether she died or not, or how she died, was not of much concern to her. But Consort Rou was gentle by nature, and although she was constantly favored by Emperor Yuanwu, she never used that favor to harm anyone.

After she gained control of the harem, Consort Rou, though not the only one who was pregnant, was the only one who went through the entire pregnancy and gave birth. If problems arose during her first pregnancy, wouldn't that encourage the corrupt practices in the harem?

If everyone were to follow suit in the future, all it would take to manipulate the Imperial Observatory and say a few words to easily fool people. Even if they couldn't fool them, they would still leave a lingering doubt in people's minds.

To prevent such incidents from ever happening in the palace again, we must eliminate them at their root.

Shen Qingwan walked up to Emperor Yuanwu and knelt down, "Your Majesty..."

(End of this chapter)