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

Chapter 212 Cooking
Emperor Yuanwu walked to Consort Rou's bedside, took her raised hand, and said, "Consort Rou, childbirth was hard. Take good care of yourself. Do you like the gifts I have given you?"

A faint smile of happiness spread across Consort Rou's pale face. "Has Your Majesty seen the Fourth Prince?"

"I've seen him. The Fourth Prince is fair-skinned with rosy cheeks and a high nose bridge. He looks a lot like Consort Xian."

"Your Majesty is good at making me happy. I think that child looks more like Your Majesty."

Upon hearing Consort Rou's words, Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Since this child was born in a thunderstorm..."

He almost lost his life because of Hu Zhouce, that astrologer from the Imperial Observatory, who was spouting nonsense, over a few words about celestial phenomena.

Emperor Yuanwu paused for a moment and then continued, "...Then let's name him Jiang Wenjian."

"Jian means perseverance, energy, and striving. I hope that the Fourth Prince will become a striving, strong, and resolute man like his name. I like this name and thank Your Majesty for bestowing it upon me."

As Consort Rou spoke, she tried to get up to express her gratitude, but Emperor Yuanwu pressed her back down: "Consort Rou has just given birth and is still very weak, so don't get up to express your gratitude. You should take good care of yourself, and I will come to see you another day."

"This concubine respectfully sees Your Majesty off."

The news that the Emperor had bestowed a name upon the Fourth Prince quickly spread throughout the inner palace.

At Jingyang Palace, the imperial physician had just finished changing Consort Xian's dressing and left when Xia Fuchuan hurriedly walked in from outside. "Your Majesty, there's news from Zhongcui Palace."

Consort Xian, fiddling with the ointment on her knee, casually asked, "How is it? Boy or girl?"

Xia Fuchuan's expression was somewhat complicated. He looked up at Consort Xian and said, "Your Majesty, it is a prince."

The prince.

Although Consort Xian had already learned from the Imperial Hospital that Consort Rou's baby was a boy, her heart still skipped a beat at this moment when the baby was born.

"Heh." Consort Xian sneered, "It's a boy, so be it. What great things can a child born after being struck by lightning accomplish? I don't believe the Emperor is completely indifferent to this."

Xia Fuchuan frowned deeply. "Consort Xian, I'm afraid there may be more to this matter than meets the eye..."

"An unexpected turn of events?" Consort Xian looked up in confusion. "Didn't we bribe the head of the Imperial Observatory? His Majesty is a firm believer in celestial phenomena. If that head of the Imperial Observatory were to whisper something in His Majesty's ear, I don't believe His Majesty wouldn't have any reservations about this child?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Hu did indeed arrive at Yangxin Hall before His Majesty went to Zhongcui Palace and said everything he needed to say. When His Majesty went to Zhongcui Palace, I glanced at him from afar, and his expression was indeed not good. But who would have thought that Her Majesty the Empress and Consort Shu were also there? It seems that Her Majesty the Empress is quite knowledgeable about those celestial phenomena. According to the people at Zhongcui Palace, Her Majesty the Empress silenced Hu Zhouce with just a few words. His Majesty not only found out about the things placed on the roof of Zhongcui Palace, but also wants to personally interrogate Hu Zhouce..."

"What?" Consort Xian exclaimed in surprise. She completely forgot that she was still injured on her leg. She stood up abruptly from the chaise longue and gasped in pain.

Xia Fuchuan quickly walked up to her and helped her up. "Your Highness, what are you doing? Your leg was just dressed. How can you get up?"

After saying that, he scolded the maids standing in the hall, "How are you all serving the Empress? If she falls, I'll drag you all out and give you a beating."

Consort Xian waved her hand, "What time is it now? You still have the mood to worry about my leg." "Your Majesty." Xia Fuchuan carefully helped Consort Xian sit down, "Your Majesty, don't worry, even if that Hu Zhouce can't withstand the torture, he won't be able to confess about us."

As Xia Fuchuan spoke, he gave a wink to the people around him. After everyone in the palace had left, he walked up to Consort Xian's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, please rest assured and take good care of yourself. I arranged for a maid from the Ning Shou Palace to deliver silver to Hu Zhouce. After this was done, I had someone send that maid out of the palace with the cart that delivers vegetables to the Imperial Kitchen."

Hearing Xia Fuchuan's words, Consort Xian's solemn expression finally eased a bit, but she still said worriedly, "However, last time we arrested Zhen'er, you clearly saw those two eunuchs leave the palace with your own eyes, but in the end, that bitch Shen Qingwan somehow managed to bring them back. We must be careful this time. It doesn't matter if things don't go well; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. But if we are dragged into this, then..."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, it will not happen this time," Xia Fuchuan said confidently.

Consort Xian raised her head, a smile appearing on her slightly haggard face, but the smile seemed to carry a hint of sarcasm: "A boy, how wonderful, the harem has gained another child."

"Your Majesty need not worry. Whether it is a prince or a princess, it is only a skill to raise them to adulthood. Simply giving birth to them is of no use." Xia Fuchuan helped Consort Xian walk towards the palace.

Seven days later.

Emperor Yuanwu ordered all the palace maids and eunuchs to be summoned outside the Hall of Preserving Harmony.

Hu Zhouce's boiling punishment was extremely cruel. The person to be executed was thrown into boiling water and slowly boiled to death. The entire palace of servants had to watch the execution. It was not only cruel, but also extremely humiliating.

When Zhen'er returned from the entrance of Baohe Hall, her face was deathly pale, and she was vomiting violently.

"Your Majesty..." Zhen'er was about to speak, but after only two words, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and run to the side to vomit.

Shen Qingwan previously only knew that Emperor Yuanwu was no benevolent person, as he was able to seize the throne from the princes.

I never expected him to be so ruthless.

Although Hu Zhouze was instructed by someone to frame Consort Rou and almost harm the Fourth Prince, the punishment of steaming and boiling was cruel enough. To make all the servants in the palace watch was, even if it was meant to make an example of someone, was still too much...

Shen Qingwan walked up behind Zhen'er and patted her back. "If you're not feeling well, go back and rest today. You don't need to come and serve you."

“Mother…” Zhen’er’s face was covered in tears, and she couldn’t help but vomit again as soon as she opened her mouth.

It took her a while to calm herself down.

"Your Majesty, I have been disrespectful. This place is too dirty. I will clean it up right away. Your Majesty should return to the palace quickly, lest this place offend your eyes."

Shen Qingwan shook her head and helped her into the main hall of Kunning Palace. When she turned around, she saw that all the palace maids looked unwell. Even those who didn't react as strongly as Zhen'er and kept vomiting all had pale faces.

Shen Qingwan didn't know what to say, since it was an order from Emperor Yuanwu. She could only find one servant who looked at her with a calm expression and say, "Go to the Imperial Hospital and get some medicine to calm your nerves. Just say that I was frightened."

(End of this chapter)