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

Chapter 216 What a great spirit of sacrifice!

"Your Majesty, Prince Rui went to the Jiangnan region after the New Year and just returned to the capital last night. I reckon he's had a long journey and needs a day to rest. He should be able to come to the palace to pay his respects to Your Majesty tomorrow."

Emperor Yuanwu stared intently into the distance for a while before snapping out of his reverie. “Since that illness, Prince Rui’s health has been deteriorating. Tomorrow, I will go to Prince Rui’s residence and tell him to invite him to the palace for dinner with me tomorrow night.”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The next morning, Shen Qingwan had just gotten up and was washing up.

Zhen'er walked in from outside. "Your Majesty, yesterday the Emperor went to Consort Xi's palace, and this morning, the Emperor promoted Consort Xi to Noble Lady Xi."

Shen Qingwan paused, "Really?"

“It’s true.” Zhen’er nodded. “The imperial decree for the investiture has already been issued.”

Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow slightly as she listened. "Hasn't His Majesty always disliked Consort Xi? Why did he suddenly go to Consort Xi first, and even promote her?"

Because Emperor Yuanwu disliked her, Consort Xi often complained to the Empress Dowager, putting her in the middle and causing the Empress Dowager to scold her several times.

A few days ago, she was still worried about what kind of suitable opportunity she could find to attract Emperor Yuanwu's attention to Xi Changzai, but she never expected that he would go there himself.

Noble person?

For a concubine who has been in the palace for so long without receiving any favor, suddenly becoming a Noble Lady is likely to cause a stir in the harem and generate a lot of gossip.

"Your Majesty, I heard from the people in the Imperial Palace that this time, it was Eunuch Jixiang who mentioned to the Emperor that when you went to Cining Palace last time, you saw Consort Xi crying to the Empress Dowager about how the Emperor didn't favor her. You were scolded by the Empress Dowager, and that's why the Emperor went to Consort Xi's palace..."

Shen Qingwan: ...

If that's the case.

She really has Emperor Yuanwu to thank!

She was willing to sacrifice her beauty in order to maintain a harmonious relationship between her and the Empress Dowager.

What a great spirit of sacrifice!
When he comes to Kunning Palace for a meal next time, she will definitely prepare a pot of rich kidney soup to nourish him properly.

We can't drink osmanthus tea anymore; we'll switch to goji berry tea.

"Your Majesty, the concubines are all waiting in the main hall."

Shen Qingwan nodded, glanced at her makeup in the bronze mirror to make sure it was okay, and then walked towards the main hall.

"There's something I need to tell you all today. Yesterday, I discussed it with the Emperor, and we decided to release a batch of palace maids who are 18 years of age or older from the harem." As Shen Qingwan finished speaking, the main hall of Kunning Palace became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The silence lasted for a while, and then the concubines began to discuss among themselves.

"If that's the case, wouldn't that mean a lot of palace maids would have to be released?"

“There are already not enough people to serve in the palace. If we release people who are 18 years old, I’m afraid there will be very few people left in my palace.”

"Yes, Your Majesty, aren't palace maids usually released at the age of 25? How come it's suddenly 18? If a palace maid enters the palace at 12, she'll only have served for 6 years before being released... wouldn't that mean she's just learned the rules and is already being released... wouldn't that be..."

Shen Qingwan seemed to have anticipated their words. Regardless of what the concubines said, she maintained a faint smile, showing no sign of anger. "Palace maids enter the palace as slaves not of their own volition. They serve diligently in the harem, but how much of their monthly stipend actually goes towards their own needs? In the end, after serving in the harem for over a decade, they leave with nothing but old age, unable to marry into any good family. If they can marry into a decent family as concubines and bear children, that's fine, but if not..."

Shen Qingwan's words made sense; everyone understood this principle. However, no one in the harem ever considered the plight of these lowly servants.

The concubines who had been arguing the loudest just moments before fell silent upon hearing the Empress's words.

"What I mean is that I have only changed the age at which palace maids can leave the palace. I have not said that every palace maid must leave the palace when she turns 18. If they want to stay in the palace to serve, of course they can. If they want to leave the palace, I do not want the masters of the palaces to deliberately make things difficult for them and keep them here. If I find out about such a thing, then don't blame me for being impolite. Did you all hear that?" Shen Qingwan sat up straight, her eyes deep and full of majesty.

She had already made up her mind about this matter. There were no problems with Emperor Yuanwu. Today, she was only here to inform them, not to discuss it with them.

Both are women, but because of their poor background, they serve diligently in the harem for more than ten years. If they encounter a gentle master in the harem, they may be able to suffer less punishment. But if they encounter a master who is not favored or has lost favor, and takes his anger out on them all day long, their lives are unimaginable. When they finally reach the age to leave the palace, they are just jumping from one fire pit into another.

Shen Qingwan knew in her heart that although she had done so much, she might not be able to help them much in the long run. But even if it was just a tiny bit of hope, she would try her best to help them, after all, she was a girl too.

"As for Consort Shen just now... she said that a palace maid should leave the palace after serving for only 6 years. Doesn't that mean she has only just learned the rules? If it takes a palace maid 6 years to learn the rules of the palace after entering it, such a clumsy palace maid should not be kept in the palace to serve. I'm afraid she is not very bright." Shen Qingwan turned to look at Consort Shen.

Consort Shen's face turned ashen instantly.

So many people were just talking about how palace maids left the palace at 18, which was too early. Why did the Empress listen to her but not to everyone else?

Could it be that this Empress has so quickly forgotten that she was sent to the palace by the Prince Xiang's mansion? Why is the Empress making things so difficult for her? Is it because she harbors a grudge against the Prince Xiang's mansion?

Regardless of the truth.

At this time, in the inner palace, the Empress was the master of the inner palace.

Consort Shen was extremely unhappy, but she didn't dare to go against the Empress openly. She hurriedly got up and apologized, "Your Majesty, you misunderstand. That's not what I meant. I was just thinking that there are many rules in the harem, and it would definitely take some effort for those lowly maids to learn all of them."

"Even if it takes some effort, it will only take a month at most. If they can learn the rules, they can be sent to serve in various palaces. New palace maids will start by doing some rough work such as sweeping and cleaning. If they do well, they will be promoted step by step, which will save the training nannies the trouble of teaching each one the rules one by one..."