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

Chapter 217 Accepting Favor
"If you still can't understand after a week of study, there's no need to go to great lengths to teach you. Just send you to the laundry department to do manual labor." Shen Qingwan's expression was calm, a departure from her usual gentle demeanor.

Although there are many rules in the palace, they are not difficult to remember. Previously, palace maids spent a long time learning the rules after entering the palace. They received the palace salary and could stay there indefinitely without learning the rules. Three to five months would pass in the blink of an eye, which undoubtedly increased the expenses of the harem.

If they were to be assigned to their future service positions based on how much they learned, those who learned quickly could serve in the palace, while those who learned slowly would have to do menial tasks, she didn't believe that those palace maids would dare to take their monthly allowance and waste their days in the harem.

Consort Shen looked embarrassed. "Your Majesty the Empress is right."

"Alright, Consort Shen, please sit down. Don't stand all the time." Shen Qingwan turned her face away, her eyes full of displeasure. "Leave this matter to Consort Zhen. If she is too busy, she can ask a few of the concubines who are close to you to help. If she does a good job, I will reward them all."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Consort Zhen rose to accept the order.

Shen Qingwan inquired about the princes and princesses' recent condition. Hearing that they were all doing well, she felt relieved. However, she couldn't help but add a few more words of advice, "The weather is getting warmer day by day. Spring is here. During the transition between hot and cold weather, children need to be especially careful not to catch a cold."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings."

"If the concubines have nothing else to say, that's enough for today. You may all leave."

The concubines bowed and left one after another.

As soon as she stepped out of the main hall of Kunning Palace, Consort Zhen was surrounded by a crowd.

Consort An affectionately took Consort Zhen's arm and said, "Consort Zhen, the Empress just said that if you are too busy to manage the affairs of the palace maids leaving the palace, you can ask some close concubines for help. Since I entered the palace through the selection, I have never been favored by the Emperor. I am often bored in the harem and am very willing to do my best to share the burden for Consort Zhen."

Consort Zhen awkwardly withdrew her hand from her bosom. "It's naturally a good thing for us concubines to be able to share the Empress's burdens. I'm overjoyed that you're willing to contribute your share. However... I didn't know about the matter Your Majesty just gave me before coming to Kunning Palace. There was no such rule in the palace before. Now that Your Majesty has made the arrangement, please allow me two days to think it over and go back to sort things out from beginning to end. If there are any things I can't handle, I will definitely have someone call you over to help. Please don't complain about the tediousness of the harem."

“Of course.” An Changzai glanced down at his empty hand, his smile slightly stiff.

Just as Consort Zhen had managed to fob off Consort An, Consort Dong and Consort Ruan joined in.

"Your Highness Consort Zhen, if there is anything I can help with, I am willing to do my part."

As soon as Consort Ruan finished speaking, Consort Dong followed up, "If it is as Your Majesty the Empress said, it would be quite a task to count all the palace maids in the harem. I imagine one person would not be able to handle it. If Consort Zhen needs my help, please feel free to ask. I would be happy to share your burden."

"Okay, okay," Consort Zhen laughed awkwardly. It took her a lot of effort to squeeze out from the group of concubines.

Consort Zhen let out a long sigh of relief, quickened her pace, and caught up with Consort Shu. "Consort Shu, wait for me."

"I saw you surrounded by so many people and thought you would be a while longer, so I didn't wait for you. I didn't expect you to catch up so quickly," Consort Shu said softly.

Consort Zhen sighed helplessly, "What's wrong with these ladies-in-waiting? Usually, when something happens in the palace, they all stay far away. Why are they so eager to help today? If I hadn't run fast, I don't know how long they would have been blocking my way."

Consort Shu couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Hasn't Consort Zhen heard yet? Yesterday, the Emperor chose Consort Xi's nameplate, and this morning, he promoted her to Noble Lady. If I remember correctly, this should be Consort Xi's second time serving the Emperor. She went from being a Consort to a Noble Lady on her second visit. Those Consorts' sisters, even for the sake of their own future, have to rush forward with all their might."

"Huh?" Consort Zhen was taken aback. "Who is Consort Xi? She is the Empress Dowager's niece and the Emperor's distant cousin. Let alone being promoted to Noble Lady on her second night of service, even if she were promoted to Imperial Concubine without ever having served the Emperor, I doubt anyone in the harem would dare to say a word against it!"

"Whether you dare to say it or not is one thing, what you think in your heart is another. I also took a look. Of those Consorts who were just hovering around you, apart from Consort An who entered the palace through the imperial selection, the rest seem to have entered the palace because of their maternal families. Each of them is more ambitious than the last, thinking that they will be favored as soon as they enter the palace. But they didn't expect that they would spend more and more time on the sidelines. Now that they see Consort Xi become a Noble Lady overnight, aren't they in a hurry?" Consort Shu sneered.

“What’s the use of being anxious? Who the Emperor likes and who he wants to favor is not something outsiders can control. Besides, the Emperor only enters the harem a few times a month these days. Let alone receiving his favor, I’m afraid it’s difficult to even see him once.” Consort Zhen sighed.

“Nowadays, apart from dining at the Empress’s palace every few days, the Emperor’s meals at other palaces are pretty much the same…” Consort Shu said resentfully.

“Even if the Emperor doesn’t dine at the Empress’s palace every few days, according to the old rules, he still has to go to Kunning Palace on the first and fifteenth of the month. We concubines can’t compare at all.” Consort Zhen sighed. “Forget it, I’d better go back to the palace again and see what to do about letting the palace maids leave. I’m so worried. If all the palace maids are released, the harem will definitely be in chaos for a while. Each palace will be missing so many servants at once, and I’m afraid a new batch of maids will have to enter the palace.”

"Don't worry, sister. Why don't I have each palace compile a list of palace maids who are over 18 years old and send it to your palace? You can see the exact number before making a decision," Consort Shu comforted her.

"Sister." Consort Zhen gratefully grasped Consort Shu's hand, almost kneeling down. "If you could have someone help me count the people first, I really wouldn't know how to thank you enough. I was just thinking about whether I should go to the Imperial Household Department to get the records of the palace maids when they entered the palace and count them one by one."

"That's too much trouble. Let's use my method instead. How about this: you go and take the count for the East Palace, and I'll take the count for the West Palace. Once I've finished, I'll have someone send it to you..."

Consort Xian had taken leave due to a leg injury and had just gotten up to wash when Chun'er from Consort Shu's palace came over with her entourage...

(End of this chapter)