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

Chapter 222 Replacement
Jiang Wenlan's expression finally softened after hearing his words.

Shen Qingwan's voice remained gentle: "Since the eldest prince understood what I said, he must know what to do from now on?"

Jiang Wenlan nodded firmly.

"Eat quickly, it'll get cold soon."

Prince Rui encountered Shen Qingwan on the way, which delayed him a little.

When he arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yuanwu was sitting in front of a food tray, already drinking alone.

"Why did Your Majesty drink alone without waiting for me?"

Prince Rui washed his hands and sat down opposite Emperor Yuanwu.

“Prince Rui is always late and leaves early. I can wait, but I’m afraid the daylily on this plate won’t wait.”

Prince Rui laughed when he heard Emperor Yuanwu's teasing words. "So it turns out that I have such a bad image in Your Majesty's eyes. But this time, Your Majesty has really wronged me."

"Oh?" Emperor Yuanwu raised his eyes, his tone drawn out. "Then tell me, how did I wrong you?"

"When I first entered the palace, I happened to meet my sister-in-law and we exchanged a few words, which is why I was delayed."

After Prince Rui finished speaking, he glanced at Emperor Yuanwu without thinking. In just one glance, he quickly caught a fleeting glimpse of something unusual in the Emperor's eyes, and the fingertips holding the wine cup paused noticeably.

He pretended not to see anything, picked up the wine cup in front of him, took a swig, and then waved to the attendants behind him, "Your Majesty has gained another prince, and I don't have anything good to give you. I heard that Consort Rou suffered a lot when she gave birth to the Fourth Prince and her health deteriorated a lot. When I went to Jiangnan for a trip, I happened to come across a shop that sold this kind of Dong'e donkey-hide gelatin that looked like a pastry, so I bought some for the Empress Dowager and the ladies of the palace. Tomorrow morning, when I go to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, I will personally deliver the ones to her. Your Majesty can take the rest and distribute them to the ladies of the palace."

Emperor Yuanwu shook his head in exasperation, pointing a finger at him, "You, you, are you afraid that I will steal your thunder in front of the Empress Dowager?"

“Your Majesty, I am truly devoted to serving the Empress Dowager. These dozens of boxes of Dong’e donkey-hide gelatin are not enough for you to win the favor of the concubines in the harem. Why are you trying to take away my offer of filial piety to the Empress Dowager?” Prince Rui said with a stern face.

Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and threw two boxes of Dong'e Ejiao in front of Prince Rui, saying, "Then I'll take them and offer them to the Empress Dowager."

Prince Rui raised his wine cup: "Drink!"

When Shen Qingwan returned to Kunning Palace, it was already late at night.

Besides having dinner with Jiang Wenlan, he also listened to him recite his lessons.

The palace maids in various palaces have been organizing their departure from the palace these past two days. Shen Qingwan took the opportunity to check on the palace maids in the First Prince's palace. She had already replaced the palace maids and eunuchs around Jiang Wenlan once, and they were serving him quite well. Taking this opportunity, she could check if there were any others who needed to be replaced.

"Your Majesty, you are so devoted to the First Prince, I'm afraid some people in the harem will become suspicious. If Your Majesty truly wants to care for the First Prince, why not do it quietly? If you want to send him something, just do it discreetly." Zhen'er said with a worried expression. "Silly girl, if I do it quietly, wouldn't that give people even more reason to gossip? I am open and honest. Even if someone tries to stir up trouble for the Emperor, I believe that the Emperor is not someone who can be easily swayed by petty people."

“But…” Zhen’er’s expression was solemn.

"You must believe that the Emperor is a wise ruler." Shen Qingwan did not give Zhen'er a chance to speak again. "I am tired. Go and prepare water for me to wash up."

Perhaps it was because Emperor Yuanwu hadn't seen Prince Rui for a long time, he kept him drinking until midnight and still showed no sign of stopping.

"Your Majesty, I...I really can't drink anymore, I'm really drunk!" Prince Rui slumped on the table, his face pale.

While most people's faces turn redder the more they drink, Prince Rui's face turns paler the more he drinks.

"How much has he drunk? The long night has only just begun. How come Prince Rui is already drunk?" After Emperor Yuanwu finished speaking, he waved to Wu Jixiang behind him. Wu Jixiang carried the wine pot to Prince Rui's table and filled his cup again.

Prince Rui's eyes trembled slightly. "Your Majesty, I really can't drink anymore. Your Majesty has three thousand beauties in your harem, and a moment of pleasure is worth a thousand pieces of gold. Your Majesty should go to one of the concubines' palaces to rest as soon as possible, so as not to keep the beauty waiting anxiously."

Emperor Yuanwu laughed heartily upon hearing his words, “Prince Rui is not young anymore. It’s one thing if you don’t marry a princess, but I heard from Consort Xia that you don’t even have a maidservant in your household. Could it be that Prince Rui already has someone he likes? Is she the legitimate daughter of some minister? Tell me, and I will arrange the marriage for you tonight.”

Prince Rui was taken aback, slowly raised his head, and glanced at Emperor Yuanwu with slightly smoky eyes. "If I speak up tonight, Your Majesty will stand up for me. If I speak up tomorrow morning, will Your Majesty not stand up for me?"

"Oh?" Emperor Yuanwu rested one hand on the table with interest, picked up the wine cup and swirled it around his nose, seemingly intoxicated by the aroma of the fine wine, and closed his eyes. "Judging from what you're saying, it seems you really have someone you like."

“Your Majesty, I’ve had too much to drink. If you really want to know, Your Majesty, you might as well listen to my rambling.” Prince Rui said, picking up the wine cup that Wu Jixiang had just filled for him and gulping down the entire cup of wine in one go. “Your Majesty does have a woman you admire, but she comes from a humble background and her father has never served as an official in the court.”

"If you truly love her, I can grant you both a marriage. So what if she is of low birth? She can be taken into my household as a concubine."

Prince Rui shook his head with a wry smile.

"So it seems Prince Rui is truly in love? His expression changed when he heard I wanted you to take her as a concubine? Is he really that protective of her?" Emperor Yuanwu smiled knowingly. "If you truly love her, then I will elevate her family's status. It doesn't matter that her father isn't an official in court; I can grant him a nominal but powerless post to silence those ministers who want to impeach you. What do you think?"

Prince Rui remained silent for a while. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes, but upon closer inspection, there was a sharp glint in them. He raised his eyes to look at Emperor Yuanwu, his gaze unreadable: "She died last year from a serious illness."

died?

When Emperor Yuanwu heard these two words, his eyes trembled slightly, as if time had stood still for a moment. The two looked at each other from a distance, and after a long while, Prince Rui slowly asked, "Your Majesty has three thousand beauties in your harem. Is there one who can replace Consort Li in your heart?"

(End of this chapter)