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

Chapter 226 Accepting fate
"This..." Consort Xian was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say, so she simply turned her gaze aside. "Even so, we can only say that they were unlucky. Who told them to be born into such a family? If they had been born into a wealthy family, how could they have entered the palace as servants at such a young age? It's all fate, and they should accept it."

“If everyone were born into a wealthy family, who would be willing to be a slave or maid?” Shen Qingwan’s question made Consort Xian’s face turn pale.

Seeing that she stopped speaking, Shen Qingwan slowly withdrew her gaze. "Actually, everyone in each palace can take a look at the rosters. The number of palace maids of retirement age in each palace is roughly the same. But why are there more palace maids in some palaces who want to leave, and fewer in others? Can we think about it differently? No matter what, these girls can earn more serving in the palace than they can find a job outside. As long as they are willing to stay, they can still receive the same salary as before. So why is it that in some palaces, almost half of the palace maids of retirement age are unwilling to stay, while in other palaces, almost all the palace maids of retirement age are unwilling to leave?"

As soon as Shen Qingwan finished speaking, the previously noisy main hall fell silent.

why?
Why else?
It's nothing more than being mistreated by the masters in the palace and living a hard life. They would rather leave the palace and live a miserable life, even if it means being blamed by their families, than continue living a life worse than death in the palace.

While the phrase "worse than death" might be an exaggeration, the methods some people used to punish palace maids in the harem were quite varied.

To avoid being accused of mistreating palace maids, many concubines would use needle torture on them. This involved pricking the maids one by one with an embroidery needle. There were no visible wounds, so it was not easily noticed, but it caused excruciating pain. This form of torture was actually more terrifying than beatings or slapping. The needles were inserted in relatively hidden places, making it difficult to even apply medicine. The maids could only wait for the wounds to heal slowly. Some concubines, in order to consolidate their position in the harem or to compete for favor and to learn more about Emperor Yuanwu, would even send their maids to the eunuchs serving Emperor Yuanwu.

In short, if you follow the wrong person, you'll probably live in constant fear. Now that you're free, you'd be eager to be the first to leave the palace.

The concubines lowered their eyes after hearing Shen Qingwan's words. Those disgraceful things were best left unsaid; to bring them up in public would be far too inappropriate.

Shen Qingwan left it at that, but everyone understood the underlying meaning.

After a long silence, Consort Shu couldn't help but speak first, "What Your Majesty the Empress says is very true."

"In that case, I think that if those palace maids really don't want to stay in the palace to serve, there's no need to force them. After this commotion, even if they are forced to stay, there's probably already a grudge between them and their mistresses, which will inevitably lead to more trouble in the future," Consort Zhen added.

Shen Qingwan turned her head to look at Consort Xian, "I think that after Consort Xian goes back, she should ask the people in the palace again whether they really want to stay. If they are not sincere and have been coerced or something, I am afraid that they will not serve her wholeheartedly in the future. If they do something disloyal, it will be Consort Xian herself who will suffer in the end."

Consort Xian was so flustered by what she was said that she said, "Your Majesty's words are quite true. I will definitely ask someone to inquire about it carefully when I get back. When I heard that they all wanted to stay and serve, I didn't think about it carefully. Your Majesty is very thoughtful."

"That's right. With Your Majesty as the pillar of the harem, even if I am not favored by the Emperor, I feel that there is hope for the future." Consort Tong finally found an opportunity to interject.

As soon as she said that, everyone in the room turned to look at her.

Shen Qingwan was completely overwhelmed and helplessly rubbed her forehead.

This Consort Tong is really brainless. She just came to her palace and said so much. She thinks that Consort Tong made it very clear. It wasn't a polite refusal, but a clear rejection.

She really shouldn't have made her stance so obvious; the feud between her and Consort Xian was now firmly established. Upon hearing this, not only did Consort Xian look at her with ambiguous and unsettling eyes, but even Consort Dong and Consort Ruan, who were usually close to her, looked at her in surprise.

Tong Changzai gave an awkward laugh and lowered her eyes.

Shen Qingwan chuckled. How could someone be so stupid as to offend three people with just one sentence?

"That's about all we have to say for today. If there's nothing else, everyone can leave now," Shen Qingwan said calmly. "If any palace sends out too many maids, don't worry. New maids will be brought in to replace them in a few days. Don't always think that the old ones serving you are the best. The longer you stay in the palace, the more cunning you become. It's hard to avoid them being lazy and mischievous. New maids will need some time to get used to their new roles. It's easier to mold a blank slate into whatever you want."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will remember your teachings." Everyone rose and bowed.

Shen Qingwan smiled slightly and walked towards the palace.

Previously, when she said she would release some of the people in the harem, I thought it was just something the Empress said casually. Now it seems that the Empress is serious this time.

Yes!

Since the Empress took over the harem, she has delegated most of the affairs to the concubines in the palace. This matter seems to be the first thing she has seriously focused on since taking over the harem, so how could she not take it seriously? Even if it is for the Emperor's benefit, this matter is likely to stir up some trouble.

Consort Tong, being of low rank, was originally seated near the door. The moment the Empress dismissed the guests, she ran towards the door as if her feet were greased.

Unfortunately, Dong Changzai and Tong Changzai caught them red-handed.

"When I came over this morning, I felt that you looked strange today. In just a few days, when did you become one of the Empress's people?" Dong Changzai grabbed her arm, his face full of accusation.

Consort Tong glanced cautiously at the concubines passing by, then pulled Consort Dong to a corner.

"Since you've all figured it out, I won't hide it from you anymore. Yesterday I went to the Empress's palace and explained my intentions to her. From now on, I will follow the Empress's lead without question. If she says go east, I will never go west."

“You…” Dong Changzai pointed at her with one finger, her face flushed red, “Have you forgotten what we said when we first entered the palace?”

(End of this chapter)