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

Chapter 228
"Mother, this white fungus and lotus seed soup looks delicious, and I'd like to have a bowl. I only ate a couple of bites for breakfast, but seeing all this delicious food on the table, I'm actually a little hungry," Shen Qingwan said softly.

"Please sit down. I'm eating alone and I'm finding it hard to enjoy my food." The Empress Dowager made Shen Qingwan sit down next to her and then had Zhang Mama bring her a clean bowl and chopsticks.

Shen Qingwan sat down, head down, and carefully drank the white fungus and lotus seed soup in her bowl, sip by sip.

The two ate their food quietly, as if nothing had just happened.

The Empress Dowager took a couple of bites, glanced at Shen Qingwan, and then looked at the two boxes of donkey-hide gelatin that Prince Rui had sent on the table. She said slowly, "When the Empress goes back later, please take these two boxes of donkey-hide gelatin with you. This stuff is too 'heaty' and I can't eat it."

Shen Qingwan paused, then hesitated for a moment. “Mother, your daughter-in-law also has a box of this Dong’e donkey-hide gelatin. I tried a piece yesterday, and it seems different from the Dong’e donkey-hide gelatin I’ve had before. It contains peanuts, melon seeds, walnuts, and other nuts. It tastes sweet, more like a dessert than medicine. I think that so many nuts are enough to mask the original taste of the donkey-hide gelatin. I imagine that since it’s divided into small pieces, the amount of donkey-hide gelatin isn’t much. If Mother eats a small piece every day, it will not only improve your complexion but also prevent you from getting a sore throat. I think it would be better for Mother to try it first. If you really don’t like it, you can give it to me later.”

After listening to Shen Qingwan's explanation, the Empress Dowager became quite curious about what made Dong'e donkey-hide gelatin different, but she was too embarrassed to open it in front of her, so she simply nodded.

After breakfast, Shen Qingwan explained to the Empress Dowager in detail about letting the palace maids leave the palace, as she was always afraid that others might misunderstand her meaning when relaying the message.

"Mother, I really feel that there are too many idle people in the harem. Some palaces really don't need so many people to serve them. For example, in the Imperial Garden, I have seen the palace maids chatting idly while sweeping more than once. And most of the time, what they talk about is gossip and trouble," Shen Qingwan said softly.

The Empress Dowager held Shen Qingwan's hand and said earnestly, "Actually, the fact that there are so many idle people in the harem is not a recent thing. When the late Emperor was still alive, I was just a concubine. There were some things that I saw and couldn't stand. I was afraid that if I said too much, I would upset the Empress, and I was even more afraid that others would think that I had other intentions. After the Emperor ascended the throne, although I wanted to manage the harem, I was ultimately unable to do so because of my poor health. Now that the Empress is so thoughtful and considerate, it is my blessing and the Emperor's blessing as well."

"Mother." Shen Qingwan's eyes widened in surprise, quite unexpected that the Empress Dowager would say such a thing.

"The Empress Dowager is getting old," the Empress Dowager said with emotion. "But the Empress is still young. If there is anything she wants to do, she should do it boldly. The harem has not seen such a peaceful scene for a long time. I know that this is all thanks to the Empress. The Empress has also gone to great lengths for the Emperor."

"Your Majesty flatters me. In fact, I only suggested these things; it was Consort Zhen who actually carried them out," Shen Qingwan said leisurely.

"Consort Zhen," the Empress Dowager repeated Shen Qingwan's words, "Consort Zhen has been with the Emperor for many years, and she only has one daughter, Jiang Wanying. After the Emperor ascended the throne, there were more and more young concubines, so the Emperor thought of her less and less."

Shen Qingwan lowered her head and remained silent, because she truly didn't know what to say.

She had initially thought that the Empress Dowager would patiently listen to her and understand, which would have been very gratifying. However, she hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to not only understand but also seem to support her actions. The Empress Dowager's open-mindedness and unconditional support meant her life in the palace would be much more comfortable. However, as for whether the concubines were favored by Emperor Yuanwu, even as Empress, she had no way to influence his thoughts.

"My daughter-in-law is having Consort Zhen learn how to manage the affairs of the inner palace. If she does well, I'm thinking of promoting her to the rank of Consort one day. Although Jiang Wanying is still young now, in a few years, when she reaches the age of marriage, her mother, being a Consort, can find a better husband. After all, she is the eldest princess. If she marries poorly or doesn't live well after marriage, it will ultimately be a disgrace to our royal family. What do you think, Mother?"

"The Empress has done a very good job." The Empress Dowager nodded approvingly. "The Empress has thought of everything for the sake of the harem, even considering the future of the princess. In this respect, she is indeed more thoughtful than I am."

Shen Qingwan lowered her eyes somewhat embarrassed. "It is my blessing that Mother can trust me. I thank you, Mother. Actually, many times, I can only keep some of my thoughts to myself and dare not speak them out. I am afraid that if others hear them, they will misunderstand my meaning and think that I am deliberately forming factions in the harem, causing trouble for no reason."

The Empress Dowager held Shen Qingwan's hand and shook her head. "Good child, everything you have done is for the Emperor. I should be thanking you. If anyone dares to gossip behind your back, I will punish them severely. I believe that the Empress is honest and upright in saying these things to me."

When Shen Qingwan came out of Cining Palace, it was almost lunchtime.

"Your Majesty, what would you like to eat for lunch? I'll have someone go to the Imperial Kitchen to order it." Zhen'er asked.

"No rush. I just ate something at the Empress Dowager's place and I'm not hungry yet. Let's have dinner later." Shen Qingwan said, glancing towards the Imperial Garden. "It's still early. Let's take a stroll in the Imperial Garden."

Although the weather hasn't felt warm yet, the ice on the lake in the Imperial Garden has already begun to melt, and tender buds have sprouted on the dry branches. The cold wind is still blowing, but it no longer has the biting pain of winter.

Shen Qingwan glanced at the wooden boat moored on the lake and couldn't help but sigh, "It's a pity I don't drink. If I did, we could take a boat to the center of the lake, drink some wine and eat some food. That would be quite a beautiful sight."

"Your Majesty, even if you don't drink alcohol, you can substitute tea for wine. Since Your Majesty wants this kind of enjoyment, why bother about what you drink?"

Shen Qingwan listened to Zhen'er's words and felt that they made sense. "Then I'll have lunch on the lake in the Imperial Garden. I'm not very hungry anyway, so I might as well enjoy the spring scenery on the lake."

"Yes." Zhen'er curtsied. "This servant will have someone prepare it immediately."

(End of this chapter)