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

Chapter 233 Lingering
Shen Qingwan dared not give Emperor Yuanwu so much meat, in case he got indigestion, which would cause trouble. So she had someone bring some steamed buns, sweet potatoes, and other things...

It was an hour later when they finished lunch.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Emperor Yuanwu leaned against the boat, staring intently at Shen Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan felt uncomfortable under his gaze, and she scratched her head awkwardly. "Why does Your Majesty keep staring at me?"

Emperor Yuanwu raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly, "I was just thinking that if Consort Xian were half as sensible as you, that would truly be my blessing."

Consort Xian?

Upon hearing this name, Emperor Shen Qingwan couldn't help but frown slightly.

Why would Emperor Yuanwu suddenly think of her at this time?

Therefore, people should not eat too much.

When people are not full, they only think about one thing: what should they eat next?

But once people are full, they start thinking about many things.

This is just like that old saying, "Too full to have anything better to do."

Shen Qingwan didn't dislike Consort Xian that much, but in such a pleasant moment, having someone she didn't particularly like suddenly brought up was a bit of a downer.

"Why did Your Majesty suddenly think of her?" Shen Qingwan's expression was calm, a departure from her usual docile demeanor. "If I'm not mistaken, Your Majesty hasn't seen Consort Xian for quite some time, has he?"

"That's not it." Emperor Yuanwu shifted his posture, his gaze towards Shen Qingwan remaining unchanged. "I had just met with her when I arrived."

"Oh?" Shen Qingwan asked in surprise, drawing out her words, "Since His Majesty just went to Jingyang Palace to see Consort Xian, why didn't he dine in Consort Xian's palace?"

"I spent the entire morning in the Hall of Mental Cultivation discussing state affairs with several ministers and did not go to Jingyang Palace." Emperor Yuanwu's eyes darkened. "It was Consort Xian who said she had something to discuss with me and was waiting for me at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, so we met briefly."

Something?

Shen Qingwan had a bad feeling in her heart, and she felt that the matter that Emperor Yuanwu had suddenly brought up, which Consort Xian should have talked to Emperor Yuanwu about, was related to her.

"For Consort Xian to wait for the Emperor for so long at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation just to see him, it must be something very important." Shen Qingwan spoke as if casually, but deliberately emphasized the words "very important."

Emperor Yuanwu's lips curled up, his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "Consort Xian wants me to tell the Empress that she is used to the old people in the palace, and that she will not let any of her palace maids out this time."

Shen Qingwan scoffed inwardly. Sure enough, it was related to her.

"Has His Majesty agreed?"

Emperor Yuanwu looked at her, his eyes deep: "Empress, do you think I should agree to her request or not?"

"Whether the Emperor should agree to her request or not, I cannot guess, nor dare I guess. Although I am in the inner palace, I have heard that the Emperor has recently been praising the difficulties of the new policies. For the sake of the people, the Emperor has reduced a lot of taxes and chores for them, hoping that they can farm at home, earn more income through hard work, and live a life of plenty."

However, some people still did not understand the emperor's good intentions. Instead, they felt that the taxes and corvée labor that had been reduced should not have been collected in the first place. They simply stayed at home to farm, harvesting once or twice a year, living a life that depended on the blessings of God. If the weather was bad, they might not harvest anything at all. It would be better to go to the city to work and earn money faster.

But they don't realize that they have no skills and go to the city to do manual labor. They may work hard all year round, but when they return home at the end of the year, they take no money with them and return with no money. They completely disregard their elderly parents and wives and children who need care, and they feel that they have worked hard and suffered a lot all year.

In the end, all the farm work was left to his elderly parents and his wife, who was holding their newborn child…

Emperor Yuanwu sighed helplessly as he listened to Shen Qingwan's words. "Actually, not all people are so stubborn. This is only a small part of them. When new policies overturn old ones, it is inevitable that some officials' pockets will be touched. It is not just the people who oppose the new policies."

"Yes, Your Majesty, you manage the larger family, while I manage the harem, which is like a smaller family. But whether it's the larger or smaller family, even if we do nothing, there will still be people who are dissatisfied. I let the palace maids leave the palace, thinking of the palace maids who have worked so hard in the palace for so many years, and also giving those poor women another way to make a living."

There are only a limited number of people who need to serve in the palace. Without the old servants leaving, how can new servants come in? There are countless examples of parents who, driven to desperation, sell their daughters to brothels. If they could enter the palace and find a job, work for a few years to save up some dowry for themselves, and then get married when they reach the age to leave the palace, it might not be such a bad thing.

However, this would inevitably attract the attention of spies planted in various palaces. The more anxious someone is, the more problematic they are. Which of the senior palace women didn't start as newcomers? If they're unwilling to accept newcomers because they haven't served them well, how can they be worthy of being the head of a palace, much less the emperor's woman?

Shen Qingwan's eyes flashed with a cold sharpness, but she smiled and asked, "Does Your Majesty still find anything amiss?"

Emperor Yuanwu laughed heartily, “The Empress’s considerations are thorough, and I naturally do not find anything wrong with them. I am full and a little tired, so I will go back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to rest. General Rong will be coming to the palace this afternoon to discuss matters with me, so I will not stay here with the Empress for tea.”

Shen Qingwan rose and bowed, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty..."

Before she could finish speaking, the boat swayed noticeably, nearly causing her to fall. Fortunately, Emperor Yuanwu, who was standing next to her, reacted quickly, bracing himself on the boat with one hand and grabbing Shen Qingwan's arm with the other.

As her swaying body was pulled back, a hint of panic flashed across her beautiful face. She remained calm and composed, like a delicate flower reflected in water, and moved with the grace of a willow swaying in the breeze.

Emperor Yuanwu seemed to have never seen the Empress so closely before. Her clear and affectionate eyes, her cherry-red lips, her skin like solidified cream, and her eyebrows like ink strokes made her so beautiful and captivating.

It seemed he had never looked at the Empress so closely before…

The moment Shen Qingwan regained her footing, she subtly withdrew her arm from Emperor Yuanwu's grasp. "I was out of line. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanwu took a bite of the medicine in his hand, then suddenly came to his senses, "It's alright."

Before Emperor Yuanwu could speak, Shen Qingwan hurriedly curtsied and bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, please take care."

Emperor Yuanwu cleared his throat as if deliberately concealing something, and said, "Hmm."

Shen Qingwan finally breathed a long sigh of relief when Emperor Yuanwu reached the shore.

Just now, Emperor Yuanwu stared at her with tender and affectionate eyes, as if there was something indescribable hidden in his gaze. He had never looked at her like that before...

(End of this chapter)