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

Chapter 238 Substitute
For a fleeting moment, as he looked away from his peripheral vision, his gaze lingered on Zhen'er.

Zhen'er: ? ? ?
Zhen'er was slightly taken aback by his strange behavior.

Why are Prince Rui's personal attendants acting so strangely?

Why isn't he following behind Prince Rui properly? Why is he backing away? If he's going to back away, why is he looking at her?
Just as she was filled with doubt, Prince Rui suddenly turned his head and looked in her direction.

Zhen'er: ...

She belatedly realized what was happening and took a large step back.

As if deliberately hiding something, he reached out and scratched his head, staring at the sky.

The night is so beautiful tonight, there isn't a single star in the sky.

Prince Rui watched as the two of them took a step back before stepping forward towards Shen Qingwan.

Shen Qingwan: ...

She took a half-step back, somewhat defensively.

Prince Rui was taken aback, then gave a helpless smile: "Don't panic, I don't mean anything by it, I just have a few words I'd like to discuss in private."

Want to talk privately?
Just hearing those words is enough to send anyone into a state of utter chaos tonight.

This is the imperial harem.

It was the Imperial Garden, a place where palace servants frequently came and went.

She had only brought her personal maid with her, and their chance encounter here, where they exchanged a few pleasantries, was quite inappropriate if overheard by others.

At this moment, he also had his personal attendant and her personal maid stand aside.

This was seen by passersby, and who knows what kind of gossip it will cause in the harem.

"This..." Shen Qingwan hesitated, her lips moving with a guarded expression: "If Prince Rui has something to say, let's talk about it tomorrow morning. It's getting late, and I need to go back to rest."

As Shen Qingwan spoke, she turned her body toward Kunning Palace. However, before she could take a step, Prince Rui had already stepped in front of her. "It's just a few words and won't take up too much time. Don't worry, I've already inquired and no one will come."

rest assured?

Hearing him say that, Shen Qingwan became even more worried.

However, thinking that it was better to hear her finish what she had to say than to keep arguing with him here, he decided it was better to listen to her finish what she had to say as soon as possible.

After all, every extra moment spent here increases the risk of danger.

"Speak quickly if you have something to say." Shen Qingwan's eyes dimmed, and she looked around warily.

"I heard that Consort Xi is pregnant."

Does he favor someone important?
When Shen Qingwan heard this name, her brow twitched involuntarily.

What exactly does Prince Rui mean?
In the middle of the night, he stopped her on the way and actually started talking to her about Xi Guiren (a person with a lucky charm).

Are Prince Rui and Consort Xi very familiar with each other?

"I know that Consort Xi is the Empress Dowager's cousin. Regardless of whether the Emperor likes this pregnancy or not, the Empress Dowager will definitely value it very much."

What Prince Rui said is true.

The Empress Dowager must have been eagerly anticipating this day ever since she sent Consort Xi into the palace. If Consort Xi's pregnancy results in a prince, he could potentially become the crown prince.

In the struggle for the throne, the Empress Dowager would inevitably join the fray to consolidate her family's position in the court.

Otherwise, why would he go to such lengths to send Consort Xi into the palace? Could it really be because Consort Xi met the Emperor once when she was young and fell in love with him?

Having spent most of her life fighting in the harem, Shen Qingwan didn't believe that the Empress Dowager still held any genuine feelings.

"I'm sorry, but why did Prince Rui suddenly bring this up?"

However, it must be said that Prince Rui arrived a little too quickly.
She went to Xianfu Palace after learning about the matter, and she had just come out of Xianfu Palace when she ran into Prince Rui, who already knew about the matter.

The news about her, an empress, was known even faster than that of a prince outside the palace.

This……

Shen Qingwan was unsure whether she, as the Empress, had failed in her duties or whether Prince Rui was simply too well-informed.

Just how many of Prince Rui's spies are there in the harem?

Shen Qingwan felt a sudden panic. Could it be that there were people from Prince Rui's faction in Kunning Palace?
Whether it exists or not.

She felt that given the complicated and unresolved relationship between the original owner and Prince Rui, he wouldn't go so far as to plant a spy to harm her!

Prince Rui, seeing her surprised expression, unconsciously curved his lips into a slight smile. "Actually, this matter has nothing to do with you, much less with me. It's just that I grew up in the palace and am used to the intrigue and backstabbing. Now, seeing the peaceful facade of the harem, I realize that the sordid affairs behind it are merely a facade. The head of Xianfu Palace is Consort Jin, and Consort Jin and Consort Shu both assist in managing the six palaces, so they inevitably have a lot of contact. Although the Third Prince is not Consort Shu's biological son, my brother's mind is made up, and he has no intention of letting the Third Prince return to Jingyang Palace. The Third Prince is almost a year old. When Consort Xi was pregnant, the Third Prince had just learned to walk, the age when he should be running all over the courtyard. If this were to happen..."

If it were that the Third Prince was running around and happened to bump into Consort Xi, who was pregnant and had difficulty moving around.

What if something goes wrong...!
Shen Qingwan continued to ponder the unfinished words of Prince Rui, and just thinking about it made her break out in a cold sweat.

No matter who in the harem loses their child, she, as the empress, will bear responsibility.

If such a thing really happens, Consort Jin will be the first to suffer, and Consort Shu will probably also be punished for failing to properly discipline her children. At that time, if Consort Xi's child is not saved, the Empress Dowager's anger will likely reach Kunning Palace.

Consort Jin...?
Shen Qingwan always felt that Consort Jin was not as simple as she appeared.

Her father and her entire clan were severely punished by Emperor Yuanwu, yet she harbored no hatred whatsoever. She was able to serve them all well in the palace and even rose to the rank of concubine.
Consort Shu wouldn't be foolish enough to let the child she raised commit such a heinous crime; she was just afraid someone would use her as a pawn.

Shen Qingwan's face paled slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Prince Rui. I will consider this matter carefully."

Prince Rui nodded. "It's getting late. Your Highness should go back and rest early. The affairs of the inner palace are complicated, so please take good care of yourself. The weather is gradually getting warmer, so remember to have someone add some honeysuckle to your daily tea to clear heat and detoxify."

Shen Qingwan looked up at him and slowly nodded, "Okay."

The original owner lost his life due to a cold.

Spring is a season when colds and chills are common. Prince Rui's suggestion to add honeysuckle to her tea was probably intended to help her take precautions and avoid catching a cold easily.

Prince Rui is still unmarried. Is it because he can't let go of the original owner of this body in his heart?

Now that their situations are awkward, this is probably the only way he can protect the one he loves.

Just a pity.

He will never know that the original owner had left him forever a year ago, and the person standing in front of him now is just the original owner's shell, or rather, just a "substitute"!
A hint of emotion flickered across Shen Qingwan's face. Even though she knew that everything Prince Rui had done was for the original owner of this body, there was still someone in the deep palace who could speak these words to her from the bottom of his heart.

(End of this chapter)