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

Chapter 239 Loss
It still stirred up ripples in her heart.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the palace soon." Prince Rui's eyes held an indescribable affection.

She really wanted to tell Prince Rui everything, but after thinking about it carefully, she felt that even if she told Prince Rui the truth—that she was not the original owner, but that her soul had transmigrated into the original owner's body—Prince Rui probably wouldn't believe her. He might even mistakenly think that this was just an excuse she was using to deceive him because her feelings had changed.

Shen Qingwan didn't know what to say, so she just nodded slowly.

"From now on, when you go out at night, don't take palace maids with you. Let the carriage take you there. No matter how urgent things are in the palace, a little extra time won't make a difference."

Moonlight shone on Prince Rui's profile, revealing his smooth, fair face with its sharp, cold features. His thick eyebrows, high nose, and exquisitely shaped lips all exuded nobility and elegance, while his dark, deep eyes held a captivating tenderness.

Shen Qingwan paused for a moment, then quickly looked away. "Then I'll head back now."

"Hmm." Prince Rui stepped aside to make way for her.

After she left, Prince Rui took two steps toward the Imperial Garden, then turned back again, watching Shen Qingwan's figure disappear into the night before walking toward the boat moored by the lake in the Imperial Garden.

A single night lamp cannot illuminate the surface of the lake, nor can it illuminate his state of mind.

Prince Rui had his entourage wait by the lake, and boarded the boat alone. When he lifted the cabin curtain, his body suddenly stiffened.

The attendant quickly noticed his unusual behavior and hurried over, his sword already drawn from its sheath. "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Prince Rui raised his hand, "It's nothing."

He stared intently at the stove in the middle of the cabin, straightened up, and glanced in the direction of Kunning Palace.

The entire harem knew that the ship was a gift from the Emperor.

The concubines in the harem would not have placed the items on his boat without informing him first.

Looking at the stove, there were several exquisite porcelain bowls and a pottery pot. Judging from the style alone, it was clear that these were not things that Emperor Yuanwu usually liked, but rather things that belonged to some concubine in the palace.

"Go ask someone if someone borrowed my ship and left something on board," Prince Rui said calmly.

"Yes!"

The attendant quickly gathered the information and approached from a distance. "Your Highness," he said, "a few days ago, Her Majesty the Empress took a boat to the lake for tea. Not long after, the Emperor arrived and ordered lunch. Perhaps Her Majesty left in a hurry, and then other matters in the palace delayed her, so she forgot to send someone back to pack her things."

The attendant paused for a moment before continuing, "Her Majesty the Empress came on a whim without inviting the Emperor. The Emperor came with Consort Xian, and it seemed that he wanted to get rid of Consort Xian before boarding the ship."

Shen Qingwan?
Although he had a vague premonition from the moment he first saw these things that they might have been left by Shen Qingwan, he couldn't believe it. Shen Qingwan usually avoided him so much when they met, so how could she be taking her boat alone to drink tea on the lake?

Later, Emperor Yuanwu came over!
Isn't she afraid that Emperor Yuanwu will misunderstand her at all?

Or……

"Your Highness, should the items on the ship be sent back to Kunning Palace?" the attendant asked.

Prince Rui was taken aback. "No need."

He lifted the curtain, sat down in the cabin, took out a tinderbox from his pocket, opened the lid, blew on it, and a tiny spark ignited, illuminating his complex expression. He lit the remaining charcoal on the stove that Shen Qingwan had left behind, a self-deprecating smile curving his lips.

He had never worried about her when she was arrogant and domineering in the palace. He knew she just had a bad temper and wouldn't really have any malicious intentions. As long as she didn't commit any serious mistakes, the Empress Dowager and the Empress wouldn't easily take her life. In their hearts, Shen Qingwan's fate and Emperor Yuanwu's throne were intertwined; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to snatch Shen Qingwan from him and almost cost him his life.

Even after she married Emperor Yuanwu and became Empress, he never truly felt that he had lost her.

And now...

She managed the harem perfectly, and the Empress Dowager praised her endlessly. Even when Emperor Yuanwu mentioned her from time to time, his expression was no longer full of annoyance, but rather a fleeting look of approval in his eyes.

As a man himself, he understood better than anyone what that meant.

He...it seems he's about to really lose her!
Prince Rui took a deep breath, raised his head, and leaned against the cabin beside him.

The burning charcoal made a crackling sound.

It was half an hour later when Physician Zhang came out of Xianfu Palace.

The Empress Dowager was delighted and rewarded him with a lot of gold and silver. He had served in the inner palace for a long time and had not received so much reward money. He couldn't hide his joy and walked back quickly.

Normally, the route from Xianfu Palace back to the Imperial Hospital wouldn't pass through the Imperial Garden, but because he was in an exceptionally good mood, he inexplicably wanted to take a stroll around the Imperial Garden in the middle of the night.

Just as one foot stepped through the gate of the Imperial Garden, a faint light appeared on a boat on the lake in the distance.

Physician Zhang paused in his steps.

Has Prince Rui entered the palace today?

He was hesitating whether to go over when he saw a man standing by the lake who looked somewhat familiar.

I thought for a long time, but I still couldn't remember who this person was.

Now that Prince Rui has entered the palace, this person must be someone close to him. He looks familiar; he must have served Prince Rui when he was being treated before.

Having served in the inner palace for so long, Physician Zhang naturally knew that it was better to avoid trouble in the inner palace. Since Prince Rui had not seen him, nor had his attendants, he didn't need to go to the Imperial Garden in the middle of the night to see the scenery and risk bumping into Prince Rui.

What we know is that he acted on a whim because he was happy to receive the reward money.

If someone unaware of the situation were to see them, and say that he and Prince Rui were having a secret rendezvous in the Imperial Garden late at night, who knows what kind of gossip would spread.

On the surface, Emperor Yuanwu and Prince Rui appeared to be on good terms, like brothers and family.

Prince Kerui was not Emperor Yuanwu's biological son. Among emperors, it was not uncommon for brothers to kill each other in the struggle for the throne. Even brothers could kill each other over who would become emperor, let alone someone like them.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Physician Zhang was about to leave through a side path where there were no lights.

The lantern hanging on Prince Rui's boat swayed slightly as the boat rocked on the lake, its light casting a glow on the faces of Prince Rui's attendants standing on the shore.

Physician Zhang suddenly realized, "Isn't this person...?"

(End of this chapter)