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

Chapter 254 Wonderful
Since that's the case, then as a dutiful daughter-in-law, she naturally had to play along with the Empress Dowager in this charade.

At first, she was just guessing, but later, after she questioned the prescription written by Physician Li, the Empress Dowager deliberately overturned the bowl of medicine, which made her certain of her guess.

If the Empress Dowager's illness was indeed feigned, then the assassination attempt on General Pang in the military camp was very likely orchestrated by Emperor Yuanwu.

Thinking of this, Shen Qingwan couldn't help but furrow her brows tightly.

She discovered that being smart isn't always a good thing, because it means knowing too much!

The next morning.

Consort Song, who hadn't been seen for a long time, appeared at the entrance of Kunning Palace early in the morning.

What does it mean to be in high spirits when good things happen? This must be exactly what Consort Song is like right now, her lips practically drooling with joy.

Whether she herself is doing well or not doesn't matter, but the one she's fought with her all her life will become very happy as long as he's not doing well!

Shen Qingwan was quite surprised when she saw her.

"This concubine greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be blessed." Consort Song walked to the center and performed a full kneeling bow to Shen Qingwan.

"Get up." Shen Qingwan smiled. "Consort Song has been unwell for quite some time now. It's been a long time since I've seen Consort Song rise to pay her respects in the morning. Is Consort Song feeling any better?"

"Alright, alright, everything's all done." Consort Song said with a laugh, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your concern."

"That's good. I don't need to worry about it all day. Consort Song doesn't need to kneel anymore. Get up and sit down."

"Yes!" Consort Song stood up, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

She turned around, intending to walk back to the seat where she used to pay her respects, only to find that it was now occupied by Consort Jin. She gave an awkward laugh, and seeing a seat behind her, she took a step back, intending to sit down, when she noticed that Consort Xian was staring intently at her.

So this position... belongs to Consort Xian!
Consort Song was neither angry nor embarrassed. She took a step back and greeted Consort Xian with a smile, but her tone was sarcastic.

"Greetings to Consort Xian. Your humble servant greets you."

Consort Song?
When Consort Xian's gaze fell on Consort Song's smiling face, her pupils widened in shock!
Why did she suddenly come here?
Ever since she was demoted, she's been claiming illness and refusing to leave Yanxi Palace. Has the sun risen in the west today? Or has someone come back from the dead?

Consort Xian felt as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight!
Perhaps this Consort Song has gone mad from being cooped up in Yanxi Palace for too long?
His back teeth were practically sticking out from laughing. He's so happy just coming out to pay his respects to the Empress?

However, Consort Xian was no longer in the mood to care what the crazy Noble Lady Song was laughing about.

Worried about her father's condition, she hadn't slept a wink last night and felt dizzy. She still hadn't received a reply to the letter she had sent home. She was only thinking about quickly paying her respects to the Empress so she could go back and find someone to inquire about her father's condition. She wondered if Physician Zhang and the other physicians in the Imperial Hospital had already arrived and if they had found an antidote.

She hadn't originally wanted to come, but she knew perfectly well how Emperor Yuanwu had treated her in the Hall of Mental Cultivation yesterday, and she would never dare to cause any trouble in the harem. Now that she had long lost the Emperor's favor, if anyone were to gossip to him about her disrespect for the Empress, she would find it very difficult to speak up for her father in front of the Emperor. At this moment, she had to swallow her pride and bear the pain.

Consort Xian gave a perfunctory reply, bowed to Shen Qingwan who was sitting in the center of the main hall, and then sat down before slowly saying, "Noble Lady Song, you should also get up and sit down."

"Yes." Consort Song stood up straight with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the dark circles under Consort Xian's eyes, her mood improving even more, and the curve of her lips deepening. "Thank you for your concern, Consort Xian!"

Consort Xian: ...

Consort Xian turned to the side, speechless, leaving Song Guiren with the back of her head. Song Guiren didn't mind at all and found a corner to sit down.

Thinking back to the last time she came to pay her respects, it was Consort De who was seated in the very front row. Now, she was almost sitting by the door. Such a disparity would have been unacceptable to her in the past, but now, looking at Consort Xian's somewhat disheveled figure, it didn't seem so hard to accept.

Although she was demoted to the rank of Noble Lady, Consort Xian didn't fare any better. Not only was she demoted, but she also lost favor. Her father might die in a few more hours. How wonderful!
Shen Qingwan hadn't seen such a wonderful scene in a long time. She picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

"Your Majesty, I remember that your favorite drink is osmanthus tea. Have you changed it today?" Consort Jin asked curiously.

Shen Qingwan paused, glancing down at her teacup. She smiled and said softly, "Spring is almost here. I've changed to honeysuckle, which clears heat and detoxifies, and can also help prevent colds."

“I see. When I get back, I’ll go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for some honeysuckle to drink. I was just saying that whenever Her Majesty the Empress drank tea, the entire main hall of Kunning Palace was filled with a faint fragrance of osmanthus. I was wondering why it wasn’t there today.” Consort Jin said, covering her face with a silk handkerchief and smiling. “I thought I just didn’t smell it.”

Shen Qingwan smiled without saying a word, but how come she had never noticed before that Consort Jin was also a very meticulous person?

Although Consort Jin sat at the front and was closest to her among the concubines, she was still some distance away from her, sitting on a high seat in the main hall. The fragrance of osmanthus was just the scent of tea, not perfume, so it would be difficult to detect without careful attention.

"It's really not bad. Everyone can go to the Imperial Hospital and ask for some to take home and drink. Regardless of whether it can prevent colds or not, clearing heat and detoxifying is ultimately good for the body."

As soon as Shen Qingwan finished speaking, Consort Song, who was sitting at the very back, suddenly stood up and said, "Yes, Your Majesty the Empress."

Shen Qingwan: ...

Concubines:...

Is she really afraid that others won't know that she came to pay her respects to the Empress today? Is it really necessary to make such a fuss?
This level of flattery is truly astounding!
Consort Xian glanced at Noble Lady Song with some annoyance. Sensing her gaze, Noble Lady Song, who had just sat down, looked up in her direction, a mocking smile playing on her lips, and her back straightened even more than usual.

Consort Xian's chest heaved heavily with anger, and she turned her head away.

what!
They don't even look at their own rank.

She turned pale with anger, her fingertips trembled, and she muttered to herself.

"Consort Xian, what are you saying?"