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

Chapter 262: Taking sides
She glanced back at the palace maids who had been kneeling on the ground gossiping. "I don't know if it's because spring has arrived or because the Emperor's decree is so warm, but I suddenly feel that there's too much charcoal burning in the palace, and it's a bit hot. However, I see that these few kneeling on the ground are quite cold, their mouths are even chapped from the cold. So, I'll give each of them a piece of burning charcoal to eat and warm them up."

Eat it?
Eating burning red-hot charcoal would not only damage the tongue, but would likely ruin the throat as well. The person would not only be unable to speak, but it would be difficult to say whether they would even survive. Although such punishment would not kill the person directly, it would make life worse than death. A living person would have their throat and tongue scalded, unable to eat or drink. Without any medical treatment, the wounds would continue to fester in the mouth, and in the end, they would either starve to death or die of thirst, or be tortured to death.

Zhen'er glanced at Consort De with lingering fear. Her expression showed not only difficulty but also a hint of disbelief.

Although what these palace maids just said was indeed infuriating, and anyone who heard it would be angry, and would not have been wrong to slap them or beat them with a board, it was still too cruel for Consort De to use such cruel methods to kill them.

The Emperor has only just restored her to her former rank. If this were to reach the ears of the Empress or the Emperor, what would happen...?

In the moment Zhen'er was lost in thought, Consort De had already appeared in front of her without her noticing. "What are you still standing there for? Have you forgotten your roots because the Emperor has bestowed so many gifts upon you?"

"No, Your Highness." Zhen'er's face turned ashen. "This servant will go right away."

She gave a wink to the eunuchs behind her, and the palace maids who had been gossiping were quickly taken away.

A chorus of blood-curdling screams erupted from Chuxiu Palace, but the silence quickly subsided.

After lunch.

Consort Rou, accompanied by Lady Wen, went to Kunning Palace.

After Consort Rou finished her confinement period, Lady Wen could no longer stay in the palace. It seemed that the next time they would meet would be at the Fourth Prince's 100-day celebration.

The proper etiquette still had to be observed. The mother and daughter bid farewell to the Empress. When Consort Rou walked out of the gate of Kunning Palace, her eyes were red.

"Look at you, you're a mother now, why do you still cry at the drop of a hat?" Madam Wen's words only made things worse.

Upon hearing Madam Wen's words, Consort Rou, holding back the tears welling up in her eyes, let them fall in a stream. "Mother, I can't bear to part with you."

Several times, Madam Wen couldn't help but shed tears, saying, "Why are you crying? People will laugh at you."

"I'm not afraid at all." Consort Rou pouted, picked up the silk handkerchief in her hand, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Alright, alright, Mother knows you're never afraid of what others think of you, but aren't you afraid that if the Fourth Prince sees this, he'll be sad too?" Madam Wen persuaded Consort Rou while also wiping away her own tears.

"Mother always teases me. How old is the Fourth Prince? What could he possibly know?" Consort Xian pretended to be angry and took two quick steps.

Madam Wen also quickened her pace and took Rou Pin's hand. "Now that your mother is leaving the palace, you must be careful in everything you do. Your mother is most worried about you. It's been so long since the Fourth Prince was born, and the Emperor hasn't promoted you to the rank of Consort. Now, Ying Pin is also pregnant. A few days ago, the Emperor restored the rank of Consort De. Now, there are already three Consorts: Shu Pin and Jin Pin. In the end, who does the Emperor favor?"
Why hasn't the Emperor promoted you yet? Is it because Zhongcui Palace was struck by lightning when the Fourth Prince was born, or is it because the Emperor already has someone in mind for this last imperial concubine position?

"Your nature is too weak. Even if you don't want to fight, you should still fight for the Fourth Prince. Of all the princes the late Emperor had, now besides the Emperor, there are only Prince Rui, Prince Xiang, and Prince Yao left. Prince Xiang is already old. When he was vying for the throne, he knew he had no hope, so he sided with the Emperor. But if it were him... I'm afraid he wouldn't be alive today."

“Mother, who says I don’t want to fight for the Fourth Prince? I also want to fight for him, but what do I have to compete with others? The Third Prince’s birth mother is Consort Xian. Although Consort Xian has fallen out of favor, her family’s military achievements are unmatched by any general in the court. Now he is being raised by Consort Shu. The families of Consort Shu and Consort Xian alone practically control half the country. What do you expect my Fourth Prince to have to compete with the Third Prince?”

Consort Rou slowed her pace and couldn't help but sigh.

"I originally thought that after the Fourth Prince was born, I would send him to the Empress to raise. Although the Empress's family did not hold official positions in the court, the Emperor respected her and the Empress Dowager doted on her. Regardless of the family background of the birth mother or the adoptive mother, the final position of the Crown Prince still depends on who the Emperor prefers. If the Emperor does not like him, what does it matter how powerful the maternal family is? If one General Pang Da falls, there are thousands upon thousands of other Generals Rong Da behind him."

Madam Wen paused slightly upon hearing her daughter's words.

"Your mother has always been worried about you, but I never expected that you would think so much more thoroughly than your mother. Now your mother can rest assured. However, there have been rumors outside the palace that the Empress and the Emperor have been married for so long but have not yet consummated their marriage. I don't know if it's true or not, but if the Emperor really rarely gets close to the Empress."

"This rumor isn't entirely unfounded. My daughter has been in the palace for so long, and it seems she has never seen the Emperor stay overnight in Kunning Palace," Consort Rou said confidently.

"Then..." Madam Wen's expression was solemn, somewhat unable to understand, "Then why did my daughter insist on sending the Fourth Prince to be raised by the Empress? Wouldn't that really ruin the Fourth Prince's future?"

“Mother, if the Fourth Prince could grow up under the Empress’s care, he would certainly be far more noble than the children raised by other concubines. Mother may not know this, but the Emperor has never stayed overnight in the Empress’s palace, yet the Emperor and the Empress have always had a very good relationship.” Consort Rou said, glancing around cautiously to make sure no one was watching before lowering her voice to continue, “The Emperor often goes to the Empress’s palace for meals when he has many problems he cannot solve. The food in Kunning Palace seems to have some kind of magic; every time the Emperor comes out after a meal, all his problems are easily resolved.”

Madam Wen was taken aback. "Could this be some kind of rumor?"

“Of course not,” Consort Rou said with certainty. This was something her daughter had observed for a long time before she discovered. “If Her Majesty the Empress can solve His Majesty’s problems and even help him with his political affairs, then her importance in His Majesty’s heart is far more terrifying than those favors that only involve sexual pleasure.”

The imperial harem was never short of beautiful women. Once the old batches lost their novelty, a new batch would quickly take their place.