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

Chapter 27 Huang Liang Yi Meng

Hearing Shen Qingwan's words, the Empress Dowager's expression finally softened a bit.

Consort Xian's face was grim. She sat quietly in her seat, not daring to say anything more.

The opera continued until the very end of "The Dream of Yellow Millet" before Emperor Yuanwu arrived.

"See your Majesty, long live your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanwu waved his hand, and Consort Rou stood up to give him a seat.

"Why does Mother seem to be in the mood to listen to 'The Dream of Yellow Millet' today?"

“The Dream of Yellow Millet is wonderful. Wealth and glory are just a dream. When you wake up, there is nothing left.”

Emperor Yuanwu:...

Shen Qingwan couldn't help but laugh out loud when she heard what the Empress Dowager said: "Does Your Majesty think the song I chose is good or not?"

Emperor Yuanwu's expression was somewhat indescribable.

Since "The Dream of Yellow Millet" was requested by the Empress, it is indeed in line with her usual style.

Just like the empress at this moment.

After a serious illness, everything changed.

After Emperor Yuanwu arrived, he requested a few more songs. Naturally, the emperor did not like to listen to love songs, such as "Beating the Kitchen God," "Imperial Composition on Zhu Nu'er," and "Judge Bao."

Listening to things you're not interested in makes you especially sleepy.

Before long, Shen Qingwan was almost yawning.

If I can't sleep, I can only eat.

Shen Qingwan simply ignored her and started eating the peanuts, melon seeds, and fruit on the table.

She was the empress, and no one dared to say anything about what she ate.

But the concubines sitting in the back were different.

There was an emperor and an empress dowager.

Their every word and action was subject to strict constraints.

Consort Xian sat in the back, watching Shen Qingwan eat and drink, and suddenly felt a little envious.

The waves of pain in her lower back made her feel like every second she spent there was torture.

Dusk is approaching.

Emperor Yuanwu finally lost interest, and Shen Qingwan stood up.

Finished!

I didn't feel anything while I was sitting, but now that I'm standing up, I feel a bit full.

"Mother, let your daughter-in-law escort you back to the palace." Shen Qingwan took the Empress Dowager's arm.

The Empress Dowager patted the back of her hand: "Although I am old, I am not so old that I need my daughter-in-law to pick me up and drop me off just to go out to listen to a play. It is getting late, so the Empress should go back to the palace to rest as well."

"Yes, Mother." Shen Qingwan curtsied.

After the Empress Dowager left.

Emperor Yuanwu turned to Consort Rou and said, "I will have a meal in your palace."

He spoke softly, but the concubines who remained standing there seemed to be waiting for Emperor Yuanwu to tell them whose palace he was going to.

Consort Rou?

Is it Consort Rou again?

They were genuinely curious at this moment about how Consort Rou possessed such great charm.

She was pregnant and could not serve the emperor.

Emperor Yuanwu still wanted to go to her palace every day.

"Your Majesty, I am a little tired and would like to return to the palace to rest. Why don't you have dinner at the Empress's palace?" said Consort Rou.

Emperor Yuanwu thought about it and it seemed like a good idea: "Alright, you're pregnant now and it's inconvenient for you, so go back and rest early. Otherwise, you'll be busy with all sorts of things when I come over. I'll visit you in the palace tomorrow."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Consort Rou curtsied.

With Emperor Yuanwu's destination already decided, the concubines waiting there knew there was nothing for them to do, so they all returned to the palace in groups of three or five.

Emperor Yuanwu and Qingqingwan walked one after the other toward Kunning Palace.

"Your Majesty, Consort Rou is now pregnant, but Consort Rong and Consort Xi, who entered the palace with her, have not yet served the Emperor. If Your Majesty has time, would you like to visit their palaces?" Emperor Yuanwu suddenly stopped walking.

He snorted coldly: "The Empress is really virtuous now. She even arranges which concubine I should favor. The Empress may return to the palace alone for dinner."

Shen Qingwan: ? ? ?

What the hell?

They were having a nice conversation when Emperor Yuanwu suddenly lost his temper.

The original owner couldn't stand Emperor Yuanwu favoring other concubines, and would argue with him endlessly, which annoyed him.

Now she's advising him to move around more in the harem and spread his favors more evenly, but he's not happy about it.

The heart of an emperor is truly unfathomable.

Living with the king is like living with a tiger!

Watching Emperor Yuanwu's departing figure, Zhen'er couldn't help but lean closer to her and say, "Your Majesty, even if you don't compete for favor, you still didn't try to drive the Emperor away."

“I didn’t,” Shen Qingwan said with an extremely serious expression. “I only suggested it; I didn’t say that he should go now.”

Zhen'er: ...

She felt that her master's thoughts had become increasingly unpredictable since he recovered from his serious illness.

"Alright, let's go back to the palace." Shen Qingwan said calmly, lifting her foot and walking towards Kunning Palace.

In the opposite direction.

Wu Jixiang jogged after Emperor Yuanwu.

"Your Majesty, please wait for me! Perhaps the Empress didn't mean it that way. She was just chatting with you casually. I think that since her serious illness, the Empress's temperament has changed a lot. She definitely wasn't trying to throw a tantrum at you. The young ladies-in-waiting in the harem have been in the palace for so long without serving the Emperor. Perhaps the Empress is afraid that their families might have something to say about them. The harem and the court are quite on good terms..."

As Wu Jixiang spoke, Emperor Yuanwu gradually slowed his pace.

"Your Majesty, the Empress is probably just trying to help you and share your burdens. After all, what wife wouldn't want her husband to stay by her side every day? There's no reason for her to send him away."

Emperor Yuanwu frowned deeply, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "Then what do you think the Empress meant?"

"This humble servant is in a foolish opinion and dares not presume to guess Her Majesty the Empress's meaning."

Emperor Yuanwu's brow furrowed even more: "Hmm?"

"Your Majesty, think about it. Consort Rou is now pregnant, and so many eyes are watching. Her Majesty the Empress has given so many instructions, and she even asked the Empress Dowager to personally appoint Imperial Physician Zhang to take care of Consort Rou's pregnancy. If there were a few more pregnant concubines now, wouldn't that..."

Wu Jixiang glanced at Emperor Yuanwu as he spoke, saying, "Perhaps the Empress truly cares for the Emperor and has good intentions."

Emperor Yuanwu:...

However, although.

He simply couldn't reconcile the image of that arrogant and domineering empress with one of deep-seated malice.

"Your Majesty, where are you planning to go?"

Seeing that Emperor Yuanwu had set off, Wu Jixiang quickly followed.

Xianfu Palace.

After losing favor, Consort Jin no longer enjoyed being in a lively atmosphere.

Just then, during the morning greetings, the Empress said that attending the opera in the afternoon was voluntary; one could go if they wanted, or not if they didn't.

Anyway, as a concubine who had fallen out of favor for many years, no one would notice her.

She decided to stay in the palace and do some needlework.

I could hear rustling footsteps in the distance.

Consort Jin thought it was Consort Xi who had returned.

But then came the sound of a eunuch announcing something from the direction of the door.

"His Majesty has arrived..."

emperor?

Consort Jin paused in her needlework, thinking she was hallucinating.

Once she could see who it was, she hurriedly put down her needlework and went out to greet them.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Long live the Emperor!"

(End of this chapter)