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

Chapter 291 Touched
So the piece of cured meat was picked up by Consort Wen. Her good intentions were thus wasted, which made anyone angry.

Consort Wen has not received any favor since entering the palace. For the sake of her future, she has taken a risk.

Therefore... Shen Qingwan concluded that she herself had poisoned Consort Wen!

There are some things that you can see through but don't have to say. Since the emperor told her to handle it as she sees fit, then she'll just "handle it as she sees fit."

Even if the truth is thoroughly investigated, what difference will it make?

Given the current situation in the previous dynasty, Emperor Yuanwu cannot touch Consort Wen, and Consort Xian has been confined to her quarters for three months, copying Buddhist scriptures and reflecting on her mistakes behind closed doors.

Could it be that she presented the truth to Emperor Yuanwu and helped Consort Xian get out of confinement?
The next morning.

The concubines had just finished paying their respects and leaving when the people from Cining Palace arrived.

Shen Qingwan saw that the person was Granny Zhang, and hurriedly asked someone to serve tea and some snacks.

"Your Majesty is too kind," Zhang Mama said with a gentle smile. "The Empress Dowager requests Your Majesty's presence at Cining Palace."

Shen Qingwan paused for a moment, then said, "Alright, Granny Zhang, please wait a moment. I will change my clothes and then come over."

When they arrived at Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager was sitting in front of a chessboard in the courtyard, holding a black piece in her hand, her brows furrowed, staring at the chessboard thoughtfully, as if she was stumped by her opponent.

Shen Qingwan waved to the servants following behind her and walked to sit down opposite the Empress Dowager. She picked up a black piece and placed it next to the three white pieces.

The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up instantly, "A brilliant move!"

The Empress Dowager rarely took the initiative to invite her to Cining Palace. On her way there, Shen Qingwan felt uneasy. She guessed that the Empress Dowager had asked her to come because of what happened at Jingyang Palace last night. Although she knew what had happened, in the inner palace, any conclusion about a person required evidence. Without evidence, one could speculate in one's heart, but could not speak it out.

However, it seems that the Empress Dowager was so engrossed in playing chess that summoning her over was not simply to interrogate her.

"Mother Empress." Shen Qingwan smiled warmly.

"I spent the whole morning worrying about chess, only to have the Empress easily break my plan. I never imagined the Empress was so knowledgeable about chess." The Empress Dowager smiled kindly, her curious eyes looking at Shen Qingwan again and again.

Shen Qingwan made her a little embarrassed, "How about your daughter-in-law plays a game with Mother?"

"Good." The Empress Dowager's eyes lit up.

Zhang Mama poured tea and cut some fruit. "Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has recently become obsessed with chess. She drags me to play all day long and complains that I'm terrible at it. Today, Her Majesty the Empress is here, so you must play a couple of games with Her Majesty the Empress Dowager."

"You're not just playing badly, you're deliberately letting me win. It's pointless," the Empress Dowager complained, as she placed a black piece on the board.

Shen Qingwan was preoccupied with wondering what the Empress Dowager wanted to see her about, and her mind was not on the chessboard at all.

"Call for a piece." The Empress Dowager placed a piece, and Shen Qingwan's white pieces were instantly taken away.

"Your daughter-in-law lost." Shen Qingwan sighed. "Your Majesty's chess skills are superb; your daughter-in-law can't beat her."

"Very well, you all know how to make me happy, don't you?" The Empress Dowager pretended to be angry. "Since the Empress has lost, she must accept the punishment."

Shen Qingwan couldn't figure out what the Empress Dowager was up to with her one act after another today.
"My daughter-in-law's chess skills are not good, I accept the punishment," Shen Qingwan said with a smile.

"Very well, then punish the Empress by making her tell me how she wants to celebrate her birthday?" The Empress Dowager smiled kindly.

Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow, seemingly unable to believe her ears. Birthday?

Does the Empress Dowager mean she wants to help her organize her birthday banquet?
This birthday belongs to the original owner of the body. After she transmigrated into the original owner's body, she never celebrated her birthday. She had almost forgotten about it, but she didn't expect the Empress Dowager to remember.

Shen Qingwan blinked, her eyes glistening with emotion, and said, "Mother."

"You child, why are you crying all of a sudden?" Although the Empress Dowager was complaining, her tone was full of heartache.

Because of what?
It's all because they couldn't get any warmth in the harem. Now that the Empress is in charge of the harem, not only are the concubines getting pregnant one after another, but the Fourth Prince has also been born safely.

Unfortunately, she has yet to gain Emperor Yuanwu's favor.

In addition, when Shen Qingwan came over last time, she overheard what she said to Consort Xi.

Although there wasn't anything particularly offensive, it wasn't exactly a compliment.

Consort Xi considered the Empress's decision to let her live alone as a favor, and even thought that the Empress was deliberately making things difficult for her.

Having lived in the palace her whole life and witnessed the intrigues and backstabbing within the harem, how could she not know that the Empress's painstaking arrangements were truly for Consort Xi's benefit?

The emperor was never fond of Consort Xi.

If it weren't for her sake, why would the Empress have bothered to arrange this for her? Moreover, when arranging a separate residence for Consort Xi, the Empress even came to Cining Palace to discuss the matter with her.

Xi Guiren is ignorant and doesn't know any better.

As the Empress Dowager, she naturally appreciated this gesture.

Shen Qingwan stood up, walked to the Empress Dowager, and hugged her, saying, "I just feel that Mother is too good to me."

The original owner's position as empress was, to put it bluntly, given by the empress dowager. Over the years, the empress dowager had shown endless tolerance for everything the original owner had done. Even after she transmigrated into the original owner's body, the empress dowager never made things difficult for her, and even allowed her to move freely in the Cining Palace.

How could she not be satisfied or moved?

Empress Dowager had only one son, Emperor Yuanwu, and no daughters. The late emperor was strict with his many sons. In order to prevent the princes from becoming overly dependent on their mothers and to reduce interference in politics by the harem, when the princes reached the age to study in the Imperial Study, they would move to the Princes' Residence, where they would be cared for by wet nurses and servants.

How could the emperor, a man, act so coquettishly towards the empress dowager? Shen Qingwan's hug left the empress dowager momentarily at a loss.

She gently patted Shen Qingwan's back with one hand, comforting her, "Since the Empress likes a lively celebration, let's have a proper and joyous birthday celebration."

As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, she looked up and saw Consort Xi standing not far away, hands on her hips, staring intently at them.

The Empress Dowager stiffened for a moment, and Shen Qingwan quickly noticed her unusual behavior.

She slowly stood up, moved her lips but before she could speak, she saw the Empress Dowager looking into the distance. Shen Qingwan followed the Empress Dowager's gaze and saw Consort Xi looking at her as well.

Shen Qingwan: ...

For a moment, she felt like a child who had done something wrong, but upon closer reflection, although Consort Xi was the Empress Dowager's distant cousin, she herself was also the Empress Dowager's daughter-in-law.

It seemed that her hugging the Empress Dowager wasn't some unforgivable mistake.

Seeing the three of them frozen in place, Zhang Mama hurriedly went to greet them, "Consort Xi is here! This servant just cut some fruit, all fresh. Consort Xi, come and see, what would you like to eat? This servant will go and get it right away..."