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

Chapter 325 Complete Loss
Although she cried again, it was ultimately due to her illness, and her cries seemed weak and feeble.

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu was about to get out of bed when she heard Emperor Yuanwu say, "Let me hold you."

After Emperor Yuanwu finished speaking, he reached out to the wet nurse. Even after the Third Prince lay in Emperor Yuanwu's arms, Consort Shu could hardly believe it.

In fact, he always felt that Emperor Yuanwu disliked children; not only did he dislike them, he was even somewhat annoyed by them.

Judging from his usual attitude towards Jiang Wenlan, even if Consort Li holds a very important place in his heart, the eldest prince is still his own flesh and blood. What father hates his own child so much?

The second prince seemed to be the same. He was in poor health from childhood, and coupled with his mother's low status, he developed a humble and timid personality, which Emperor Yuanwu also disliked.

Jiang Wanying was even less favored; being a girl, Emperor Yuanwu seemed to dislike her even more.

So, it was quite a surprise that he would take the initiative to hug the Third Prince when he was being difficult.

Shen Qingwan seemed much calmer. When a child is sick, it's only natural for a father to hug and comfort him.

When she noticed that Emperor Yuanwu was holding the child incorrectly, she immediately stepped in to correct him, saying, "Your Majesty, the Third Prince is already feeling unwell. If you hold him like this, he'll vomit again. You should..."

While gesturing, Shen Qingwan lifted the Third Prince's head and placed it on Emperor Yuanwu's elbow, then lowered Emperor Yuanwu's other arm.

"Yes, that's it, that should make you feel better!"

Consort Shu was shocked and surprised to see the Empress teaching Emperor Yuanwu step by step. Although she had always felt that Emperor Yuanwu treated the Empress differently from ordinary people, she could never put her finger on why.

At this moment, she felt that the Empress had Emperor Yuanwu completely under her control. Looking around the harem, who would dare to say that he was wrong in front of Emperor Yuanwu?

He was the emperor, and even if he had made mistakes, the empress pointed them out to his face. Not only was he not angry, but he also listened patiently to what she said and even did as she suggested.

Consort Shu's gaze towards Shen Qingwan gradually changed.

Although Emperor Yuanwu rarely cared about the Third Prince, there was always an unspoken bond between father and son.

The Third Prince, whom no one but Consort Shu dared to coax, and whose wet nurse had gone to great lengths to soothe, actually fell asleep in Emperor Yuanwu's arms in that short moment of distraction.

After taking the medicine and getting some sleep, I reckon the illness will be mostly cured.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is asleep. Why don't you let the wet nurse take him away?" Shen Qingwan said softly, lowering her voice.

Emperor Yuanwu held the child in an awkward position. He was afraid that, as Shen Qingwan had said, if he held the child incorrectly, he might make the Third Prince vomit again. So, he simply kept the position that Shen Qingwan told him to maintain without moving.

At this moment, the wet nurse came over and took the Third Prince away, and he felt a sense of relief.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is alright, so I'll head back now. Consort Shu has also suffered because of the Third Prince, so please take good care of yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Consort Shu tried to rise and curtsy, but Shen Qingwan pressed her back down. "Rest early. I'll go back now and come see you and the child again tomorrow."

After Shen Qingwan finished speaking, she bowed to Emperor Yuanwu and left the bedchamber.

"Why did you come out alone?" Consort Xian blocked the entrance to the bedchamber, raised her foot to look behind Shen Qingwan, and couldn't help but question her.

Shen Qingwan sneered, "Who else does the Imperial Concubine think... there should be?"

"Empress!" Consort Xian gritted her teeth, enunciating each word clearly, "When I was seriously ill, it was you who suggested that Consort Shu adopt the Third Prince. Now that the Third Prince is not doing well with Consort Shu, I ask Your Majesty, may I take the Third Prince back to Jingyang Palace to raise him?"

Shen Qingwan remained silent, simply watching her. Her face showed no emotion whatsoever, and it was impossible to tell whether she was pleased or annoyed upon hearing these words. Yet, this completely indifferent expression sent chills down Consort Xian's spine.

She didn't even dare to look her in the eye; she always felt that the current empress possessed an aura of majesty that inspired awe.

"Your Majesty the Empress," Consort Xian softened, "Your Majesty the Empress has never given birth, so you naturally do not understand the pain of a mother's heart being connected with her child. Today, the illness is in the Third Prince's body, but it also hurts my heart. I beg Your Majesty to understand the difficulties of a mother and send the Third Prince back to Jingyang Palace."

“The Imperial Concubine is right. I have never given birth and do not know the hardships of raising a child. However, I saw Consort Shu lose her appetite and faint from anxiety because of the Third Prince’s illness. She is indeed not comparable to the Imperial Concubine, who is dressed neatly, adorned with jewels and exquisite makeup.”

Shen Qingwan couldn't suppress the sarcasm on her lips. "Although I am the Empress and manage all the trivial matters of the harem, the imperial decree that the Third Prince was entrusted to Consort Shu for upbringing was issued by His Majesty himself. Consort, you should still be careful with your words and actions to avoid causing His Majesty to misunderstand."

Consort Xian trembled violently and involuntarily took a step back. Her mind was blank and confused. When she came to her senses, the Empress had already disappeared.

"Your Majesty, the lights in Consort Shu's palace are all out. I reckon the Emperor will stay at Yonghe Palace tonight. With the Emperor there, the Third Prince will surely be safe and sound. Your Majesty is still under house arrest, so let's go back as soon as possible," Xia Mei advised.

Consort Xian seemed to have her soul drained away. She turned and looked in the direction of Consort Shu's palace for a long while before turning away.

Nowadays, the Empress is increasingly adept at cultivating a reputation for virtue in front of Emperor Yuanwu. In winning people's hearts, I'm afraid no one in the entire palace can compare to her.

The Third Prince is sick; her own son is sick.

The Empress invited the Emperor to stay with Consort Shu, who had stolen her son, without even glancing at her.

The Empress not only did a favor for Consort Shu, but also managed to get the Emperor to stay overnight at Yonghe Palace.

Is this still the same arrogant and domineering empress who used to cause chaos in the harem every day?
Back then, she probably never dreamed that she would lose to such a woman, and even lose so thoroughly.

When Emperor Yuanwu first ascended the throne, he heavily relied on the officials who had supported his rise to power. At that time, both she and Consort De were beneficiaries of this coup.

Now that the world is at peace, the emperor has begun to be wary of those meritorious officials, fearing that their achievements will overshadow his own and that they may harbor rebellious intentions.

Emperor Yuanwu was truly ruthless; he discarded his bow after the birds were all gone, and it seems he was making plans for his successor.

In an effort to please Emperor Yuanwu, the Empress sent one beautiful young concubine after another to his bed...