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

Chapter 364 I Don't Want to Wait Anymore
Prince Rui?
"Brother, what's wrong with Sister-in-law?"

Emperor Yuanwu looked anxious. "Quickly move aside, Wanwan has miscarried."

Miscarriage?

Prince Rui visibly panicked, a fleeting look of panic crossing his eyes, and he quickly made way for him.

Zhen'er looked up at Prince Rui with a solemn expression. Seeing Prince Rui's pale face, Zhen'er pursed her lips and quickly followed Emperor Yuanwu.

It wasn't until they reached the Kunning Palace's sleeping quarters that Emperor Yuanwu put Shen Qingwan down on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I'd like to change and freshen up first." Shen Qingwan curtsied and inadvertently noticed the blood on Emperor Yuanwu's hands. She said apologetically, "Would Your Majesty like to take a bath? I'll have someone prepare it right now."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Shen Qingwan quickly washed up and changed her clothes. While she was washing up, Zhen'er prepared a large bowl of brown sugar ginger tea.

It seems that after transmigrating into the original owner's body, there was no special feeling each time she had her period. She didn't know what was wrong this time. Not only did her period come early, but her stomach was also in severe pain. However, it was not too bad, as the pain was not so bad that she couldn't straighten her back.

Emperor Yuanwu rarely stayed overnight at Kunning Palace, so there were naturally no clothes for him to change into. Wu Jixiang was busy dealing with the officials who corresponded with the Pang clan, so Shen Qingwan asked Zhen'er to go to Yangxin Hall to get Emperor Yuanwu's clothes.

No sooner had Zhen'er left Kunning Palace than Prince Rui dragged her to a secluded spot.

"How is your lady? Since it was a miscarriage, why is there no imperial physician with her? So much time has passed, and no one from the Imperial Hospital has come. Could it be..." Prince Rui wondered.

Zhen'er was startled. After seeing who it was, she breathed a sigh of relief and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Prince Rui."

"What exactly happened?" Prince Rui's tone was slightly anxious.

Zhen'er glanced around cautiously. "Your Highness, when we were at Zhongcui Palace, Physician Zhang already took our lady's pulse. All I can say is that our lady is alright for now. His Majesty is bathing in Kunning Palace and is waiting for me to go to Yangxin Hall to get a change of clothes. If Your Highness has nothing else to do, I'll go to Yangxin Hall first, as I have other duties to attend to."

Prince Rui paused for a moment, then said, "Go quickly."

Zhen'er bowed again and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. This servant will take her leave."

Prince Rui watched Zhen'er's departing figure and breathed a long sigh of relief.

When the Empress suffered a miscarriage, her personal maidservant was not by her side to attend to her. Instead, she walked slowly and unhurriedly to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to fetch the Emperor a change of clothes.

Shen Qingwan, what exactly are you trying to tell me?
Prince Rui slowly raised his head, the pitch-black night engulfing him.

From the moment the late emperor issued the decree to marry Shen Qingwan to Emperor Yuanwu, he had made preparations in his heart time and time again.

Even though he knew some things were inevitable, when he actually had to face them, the heart-wrenching pain in his heart was still unbearable.

child?

If Shen Qingwan really had a child with Emperor Yuanwu, then he would have no chance at all, considering everything he had done before…

He didn't want to wait any longer, not even for a second longer...

When Zhen'er returned from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yuanwu was still taking a bath. Judging from the time, after taking another bath, he would probably stay overnight in the Kunning Palace. When she went to get her clothes, the nanny from the Hall of Mental Cultivation also took a set of sleeping clothes.

"Your Majesty." Zhen'er had someone send the nightgown to Emperor Yuanwu. She walked to Shen Qingwan's side. Physician Zhang had also prepared the medicine and sent it over. Since it was said to be a miscarriage, they had to make a show of it. They guessed that the medicine was just some ordinary tonic and recuperative medicine.

The prescriptions from the Imperial Medical Academy are all meticulously recorded, including the specific herbs used. Since she's not sick, they naturally won't give her any medicine without proper documentation. Shen Qingwan gave Zhen'er a wink.

"Her Majesty is not feeling well and needs to rest. You may all go out and wait here. I can take care of her by myself." Zhen'er said, taking the medicine bowl from the maid's hands.

"Yes." The group bowed and withdrew.

"Your Majesty, would you like to drink this medicine?"

Shen Qingwan took the medicine bowl, walked to a pot of blooming weeping crabapple in the bedroom, and poured all the medicine into it.

I've heard that flowers fertilized with medicine bloom the most beautifully. I wonder if this weeping crabapple is so lucky to have such a long flowering period thanks to this nourishing herbal soup.

Zhen'er took the medicine bowl back and moved a little closer to Shen Qingwan. "Your Majesty, I ran into Prince Rui when I went to fetch His Majesty's clothes."

"He..." Shen Qingwan seemed unsurprised, "What did he say this time?"

"Your Majesty, Prince Rui only inquired about Your Majesty's health and what this servant was doing, and said nothing else."

Shen Qingwan was silent for a moment, then said, "Go and tell Imperial Physician Zhang to examine Consort Xia tomorrow morning. Consort Xia is pitiful; she's been in the palace for so long and has only served the emperor once, this is only the second time..."

Emperor Yuanwu then removed Consort Yan's genital disease.

Seeing how Consort Yan had been ravaged by the disease in just a few days, leaving her unrecognizable, was truly terrifying.

As for Prince Rui...

I hope he understands what she means.

When Emperor Yuanwu finished bathing and arrived at his bedchamber, Shen Qingwan was already clean and tidy, lying on the inside of the bed.

She knew in her heart that Emperor Yuanwu would not bathe in her palace and go elsewhere at this hour, so she simply left him a place to sleep. Emperor Yuanwu would not force her to do anything at such a time, after all, the harem was never short of women.

Although it wasn't the first time Emperor Yuanwu had spent the night in this palace, lying on the same bed with Shen Qingwan while sober made him feel somewhat uncomfortable.

The two lay quietly, separated by a pillow, until Emperor Yuanwu finally spoke first.

"Why did you suddenly decide to have this set of pajamas brought over?"

Shen Qingwan was puzzled. "What's wrong with this nightgown?"

"This nightgown was made for me by Consort Li herself when she was still alive. Since Consort Li passed away, I have rarely taken this nightgown out to wear."

Shen Qingwan: ...

The people in the Hall of Mental Cultivation are really thoughtful.

“I was taking a bath just now. Zhen’er went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to get my nightgown. I suppose the people there didn’t notice.”

Emperor Yuanwu closed his eyes and remained silent. Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Qingwan simply stopped talking. However, lying motionless like this made her feel very uncomfortable and uneasy, let alone fall asleep.

After a while, just when Shen Qingwan thought Emperor Yuanwu was about to fall asleep, he suddenly spoke up, "Does the Empress have anything she wants to ask?"

"If His Majesty wants to tell me, he will naturally do so. If His Majesty doesn't want to tell me, even if I ask, he still won't say. As the Empress, I should do what I should do," Shen Qingwan said calmly.