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

Chapter 368 Listen to the Emperor

Emperor Yuanwu chuckled, "The Empress's words seem to indicate that she is not very welcoming of me."

Shen Qingwan smiled and said, "If the Emperor says we are welcome, then we are welcome; if the Emperor says we are not welcome, then we are not welcome. I dare not speak presumptuously; I will listen to the Emperor."

Emperor Yuanwu looked somewhat helpless. He raised his hand to dismiss the servants in the hall and said slowly, "I know you have been wronged during this time, but I also have my own difficulties. As the Empress, can't you understand at all?"

Shen Qingwan didn't speak, but straightened her body. "His Majesty already said that day. As the Empress, I must understand His Majesty's difficulties. However, today's lunch at Kunning Palace is indeed only vegetarian."

"It's alright. Since the Empress wishes to eat vegetarian food, I will accompany her."

Shen Qingwan was taken aback. "Wouldn't that be unfair to His Majesty?"

"As long as the Empress doesn't feel wronged, what does it matter to me?"

Shen Qingwan's lips twitched; she felt that Emperor Yuanwu's words had a hidden meaning.

She had the imperial kitchen send over this table of vegetarian dishes because Lady Pang had left early this morning.

The woman he had served for so many years was gone just like that, and Shen Qingwan couldn't see a trace of sadness on his face. It truly made her feel what it meant to be a cold-hearted emperor.

If that's the case, why should she wallow in sorrow over the painted fan in the autumn wind?

"Zhen'er, have the kitchen prepare a few dishes that the Emperor likes."

Shen Qingwan and Emperor Yuanwu sat in front of the food trays, eating their own meals. After a while, she looked up and glanced at her.

"Your Majesty, I have now suffered a miscarriage and I am afraid I will not be able to serve Your Majesty for some time. The concubines of high rank are also in poor health and it is difficult for them to give birth to more princes for Your Majesty. Should I make arrangements to find a few more young and fertile women to enter the palace to serve you?"

Emperor Yuanwu paused, "The Empress is truly virtuous now."

Shen Qingwan: ...

She just felt that the harem had suddenly lost two concubines.

"I am also thinking about the Emperor's country and the nation. Now that Consort Ying and Noble Lady Xi are pregnant, and the new concubines do not seem to meet the Emperor's expectations, as the Empress, I naturally have to think more about the Emperor's offspring."

Emperor Yuanwu snorted coldly and put down his chopsticks. "Since the Empress has made her plans, then make the arrangements. There's no need to tell me about such a trivial matter."

"The Emperor thinks it's a small matter because it concerns the inner palace. No matter how important the matters of the inner palace are, they can't be more important than those of the court. But I've long since lost the power to manage the palace. If I want to do something, I naturally have to ask the Emperor before I can do it."

Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but laugh as he listened to her words. "The Empress is very thoughtful. The harem should naturally be managed by the Empress. Let Consort Shu assist in managing it."

Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow and smiled, then picked up a piece of pork rib and placed it in Emperor Yuanwu's bowl. "I will listen to Your Majesty."

She was the empress; she didn't need to fight for power, and no power mattered to her.

But the people in the harem wouldn't think that way.

If she were to lose her power to manage the palace just because she hit a palace maid, how would she ever be able to maintain her position in the harem?

She might not use the power to govern the palace, but she couldn't be without it...

"The Empress is really..." Emperor Yuanwu stared at the ribs, his expression somewhat indescribable. "We are husband and wife. There are some things that don't need to be done in such a roundabout way. It just makes us seem distant."

"Didn't Your Majesty say that you and I are husband and wife as one? Why would you say that?"

Emperor Yuanwu:...

"Your Majesty, there is something else, but I'm not sure if I should say it?" "Speak!"

Emperor Yuanwu seemed to have finished eating. He reached out and took a handkerchief from Wu Jixiang's hand, wiping the corner of his lips.

“The eldest prince is not young anymore. In a few years, he will be of marriageable age. Although he has grown up alone in the prince's quarters and is used to it, if he doesn't have a foster mother, it seems difficult to face the court officials when he gets married and has children.” After Shen Qingwan finished speaking, she looked up at Emperor Yuanwu. “Your Majesty, would you consider choosing a foster mother for the eldest prince from among the high-ranking concubines in the harem?”

Emperor Yuanwu remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "I was thinking about this matter a few days ago, but I just couldn't find a suitable person for the time being."

"Since Your Majesty is so willing, then take your time to find a suitable one. Besides, the eldest prince is not even eight years old yet, he is still too young."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded and casually tossed the handkerchief in his hand onto the food plate.

After Emperor Yuanwu left, Shen Qingwan had Zhen'er bring out the portraits of the unsuccessful candidates from the last imperial concubine selection, as well as portraits of some women of suitable age from the imperial clan.

The Empress Dowager had selected so many women, but Emperor Yuanwu seemed to be dissatisfied with them all, leaving them almost entirely unseen.

Now she wants to select some women to enter the palace, and she still needs to do so in a way that pleases the emperor.

However, once the person has been chosen, we still need to inform the Empress Dowager first and also ask the young lady's opinion.

Twisted melons are not sweet.

However, she was forced to stay in confinement after childbirth and couldn't go out for the time being, so she could only watch for the time being.

Just as Shen Qingwan was thinking of going to take a nap, Consort Xia came over.

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty be blessed."

Consort Xia?
Shen Qingwan was somewhat surprised.

"I heard that Consort Xia was not feeling well. Is she feeling any better?"

"Your Majesty, I have come here to thank you. Thank you for having Physician Zhang deliver the medicine to me. I have recovered after just one use, and after a few more uses, I should be completely cured." Consort Xia curtsied and gave another bow.

"That's good." Shen Qingwan raised her hand. "Please sit down."

"I heard that Her Majesty the Empress's health..." Consort Xia paused, then continued, "Is she feeling any better?"

"Much better." Shen Qingwan smiled. "Consort Xia's surname is Shen, which happens to be the same as mine. Consort Xia has been in the palace for so long, but we've never had a chance to sit down and chat. Is Consort Xia from the capital?"

Consort Xia was taken aback, seemingly surprised that the Empress would bring this up. Her expression was somewhat unnatural. "Your Majesty, I was born in Jiangnan and came to the capital with my grandfather."

Shen Qingwan remembered that when Consort Xia first entered the palace, she had Zhen'er investigate Consort Xia's background.

Originally the daughter of a merchant, her family was robbed by bandits, and her parents tragically died. Prince Rui rescued her and took her into his household. Seeing that she was literate, Prince Rui put her in charge of his private residence on the outskirts of the capital. When she reached marriageable age, Prince Rui intended to act as matchmaker to find her a good family to marry into. Coincidentally, both Prince Yao and Prince Xiang had sent women to the palace for the emperor. To repay his kindness, she volunteered to enter the palace herself.

Shen Qingwan immediately felt that there was something wrong with this identity; it was too perfect.

"Is there anyone else in the house?" Shen Qingwan continued to ask.

"Your Majesty, when I was young, my family suffered a misfortune, and I was left all alone. I have no relatives left."

At this point, Consort Xia seemed very sad as she took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes twice.

This made it difficult for Shen Qingwan to continue asking questions.