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

Chapter 372: Lack of Mind

Consort Xia glanced at Emperor Yuanwu sitting in the bathtub through the crack in the window. As if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath, steeled her heart, and went straight in.

The palace maids who were serving Emperor Yuanwu during his bath saw her enter and consciously handed her the handkerchiefs they were holding before retreating one by one.

"Your Majesty, let me serve you during your bath."

Emperor Yuanwu had his eyes tightly closed, but his eyelashes trembled slightly upon hearing the sound.

Consort Xia dampened her handkerchief with water and poured it on Emperor Yuanwu's shoulder. "I just went to see Her Majesty the Empress. She is not feeling well and has already gone to bed."

"And what about you?" Emperor Yuanwu asked in a hoarse voice, "Are you feeling much better?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Physician Zhang's skillful hands have brought me back to health. I am now completely recovered. This morning, the female physician also examined me and said that there is no trace of her left."

Emperor Yuanwu reached out and pulled her into the bathtub. "You're not wearing any undergarments?"

"emperor……"

Water splashed and scattered across the ground with an indescribable sound.

"Your Majesty, Consort Xia and the Emperor..."

Shen Qingwan turned to the side and said, "Have Xia Guiren's maid go back and bring over a clean set of clothes, so she doesn't catch a cold."

“Your Majesty,” Zhen’er hesitated for a long time before speaking, “Why are you doing this? Even if you want to help Consort Xia win the Emperor’s favor, you should let her go to her own palace. Why taint our Kunning Palace?”

Shen Qingwan smiled and said nothing when she saw her angry expression.

The next morning.

When Emperor Yuanwu and Consort Xia walked out of the side hall together, Shen Qingwan was sitting on the food tray in the main hall having breakfast.

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

Consort Xia walked in, curtsied, and while she wasn't exactly radiant, she did so naturally.

Emperor Yuanwu, on the other hand, seemed somewhat afraid to look her in the eye.

Seeing Emperor Yuanwu standing outside the door, seemingly wanting to come in yet also not wanting to, Shen Qingwan stood up and bowed, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yuanwu seemed even more uneasy. He raised his hand, rubbed his nose, and hummed in response.

"Your Majesty hasn't had breakfast yet, has he? Would you like to come in and have some with us?" Shen Qingwan greeted him warmly, then added, "Consort Xia, please join us as well."

"Your Majesty, thank you." Consort Xia smiled and took two steps forward. When she realized that Emperor Yuanwu had not followed, she turned back to Emperor Yuanwu's side and took his arm. "Your Majesty, it is still early. Please come in and have breakfast with us before you leave."

Emperor Yuanwu was thus pulled inside by Consort Xia, but he walked behind her with a solemn expression, staring blankly at her.

I always felt that she was overly excited, and even a little bit naive.

Shen Qingwan's stomachache is gone today, and she feels more energetic. She hadn't had a proper breakfast for the past two days because she wasn't feeling well, but today she had a great appetite and ate an extra bowl of red bean porridge.

Xia Guiren seemed to have similar tastes to Shen Qingwan. Although the dishes on the plate were made according to Shen Qingwan's taste, she still ate them with pleasure.

Only Emperor Yuanwu, after a morning meal, lost his appetite and listened to the two women chatting idly, forcing himself to endure until it was time to attend the morning court session.

Although there were other concubines in the palace where Consort Xia used to reside, he didn't feel anything was wrong. But this was Kunning Palace, the Empress's palace. He felt like he had done something wrong and had been caught by the Empress, and he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Especially after the emperor learned of this, he not only wasn't angry, but also warmly invited them to have breakfast together, which made him even more uncomfortable.

Emperor Yuanwu finally made it to court, and he stepped out of the Kunning Palace with a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty the Empress." Consort Xia stood up from the stool and knelt on the ground.

"Why is that?" Shen Qingwan asked, puzzled, and bent down to help her up from the ground.

"It was all my fault last night. If Your Majesty is unhappy, please punish me as you wish. I will not complain at all," Consort Xia said sincerely.

Shen Qingwan smiled gently and helped her up from the ground: "Since it was I who asked Zhen'er to invite you here, how could I blame you?"

"This..." Consort Xia was puzzled, but she let Shen Qingwan help her up from the ground. "Is Her Majesty the Empress really not angry at all?"

angry?

Her heart wasn't with Emperor Yuanwu, so naturally she wasn't angry.

Even if it weren't for Consort Xia, there would be other women in the harem. In short, as long as Emperor Yuanwu's attention wasn't on her, she could accept it calmly.

Shen Qingwan knew very well that she could help Emperor Yuanwu devise strategies, manage the harem for him, balance the relationships between the concubines, help him be filial to the Empress Dowager and prevent officials from impeaching him for being unfilial, and even protect him from harm, but she could not serve him in bed.

Emperor Yuanwu used to simply have dinner at Kunning Palace and then leave, but now, she increasingly felt that Emperor Yuanwu was no longer satisfied with just having dinner at her place.

With so many concubines suddenly gone from the harem, it's hard to guarantee that he won't focus his attention on her.

If the woman outside Kunning Palace that night was indeed Consort Xia, then who was the person with her?
Prince Rui?
Ever since Shen Qingwan had this assumption in her mind, she secretly felt that she should do something to help Prince Rui.

"There are so many concubines in the harem. Even if it weren't for you, there would be others. As the Empress, I naturally have to maintain harmony in the palace and consider the Emperor's offspring."

Shen Qingwan paused for a moment and continued, "Since we have such a good opportunity, we should cherish it. If we wait any longer, and new concubines enter the harem, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Consort Xia nodded solemnly, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty."

After breakfast, Consort Xia chatted with Shen Qingwan for a while before returning to the palace.

Shen Qingwan gave Zhen'er a wink, and Zhen'er nodded in understanding.

After lunch.

"Your Majesty, the wife of Prince Yao requests an audience. Would you like to see her?" Zhen'er walked in.

"Princess Consort Yao? Isn't she still in her postpartum period? Women in their postpartum period are most afraid of the wind. Why is she coming to the palace instead of resting in her residence at this time?"

"It must be because of her good-for-nothing brother. Yesterday, the Emperor came to Kunning Palace and left Prince Yao alone in Yangxin Hall. This morning, the Emperor left the palace after court. Prince Yao must have run out of options with the Emperor, which is why her wife wanted to ask you for help."

Shen Qingwan pursed her lips deeply.

Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners.

How could Emperor Yuanwu possibly turn a blind eye just because the murderer was the brother-in-law of Prince Yao?

"Go out and tell Princess Consort Yao that I have miscarried and am unwell, so I am unable to receive guests."