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

Chapter 373 Promotion

"Yes, Queen."

As soon as Zhen'er left the main hall, Shen Qingwan clearly heard the cries of the Princess Consort of Prince Yao.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although her brother's life was important, how many months could a woman stay in bed for the rest of her life?

Although it is springtime, she knelt on the cold cobblestone path without hesitation. The illness she developed during her postpartum period may stay with her for the rest of her life.

Whenever she suffers from an illness, who will remember the scene today where she knelt down to plead for her good-for-nothing brother?

I'm afraid that when that time comes, some people will still kick you when you're down and say, "You deserve it."

Shen Qingwan let out a long sigh in her heart.

Life is short, so it's best to plan more for yourself.

Emperor Yuanwu went to Huguo Temple to burn incense today. Since Master Wuchen passed away, Shen Qingwan has never been to Huguo Temple again. Although she usually copies Buddhist scriptures, she does not dare to send her copies to Huguo Temple. In her heart, she always felt that Master Wuchen's passing was more or less related to her.

The news of Consort Xia's favor with the emperor in Kunning Palace spread throughout the inner palace within a single afternoon.

"Since entering the palace, Consort Xia has been keeping a low profile. I really didn't expect her to have such a big move in the works."

"I haven't seen Consort Xia interacting with the Empress much on a regular basis, so why is the Empress helping Consort Xia like this?"

"Rather than talking about Consort Xia, it would be more accurate to say that the Empress was actually helping herself. Now that she has miscarried and cannot serve the Emperor, she sent her people to the Emperor's presence. This would not only earn her a reputation for being virtuous in front of the Emperor, but also do Consort Xia a favor."

"After Consort Xian passed away, Consort Yan was also punished. Suddenly, so many positions in the harem became vacant. If the Empress takes the opportunity to promote a few of her own people, even if a new person enters the palace and gains favor one day, it will not threaten her position."

"Such a good thing, no matter how you look at it, I never would have thought it would happen to Consort Xia..."

In the evening, Emperor Yuanwu returned from Huguo Temple. He had originally chosen Consort Xia, but he insisted on taking a detour to Kunning Palace for dinner before returning home.

Wu Jixiang sent someone to Kunning Palace early in the morning to tell her to prepare in advance.

Shen Qingwan guessed that the last time Emperor Yuanwu came over without saying a word, she prepared a table full of vegetarian dishes. Although the small kitchen added a few more dishes, it was still nothing compared to before.

This time, we need to send someone to deliver the message well in advance.

Shen Qingwan just wanted to laugh, guessing that he would never come uninvited again.

Is it really okay to burn incense at noon and then have a table full of meat dishes in the evening?

However, since even Emperor Yuanwu, who went to burn incense, didn't seem to mind, why should she, someone who rarely left the palace, worry unnecessarily?

Shen Qingwan took out paper and pen and wrote a menu, including the recipes for several dishes, and asked Zhen'er to send it to the Imperial Kitchen.

"Your Majesty, this morning I had someone follow Consort Xia back to the palace. Consort Xia was fine and went to sleep as soon as she got back. But not long after, Consort Jin's personal maid secretly asked the Imperial Hospital for a bowl of contraceptive soup."

Zhen'er paused, then looked up at Shen Qingwan, her heart filled with curiosity. "Consort Jin didn't even serve the Emperor, so why does she need the contraceptive soup? Could it be for Consort Xia? I don't think Consort Jin is that jealous. Besides, yesterday's favor was bestowed by Your Majesty the Empress. Isn't she clearly trying to make things difficult for you?"

Shen Qingwan chuckled lightly, "Consort Jin would naturally not go against me." Not against the Empress.

That means the contraceptive soup that Consort Jin requested was for Consort Xia.

Today, after receiving the emperor's favor, Consort Xia seemed quite happy. How come she changed her mind so quickly?
Women in the imperial harem were not without support even if they did not have children.

Why is it that none of them want to have children?

A series of glances flashed across Zhen'er's face, and it seemed that her mistress looked the same way.

In the evening, when Emperor Yuanwu arrived at Kunning Palace, the palace was filled with the aroma of food. In the middle of the food plate was a bowl of mushroom soup, which looked very tempting.

Emperor Yuanwu washed his hands and walked over, immediately noticing the soup placed in the center of the food plate.

"The Empress has recently developed a particular fondness for vegetarian dishes."

"Vegetarian dish?" Shen Qingwan followed his gaze and looked over. "Is this the bowl of soup Your Majesty was referring to?"

Emperor Yuanwu nodded slightly and sat down.

“Your Majesty cannot assume that this soup is vegetarian just because there is no meat in it.” Shen Qingwan raised an eyebrow, stood up, ladled a bowl, and placed it in front of Emperor Yuanwu: “Your Majesty, please try it.”

Emperor Yuanwu took a sip, seemingly unable to discern any flavor at first, so he took another sip. "What did the Empress put in this soup? Why does it taste faintly of meat?"

"Your Majesty, this soup may look light, with only mushrooms, but it is made with a rich broth. The broth is made from pork bones rich in bone marrow, which were simmered for three hours. Finally, the surface oil was skimmed off, which is why it looks like a clear soup. The mushrooms are bamboo fungus, morel mushrooms, cordyceps flowers, and tea tree mushrooms. The combination of these mushrooms makes it even more delicious."

Shen Qingwan paused for a moment, then said, "Because this soup was specially made for the Emperor, I had red dates and goji berries added."

Red dates and goji berries?

It was specially made for him to drink, and Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"By the way, Your Majesty, there's something I've been thinking about, but I'm not sure if I should say it?" Shen Qingwan said, putting down her chopsticks and glancing cautiously at Emperor Yuanwu.

"Your Majesty, please speak your mind. There's no need for us to hold back or exchange any more official pleasantries."

Shen Qingwan pursed her lips. "It's the rank of the sisters in the harem. Consort Shu has been managing the six palaces for so long and has been devoted to the Third Prince. Has Your Majesty ever thought of giving her the rank of Imperial Noble Consort?"

Royal concubine?

Emperor Yuanwu raised his eyes. “Consort Shu is composed. I had thought about this before, but Consort Shu is unable to bear children and has no children of her own. If she is promoted to Imperial Consort under these circumstances, I am afraid that she will not be able to win the respect of the people in the future.”

"Consort Shu may not be able to bear children, but she was also harmed by others. Imperial offspring are certainly important, but if all the merits of her hard work in the harem and her dedication to raising the Third Prince are overlooked just because of this, wouldn't that chill the hearts of the sisters in the harem?"

"What do you mean?" Emperor Yuanwu asked, puzzled.

“I think that the fact that the Emperor was able to elevate Consort Shu’s rank even though she didn’t have any children of her own sets a good example for the other women in the harem. In this way, having children will no longer be the only criterion for promotion in the harem. Anyone who cares about the Emperor and truly makes contributions to the harem will have the opportunity to be promoted. Perhaps in the future, there will be less infighting…”