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

Chapter 384 It’s your own fault
Jiang Wenlan's eyes widened in surprise. "Empress Mother."

Shen Qingwan looked directly at him. "Now it's just you and your mother here. Your mother wants to hear the truth from you: how exactly did you hurt your leg?"

Jiang Wenlan's eyes slowly lowered. "Empress Mother, you know everything?"

He paused for a moment, then continued, “Your subject simply cannot stand Consort De’s face. I have never seen her treat me well on ordinary days, but as soon as Father Emperor has been a little nicer to me, she has started to scheme against me, wanting to use me to help her consolidate her position in the palace. Such a vicious woman is not worthy of staying by Father Emperor’s side, much less worthy of raising me.”

Shen Qingwan frowned deeply, unsure of what to say.

“While Consort De was certainly wrong, the First Prince shouldn’t have hurt himself for her sake. Fortunately, it was just a superficial injury. If the bone had been broken, it could have been a permanent injury,” Shen Qingwan sighed helplessly.

“But if I don’t do this, no one will believe what I say, and Father Emperor certainly won’t,” Jiang Wenlan said firmly.

“But if your mother can see through what you’re doing, do you think your shrewd father won’t?” Shen Qingwan retorted.

Jiang Wenlan's eyes showed obvious panic. "Empress Mother, Father has already dealt with Consort De. If Father finds out, will he... blame me?"

It's not that I'd blame them.

After all, given Consort De's current position in Emperor Yuanwu's heart, she can only be considered a discarded pawn.

People who have no use to Emperor Yuanwu are naturally dispensable.

only……

If Emperor Yuanwu had just been angry and hadn't figured out something, but suddenly remembered it one day, he would not only remember it, but also understand the reasons behind it.

I fear that all the changes Emperor Yuanwu has made to Jiang Wenlan over the past year will vanish in an instant.

"I don't know if your father will blame you, but I want to tell you that if you want to survive in this harem, you must first protect yourself. It is the stupidest way to hurt the enemy by hurting yourself by eight hundred."

Jiang Wenlan lowered his eyes in shame. "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. I will never do it again."

“You’re still growing, nothing is more important than the injury on your knee.” Shen Qingwan said, glancing at his leg. “When the imperial physician changed your dressing, the wound was quite deep. We’ll talk about everything after the wound heals.”

"Your subject will humbly follow the teachings of Your Majesty."

When Shen Qingwan came out of the prince's quarters, she glanced at Su Tianhe and said in a low voice, "Where is that eunuch who was with the eldest prince last night?"

"Your Majesty, he has already been beaten to death."

Shen Qingwan then raised her head with relief and glanced at the rising sun.

He was the only one who knew that Jiang Wenlan had injured himself, although he didn't know how Jiang Wenlan had bribed him to willingly stand up and help him put on such a show.

But Shen Qingwan only knew that in this world, only the dead would not betray others.

"Let's go back to the palace..."

Shen Qingwan didn't sleep all night. After returning to Kunning Palace, she washed up and went to sleep.

However, the palace is buzzing with rumors because of what happened last night.

"Have you heard? Last night, the Emperor said that if the First Prince were to have dinner at Kunning Palace again in the future, he would stay there and not have to go back to the Prince's Residence."

"This eldest prince is the son of Consort Li. Everyone in the harem knows how much Consort Li holds in the Emperor's heart. So, could it be that the Emperor has let go of his resentment towards Consort Li and is making up for all his regrets about Consort Li through the eldest prince?"

"Rather than saying that, it's more accurate to say that the Emperor intends for the Empress to raise the First Prince." "I don't understand what Consort De is thinking. Why would she want to provoke the First Prince for no reason?"

"Perhaps she felt that since the eldest prince was not favored by the emperor, she could bully him at will."

"If you ask me, it was Consort De who harmed Consort Li back then. Otherwise, how could she have been so frightened that she went insane on the anniversary of Consort Li's death last year?"

"She harmed Consort Li and then her son? What deep hatred could drive her to do something so vicious?"

"..."

Shen Qingwan slept very soundly, and when she woke up, daylight had turned into night.

Staying up late is indeed very bad for your health. Shen Qingwan felt weak all over. "What time is it?"

"Your Majesty, it is already 7 PM."

this late?

Shen Qingwan, who originally wanted to stay in bed a little longer, had no choice but to get up.

"Your Highness, you've slept for so long, you must be hungry. What would you like to eat? I'll have someone prepare it."

"It's all up," Shen Qingwan replied absentmindedly. "How is the First Prince?"

"Your Majesty, Su Tianhe went to the princes' quarters during dinner and waited until the eldest prince had finished his meal and gone to bed before returning. Should I call him over and ask him in detail?"

"no need."

Shen Qingwan asked calmly, "Whose concubine did the Emperor choose today?"

"Your Majesty, it is still Consort Xia." Zhen'er's eyes were deep, and her voice was much softer as if she was afraid of displeasing her. "Your Majesty, just now during dinner, the people from the Censorate came to report that... Lady Song was still alive after being beaten thirty times, so she was carried into the Wuliang Palace. Consort Bai, who lives there, went mad. When she saw someone go in, she didn't care about anything and pounced on her to beat her. Lady Song was in so much pain that she couldn't scream, and her fingernails were bleeding."

Shen Qingwan remained silent.

The Song family's current predicament is entirely of their own making.

The death of Consort Li, the death of Consort Shu after her bowl of food laced with safflower rendered her infertile, and so much more...

From the day she entered the palace, she fought against Pang Shi. Now that Pang Shi is dead, even though she has lost favor, she is still an old servant in the palace. As long as she lives a peaceful life, Emperor Yuanwu does not seem to care about the crimes she committed.

But she insisted on setting her sights on the eldest prince.

"Your Majesty, there is something I am unsure whether I should say." Zhen'er hesitated.

Shen Qingwan gave a wink, and one by one, the palace maids serving in the hall withdrew.

Seeing that only she and Shen Qingwan were in the hall, Zhen'er leaned close to Shen Qingwan's ear and whispered, "Your Majesty, I heard that before Consort De went to see the First Prince and said she wanted to adopt him, she was in close contact with Consort Rou. It seems that Consort Rou was the one who instigated this."

Consort Rou?

Shen Qingwan's eyes darkened.

Are you sure?

“I’m sure.” Zhen’er nodded firmly. “I heard it with my own ears when the maids brought tea and snacks while Consort Rou and Lady Song were sitting together talking.”