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

Chapter 385 Gentle Blade
Consort Rou?

Having just lost a child, she really can't stay idle for even a moment if she doesn't take good care of herself in the palace.

Shen Qingwan did not believe that Roupin's instigation of Song Shi to adopt the eldest prince was for Song Shi's own good.

Consort Rou herself had a prince, and she was truly content with a concubine of higher rank who also had a prince.

Could it be that she really has no desire for the position of crown prince at all?
A newly arrived palace maid who could not only enjoy exclusive favor and be promoted three ranks in just a few months was no ordinary person.

It's likely that she played a significant role in fueling Consort Yan's affair behind the scenes.

There are no such coincidences in the world. She had just walked to the palace gate when she bumped into Pei'er delivering silver to Physician Zhang. She probably had been waiting at the palace gate for a long time for this moment.

Shen Qingwan now feels that it's possible that Consort Yan's venereal disease was also caused by Consort Rou.

How gentle!
A gentle knife, yet every strike is deadly!
"Zhen'er, take someone you can trust and ask Consort Rou whether she really went to Consort Liang's palace on the day Consort Yan was punished. If she did, what time did she go and what time did she leave? Go to my private treasury and get some silver. Make sure you find out the details of this matter."

Zhen'er's eyes widened in surprise. "Does Your Majesty suspect that Consort Yan's affair is related to Consort Rou?"

Shen Qingwan didn't speak, and lowered her eyes.

“Then…Your Highness, should I investigate who Consort Rou has been in contact with since Consort Yan entered the palace?”

"It's not impossible to investigate, but we must do it discreetly. It would be best if we could find out, but it's okay if we can't. However, since His Majesty has not ordered a thorough investigation, we must not let this matter be associated with our Kunning Palace."

Zhen'er curtsied and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, this servant knows what is important."

After sleeping all day and having dinner, Shen Qingwan was no longer sleepy, but she still felt tired.

She held a book, idly passing the long night by candlelight.

It was late at night, and Zhen'er was on night duty. She was lying on a makeshift bed on the floor outside the main hall, already asleep.

Although it is springtime and there is no longer any chill in the air during the day, it is still cold at night.

Shen Qingwan glanced outside the hall.

Although Zhen'er had a blanket wrapped around her, she seemed very cold, curled up like a shrimp.

Shen Qingwan took a blanket from her bed and covered her with it.

Just as she was about to return to her bed to continue reading, a dark shadow suddenly flashed past the window.

If something like this hadn't happened before, Shen Qingwan would have screamed in fright.

Even though she could clearly see who was coming from outside the window, she was still startled.

"You really have nothing better to do." Shen Qingwan walked coldly to the window, raised her hand to close it, but was blocked by Mo Ganjunyi's arm.

"Why is Your Majesty in such a hurry?"

Mo Ganjunyi gave a forced smile, which made Shen Qingwan frown speechlessly. "What do you want to do in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?" Shen Qingwan said irritably.

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken. I do not wish to wander around like a ghost in the middle of the night, but Your Majesty has arranged so many guards to protect Chang Le Palace like a watertight container, making it inconvenient for me to enter and exit during the day."

Shen Qingwan: ...

"Even with so many guards, they couldn't keep an eye on you, so why do you care whether it's day or night?"

Mo Ganjunyi raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Why is Your Majesty so angry? If you could treat me with even a tenth of the patience you show to the First Prince, I would be so excited that I couldn't sleep at night."

Shen Qingwan: ...

It's as if he sleeps at night.

"You really have the nerve to compare yourself to a child," Shen Qingwan rolled her eyes at him.

Mo Ganjunyi couldn't suppress the upward curve of his lips as he looked at Shen Qingwan with tender eyes. "Your Majesty's words, can I interpret them as meaning that in Your Majesty's heart, you no longer see me as a child, but as a man?"

Shen Qingwan: ...

She felt that she must have some serious illness to be arguing with him about such trivial things.

"Whether it's children or men, it seems to have nothing to do with me. I also advise you, if you're really that free, go wander around somewhere else. You'll only run into walls at Kunning Palace."

Mo Ganjunyi completely ignored Shen Qingwan's cold expression, a deep smile still playing on his lips. "But I just want to hit a wall."

"Whatever." Shen Qingwan knew it would be difficult to close this window anytime soon, so she simply let go. With a hint of warning in her tone, she said, "I'll give you two choices: either leave immediately, or I'll summon the guards standing outside the palace right now, and then..."

"Then when that time comes, everyone in the palace will know that tonight, the Empress and I had a secret rendezvous in Kunning Palace. Even if the Empress was not willing, her innocence will be hard to protect. I know you don't care about the Emperor's favor towards you. Do you really think the Empress would risk her innocence for a mere hostage, making it impossible for her to stand in the harem in the future?"

Shen Qingwan felt as if she had swallowed a fly, and felt a little nauseous. "Do you think that if that were really the case, the Emperor wouldn't take your life? The Emperor and I are husband and wife; we share both glory and loss."

Even if Emperor Yuanwu didn't love her, he would never tolerate a man who had cheated on him living in this world.

"Your Majesty, why insist on doing something that will only lead to further losses? What good will it do you?" Mo Ganjunyi's eyes darkened, and the smile on his face vanished. "I came here today only to inform Your Majesty that Prince Yao has long been colluding with the Northern Desert. Now that Emperor Yuanwu has killed the Princess Consort's brother, and Prince Yao's Princess Consort is on the verge of death, his letter to Mo Ganxie has already been delivered to Mo Ganxie. Since Your Majesty has no affection for Emperor Yuanwu, you should make plans for yourself as soon as possible."

Shen Qingwan's gaze was complicated as she glanced at him indifferently. "Why are you telling me all this? Aren't you afraid that I will tell the Emperor about this?"

"Whether or not to tell Emperor Yuanwu is the Empress's choice, but whether or not I tell you is my choice." After saying this, Mo Ganjunyi leaped down from the windowsill. "I still stand by what I said before: as long as Her Majesty the Empress agrees, I am willing to go to great lengths with Her Majesty to retire to the mountains and live a life of anonymity with her."

Shen Qingwan: ? ? ?

She doesn't want to.

In the instant Shen Qingwan was lost in thought, Mo Ganjunyi quickly climbed up the wall to the roof and disappeared into the night.

"Who?"