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

Chapter 424 Extra (Establishing a Lifetime 10)

Whatever she said, her mother believed.

“Okay.” Shen Qingwan said with a serious and firm expression, “I remember what you just said. You’re going back to Rongcheng tomorrow, so you shouldn’t be standing here right now. You should be packing your things.”

Liu Ruyan's face turned deathly pale with anger.

"What's wrong with you today, child? Ruyan is a guest I invited. How can you just let her leave like that? Rongcheng is so far from the capital. How can a girl like her go back?"

Madam Shen spoke angrily, seeing that Shen Qingwan had no intention of acknowledging her, she quickly walked up to her. Just as she raised her hand to grab Shen Qingwan's arm, Shen Wenqian blocked her way.

"Are you ever going to stop in the middle of the night?" Shen Wenqian's eyes darkened, tinged with anger. "Shut up."

Madam Shen was stunned by the shout. If it were any other day, she would probably have lost her temper and started fighting with him, but at this moment...

Shen Wenqian's cold and resolute gaze left her no room to back down.

Madam Shen and Liu Ruyan exchanged a glance, but the words that were on the tip of their tongues got stuck in their throats, and they lowered their eyes.

Shen Wenqian then quickly caught up with her and followed her inside the moment Shen Qingwan pushed open the door to her bedroom.

"Wanwan, what happened?" Shen Wenqian paused and continued, "Didn't the Seventh Prince send you back? Then who sent you back just now?"

Shen Qingwan raised her head with red eyes. "Father, the Seventh Prince and I had just arrived at the main street when the Third Prince came over and said that something had happened in the palace and that the Seventh Prince should go back immediately. Later, it was the Third Prince's attendants who brought me back."

He paused, then continued, "Father, do you think the Seventh Prince will be punished after he goes back? Could it be that the Imperial Concubine doesn't want him to come out for the Lantern Festival...?"

"will not."

Shen Wenqian's reply was both straightforward and thoughtful, and it didn't seem like he was trying to comfort her at all.

Shen Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then listened as he continued, "Wanwan, there's something your father hasn't told you yet. He thought you were still too young and wanted to wait until you came of age to tell you, but now..."

Shen Qingwan was stunned. "Father, has something happened to our family?"

Shen Wenqian shook his head. "This is not a family matter."

Hearing this, Shen Qingwan let out a long sigh of relief. But a moment later, Shen Wenqian continued, "Actually, our family's move to the capital this time was not the Emperor's idea, but the Imperial Concubine's. Do you remember when we had guests at the beginning of last year? Father told you that they were all distinguished guests and that you must remember the rules."

Shen Qingwan thought about it carefully, and it seemed that there was such a thing. She slowly nodded.

"Among those people, one is Consort Ying's cousin. His intention, perhaps on Consort Ying's behalf, is to have you marry the Seventh Prince..."

Marry the Seventh Prince?
Shen Qingwan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Father, what did you say?"

Shen Wenqian sighed, "Back then, I just said that you were still young and there was no rush to get married. Besides, you are my father's only daughter, and he wanted to keep you for two more years."

"Amma..."

Shen Qingwan called out to him, her heart filled with mixed feelings, a bittersweet mix of emotions. She was neither happy nor unhappy, but felt that her father's initial response was indeed reasonable and justifiable.

“Wanwan, today I saw the Seventh Prince take you out, and you looked so happy. There are some things I want to tell you.”

Shen Qingwan lowered her eyes somewhat shyly, a slight blush rising on her cheeks when she saw the broken rabbit lantern in her arms. "Given the Emperor's current favor towards the Seventh Prince, if he were truly made Crown Prince, then you would marry him and become the Crown Princess, and in the future, the Empress. But..."

Shen Wenqian paused here, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.

"...You know our family's current situation. What merit or ability does our Shen family have to produce an empress?"

Shen Qingwan tugged at the corner of her mouth, tears seemingly welling up in her eyes. "I understand what Father means."

“Wanwan, your father is doing this for your own good. Entering the palace is like entering a deep sea. Our Shen family doesn’t have that kind of fortune. If you become just a concubine in the harem, your entire fate will depend on a man’s favor. Once that favor is gone…”

“Father, stop talking, I understand what you mean.”

Shen Qingwan's tears fell uncontrollably.

"Wanwan, don't be sad. The situation is still uncertain. No one knows if the Seventh Prince will really become the Crown Prince. If he is just a prince, given his favor towards you today, you could become his wife, or even just a concubine. That would be a good thing."

Shen Wenqian understood that if the Emperor truly intended for the Seventh Prince to remain only a prince, why would he bother moving the Shen family from Rongcheng to the capital?

I'm afraid the Emperor has already made up his mind.

But he only has one daughter.

He didn't hope she would become rich and powerful in the future; he only hoped she could live a peaceful and safe life.

In a place like the imperial harem, how could one possibly live a peaceful life without a powerful maternal family?

Shen Wenqian stood up with a heavy heart and patted Shen Qingwan on the shoulder, "Think carefully about what your father said to you today..."

He originally intended to leave after he finished speaking, but seeing her sad expression, he couldn't help but add, "If you have the chance to see the Seventh Prince again, you might as well tell him about our concerns."

After Shen Wenqian finished speaking, he left her boudoir.

The moment the door closed, Shen Qingwan collapsed onto the bed and burst into tears.

Her heart, like that crushed little rabbit, could never be pieced back together...
-
Jiang Yuxian knelt by the bedside until the eastern sky turned white before Consort Ying weakly opened her eyes.

She looked around for a while as if trying to identify something, and finally her gaze fell on Jiang Yuxian.

"How is your father, the Emperor?"

As she spoke, she hurriedly tried to get up.

"Mother, Father is fine now. Please lie down. The imperial physician said that your blood and qi were flowing upwards, causing you to vomit blood. Please don't get angry or upset."

Jiang Yuxian lowered his eyes and said remorsefully, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have said those things and made Mother angry. I don't dare to ask for Mother's forgiveness. I only beg Mother to take good care of herself."

Consort Ying slowly lay back down, her gaze unfocused as she stared into the distance. After a long while, she finally spoke slowly, "How bitter! He has caused me so much suffering!"

Hear the words.

Jiang Yuxian glanced around nervously and gave a wink to Consort Ying's personal maid...