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

Chapter 57 Smoothing Things Over

Looking back now, this matter does seem rather strange.

“Father, these chopsticks are indeed a rare and exquisite item. I will definitely take them back to the palace for my meals.”

Shen Wenqian nodded in relief.

Shen Qingwan chatted with Shen Wenqian for a few more minutes, and then went to Master Wuxin's place in the evening.

"May I disturb the nun's meditation?"

When Shen Qingwan arrived before the Buddha, Abbess Wuxin was reciting Buddhist scriptures.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. This humble nun was merely performing her evening prayers." Abbess Wuxin clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

"Master, there's something I've never understood. Do you believe in reincarnation?" Shen Qingwan asked humbly.

She couldn't understand why she had transmigrated into a stranger's body. Could it be that she had some connection with the original owner of this body, or that she herself was experiencing the exact same things as the original owner hundreds of years ago?

The Buddha said: When conditions come, they go; when conditions gather, they disperse; when conditions arise, things are born; when conditions fall, things perish. All things arise from conditions and are bound by fate. One must see the arising of conditions in all places, all things, and all objects.

Shen Qingwan listened to Master Wuxin's words and smiled with relief.

"The so-called cycle of reincarnation exists if you believe in it, and does not exist if you do not believe in it."

Master Wuxin bowed and said: "To not see any dharma is called attaining the Way; to not understand any dharma is called understanding the dharma. Believe in the cycle of cause and effect. On a tree, only one kind of flower can grow, and in a body, only one ruler can exist. Fate brings us together, and fate takes us apart. As you sow, so shall you reap. All is created by the mind."

"After chatting with the nun for a few minutes, I suddenly realized something."

Shen Qingwan suddenly understood and stopped dwelling on why she had transmigrated into the original owner's body and why her fate had been changed.

Even though she had already prepared herself to accept her fate, she still clung to some things she couldn't understand beforehand.

"Your Majesty, many people worship Buddha simply because they have encountered problems that they cannot solve themselves, and they seek solace in their spirits. The best state is when people can truly understand the meaning of being without desires and wants from the bottom of their hearts."

Shen Qingwan stayed at the Sansheng Temple for one night.

The next morning.

Shen Qingwan offered incense before the Buddha to express her respect and pray for peace and prosperity for the country.

After bidding farewell to her parents, Shen Qingwan presented the Diamond Sutra and the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, which she had personally copied from the palace, to Abbess Wuxin.

When they returned to the palace, it was already time for dinner.

Shen Qingwan originally just wanted to have a simple bite to eat. She was indeed a little tired from the long journey, but unexpectedly, Emperor Yuanwu arrived.

Shen Qingwan curtsied and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

"You're back?" Emperor Yuanwu glanced at her and sat down. "Have you seen your parents? How are they?"

"Yes." Shen Qingwan said softly, "My parents are all well, and my uncle has promised to discipline my cousin strictly in the future to prevent her from causing any more trouble."

Emperor Yuanwu nodded.

"Your Majesty, Mother and Father brought me a lot of food from home. Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Shen Qingwan paused as she opened the food box before she could finish speaking.

Since ancient times, the emperor's food has been strictly controlled, for fear that someone might poison it. Even food sent from the imperial kitchen had to be tested with silver needles and tasted by eunuchs before Emperor Yuanwu would eat it. How could he easily eat something she brought from outside the palace?

Shen Qingwan's words, though unintentional, still made Wu Jixiang break out in a cold sweat. Seeing that Emperor Yuanwu remained silent, he hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Your Majesty, His Majesty has already had afternoon tea, so he is probably not very hungry yet."

Shen Qingwan understood that Wu Jixiang was giving her a way out: "In that case, let's take it down first. I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Since it was made by the Emperor himself, then I will also try it. What did the Empress like to eat when she was a child?"

Shen Qingwan was quite surprised, as she had thought Emperor Yuanwu was about to leave.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled, then asked someone to take the food to the small kitchen to heat it up.

"The Empress seems to be in a good mood. If she misses her father and mother in the future, she can go back anytime. Just inform the Ministry of Rites," Emperor Yuanwu said.

"I was happy to see my father and mother, but what made me happy was not just that. It was because I felt much more relaxed after talking with Abbess Wuxin."

"The Empress is interested in Buddhism." Emperor Yuanwu paused, recalling that the two of them seemed to have mentioned the verses from the Forty-Two Chapters Sutra last time.

"I wouldn't say I'm interested, but I'll look at it when I'm bored. I chatted with Abbess Wuxin about it, and I still feel that I have too many distracting thoughts," Shen Qingwan sighed.

Emperor Yuanwu:...

He felt that the Empress's expression at that moment made her seem like she was about to enter a Buddhist monastery.

Originally, I was about to ask for the jade Guanyin statue from the storeroom.

Let's forget about it!

The two chatted as they ate.

"The Emperor has bestowed the title of Consort Lan upon her. Has the matter been reported to the Empress Dowager?"

Emperor Yuanwu was also at his wit's end when this matter was brought up.

He couldn't understand why the Empress Dowager was so determined to make things difficult for Lan Cui.

The Empress Dowager always valued imperial offspring. No matter which concubine in the palace became pregnant, she would happily bestow many gifts upon her.

Previously, the Empress Dowager disliked Lan Cui because she was of low status. Emperor Yuanwu did not want to upset the Empress Dowager over such trivial matters, so he only favored her a few times and then let it go. But who would have thought that she would become pregnant?

Emperor Yuanwu was truly puzzled. It was so difficult for any of the concubines in the palace to get pregnant, yet she conceived after only two favors. Perhaps she was truly destined to have an imperial heir.

Thinking of this, Emperor Yuanwu couldn't help but sigh.

“I just happened to get a peace charm for the Empress Dowager. I’ll send it to her tomorrow. Do you want me to put in a good word for her?” Shen Qingwan said, then looked up at Emperor Yuanwu. “I can say what I want, but whether the Empress Dowager will accept it is another matter.”

"Your Majesty is very kind." Emperor Yuanwu looked up at the Empress and said, "Your Majesty has changed so much. I am already very pleased that you are willing to put in a good word for me."

"Whether the changes are significant or not, it seems that His Majesty has never truly understood me. His Majesty has bestowed upon me so many honors. As the Empress, it is my duty to manage the conflicts among the concubines in the harem and to be filial to the Empress Dowager." Shen Qingwan ate earnestly and spoke sincerely.

However, when these words reached Emperor Yuanwu's ears, something always felt off, making him uncomfortable.

Having just finished her meal, Shen Qingwan was already so sleepy that she could barely keep her eyes open.

However, Emperor Yuanwu showed no sign of leaving.

"Your Majesty, which concubine was chosen tonight? It's almost time, don't keep her waiting any longer." Shen Qingwan couldn't hold back any longer and simply spoke up.

Emperor Yuanwu paused in his book-turning, then looked up at her from afar...

(End of this chapter)