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

Chapter 75 was criticized
Consort Shu reached out and covered his mouth, cautiously looking around again and again, then made a gesturing motion with one hand over her mouth: "Sister, have you gone mad? How dare you say it out loud?"

Consort De suddenly realized she had misspoke, and after confirming that no one was around, she slowly breathed a sigh of relief: "Look at my loose tongue. What do you think of this, sister?"

Consort Shu slowly shook her head: "I don't understand, and it's hard to say, but when I saw that little eunuch being dragged out just now, I felt that what he said didn't seem like a lie."

"To be honest, I think so too, but we shouldn't say too much about the ins and outs of the palace. Since Her Majesty the Empress has decided that the little eunuch lied, then it is natural that the little eunuch lied," said Consort De.

Consort Shu was silent for a while, then said with a puzzled look, "But I just can't understand, the eldest prince is only seven years old, would a seven-year-old child lie?"

"Does a seven-year-old child lie? I don't know, but I do know that the First Prince has never had anyone to take care of him since he was a child. He must have some ability to grow up safely in the palace," Consort De said confidently.

Consort Shu nodded: "Let's go back quickly. The palace has been in chaos lately, with too many people and too much gossip. Let's avoid causing any trouble."

"I really envy my younger sister. Now that she has the Third Prince by her side, she will have someone to rely on in the future, unlike me, her older sister." Consort De sighed as she spoke.

"What do you have to envy about me, sister? Even if the Third Prince is raised in Yonghe Palace, he will always be Consort Xian's child. What am I, his foster mother, compared to him?" Consort Shu gave a bitter smile. "If you really like children, why don't you take this opportunity to ask the Empress Dowager to bring the First Prince back to the palace to be raised? I reckon that after this, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor will also have to find a foster mother for the First Prince. You have a high rank in the palace and a good family background. As long as you speak up, no one in the harem can compete with you."

"The eldest prince?" Consort De thought about it seriously. "Let's forget about the eldest prince. You know how much the Emperor hates him. Besides, if the Emperor really wanted to find a foster mother for the eldest prince, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until now? The child is so big now. He remembers everything. Even if he is raised by your side, he will not be truly attached to you. Unlike the third prince, who was still an infant when he was brought to you. After he grew up, he will naturally be closer to you."

Consort Shu sighed, "I hope so."

The eldest prince was still weak, and he fell asleep again shortly after waking up. When he woke up again, it was already dark outside the window.

Shen Qingwan had chicken soup and some other food prepared in advance.

"These are all light dishes. If the eldest prince doesn't have an appetite, he can choose some of his favorites. There's no need to force yourself," Shen Qingwan said, handing the spoon to Jiang Wenlan.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. The food in Your Majesty's palace is delicious, much better than what the prince eats," Jiang Wenlan praised as she ate.

“Your Highness hasn’t eaten for two days. Even if you like to eat, you should eat less so as not to feel uncomfortable. If you get hungry later tonight, I will have someone cook for you.” Shen Qingwan picked up some food and put it in Jiang Wenlan’s bowl.

"Your Majesty, will I be living in Kunning Palace from now on? Will I no longer have to return to the Princes' quarters and live with those servants?"

Shen Qingwan was taken aback by his question, and staring at his innocent eyes, she didn't know what to say for a moment: "If the eldest prince likes the Empress's place, even after he recovers, he can come to Kunning Palace often and dine with me."

Hearing Shen Qingwan's words, Jiang Wenlan's eyes instantly darkened: "Your Majesty, I truly don't understand why the Second Prince can live with Consort Liang in Qixiang Palace, and the Third Prince can live with Consort Shu in Yonghe Palace, while I can only live alone in the Princes' Quarters." "When princes grow up, they will all live in the Princes' Quarters. The Second Prince will also move there in a while. How can boys live in the palace with Your Majesty forever?" Shen Qingwan stroked Jiang Wenlan's head with some heartache: "Eldest Prince, you must always remember that no matter where you live or who you live with, you are the Emperor's most honored prince. You are no less than anyone else. But there is something you can tell Your Majesty the truth about."

After Shen Qingwan finished speaking, she gave Zhen'er a wink, and Zhen'er led all the palace maids out and closed the palace gates.

"Your Highness, can you tell the Empress whether someone really pushed you down, or whether you jumped down yourself?"

The moment Shen Qingwan finished speaking, a hint of panic flashed across Jiang Wenlan's eyes. His hand trembled with fear, and he almost dropped the soup bowl.

"Your Majesty the Empress..." Jiang Wenlan's lips trembled slightly.

"Your Highness, do not be afraid. Her Majesty the Empress has called them all out to speak to you, not to punish you. Her Majesty the Empress simply wants to tell you that you must cherish your health no matter what you do or what you want to obtain. You must not gamble with your life. Do you understand what Her Majesty the Empress is saying?"

Jiang Wenlan stared at Shen Qingwan for a few seconds, then silently nodded.

"Your Majesty the Empress believes that the First Prince is a smart child. He knows what to do from now on without Your Majesty having to say more," Shen Qingwan said softly. "Because the First Prince fell into the water, Your Majesty the Empress punished the eunuchs and nannies in the First Prince's palace. They may not be able to take care of the First Prince for the time being. So, let the First Prince stay in Kunning Palace for the time being. After Your Majesty the Empress has arranged a place for the First Prince, he can move there. Is that alright?"

Jiang Wenlan stared at Shen Qingwan for a while, then silently nodded.

The candlelight shone on Jiang Wenlan's delicate and youthful face, and Shen Qingwan clearly saw something crystal clear flash across her eyes.

Jiang Wenlan stayed in Kunning Palace for a few more days. The Prince's quarters had a new batch of servants, and the Empress Dowager also sent an old nanny who had served her in Cining Palace for decades to take care of the eldest prince.

With this, Shen Qingwan could finally rest easy.

The matter of the eldest prince has been resolved, but there is still something that is giving Shen Qingwan a headache, namely Consort Qi.

No posthumous title was given to Consort Qi after her death. However, according to the usual rules of the palace, unless some concubines died as punishment, Consort Qi, who died of illness, should still be given some rewards as a consolation. After all, her family was brought into the palace in good health, and now that they are gone, no one is given any thanks. It would make the royal family seem ignorant of the rules, and the first person to be scolded would be the Empress.

Shen Qingwan pondered for a moment and then went to Cining Palace.

(End of this chapter)