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

Chapter 8 Changed His Temperament
Zhang Mama stopped talking, after all, the Empress had caused quite a bit of trouble in Cining Palace before.

The empress was stubborn and wouldn't listen to advice.

Once, she tried to dissuade the Empress from hurting the Empress Dowager, but she accidentally bumped into her, hitting her waist on the corner of the table, and couldn't get out of bed for half a month.

"What about the food that the Empress sent?" Zhang Mama hesitated.

“Have the food heated up and brought over for dinner. Although the Empress has a bad temper, she is not a bad person. At most, she sends contraceptive soup to the concubines who serve her in bed, but she has never really harmed anyone. In the end, all her fussing and making a scene is because she can't win the Emperor's favor, unlike Consort Li…”

The Empress Dowager lowered her eyes.

"Your Majesty, Consort Li has already passed away, so please don't worry about it anymore. I heard from the Chuxiu Palace that after Consort Yu served the Emperor last time, the Empress did not send anyone to deliver contraceptive soup."

Didn't you send it?
Has the Empress really changed her nature?

She had been waiting for the Empress to get to the point, but when she left, she didn't say anything, so she specially asked Zhang Mama to see her off.

She thought that the Empress might have something she was too embarrassed to say to his face, so she might mention it to Zhang Mama.

but……

It seems that this empress never hesitated to say anything to her face, even the most treasonous things, without any restraint.

If it weren't for that auspicious cloud and phoenix, she would have been deposed long ago.

"It's good that she's changed her ways, but I'm afraid she's just faking it."

"Your Majesty, please don't think so much. Regardless of what the Empress thinks, the way she is now, you'll have a lot more peace and quiet."

My ears are finally at peace.

The Empress Dowager began to ponder: Did the Empress want to reclaim the right to assist in managing the six palaces?

On her way back to the palace, Shen Qingwan took a detour to the Imperial Garden.

Although it was autumn, the Imperial Garden was still full of flowers, with the fragrance of osmanthus filling the air. The rare night-blooming cereus was also in bloom, and I casually picked a few blossoms.

Shen Qingwan returned to the palace and placed a vase in her bedroom.

"Your Majesty, didn't you forbid the Empress Dowager from keeping flowers in her palace? Why are you doing it yourself..." Zhen'er asked, puzzled.

"I don't allow the Empress Dowager to keep flowers in her bedroom because her cough hasn't healed. A large part of her cough is related to the flowers in her bedroom. I don't cough, so I can keep flowers there."

As Shen Qingwan spoke, she trimmed the flower branches.

What girl doesn't like flowers?

"Then Zhen'er will take a few servants to the Imperial Garden to pick some of the best blooms and put them in our main hall and side halls. When the Emperor comes next time, he might be so pleased by the fragrance that he will stay overnight."

Shen Qingwan: ...

Just then, Su Tianhe brought in a bucket of water from outside.

“Yes, Aunt Zhen’er is right. When the Emperor comes to Kunning Palace again next time, Your Majesty the Empress must find a way to keep him here. If that doesn’t work, you can have a drink with the Emperor. If he gets drunk, he definitely won’t go anywhere else.”

Shen Qingwan: ?

Shen Qingwan choked on her own saliva and coughed violently.

Get the emperor drunk?
I heard that when the Emperor was still a prince, he drank with Prince Rui in his mansion. Prince Rui was so drunk that he couldn't get out of bed for three days, but the Emperor was perfectly fine.

Could it be that she, a woman deep within the palace, can drink more than Prince Rui?

"Your Highness, are you alright? Is it these flowers that caused your cough? I'll have someone take them to the courtyard right away."

Shen Qingwan waved her hand. "There's something I need to discuss with both of you today."

Su Tianhe and Zhen'er exchanged a glance and knelt down on the ground. "This servant dares not. Your Majesty, please give us your orders."

"I know you want to keep the Emperor here for my own good. As an Empress, I have never been favored by the Emperor and must have heard a lot of gossip behind my back. But no matter what unpleasant things those people said behind my back, just pretend you didn't hear them. No matter how dissatisfied they are, I am still the Empress. Whether the Emperor favors me or not, I am still the Empress."

Concubines might have to fight for what they want, but she was the Empress. She was different. Regardless of whether the Emperor rewarded her with anything presented as tribute from the palace, she always received a share. That was the difference between her as Empress and the concubines.

Favored concubines usually receive some rarer items, which she did not have.

However, with many things, there are gains and losses; even an emperor cannot be perfect.

Even if all the women in his harem belonged to him, not every single one of them would truly love him.

If even the Emperor is like this, she doesn't need to force herself to do things she doesn't like just for some material possessions.

In fact, when the Empress Dowager and the Emperor allowed the original owner to enter the palace, it was not because Emperor Yuanwu liked the original owner.

The original owner simply never found his place in the world.

As long as she follows the wishes of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, is filial to the Empress Dowager, takes good care of the princes and princesses, and manages the trivial matters in the palace, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will surely not mistreat her.

But these are things you should keep to yourself; you can't say them out loud.

"From now on, do not talk about vying for the emperor's favor or asking him to stay overnight in the palace. If you feel that there is no future in following me, I can have someone send you elsewhere, or I can give you a sum of money to leave the palace."

"Your Majesty, please calm down. This servant absolutely did not mean that. This servant is willing to follow Your Majesty." Su Tianhe was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he slapped himself in the face.

Shen Qingwan interrupted him: "There's no need for that. I have no intention of punishing you."

Actually, this matter cannot be blamed on the palace servants.

The original owner of this body cried and made a fuss a lot in the three years after her marriage in order to win the favor of Emperor Yuanwu. She was domineering and extremely stubborn. She would target whoever was favored and sent contraceptive soup to the concubines who had served her every day.

This led her two confidants to believe that she was trying to win favor, which was why she kept saying those things.

However, no matter how much the original owner quarreled with the emperor, she was still very good to the servants in her palace.

Shen Qingwan knew in her heart that they were doing it for her own good.

The original owner was just stupid!

She had a powerful and influential husband, a life of luxury, a loving mother-in-law, and even concubines who helped her have children, making her a painless mother.

Why not just enjoy a peaceful life instead of vying for attention? Wouldn't it be better to be a content, laid-back person?
“Your Majesty, Zhen’er has been with you since childhood. Even if I die, I will never leave the palace. I will serve Your Majesty for the rest of my life.”

Shen Qingwan's eyes trembled slightly. "Then let's make things clear today. From now on, we should never again talk about asking the Emperor to stay overnight or vying for his favor."

"Yes, Queen."

"Alright, all of you, get up. Dinner will be served later, and I will reward you all by yourself..."

Shen Qingwan raised three fingers, then they fell down one by one: "A crab."

Impulsive!
at dusk.

Consort Xian had just coaxed the Third Prince to sleep.

Xiang'er walked in from outside: "Your Highness Consort Xian, the Emperor has chosen Consort Wen today, and she has already arrived at Zhongcui Palace."

(End of this chapter)