The Emperor glanced at it casually, and inevitably thought of Consort Wan.

Back when Consort Wan was still alive, all the concubines were like flowers in full bloom, bright and dazzling, showing that they were well pampered in the harem.

Looking at them now, they all look disheveled and as if they haven't had enough to eat.

The Kabuki in the very center is indeed beautiful; her clothing and makeup are truly eye-catching.

In comparison, these concubines look much more plain!

What happened? They weren't this shabby before.

Could it be that the Empress won't make them new clothes?

When these concubines saw the young and beautiful dancers in the center, they couldn't help but feel intimidated. They all lowered their heads and eyes, showing no interest whatsoever.

The woman the Empress found was truly beautiful; she must have gone to great lengths to find her.

Since Consort Wan was confined to her quarters, no one has been able to gain the Emperor's exclusive favor. With the Empress also bullying them, these people don't even dare to have any ambitions; they are incredibly timid.

When the Emperor sighed as he looked at his concubines for the fourth time, the Empress realized that something was terribly wrong.

The harem has been unusually peaceful lately. The emperor can stay with whomever the empress wants, because he feels that all these people are the same and it doesn't matter where they live.

By distributing favors equally, conflicts can be avoided, and no one will compete for attention, thus bringing peace and quiet.

I never expected them to be so listless; they hardly resemble a harem anymore.

Su Wenyuan also noticed this problem, but she thought about it more deeply.

Today is the Lunar New Year's Eve banquet, and these people are all uniformly without makeup, there is not a trace of festive atmosphere. Is it a coincidence?

Although the emperor needs to stay overnight in the empress's palace on New Year's Eve, the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, and other important days, even if they are heavily made up, they cannot lead the emperor to their palace.

But isn't going to the other extreme by not dressing up at all?

Is it because the Empress is too powerful that they are silently resisting?

No one planned it? Such perfect coordination and uniformity? Impossible.

Su Wenyuan lowered her voice and said to Sheng Jingyu, "These concubines are really cunning. Are they planning to release Consort Wan?"

Sheng Jingyu said, "Pretty much. Some of them used to be Wan Pin's faction, but now they're being suppressed by the Empress. They'll definitely support Wan Pin being released."

The remaining group harbored some resentment towards the Empress.

In the past, everyone relied on their own abilities, but now pleasing the emperor has become secondary; making the empress happy is the main thing.

The problem is that the Empress's temper is unpredictable, and it's hard to tell what she likes.

Adding to this, Su Lin'er stirred things up everywhere, and on New Year's Eve, this whole thing happened.

In the dim light, the Emperor inevitably spotted the luxuriously dressed Su Wenyuan.

And beside her, the proud and smug Sheng Jingyu would occasionally raise his hand to show the Emperor the jade thumb ring on his hand.

The jade pendant hanging from his waist looked as if he wanted to place it directly on the table.

The Emperor wanted to shout, "I saw it! I saw it all!"

“Jingyu is dressed brightly today, which is slightly different from her usual clothes.”

Sheng Jingyu curled the corners of his mouth and boasted, "Your subject can't see it. Your Princess is in charge of my food, drink and clothing. If Your Princess likes it, your subject will wear it."

If the emperor doesn't want to talk, there's no point in chatting with him.

Who is it that likes him? Doesn't he realize it?

Su Wenyuan laughed and said, "I thought everyone would dress like this for the New Year's Eve family banquet, but I didn't expect the ladies of the palace to be so plain. It makes me and the prince seem like we're making a fuss over nothing and are out of place."

One sentence hit a nerve, making the emperor and empress very embarrassed.

The emperor turned his head and saw that the empress was also dressed very formally, with her head full of pearls and jade, extremely luxurious.

Did she bully the concubines in the harem?

The empress was speechless at this point. The palace was dressed uniformly, and no one told her about it.

Just then, someone came in to report that Consort Wan had suddenly fainted and asked the Emperor if he should summon the imperial physician.

"Is that even a question? Quickly summon the imperial physician; how could he have fainted?" The emperor's expression was anxious, barely concealing his urgency.

The Empress asked with concern, "Yes, Consort Wan has always been in good health, how could she suddenly faint?"

She meant it was an act!

The Empress also used this trick, and it always worked.

On New Year's Eve, Consort Wan's actions were purely meant to upset people.

Not long after, the imperial physician arrived and said that Consort Wan had accidentally eaten something that caused her allergies, and that she had eaten a lot of it, which nearly cost her her life.

The Emperor was even more anxious. If it weren't for New Year's Eve, he would have gone there in person to check on things.

It was just a matter of locking her up for a while, how did it escalate to the point where she almost lost her life?

Looking at the concubines being "bullied" in the palace, the emperor couldn't help but think of the powerful empress.

Could it be that the Empress wants to eliminate all potential threats? With only the Empress holding absolute power in the harem, she has nothing better to do than extend her reach further and further.

At this point, the Emperor was already considering releasing Consort Wan.

His rank has been lowered, and he's been confined for a long time; keeping him under house arrest indefinitely isn't a solution.

The Empress firmly believed that this was all Wan Pin's doing, an attempt to bypass her and plead with the Emperor on her behalf.

"Consort Wan is only allergic to shrimp. How could she have accidentally eaten such large shrimp? And so many of them?" The Empress glanced at the shrimp on the table and asked sincerely.

Even if someone is blind and can't see it, wouldn't they be able to tell there's a problem when they put it in their mouth?

The imperial physician replied, "It's not shrimp, it's... noodles."

On New Year's Eve, the palace staff also enjoyed a special meal with countless dishes and snacks.

One of the noodles had a topping made with shrimp oil and also contained minced shrimp.

"Where can I find noodles? Did the Empress Dowager give Consort Wan some special treatment?" Su Wenyuan searched earnestly.

He didn't see it on the table, so he got up and looked under his butt.

That's noodles!

Food!!!

Can I put it under my butt?

What is she looking for?

The Emperor glared at her fiercely, annoyed that she was being nosy!

That dish was meant for palace maids and eunuchs; how could it possibly be placed in front of them?

Consort Wan was still a concubine, but the Empress had long ago cut off the food that a concubine should have.

The emperor, having witnessed the palace's methods before, immediately understood what was going on.

Instead of giving Consort Wan what she deserved, she was given food from palace maids and eunuchs.

Consort Wan was unaware that there were shrimp in the noodles and almost lost her life.

The Emperor didn't know whether the Empress's actions were unintentional or deliberate, but it was certain that she would mistreat Consort Wan.

"How could the Imperial Kitchen make such a mistake on New Year's Eve? They must be so careless on ordinary days!" The Emperor said pointedly.

"Your Imperial Hospital must treat her with utmost care, and bring the palace maids who served Consort Wan here. I want to question them thoroughly." The Emperor did not intend to let the Empress off so easily.

We must first find fault with the Empress so that she will feel guilty and stop complaining.

Consort Wan must be released, otherwise what's the point of having all the concubines in the harem looking like they're in their seventies or eighties?

The Empress forced a smile and said softly, "Today is New Year's Eve. Your Majesty must not get angry. Let the imperial physicians treat him properly first. We can discuss other matters after the palace banquet."