The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

"Speaking of which, when I was a child, I saw corrupt officials being beheaded after their homes were confiscated. It was on the streets of West Market outside. I wonder if the noble concubine has seen it. The executioner held a knife with a gleaming blade. He raised it high and chopped it down fiercely. A big head rolled to the ground, and the blood flew several feet high, splashing on the white silk surrounding the execution ground. The head fell to the ground and rolled like a ball, with a pair of eyes still open, and they were red with blood, and they were about to burst from the eye sockets..."

"Ah!!!" Concubine Zhu was frightened by Xie Yuzhen's overly detailed description and stepped back repeatedly. Her face was pale and her eyes were full of fear. "I, I remembered that I have something else to do in Zhaoyang Palace, so I won't talk to Master Xie any more."

She couldn't understand how there could be such a bold woman in the world.

He was clearly describing such a horrific, bizarre and disgusting scene, yet he was still able to laugh as if nothing had happened.

Xie Yuzhen bent her knees slightly and raised her voice slightly behind Concubine Zhu: "This is just the killing of one person. Your Majesty, think about it. When thousands or tens of thousands of people are fighting on the battlefield, what a hellish scene of blood and flesh flying everywhere. And the disaster of the destruction of the country and the extinction of the race, who knows how many more people will die. Think carefully about the meaning of the word 'shun'. Is my statement more appropriate?"

Concubine Zhu stumbled, and she looked back at Xie Yuzhen in embarrassment. Although she was so scared that her face turned pale, she still wanted to continue to be stubborn: "Talented Lady Xie, don't keep talking about it all the time, aren't you afraid of losing your blessings!"

Xie Yuzhen would never let an outsider take advantage of her with words, so she waved her handkerchief softly and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. However, I have Your Majesty protecting me, so no matter what demons or monsters come, they can't harm my fortune."

The gentle smile on her face suddenly turned provocative: "Besides, I have never done anything wrong, so I am not afraid of the dead ghosts coming to my door. I think the noble concubine should not be afraid either. People in the world say that every grievance has its perpetrator and every debt has its creditor. People like us who have no grievances can discuss life and death openly, and even if we talk about ghosts and gods, we will not offend them and are not afraid of retribution. The noble concubine, you are having a period, why do you look like you have a stomachache and your face is pale? Why don't you take a rest and ask the imperial doctor to take a look?"

Xie Yuzhen suddenly stepped forward, and Concubine Zhu was so frightened by her suddenly enlarged face that she almost lost her balance and fell backwards.

She swayed her body, glared at Xie Yuzhen and said unhappily, "I'm fine!"

Only the fingertips hidden in her sleeves were trembling slightly - she had seen dead people and had done bad things, and after Xie Yuzhen described them so vividly, Concubine Zhu felt a chill growing down her spine.

She no longer paid attention to Xie Yuzhen, and left decisively holding the hand of the palace maid. Her back looked hurried and panicky, as if she was fleeing in a panic.

"Tell me, did this person do anything wrong and I just happened to point it out to him?" Xie Yuzhen turned his head and asked the palace maid beside him.

Xiazhi is looking after Xie Yi, Chunfen is still staying in Jinghua Tower, and the one following Xie Yuzhen now is Xiaoxi, who is about the same age as Chunfen.

She heard her master asking her questions, and after a moment of silence, she shook her head: "I am a dull servant and can't tell what's wrong with the noble concubine, but she..."

Xiaoxi glanced at Xie Yuzhen carefully, and received an encouraging and affirmative look from the latter. The little girl took a deep breath and gritted her teeth again: "The noble concubine looks like she is having a fright. Maybe she bumped into something bad and is very frightened."

After she finished speaking, she quickly lowered her head - Xiaoxi was originally from a clan of criminals, her father and brother were all sent to the border, and she and her mother, sister and other female relatives were all made slaves of the government. She was very young at that time, and she only knew that her sister and mother died of illness one after another. It was her aunt who raised her single-handedly.

Her aunt is now a maid in the imperial kitchen, assisting the female official in charge of cooking. She has some connections. When Xie Yuzhen entered the palace, she paid a female official who was on good terms with the Shanggong Bureau to get her niece in.

Xiaoxi had a clean background and was diligent on weekdays, so Xie Yuzhen also hired her. When he was busy during the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice, he would bring Xiaoxi with him to observe and teach her.

The moment Xiaoxi lowered her head, she felt a soft hand fall on her small bun. Xie Yuzhen rubbed her head and said, "Well, not bad, good girl. Now there are only a few of us here, so don't be too restrained. Learn from your sister Chunfen, who is so good. Ask what you should ask and say what you should say. If you don't mind the hardship, I will ask you to learn to read and study with her tomorrow."

Xiaoxi suddenly didn't know what she was thinking, she just felt her mind was blank and warm. When she reacted, she instinctively thanked him. Now when she looked at Xie Yuzhen again, she felt more intimate with him, so she hurriedly added: "I am willing to study, but I am afraid that I can't keep up with Sister Chunfen and bring trouble to her."

"She hasn't read much. With you, she can consolidate her knowledge." The two people who teach Chunfen to read and write are Xia Zhi and Xie Yuzhen. Xia Zhi teaches more, while Xie Yuzhen checks Chunfen's homework from time to time and gives her questions to test her.

Xie Yuzhen did not hide the matter of teaching the palace maids to read from the emperor. Originally, the palace maids and eunuchs in the inner palace of the Da Sheng Dynasty were allowed to read and write. If they could learn well, they could take the examination to become female officials. Female officials not only serve concubines, but can also work in the Shanggong Bureau like court officials. Those who are more promising can go to the Lizheng Hall to help the emperor with his writing. The empress has more than one female official by her side, but Yun Rong is the one the empress relies on the most.

Xie Yuzhen's words dispelled Xiaoxi's concerns.

She turned her head to look in the direction of the child, only to see Concubine Li, whom she had not seen for a long time, coming out with the Second Princess. The Second Princess was jumping in front of her, wearing a bright red riding suit, with her hair all combed up high in a bun, strung together with small corals in the shape of deer antlers and wrapped around several times, looking lively and bright.

Princess Li followed her daughter with a tired and helpless look on her face. It seemed that the younger one was the winner in the competition between the mother and daughter for days.

"Mother, look, there is a little girl in front!" The second princess was waving a small horsewhip in her hand, constantly harming the flowers and plants on the side. When she saw someone in front, she quickly put away the whip.

Concubine Li had no time to stop her daughter from jumping for joy. She could only watch her happily run up to meet her new friend. She then asked her personal maid Ruyi, "Who is that maid in front of you from? Why does she look familiar?"

"Your Majesty, that is Xia Zhi from Jinghua Tower, next to Concubine Xie." Ruyi replied with her head down.

Concubine Li suddenly realized and took two steps forward, then she saw the familiar figure of a woman hidden under the flowers and plants: "I was busy fighting with the second girl and didn't pay much attention to her. I asked you to bribe her palace people before, but did you succeed?"

As she was talking, she suddenly realized, "I've never seen that child in the palace before. Could it be the one she gave birth to before? His Majesty actually dotes on her so much!! Ruyi, whether there is any result or not, don't make any move yet. Let me wait and see."

As one wishes:......