Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

After a while, Concubine Baogui took the hairpin back.

The hairpin was placed in a square box made of sandalwood with delicate peony patterns carved on it. Just by looking at this carefully designed box, you can tell how valuable the things inside are.

Ji Anni and Yizhen looked at each other, and seemed a little hesitant to accept it.

At this time, Concubine Baogui had already opened the lid of the box, and saw two identical hairpins placed side by side inside the box.

The hairpin has a finger-sized pearl embedded in it, and several circles of gold threads are wrapped around it. Although the style is simple, the design is very elegant and the workmanship is fine. Even if a layman looks at it, he can tell that it is a top-quality product.

"Sister..." Ji Anni looked up at Concubine Baogui, "We dare not accept such a valuable gift."

Concubine Baogui smiled and said, "Since I've already called you sister, why are you still being polite to me?"

As he spoke, he closed the lid of the box, pushed the box to Ji Anni and Yizhen, and said, "These two pearl hairpins were given to me by my father ten years ago, the day before I entered the palace. He told me that if I met a good sister in the palace who I could trust, rely on, and help each other, I should give her this hairpin, and we would be sworn sisters and share the same aspirations. But after I entered the palace, such a sister did not appear, so this box of hairpins... was sealed for ten years."

"Ten years..." Yizhen repeated the concept of time slightly.

Hearing Yizhen's repetition, Ji Anni also felt something strange.

The new emperor has only been on the throne for three months, how come Concubine Baogui has been in the palace for ten years? And I heard from the palace maid named Xiaoyao that she has been serving Concubine Baogui for three years. So...

Could it be that Concubine Baogui was the concubine of the previous emperor?

Oh my god... Thinking of this, Ji Anni couldn't help but widen her eyes.

How could a concubine serve two generations of kings? In feudal society, isn't this a great immorality?

Ji Anni and Yizhen looked at each other, but neither of them dared to ask.

I only heard Concubine Baogui whispering, "Perhaps I won't meet my sisters again in this palace, so I'll give this box of hairpins to you. Seeing you two being so affectionate, I'm also very envious."

Looking at the loneliness and sadness that appeared on Concubine Baogui's face at that moment, Ji Anni finally understood why Yun Zhen said that Concubine Baogui was lonely, and why he asked her to visit Concubine Baogui often when she had time.

Ji Anni recalled the look in Yizhen's eyes when she was looking up at the gate outside the palace just now. It was one of envy.

And now, envy was revealed in Concubine Baogui's eyes as she gazed at herself and Yizhen.

Yizhen envied the prosperity that Baoguifei had, while Baoguifei envied Yizhen's freedom and friends. They both envied each other for what they didn't have, and felt numb to what they already had.

As the concubine of the previous emperor, Concubine Baogui must have endured a lot of gossip. And every time Ji Anni saw her, she always showed the friendliest smile. I wonder how many tears were hidden behind that smile. But fortunately, Yun Zhen cared about Concubine Baogui and knew how lonely she was. By the way...Since Concubine Baogui had been in the palace for ten years, how many years had Yun Zhen been in the palace?

Ji Anni couldn't help but ask, "My lady, when did Yun Zhen enter the palace?"

Baogui Fei said, "Ten years ago, not long after I entered the palace, he also entered the palace."

Then, Concubine Baogui told them some past events.

Baogui Fei's father was the Minister of War, and Yun Zhen's father was the governor of Shuntian Prefecture. The two families had always had a good relationship, so the children often met each other. Baogui Fei had been in poor health since she was a child, and was often possessed by some vengeful spirits, so Yun Zhen practiced Taoist medicine. He exorcised demons and monsters for Baogui Fei, and also cured her illnesses.

Yun Zhen's hair faded three years ago when he was fighting a magic battle for Concubine Baogui and his true energy was damaged.

Although Concubine Baogui gradually recovered after that, Yun Zhen's hair turned silver-white forever.

"No wonder..." Ji Anni exclaimed slightly. She had long felt strange that everyone else's hair was black, but Yun Zhen's hair was silver. She had originally thought that Yun Zhen was malnourished or had a special bloodline, but she had never expected that there was such a story hidden in it.

"Oh, right." Ji Anni was a naturally curious baby who particularly liked to listen to these stories. She hurriedly asked, "What kind of monster was that three years ago?"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Baogui's face turned pale.

"My lady, what's wrong with you?"

Ji Anni didn't know what was going on yet, so Yizhen quickly pulled her back and said, "Xiao Zhao, don't ask anymore."

As soon as I saw the pale face of Concubine Baogui, I knew that what happened three years ago was definitely not a good thing. If Ji Anni continued to ask, it might bring up some bad memories for Concubine Baogui. So it was better to put away my curiosity and change the topic to other aspects.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Baogui covered her chest for a while, then raised her head and said, "Actually, it's okay to tell you. This is not a secret. The palace maids and aunts all know it. Even if I don't tell you, you will know it soon."

"What on earth is it?" Ji Anni became more and more curious.

I only heard Concubine Baogui say: "Three years ago, I was the late emperor's concubine..."

When she heard this, Ji Anni's heart sank.

As expected, Concubine Baogui was the concubine of the previous emperor. But how could she, who was the concubine of the previous emperor, become the concubine of the new emperor? Didn't the empress dowager object? Or did the emperor like her too much? That's not right... The new emperor had no real power, and even Zhaoji had to get the empress dowager's approval to return to the palace. How could he dare to keep the concubine of the previous emperor as a concubine?

The more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Ji Anni instinctively felt that there must be something else going on.

She didn't have time to think about it carefully because the story of Concubine Baogui had already begun.

Three years ago, the late King Hui was still alive. He had a virtuous Queen Wang, but that year Queen Wang died suddenly of illness and left no offspring. After Queen Wang's death, the throne remained vacant.

Until one day, King Hui said that he would make the concubine who gave birth to the dragon son the queen, which caused quite a stir in the harem.

The current Queen Mother was only a concubine back then. She gave birth to a princess for King Hui, Princess Tianning. Concubine Baogui and the other two concubines did not have any offspring. The only prince of the previous emperor was the current emperor Long Mohan, but Long Mohan's biological mother was only a maid in the Queen's palace back then. Because of her mother's low status, Long Mohan was sent to the Qi Palace as a hostage when she was seven years old. Therefore, there was no prince in the harem back then, and who the Queen would make was still a complete mystery.

Just when the concubines in the four palaces and eight courtyards were fighting openly and secretly, news came unexpectedly that a concubine was pregnant.

This news immediately caused a sensation in the harem, because if the concubine gave birth to a baby boy, she could immediately be named queen.

Ten months later, the child was born, and it was indeed a little prince.

But the day after the little prince was born, the concubine died in her room. The cause of death has not yet been determined. The concubine had no wounds on her body, no signs of poisoning, and she did not die of suffocation.

The case was investigated for a long time but no clue was found, so it was finally left unresolved.

Baogui Concubine had always been weak, so she was possessed by the ghost of the concubine, crying and screaming in the palace. Fortunately, Yun Zhen helped her get rid of the evil spirit, and she was able to return to normal. However, Yun Zhen's hair turned silver-white due to the damage to his true energy.

Later, a concubine adopted the little prince who lost his mother at birth.

The emperor then made that noble concubine the queen, and that noble concubine is now the empress dowager.

However, just three months after she ascended the throne, the little prince unfortunately fell into a well and died.

That's how the story ends.

This caused Ji Anni to sigh. Was the little prince's death by falling into the well an accident or a conspiracy? Could it be that the queen at that time, now the queen mother, adopted the little prince for the throne, but after achieving her goal, she killed the innocent child?

No one dared to speak without evidence, but everyone had the same question in their minds.