Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

Yunxi hid in the dark, quietly observing the maid's every move. She saw the maid carefully take out the lost hairpin from her bosom and was about to hide it. Yunxi hurried out and asked the maid why she stole other people's things.

The maid was terrified and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy. She cried, "I didn't mean it, please forgive me!" Yunxi asked her seriously, "Who told you to do this?" The maid was so scared that she trembled all over and dared not speak.

Yunxi widened her eyes, stared at the maid, and asked again: "Tell me the truth quickly, otherwise you will bear the consequences!" The maid was terrified and finally admitted that someone had given her some benefits to let her stir up disputes in the palace.

After hearing this, Yunxi's heart sank. She realized that there might be a bigger conspiracy behind this, and it was definitely not just a small matter. She decided to investigate further to find out who was behind it.

So she said to the maid sternly: "Tell me all the truth, otherwise you will be punished more severely!" The maid nodded tremblingly and began to tell the whole story...

The maid said tremblingly: "It was Hui'er, the maidservant beside Concubine Zhu. She promised to give me a sum of money and let me leave the palace after the matter was accomplished. My mother was sick and urgently needed money, so I was bewitched and did such a thing. Please have mercy on me, Your Majesty, and spare me!"

Yunxi thought to herself, why did Concubine Zhu do this? It seems that this matter is not simple. She knows that the struggle in the harem is complicated and cruel. If she is not handled carefully, it may cause more trouble.

Yunxi looked at the maid fiercely, "Do you know you are wrong?" The maid kowtowed repeatedly, "I know I am wrong, I will never do it again! Please spare my life, Madam!"

Yunxi helped the maid up. "Since this is your first offense and you have a repentant heart, I will forgive you for now. But you need to make amends, secretly monitor Hui'er's actions, and report any abnormalities to me in time." The maid was grateful and shed tears. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. I will do as you say!"

Yunxi turned and left, secretly determined in her heart to uncover the conspiracy behind it and protect the safety of herself and her sisters in the palace.

After Yunxi returned to the bedroom, he called his personal maid Xiaohong and instructed her seriously: "Xiaohong, you must pay close attention to Zhu Cairen's movements during this period. I must know whether they have further action plans. This is extremely important to us, do you understand?" Xiaohong looked at Yunxi with a serious face and nodded, indicating that she would do it.

In the days that followed, Yunxi continued to live a peaceful life in the palace as usual, but in fact, she remained highly alert. She did not miss any possible opportunity to talk to other palace people, trying to get more information and clues from them. And every communication made her feel that she was gradually getting closer to the truth.

Finally, one afternoon, Yunxi got a piece of news - Zhu Cairen had been frequently in and out of Ye Ling'er's palace recently. This news made Yunxi feel suspicious. Could it be that Ye Ling'er was also involved in this conspiracy? She decided to go and find out what Ye Ling'er was thinking in person to see if she could find any clues.

So, during a visit to the little prince, Yunxi deliberately mentioned the theft in the palace and carefully observed Ye Ling'er's expression and reaction.

But to her surprise, Ye Ling'er did not show any abnormal expression on her face. She just said lightly that she had heard about it.

Even so, Yunxi did not completely believe what Ye Ling'er said. She knew very well the insidiousness and cunningness of the palace struggle, so she must not take it lightly.

In the following days, Yunxi realized that she needed to be more cautious to avoid falling into the trap set by others. She knew that only through continuous efforts and exploration could she uncover the truth behind the theft. At the same time, she had to protect herself and the people around her from being hurt by those with ill intentions.

That day, Xiaohong came back to the bedroom from outside and whispered a few words in Yunxi's ear.

Yunxi's expression became serious, and her eyes were sharp. "As I expected, there must be something fishy going on between Zhu Cairen and Ye Ling'er. Send more people to monitor the whereabouts of the two, and report to me immediately if you find anything unusual."

A few days later, his men sent a message saying that Zhu Cairen and Ye Ling'er had a secret meeting in the garden. Yunxi decided to go there in person to find out what was going on.

Yunxi quietly approached, hid in the flowers, and eavesdropped on their conversation. "Everything is going according to plan..." After hearing Zhu Cairen say this, Ye Ling'er hurried away.

Yunxi frowned, it seemed that the conspiracy behind this was far more complicated than she had imagined. Yunxi decided to stay put and continue to monitor their actions. One night a few days later, Yunxi found that Zhu Cairen sneaked out of the palace, and she followed her.

Zhu Cairen came to a remote tower and entered a secret room. Yunxi approached cautiously and saw a mysterious man in black through the crack in the door. Zhu Cairen and the man in black seemed to be discussing something important. Just when Yunxi wanted to hear more clearly, she accidentally stepped on a stone and made a sound.

The man in black noticed the movement and disappeared in an instant. Zhu Cairen's face changed drastically and he rushed out of the secret room. Yunxi had no time to hide and could only face Zhu Cairen head-on.

"You actually followed me!" Zhu Cairen shouted angrily.

"I have long suspected that there is something wrong with you, and today I finally got the evidence. Tell me! What are you planning?" Yunxi showed no sign of weakness.

Zhu Cairen's eyes flashed with cunning, "Hmph, don't think I'm afraid of you. Since you've discovered it, I don't have to hide it anymore. The position of the Empress has been vacant for a long time, and Concubine Ye Shu is interested in becoming the new Empress! She also promised that if she becomes the Empress, she will definitely help me."

Yunxi was shocked. It turned out that the conspiracy behind this was so huge. She had to tell the emperor the news as soon as possible to prevent any accidents. Yunxi turned and left, but Zhu Cairen sneered behind her: "Do you think you can escape easily? The best is yet to come..."

Yunxi quickened her pace, secretly praying that she would not be stopped by Zhu Cairen's men. She had to pass on this message as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

However, when she reached the palace gate, she found a group of guards blocking her way.

"On the orders of Concubine Shu, Concubine Xi, please come with us." The leading guard said coldly.

Yunxi's heart sank, she knew she had fallen into a trap. But she did not panic, she calmly analyzed the situation.

"I want to see the emperor. This is related to the stability of the harem." Yunxi said loudly.

The guards looked at each other, seeming a little hesitant.

Just then, Concubine Zhu came with a group of palace maids.

"What are you still standing there for? Take her away quickly!" Zhu Cairen shouted sternly.

Yunxi glared at Zhu Cairen, "If you do this, the emperor will not let you go!"

Zhu Cairen smiled and said, "When the emperor finds out, it will be too late. Just follow us obediently."

Yunxi was taken away by the guards and locked up in a remote palace. She didn't know how Zhu Cairen would treat her, but she firmly believed that justice would eventually triumph over evil.

At the same time, the emperor also received a secret report about Zhu Cairen and Ye Ling'er. He was shocked and immediately launched an investigation...