Traveling through the Tang Dynasty: The Concubine Goes to War

Last time we talked about how Concubine Zhu was caught by the Queen for spreading rumors and she knelt down and begged for mercy.

However, the Empress did not let her off easily. She looked at Concubine Zhu coldly, her heart full of disappointment and anger. She knew that as the master of the harem, she must have enough dignity and justice and could not be swayed by personal emotions. So, she decided to punish Concubine Zhu lightly to maintain the order and stability of the harem.

Finally, the Empress announced: "Concubine Zhu, I will give you a lenient sentence because you have not committed any serious mistakes in the past. From today on, you will be confined to your bedroom and reflect on your mistakes. If you make the same mistake again, I will not let you off easily!"

Concubine Zhu was so grateful that she kowtowed repeatedly. She knew that the Queen had given her a chance, and if she didn't cherish it, the consequences would be disastrous. So she silently accepted the punishment and vowed to reform and win the Queen's trust again.

The young prince was still dissatisfied after learning the result, but he also understood that the affairs of the harem should not be made a big deal. He comforted Xiaowan like a little adult: "Don't be afraid, with me here, no one dares to bully you." Xiaowan nodded with tears in her eyes.

Time flies, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, the queen was walking in the palace when she suddenly saw Xiaowan, who was beside the prince, running towards her in a panic. Xiaowan fell to her knees with a plop, her face full of tears, and cried, "Please, Queen, save the prince!"

The queen was shocked and hurried forward to help Xiaowan up, asking what happened. Xiaowan cried and replied: "His Royal Highness insisted on going to Concubine Zhu's palace to find her, and no matter how I tried to persuade him, he would not stop..."

The queen immediately understood the prince's intention when she heard this. She frowned slightly and sighed in her heart. This child is still young and impetuous after all, and doesn't know how to think carefully. Yunxi is not in the palace now, it's time to teach the prince a lesson.

The Queen thought for a moment and decided to go to Concubine Zhu's palace to see how things would develop. She walked quickly towards Concubine Zhu's palace, and she couldn't help but worry. She hoped that everything would not get worse. When the Queen rushed to Concubine Zhu's palace, she found that the prince was arguing with Concubine Zhu. Concubine Zhu looked at the Queen with a smug look on her face, while the prince was so angry that his face turned red.

"How dare you!" the Queen shouted angrily, "Prince, how dare you trespass into the forbidden area? Have you forgotten my order?"

The prince argued, "Mother, I just want to seek justice for Xiaowan. Concubine Zhu..."

"That's enough!" The Queen interrupted the Prince. "Justice is in the hearts of the people. You don't need to solve it in this way. How can you achieve great things if you are so impulsive?"

The prince lowered his head and remained silent, realizing that his behavior was somewhat reckless.

The queen turned to Concubine Zhu and said, "Let's leave today's matter here. But if it happens again, don't blame me for punishing you severely." After that, she took the prince and Xiaowan and left Concubine Zhu's bedroom.

The Queen immediately took the Prince to Penglai Palace and prepared to teach him a lesson. The Queen looked at the stubborn Prince, shook her head helplessly, and said earnestly: "Prince, do you know how reckless your action is? Concubine Zhu is now under house arrest for reflection. You trespassed into her bedroom, which is not only unbecoming, but also makes others think that I am unfair."

The prince retorted unconvincedly: "I just want to seek justice for Xiaowan!"

The queen said sternly, "Justice is in the hearts of the people. As the crown prince, you should set an example and consider the overall situation. You really disappointed me with what happened today."

After hearing what the queen said, the prince realized that his behavior was indeed inappropriate and lowered his head in silence.

Seeing this, the queen softened her tone and said, "Never mind. You are young and impulsive. Considering that this is your first offense and your mother is not in the palace now, I will not punish you. But you must remember to think twice before doing anything and don't act on emotion."

After the prince sincerely admitted his mistake, the queen's expression gradually eased.

"If you really think Xiaowan has been wronged, you should study harder and increase your knowledge in the future. When you are able to protect the people you cherish, you can truly seek justice for them." The queen stroked the prince's shoulder, her eyes full of expectation.

The prince raised his head and looked at the queen with a firm gaze. He knew in his heart that the queen was also thinking about him, so he said, "I understand. Thank you for your teachings, mother."

Afterwards, the queen dismissed her attendants and left only him and the prince in the palace.

"Mother, I still have something I don't understand." The prince hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Why did you forgive Concubine Zhu so easily? She made a big mistake."

The Queen smiled and looked at the Prince, "Prince, those in high positions need to understand tolerance and patience. Although Concubine Zhu made mistakes first, she has repented. Moreover, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish. The stability of the harem requires a balance of forces from all sides. A small move affects the whole body. You need to slowly understand the pros and cons."

The prince nodded thoughtfully, "I understand. I admire your mother's foresight."

The queen smiled with relief, "It's good that you understand. As the future monarch, you must learn to weigh the pros and cons and win the hearts of the people. But remember, no matter what, you must stick to your principles and bottom line."

"Besides, Concubine Zhu is a princess who gave birth to a prince, so her position in the harem is still very important." The queen paused and continued, "As the prince, you can't make enemies easily, otherwise it will only cause you trouble."

The prince nodded, indicating that he understood the queen's good intentions.

"However, this incident has also sounded a wake-up call for us." The queen said solemnly, "The struggle in the harem will never end. We must always remain vigilant."

"I understand, son." The prince replied.

The queen nodded with satisfaction. "Okay, go ahead. Remember, don't be so reckless in the future."

The prince bowed respectfully and slowly left the palace. He secretly made up his mind to work harder to become an outstanding crown prince and never disappoint the empress and Yunxi's earnest expectations.

After leaving the Queen's bedroom, the prince felt extremely heavy, as if a heavy burden was weighing on his heart. He knew the complexity and cruelty of the palace struggle, and he also knew that the responsibility he was carrying was enormous.

After returning to the East Palace, the prince closed the palace door and fell into deep thought, carefully thinking about his future action plan. He resolutely decided to listen to the advice of the Queen and Xiaowan, devote himself to study, and strive to improve his talents and prestige.

At the same time, with the help of Xiaowan, the prince secretly sent his confidants to closely monitor Concubine Zhu's every move to prevent her from causing trouble again. In addition, the prince often went to the queen to humbly ask her for advice on methods and strategies for governing the country.

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye. During the days of house arrest, Concubine Zhu deeply reflected on her mistakes and became more low-key and humble.

Thanks to the prince's unremitting efforts, the atmosphere within the palace gradually became harmonious and the country became prosperous.

However, under the harmonious atmosphere, there are still undercurrents...