Professional Ethics of a Concubine

Ye Qingzhi and his companions had lunch with the emperor at the hot spring villa before leaving.

Because the journey was not short, Ye Qingzhi and the others had no time to rest after returning to the palace. They changed their clothes and went to the palace for the banquet.

Ye Qingzhi discovered that the more the New Year passed, the less relaxing she felt. She didn't even have time to rest and breathe, and had to attend all kinds of banquets and put on a smiling face.

This feeling is just like taking a short National Day holiday, but receiving eight wedding invitations. You have to pay for the banquets every day, and you may have to go to two banquets a day. It is extremely frustrating.

When they arrived at the palace, Ye Qingzhi and the princess separated from Prince Jing. Prince Jing went to the male guests first, and they went to the female guests.

"Sister-in-law, where is your young master? Is he with Prince Jing? Why can't I see Mingyan?" Princess Duan greeted her with a smile when she saw Zhang Jingyi.

"When they heard that the Emperor was not feeling well, they said they wanted to go and talk to him. They didn't want him to spend the New Year alone."

Zhang Jingyi smiled and said,

"The two children want to be filial, and we can't stop them, right? The prince sent them to the hot spring manor."

"...They are two good and filial children." Princess Duan's face twisted and she forced a smile.

Why didn’t they think of sending the child to the emperor to help him win favor!

I just want to go and pay New Year’s greetings to the emperor early tomorrow morning.

When it comes to the means of vying for favor, it has to be Prince Jing, who used to be a minister. He knows how to take advantage of loopholes and can shamelessly lower himself.

"This must be Concubine Ye, what an exquisite beauty." Princess Duan looked at Ye Qingzhi and said with a smile,

"This princess has also listened to your story about the Injustice of Dou E. It is really well told. Why don't you tell it again to everyone at the palace banquet later? Many people have only heard the version that has been circulated, which is distorted."

"Princess Duan, it's not appropriate to talk about Dou E's injustice during the New Year. I'm afraid the Queen will blame me.

I will have it printed into a storybook and give it to everyone later. I will send you a copy as soon as possible, so you don’t have to worry about the story being distorted.”

Ye Qingzhi smiled sincerely and replied gracefully.

After finishing her words, Ye Qingzhi also asked Zhang Jingyi for her opinion, "Princess, do you think my way of handling the matter is appropriate?"

"Yes, that's right. You've thought it through very carefully. Although the story of Dou E's injustice is interesting, it is not suitable for telling at the annual banquet. I'm sure Princess Duan can understand that."

Zhang Jingyi smiled and nodded, then asked Princess Duan, "Sister-in-law, what do you think? Can I give you the storybook?"

Princess Duan: "..."

No, you two are in perfect harmony with each other. Your cooperation is so perfect!

Think of the concubine in her mansion, who relied on the favor of Prince Duan and the fact that she gave birth to the eldest son out of wedlock, and was so arrogant that she spoke to her in a sarcastic and cryptic manner.

After arriving at the palace, she would not follow Concubine Ye around like she did, being respectful and submissive, and treating her as the superior.

Princess Jing is so lucky. The man she married off unexpectedly became Prince Jing. Even the favored concubines with strong backers are respectful and polite to her.

Princess Duan felt so jealous that her teeth ached.

"Haha, sister-in-law, I was indeed not thoughtful enough just now. The book is a good idea. I will look forward to it."

Princess Duan had hit two snags in a row and was in no mood to talk anymore. She smiled, apologized, and turned away.

Princess Duan left, and soon the Crown Princess came over.

Zhang Jingyi and Ye Qingzhi took the initiative to greet the Crown Princess.

"Everyone says that Concubine Ye is smart and capable, and she has a powerful mouth. But I think Concubine Ye's charming look is the most rare."

The Crown Princess stared at Ye Qingzhi again and again, and smiled contemptuously.

"No wonder Concubine Ye is so confident, she is indeed capable."

Because of the recent troubles at home, the Crown Princess was in a particularly bad mood. When facing someone she didn't like, she didn't even pretend to be gentle, dignified and generous, and started to argue directly, almost saying that Ye Qingzhi was a person who used her beauty to please men.

"Oh, Princess, you are too kind." Ye Qingzhi looked shy and touched, and said delicately,

"The Crown Princess is so smart that she immediately discovered my greatest strength. I am so touched."

Faced with the sarcasm, Ye Qingzhi was not angry at all, and she displayed her hospitality skills in a very cultured manner.

First, praise the other person enthusiastically, then treat the other person to a cup of strong green tea, and don't forget to show your emotion at the end.

The Crown Princess laughed out of anger, "...Okay, okay, Concubine Ye is indeed a likable person who knows how to talk. Later, I will invite you to the East Palace as a guest, and we can get closer."

"Concubine Ye, the Crown Princess has been troubled recently. Please don't come to bother her anymore. This is very ignorant."

At this time, Zhang Jingyi spoke up and directly rejected the Crown Princess' invitation on her behalf.

"Yes, I will obey you, Princess." Ye Qingzhi immediately lowered her head and said respectfully.

I have to say that her princess has really made a breakthrough. Look at what she said. While she touched the Crown Princess's sore spot, she also established her own dignity as a princess and protected her.

Princess,...

I have never seen such a united couple!!

The Crown Princess's patience had reached its limit. She snorted angrily, said nothing more to save her face, and just left.

"Princess, it's better for us not to separate." Ye Qingzhi looked at the Crown Princess's departing figure for a while, then turned her head and whispered to Zhang Jingyi.

"Okay." Zhang Jingyi didn't ask any more questions, just smiled and nodded.

Being with Ye Qingzhi, she feels safe.

After that, Zhang Jingyi and Ye Qingzhi were like conjoined twins, going everywhere together.

Whenever someone talked to them, Zhang Jingyi would respond with a smile. Only when her name was called would Ye Qingzhi speak.

Moreover, no matter what he said, he had to ask Zhang Jingyi for her opinion, and he kept saying that the princess had taught him well.

Zhang Jingyi's attitude towards Ye Qingzhi was to protect her in every way, and her words showed a special satisfaction.

I'm afraid you won't find such a harmonious relationship between wife and concubine in the entire capital.

Many people staring at them smacked their lips secretly. Even if they were acting, they acted really well!

Because the palace banquet would also invite some noble ladies to show royal favor, Ye Qingzhi saw her biological mother, the wife of Marquis Anle.

The two of them did not talk to each other. Even when Lady Anle Hou came with her daughter-in-law to pay their respects and greet each other, neither of them showed any concern for each other.

In the palace, there are countless pairs of eyes staring at you in places you don’t know. Be careful in what you say and do. You must be careful in what you say and do!

About half an hour later, the queen finally came out and accepted everyone's kneeling greetings.

"Long live the Queen!" was the Queen's most glorious moment.

The rest of the time, being a queen means living a normal life, which is also full of trivialities, no, conspiracies and various struggles, nothing glamorous.

The queen asked everyone to stand up without formalities, said a few polite words in a pretentious manner, and then asked everyone to move to the banquet hall to have their meal.

Ye Qingzhi followed everyone in expressing her gratitude, then left with her princess and headed towards the palace where the banquet was to be held.

Halfway through the journey, a young eunuch came hurriedly and said to Ye Qingzhi,

"Concubine Ye, the Queen invites you."

"You little eunuch from which palace are you? How dare you falsely convey the Queen Mother's order here? We just came from the Queen Mother. If she had something to do, she would have kept us here. Why would she need you to pass on the message?"

Zhang Jingyi shouted angrily and took the initiative, "You take this little eunuch down, take him to the palace banquet, and hand him over to the prince for punishment."

"I am innocent! I am really in the Queen's palace..."

The young eunuch had never expected this would be the outcome, and he quickly shouted.

"Shut his mouth." Zhang Jingyi shouted coldly.

"Oh, Princess, could it be that someone is deliberately using the Queen's name to harm me?"

Ye Qingzhi shouted fearfully, "We must not let the bad guys succeed. We must not let the Queen's reputation be tarnished in the slightest."

"That must be the case. How could a person as meticulous and thoughtful as my mother do such an erratic thing?"

Zhang Jingyi said it with absolute certainty.

Naturally, this noise was heard by the ladies around.

Fan Qiaozhen was the first to speak up and agree with Zhang Jingyi, praising the Queen Mother again.

Then the old lady of the Fang family also spoke, and echoed Zhang Jingyi's words with a serious face.

After these two people spoke up, those who were friendly with them or their relatives also spoke out to help.

Zhang Jingyi and Ye Qingzhi thanked everyone with a smile for their righteous words, took the little eunuch with his mouth blocked to the palace banquet, handed him over to the prince, and made a complaint out of grievance, asking the prince to make the decision!

Prince, “???!!”

What is he doing!

Do you want him to expose himself?!

The young eunuch passed on the message that it was indeed arranged by the Queen, and he knew that.

As long as Ye Qingzhi follows the little eunuch, there will be a muscular guard waiting for her in a palace ahead, with the intention of killing her.

However, if this trick succeeds, the Queen will definitely not admit that she was the one who asked the eunuch to spread the message, and will insist that Ye Qingzhi took the initiative to seek a private meeting with the guards.

However, the prince never expected that not only did they not believe the eunuch's words, they also arrested him and brought him to him, and praised the queen to the sky with righteous indignation, judging that the queen would never let the eunuch pass on the message.

The reason for praising the Queen like this was to prevent the Queen from accusing Ye Qingzhian of disrespecting her dignity.

The prince knew that this plan had failed and he could not keep the little eunuch.

He agreed perfunctorily, waved his hand, and had the young eunuch dragged away. He then comforted Zhang Jingyi and Ye Qingzhi, saying that he would find out the truth after the palace banquet and give them an explanation.

Prince Jing also put appropriate pressure on the prince and performed an angry performance.

Another quarter of an hour passed before the queen arrived. She had already received the news, so she said something to comfort Ye Qingzhi as soon as she arrived.

Ye Qingzhi was naturally filled with gratitude, and everyone pretended to be deaf and dumb and let the matter go.

The palace banquet began, the prince gave a speech, and then the palace maids shuttled back and forth and began to serve wine and food.

When a palace maid poured wine for Ye Qingzhi's table, Ye Qingzhi smelled the fragrance on her body and immediately frowned.

Then, Ye Qingzhi covered her mouth and retched.

Brush brush!

In an instant, everyone sitting near Ye Qingzhi looked at her.