Professional Ethics of a Concubine

Prince Duan's Mansion.

When Prince Duan heard the eunuch calling him to go to the palace to meet the emperor late at night, he was stunned.

When Prince Duan heard that Concubine Xiao was also going, he became even more confused. What was going on?

Princess Duan was also confused.

Didn’t Concubine Ye say that she would take action tomorrow? Why is she taking action now? How exciting!

Princess Duan suppressed her inner excitement, pinched her palms, and asked the eunuch in an anxious and confused manner,

"Eunuch, why did the emperor summon the prince and Concubine Xiao?"

"We don't know either. Your Highness Prince Duan, the Emperor is calling you urgently, please hurry up and go to the palace with Concubine Xiao."

The eunuch urged expressionlessly.

"Go and call Concubine Xiao over quickly and tell her that the Emperor wants her to come to the palace to see him. There can be no delay."

Princess Duan suppressed her secret joy and said to the maid beside her with a stern face.

Prince Duan glanced at Princess Duan and felt that her attitude was a bit tough, but he didn't say anything because he was also worried in his heart.

After a while, Concubine Xiao came over, her movements as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind, very charming and lovely.

She bowed perfunctorily to Princess Duan, then walked to Prince Duan's side, frowned slightly, and asked with a sad face,

"Your Majesty, it's so late, why did the Emperor summon you?"

"I don't know either." Prince Duan embraced her lovingly and comforted her.

"It won't be a bad thing. After all, you are just a little girl. You don't care about anything on weekdays. If anything goes wrong, it won't happen to you."

Concubine Xiao also felt the same way, and felt a little relieved.

Princess Duan watched the two of them being affectionate from the side with cold eyes, and listened to their conversation, sneering in her heart.

What a good way to ignore everything. No trouble will ever happen to you.

Her husband, he is quite understanding.

And she, after doing everything and spending a lot of money, still had to bear the blame and was nothing in his eyes.

Princess Duan lowered her head, suppressed the resentment in her heart, and hoped that this scumbag and bitch would suffer at the hands of the Emperor.

-

Prince Duan and Concubine Xiao entered the palace, but in fact they never met the emperor.

Why doesn’t the emperor see them?

After hearing what Ye Qingzhi said, the emperor had calmed down and was too lazy to scold Prince Duan himself, so he just made him kneel in the ancestral hall.

In order to make sure that his son's death was clear, the emperor asked his personal eunuch Zhang to deliver his oral instructions.

Because Prince Duan forgot his ancestors, was arrogant and extravagant, squandered his family property, favored his concubine and killed his wife, his title of prince was revoked, his fiefdom was taken back, he was fined for one year's salary, and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall and reflect on his mistakes facing the wall for an unspecified period of time.

When Prince Duan heard what Eunuch Zhang said, his face turned pale instantly and he staggered to the ground.

"Eunuch, I, I want to see my father, I am wronged..."

Prince Duan wanted to protest that he was wronged, but as soon as he opened his mouth to say the word "injustice", he could not continue.

He knew that he was not really stupid and he was not really wronged.

He admitted to all the above-mentioned crimes.

But he didn't even bother fighting for the throne, he just wanted to enjoy wealth and luxury, so why couldn't he do that?

How could my father be so cruel that he revoked his princely title, took back his fiefdom, and did not pay his salary for a year!

Wuuuuu... Father really doesn't like him. In his eyes, he is nothing but a waste.

"Fourth Prince, please go in quickly. The Emperor has told you to reflect on yourself and read Emperor Gaozu's History of the Rise of the Army and the Records of His Daily Life. Don't forget the original text."

Eunuch Zhang asked the young eunuch to put a thick pile of books into the ancestral hall and urged Prince Duan to go in quickly. He stopped calling him "Prince" and called him "Fourth Prince" instead.

Prince Duan wiped his tears, staggered to his feet, and asked Eunuch Zhang, "Where is Xiao?"

"She is with De Zhaoyi. The Fourth Prince should reflect on himself and try to get out as soon as possible. Life in the ancestral hall will not be easy." Eunuch Zhang said softly.

Prince Duan walked into the hall, looked at the ancestral tablets, and knelt down reluctantly, feeling only resentment for a moment.

At this time, a gust of wind blew over, blowing out a few candles. The room suddenly became dark, and a low humming sound came from nowhere...

Prince Duan's scalp suddenly felt numb, his face turned pale, and he hugged himself tightly while shivering.

Ahhhh, sob, sob, sob…Ancestors, I was wrong!

-

Concubine Xiao was taken to Concubine De Zhaoyi.

The Emperor had sent someone to inform De Zhaoyi that Prince Duan had been punished.

When De Zhaoyi heard this, her defense was immediately broken.

She was framed by the late crown prince and demoted from Concubine De to Concubine Zhaoyi, which was miserable enough.

Her son has now lost his princely title and fiefdom, and has been punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. She doesn't know when he will be released!

How could De Zhaoyi not go crazy!

So, when De Zhaoyi saw Concubine Xiao, she blamed all of Prince Duan's faults on Concubine Xiao.

Yes, it was this vixen who killed her son!

If it weren't for her, how could her son squander all his money on buying so many luxury items, and how could he be accused of favoring a concubine and neglecting his wife.

So, De Zhaoyi stared at Concubine Xiao, and her first words were,

"Tear off her noble skin and beat her hard!"

In an instant, several maids and palace maids rushed towards Concubine Xiao, tore her clothes and started hitting her face.

“Wuwuwuwu… Empress Zhaoyi, please spare me, you can’t do this to me, Prince, Prince, help me, help me…”

Concubine Xiao had no idea why she was being tortured. She cried and shouted for Prince Duan to save her, but then her mouth was gagged.

After beating for a while, De Zhaoyi asked the maids to stop beating, stared at Concubine Xiao and said,

"From today on, you will live in the palace and serve me as a nurse."

Concubine Xiao asked desperately, "Why?"

"Take her away and give her some medicine. Don't let her die." De Zhaoyi did not answer, but said in a cold voice,

"As long as my son doesn't come out, she will suffer for the rest of the day."

"My queen, why? I don't understand. You, you must let me die knowing clearly." Concubine Xiao cried hoarsely.

"For my father's sake, my queen, you can't do this to me. My father is at least a fourth-rank minister."

"Because of you, my son has been extravagant, favoring concubines and ignoring his wife. He has lost his princely title and fiefdom, and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. I don't know when he will be released. Do you understand why he died?"

De Zhaoyi said coldly.

"I am innocent. I never leave the house and never took the prince's money, let alone used it to buy things. How could I squander it? I have also advised the prince to respect the princess every day. I have done nothing wrong."

Concubine Xiao cried out in grievance.

"You are absolutely right. The incense you use, the jewelry you wear, the silk you wear, the calligraphy and paintings in your room, how do you think you got these things? They didn't cost you money..."

De Zhaoyi asked her with a sneer.

Concubine Xiao gradually stopped crying, but still said aggrievedly,

"I didn't ask the prince to buy those, madam, you can't put all the blame on me."

"… Pull him away!" De Zhaoyi waved her hands in a headache, too lazy to talk nonsense with her.

Of course she knew that the fault was mainly her son's, but she could only vent her anger on Concubine Xiao.

-

Princess Duan, the Fourth Prince's wife, entered the palace the next morning and went to Consort De Zhaoyi to inquire about what had happened.

When she learned that Concubine Xiao was beaten and detained in the palace, she was extremely happy.

However, no matter how happy she was, she had to pretend to be anxious and wipe away her tears. After all, her husband was imprisoned and had lost his title and fiefdom.

A few days later, she told De Zhaoyi according to the plan that all the calligraphy and paintings collected by the Fourth Prince would be confiscated, and she asked the Emperor to show leniency and allow them to visit the Fourth Prince.

When De Zhaoyi heard this, she immediately went with the Fourth Prince's wife to ask for an audience with the Emperor.

Although they did not meet the emperor, Eunuch Zhang came forward and said that the emperor's attitude had indeed softened and he allowed them to visit the fourth prince.

De Zhaoyi breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that her daughter-in-law's approach was effective, she immediately regarded her as her backbone and treated her very well.

For the first time, the Fourth Prince's wife straightened her back in front of her mother-in-law.

When she saw the miserable appearance of the Fourth Prince, she pressed down the corners of her mouth, quickly took out a handkerchief dipped in chili water to wipe her eyes, and her eyes immediately turned red.