Professional Ethics of a Concubine

The carriage arrived at Prince Su's mansion first. Before Prince Su got off the carriage, he said to Xie Jin,

"Give Qingzhi a message and ask her to come over tomorrow. She hasn't been here for a while and her mother misses her."

"Okay, uncle. Ever since she became Xiaoliu's master, she has been going to Xiaoliu whenever she has time these days, and has indeed neglected this side." Xie Jin nodded and said with a smile.

"I will come with her tomorrow to visit the Imperial Aunt and the children."

"You don't have to. The people from Chu will arrive tomorrow, and there will be a lot more things to do. Just go do your thing."

Prince Su didn't treat him as the crown prince at all, but just a nephew and an annoying son-in-law, and spoke to him without any courtesy.

"...Thank you for your understanding, uncle." Xie Jin could only smile.

"By the way, I heard that you did some research on the royal family members a few days ago. Have you found any talented ones?" asked Prince Su.

“Indeed, there are three or four talented young men, but none of them are as brilliant as Xiaoliu, nor as pretentious as Xiaosi Duanwang, who can only scare people.

However, if we assign them some positions of real power, they are still capable of taking on the responsibility and can be used.”

Xie Jin said with some dissatisfaction.

If you want to find some apprentices to help Xiaoliu and speed up the research progress of gunpowder or artillery, you have to cast a wide net across the country.

There are no suitable talents in this area in the royal family.

Xie Jin was already considering digging out those Taoists who were forced to hide in the mountains and forests in the previous dynasty.

It should be easier to pick out a few Taoists who are good at alchemy.

It’s a match for your major.

"That's pretty good too." Prince Su nodded with satisfaction.

Thinking of how Xie Jin was able to use people well, letting Ling Yue, Prince Duan and the Sixth Prince take on important responsibilities and keeping them obedient, especially the placement of the former crown prince, Prince Su would also feel respect for him.

With a future monarch with such a broad mind, Prince Su felt that he didn't have to worry about any general under Xie Jin being deprived of power or even having his entire family executed because of his achievements being too great for the monarch.

This is a kind of happiness for the military generals.

-

Prince Su entered the palace, and Eunuch Zhang appeared out of nowhere and walked quickly to Prince Su's side to report to him.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Tong said she wanted to go home to visit her family. She asked me to ask Your Majesty if you agree?"

"Go back." Prince Su replied, "Why bother asking me about such a small matter?"

"Then let them ask the princess for instructions from now on?" Eunuch Zhang asked tentatively.

Upon hearing this, Prince Su frowned and reprimanded, "There's no need to bother the princess with such trivial matters. She doesn't like to deal with such trivial matters."

Eunuch Zhang,...

Is it possible that there is someone in charge of this palace?

He has been in charge of the palace for a long time. In terms of actual power, he does the work that a princess should do.

There is no eunuch with such real power as him in the entire Zhao.

Is it fun? Yes, but it’s also very tiring!

"Your Highness, then tell me, who should make decisions on such small matters in the future?" Eunuch Zhang asked cautiously again.

Prince Su fell silent for a moment, glanced at Eunuch Zhang, then looked away, looking thoughtful.

When Eunuch Zhang saw the prince's expression, he felt a little frightened, because every time the prince was like this, he would always do something earth-shattering for you.

"How many women are there in the backyard?" After a while, Prince Su asked as he walked forward.

"There are two concubines, four concubines, and thirty maids without rank." Eunuch Zhang spoke without hesitation. He seemed very familiar with the topic. After all, he had to take care of these people's food, clothing and daily expenses every day.

Prince Su was shocked and asked with a frown, "Why are there so many concubines? Have they all been favored?"

“Replying to the prince, many of them were bestowed by the emperor after you returned to the capital, as well as beauties sent from below, and some old people from previous years. In fact, several of them were killed by the Wang family, otherwise there would be more.

Not counting the old ones, among the twenty-odd concubines who have been newly appointed in the past two years, four are favored. Their food, clothing, and daily expenses are also one level higher, and their monthly silver is five taels more..."

Eunuch Zhang wanted to tell the prince who they were, but Prince Su waved his hand with disinterest.

"Ask those women in the backyard who are not favored by the emperor if they want to leave the palace and get married. It's meaningless to stay in the palace and live like a widow. It's better to go out and find a man to marry, have children and live a good life.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to. The palace can afford to support you.

For those who want to get married but cannot find a suitable one in their own family, I can also arrange for them to marry centurions or captains of thousands in the military camp. They should be able to ensure that they have no worries about food and clothing and no concubines. "

"...Ah?" Eunuch Zhang was stunned and stared at Prince Su, "Your Highness, this, this is not very appropriate, right?

"They have entered the palace. Even if you don't favor them, they are still people of the palace. If you let them go and let them marry, wouldn't that damage the reputation of the royal family?"

"The royal family's reputation cannot be maintained by these concubines staying quietly in the backyard of the palace."

After Prince Su finished speaking, he thought about it again and made up his mind.

"Don't just dismiss the concubines who are not favored. Even if the two concubines want to leave the palace and marry again, I will allow it.

They were originally noble ladies, and have always stayed in the backyard of the palace. The king does not favor them, and they have no children, so they will live a lonely life.

If they become resentful and want to harm the princess and the child, then it will be too late for me to regret it."

When Eunuch Zhang heard this, he was completely confused.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, thinking about the background of their princess, and felt that it was reasonable for the prince to do such a thing.

Eunuch Zhang adjusted his mindset, put away all his surprise, and asked in a businesslike manner,

"Your Highness, what about the three concubines? They all gave birth to a daughter for you. If they want to get married, can they be allowed to do so?"

These three concubines all served Prince Su at the border. They were not killed by Wang, but they all gave birth to daughters instead of sons.

"Okay, our daughters are getting married, and they don't need to take care of it. They can remarry if they want."

Prince Su waved his hand and spoke.

He really couldn't imagine why these women were still kept in the backyard.

Of course, if they really don’t want to leave the palace and marry again, that’s fine.

He could also arrange other things for them to do so that they wouldn't get sick from staying in one place all day long with nothing to do.

His personal experience tells him that mental illness is more harmful than physical illness.

Eunuch Zhang thought that there was nothing wrong with what the prince said, but what he did was outrageous and shocking.

However, when he thought about their princess again, he suddenly felt that it was not outrageous.

The prince only has the princess in his heart, and he dismissed all the women in the backyard of the palace for her. What does this mean?

It makes sense!

That's right...

"Your Majesty, do you want to inform the Emperor about dismissing the women in the backyard of the palace? Do it after getting the Emperor's consent?"

Eunuch Zhang asked again cautiously.

"Okay, I'll let my brother know tomorrow." Prince Su responded. He didn't think the emperor would object at all, or rather, the emperor's objection would be futile. He would not listen and would only persuade his brother.

"Is there anything else?" Prince Su asked Eunuch Zhang again.

Eunuch Zhang shook his head. Compared with what you just said, what he said was nothing!

-

After a while, Prince Su finally returned to the main courtyard where he and Mu Nianqiu lived now. It was not the courtyard where Wang lived before, but an expansion of the original Tingyu Pavilion.

"Your Highness is back. Is it time to have your meal?" When Mu Nianqiu saw him, he smiled faintly and took the initiative to greet him.

"I haven't had my meal yet. I rushed back from the military camp after finishing my business. Have you had your meal yet?"

Prince Su's mood improved when he saw her. He took her into his arms with a smile on his face and hugged her. He smelled the faint scent of sandalwood on her body and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have used it, and the children also ate a little bit of the soft porridge. They were quite happy eating it." Mu Nianqiu said softly.

"It's so late, why don't you eat some food in the barracks before rushing back? Aren't you very hungry?"

As she spoke, Mu Nianqiu glanced at Nanny Zhu. Without her instructions, Nanny Zhu immediately said,

"The porridge and rice are being kept warm in the small kitchen in the courtyard. I'll have them bring it over right away."

Having said that, Nanny Zhu bowed and left.

Nanny Zhu left, and the other maids came over with water and helped Prince Su wash his hands and face.

"I was in a hurry to come back to see you and the children. I'm not even hungry." Prince Su washed his hands and face, changed into clean casual clothes, and then took Mu Nianqiu to the bedside.

Prince Su smiled when he saw the two children lying on the bed playing with their hands. He bent down and picked up his daughter, kissed her and rubbed her face, then picked up his son and shook him around, then smiled and said to Mu Nianqiu,

"This kid must have secretly eaten too much. He's heavier than my daughter when I hold him."

"Yes, the brother was almost half a pound heavier than his sister when he was born because he ate more than his sister. Half a year later, the gap between the two children has not narrowed, but has become larger instead."

Mu Nianqiu glanced at his son and daughter and felt that if this continued, the two children would no longer look like twins, a boy and a girl, born together.

I changed two wet nurses for my sister, but she still didn't eat much and there was no improvement.

Fortunately, although the child does not have as much flesh as his brother, his figure is still within the normal range.

My daughter was weak when she was born, but Doctor Feng took good care of her and nursed her carefully for a month. She has never been sick since then and looks fair, tender and adorable.

Mu Nianqiu was no longer so anxious.

Prince Su held his son in his arms and rocked him, making him giggle. When his sister saw this, she also stretched out her arms for a hug.

When Prince Su saw that his daughter also wanted it, he immediately threw his son on the bed and started rocking his daughter.

The brother who was thrown on the bed hadn't played enough. Looking at his father and sister who were having fun, he cried with a pout at first, and then he cried loudly. From his expression to the sound of his tears, he looked so aggrieved.

Mu Nianqiu quickly picked up her son and coaxed him, "Be good, don't cry. Mommy will hold you and rock you, it will be fun."

When my brother was hugged by my mother, his crying face immediately turned into a smiling face. He stared at his little legs and giggled with joy. He still felt that my mother’s arms were more fragrant.

The two of them each held one child and played with them for a while. When the food was served, Mu Nianqiu urged Prince Su to put his daughter down and go eat quickly.

Prince Su responded with a smile, put his daughter down, and asked Mu Nianqiu to put the fat boy down as well, holding him until his arms were tired.

Seeing that the prince was going to have his meal and might even talk to the princess, the two wet nurses took the young masters down to their rooms to play with them.

Prince Su didn't follow many rules when eating. He didn't insist on keeping quiet while eating. He asked Mu Nianqiu to sit beside him. When they were almost done eating, he said to Mu Nianqiu,

"I plan to dismiss the women in the backyard and let them leave the house and marry again. If they don't want to marry again, I will set up female households for them and give them two shops so that they can make a living."

Mu Nianqiu was surprised when he heard this, then smiled faintly.

"Okay, some of the women in the backyard are not even twenty years old and are young girls who have never experienced anything in life. If they continue to waste their lives in the backyard, it would be better to let them go out and get married. If they can find a good man, it will be a good deed."

"If I can't meet a good man, and I get abused, beaten, or even killed, I might as well stay in the backyard of the palace and live as a widow. Am I committing a sin again by doing this?" Prince Su frowned.

Because of his own mental illness, Prince Su became very sensitive about doing good deeds and committing evil deeds, and he was also very concerned that they would not lose their lives because of his actions.

Mu Nianqiu was also stunned by what he said, and after a moment he said,

“In fact, it’s hard to meet a good man, and we women don’t have much status, so if we can meet one, that would be great.

If I don't meet her, I don't know whether it is better to be a widow in the palace or to meet a bad husband, but it would be better to have the opportunity to give birth to my own children.

If they don't want to get married, don't want to leave the palace, and don't want to establish a female household, Your Majesty, don't force them. After all, if they leave the palace, the places to stay in the outside world are far less prosperous and safe than here."

Prince Su frowned and thought for a while, then said,

"Then let them make their own choices. If you let me worry about this, I will just give them all to the soldiers below and let them pick the one they like."

He worries so much because he doesn't want to be scolded for doing evil and harming them, and doesn't want to bear the debt of such lives, not because he is kind-hearted and really wants to be a father.

Mu Nianqiu shook his head and sighed. He felt that suddenly having to take on the life-long affairs of so many women was like a mountain pressing down on his head.

so hard.

"If the prince has this idea, I will ask Qingzhi later. She is smart and always has many good ideas. Ask her how to properly place the women in the backyard."

Mu Nianqiu could only think of asking for help, as her stupid brain couldn’t come up with any good idea.

"I just talked to the prince and asked him to tell Qingzhi that she will come tomorrow. You can ask her." Prince Su happily threw the hot potato away.

Mu Nianqiu responded, picked up some food for him, told him to eat more and stop talking for the time being.

-

East Palace.

As it was getting late, the prince returned to the East Palace and did not go to the Crown Princess's house for dinner. Instead, he went directly to Ye Qingzhi and had a simple meal with her.

"Do you think that General Wei can be used?" Xie Jin briefly told Ye Qingzhi about the feud between General Wei and Prince Su, and that General Wei could fight four people at once and was a fierce general.

"It's fine to let the Seventh Prince take him in as his personal guard." Ye Qingzhi nodded in agreement.

"As for the plan that Your Highness mentioned to use him to influence the morale of the army, this is completely an invasion of thought and culture. It is feasible, but it may take a long time to form a deep-rooted concept."

To be honest, it doesn’t take too long to brainwash people and make them agree with a certain concept or mentality. Just look at pyramid schemes, success studies, various forms of consumerism, and consumer traps to know how terrible soft implants are.

"It won't hurt to try," Xie Jin said.

"I didn't say that I was just using him. It was just the first time I heard about the sequelae of war, and it sounded like a common psychological problem.

What is common is what can be used.”

When Ye Qingzhi heard the last sentence, she couldn't help but sigh again.

The leader has truly mastered the economic warfare, psychological warfare and other means used by modern capitalists.

He wants to carry out "peaceful evolution" against Dayan.