Don't be a salted fish, the daily life of the concubine in the palace

The next morning, before breakfast was served, Shen Wei had already started grinding ink and practicing calligraphy.

She hung the original manuscript of "Spring Banquet" written by Prince Yan on the wall, and sat at the desk obediently, starting to practice calligraphy facing Prince Yan's manuscript.

"Weiwei is very hardworking." When King Yan saw Shen Wei's hard work, he felt a sense of pride.

Shen Wei held the brush and replied with a smile: "Your Majesty is a good teacher, and I cannot be a bad student."

Prince Yan was touched.

Yes, to some extent, he is also Shen Wei's teacher. The Prince of Yan is of noble birth and has never been a teacher to others. This feeling is very novel.

Shen Wei continued to concentrate on practicing calligraphy.

Every stroke was still crooked, and King Yan frowned. He sat aside and patiently taught Shen Wei to practice calligraphy until breakfast was served.

After breakfast, the King of Yan went to court with Fugui and his guards. Shen Wei stood at the gate of Fangfei Garden and watched the King of Yan leave. Then, Shen Wei looked at the Rose Garden next to it.

"Master, Zhang Yue moved in yesterday." Caiping told Shen Wei the gossip she had heard.

Shen Wei didn't care.

The palace is like a big company, and the wives and concubines in the back house are the employees of the palace. It is common for new employees to come to the company occasionally to compete for performance, and there is no need to panic or be afraid.

As a half-old employee, what Shen Wei needs to do is to work hard to improve her abilities and earn performance more than Zhang Yue.

She began to jog around the yard to exercise. Daily exercise should not be neglected.

While exercising, Cai Lian, who had gone out of the palace to inquire about news, came back.

"Master, I have already found out." Cai Lian whispered to Shen Wei, "Your mother and brother have arrived in Yanjing and are now staying in an inn. They had a quarrel this morning. Your brother went to the gambling house in Yanjing to gamble, and your wife stayed in the inn to make embroidered handkerchiefs to sell."

Shen Wei stopped jogging and took the towel handed to her by Cai Ping to wipe her sweat: "Help me wash up, I have to go see my mother."

In the palace, concubines and maids had a low status, and the concubines' relatives were not qualified to visit them.

So Shen Wei had to go out of the house to visit her relatives, but she still needed to apply to the princess.

The princess did not make things difficult for Shen Wei and asked her to come back before noon.

This time when Shen Wei went out, she did not bring Cai Lian and Cai Ping with her. She only brought the ferocious-looking Rong Mama, and the two young eunuchs Jixiang and Deshun.

Before leaving, Shen Wei deliberately changed into her most worn-out clothes, smeared some paint on her face, and then put on a white veil to cover her face, and left the palace through the back door with Madam Rong.

Jixiang and Deshun drove the carriage, and Shen Wei took it to the inn.

In the small carriage, Rong Mama was wearing gold and silver, and at first glance, she looked like a wealthy mama from the palace. On the other hand, Shen Wei was wearing very tattered clothes. Rong Mama clenched her handkerchief tightly and couldn't help but confirm again: "Master, are we really going to act later?"

Shen Wei nodded: "Of course."

She wanted to test the character of Shen's mother.

Therefore, Shen Wei has to "sell misery" this time. She is no longer the Shen Wei who has unlimited glory in the palace, but a concubine who is bullied, weak and pitiful.

The carriage arrived at the inn.

Shen Wei and Rong Mama got out of the car and quietly entered a lower-class room in the inn. Shen Wei knocked on the door, and a woman's gentle voice came from the room: "I'm here."

With a creak, the wooden door opened.

Shen Wei raised her eyes and saw a middle-aged woman in rough hemp clothes, with a thin body and gray hair. This person was Shen Wei's biological mother.

Mother Shen was still holding the unfinished embroidery cloth in her hands. She asked in confusion and caution, "Who are you?"

Shen Wei took off her white veil, revealing a beautiful face. The only flaw was that the corners of her mouth were black and blue, her temples were red and swollen, and her eyes were red.

Looks like he's been bullied.

The unfinished embroidery cloth in Shen's mother's hand fell to the ground with a snap, and she said tremblingly: "Third girl... my third girl..."

Shen Wei's eyes were red, and she called out skillfully, "Mom."

Mother Shen took Shen Wei's hand and walked into the house: "Come, child, come and sit down. I haven't seen you for a few months. You have lost a lot of weight, third girl."

Seeing Shen Wei with a bruised face, Shen's mother felt heartbroken.

Mother Shen trembled as she opened her package and took out a purse from it. She cried and said, "Third girl, I borrowed ten taels of silver from the villagers to redeem you. Come home with me, and we won't suffer as maids anymore."

When Shen's mother was seriously ill, Shen Wei was forced to sell herself into slavery for money.

Shen's mother was worried day and night. After she recovered from her illness, she worked hard on the farm, weaving and embroidering, and borrowed money from the villagers. Finally, she collected ten taels of silver.

Shen's mother set off to Yanjing overnight, hoping to redeem Shen Wei from the palace.

"Mom...thank you." Seeing the ten taels of silver, Shen Wei's doubts were quickly dispelled.

Shen's mother does not favor boys over girls. She takes good care of each of her children.

However, Shen Wei lowered her head and wiped the tears from her eyes: "Mother...but my daughter can no longer leave the palace. I have become the prince's concubine."

Mother Shen was stunned.

She didn't know yet that Shen Wei had become a concubine in the palace.

But Shen's mother knew that being a concubine would not end well. Shen's mother clearly remembered that the old rich man in their village had more than a dozen concubines. These concubines were tortured terribly by their mistresses, and their bloodstained bodies were often carried out, with miserable deaths.

Now that Shen Wei has become the prince's concubine, she must have suffered a lot of torture.

Mother Shen's heart was broken, she was in panic and tears were streaming down her face: "Then...what should I do? I, I will go and kowtow to the prince and princess, and beg them to let you out of the palace..."

Just as the voice fell, a surprised voice came from outside the house: "What, Third Sister, you are the prince's concubine?"

Shen Xiuming, the gambler, is back.

As soon as he entered the room, he heard the news that Shen Wei was a concubine.

Shen Xiuming couldn't hide the surprise on his face: "Third sister, it would be great if you could be my concubine! Wouldn't I be the brother-in-law of the King of Yan? I can walk sideways in Yanjing from now on!"

Shen Xiuming was seventeen years old, handsome and rude. Who would have thought that he was a well-known child prodigy when he was young, and passed the imperial examination at a young age.

Today, Shen Xiuming is addicted to sex, alcohol and gambling, and has become a useless person that everyone laughs at.

"Third sister, how much is your monthly salary as a concubine? Is it ten taels of silver?" Shen Xiuming looked at Shen Wei eagerly.

But when he saw Shen Wei's worn-out clothes and the bruises on her face that had not yet disappeared, Shen Xiuming couldn't help but be stunned.

Shen Wei "embarrassedly" took out her purse and handed it to Shen Xiuming, tears in her eyes: "Sister only has one or two taels of silver left, the rest of the money was taken away by the nanny. But don't worry, brother, sister will definitely work hard to live and make money for you. My brother is a juren, and one day he will pass the imperial examination."

As she spoke, Shen Wei stuffed the money into Shen Xiuming's hands, her eyes full of concern.

The worn-out purse was stained with blood and had a strange smell.

Holding the money handed to him by Shen Wei, Shen Xiuming suddenly felt it was very hot.

"You silly girl! Keep the money for yourself and don't give it to this beast!" Upon seeing this, Shen's mother snatched the purse back and stuffed the ten taels of silver back into Shen Wei's hands.

Shen Wei held the silver coins in her hand, tears falling down: "Mother, brother...I have a really hard time in the palace. The prince is tyrannical and often tortures me to death; other concubines bully me every day, maids steal my things, and nannies beat and scold me at will...I knelt in front of the princess for two days before I was able to beg for the opportunity to leave the palace to see mother and brother."

Shen Wei wiped her tears and her sleeves slipped down.

Her fair arms were covered with circles of red, blue and purple marks, which looked scary.

This was actually left behind by the King of Yan and her during their love affair.

Shen Wei's skin was special, it would turn red if she was gently pinched. Her arm looked severely injured, but in fact it was not injured at all.

"You...your hand?" Shen's mother was shocked, wondering how much torture this person had suffered.

Shen Wei quickly retracted her hand, and used her sleeve to cover the "wounds". She forced a smile: "Mom, brother, it's okay... I just accidentally bumped into the prince last night, and he beat me until midnight. My arm, and the wounds he cut with a knife..."

Mother Shen was shocked. The Prince of Yan had always been known for his virtue, but she didn't expect that he was actually a cruel person in private!

Shen Xiuming fell silent.

Although he likes drinking and gambling, he still has a sisterly love for Shen Wei. When Shen's mother went out to work when he was a child, it was his third sister who accompanied him to read and write. When he was chased and bitten by wild dogs in the village, it was his third sister who tried her best to protect him.

Shen Xiuming originally thought that his sister would be able to live a good life as a slave in the palace.

But now it is such a tragic situation.

With a bang, the closed door opened again. Rong Mama appeared with a cold face, and she looked at everyone in the room with a gloomy look, as if she was looking at some lowly livestock.

Aunt Rong said coldly: "Mrs. Shen, the visiting time is over, follow me back to the palace now. You still have two hundred pieces of clothes to wash today, don't think about being lazy."

Shen Wei burst into tears and knelt on the ground, crying and saying, "Mammy, I haven't seen my mother and brother for a long time. Please be kind and let me talk to them more."

Madam Rong's eyelids twitched.

My master, if you dare to kneel, I really can’t bear it!

Rong Mama tried to maintain a cold expression, playing the role of a vicious and cruel palace nanny: "You are the prince's concubine. Although you are not favored, you must not see other men in private."

Shen Wei rubbed her eyes and choked up, "This is not a stranger, he is my younger brother. He is full of talent and will definitely be the top scorer in the high school in the future—"

Madam Rong couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She looked at the pale-faced Shen Xiuming with a look of disdain and contempt: "Just him? A gambler and lustful loser, not even as good as the lowest servant in the palace."