Harem Daily Life

Ever since Concubine Li left the palace for training, Marquis Ningyuan came over from time to time to ask about her sister's disappearance.

Concubine Li looked Tao Yanyan up and down for a few times and asked cautiously, "I don't know, Concubine Tao, what is your relationship with Ningyuan Marquis Mansion?"

Tao Yanyan looked directly at Concubine Li, not missing any expression on her face: "I have a close relationship with the Gu family. Please answer my question directly, Concubine Li. Back then, you made an appointment with Miss Gu to watch the lanterns. Why did she disappear?"

Concubine Li sneered, "How would I know why she disappeared? I waited for her at the agreed place, but she never showed up, so I went home. Ning Yuanhou has come to ask me many times, but I can't be responsible for everything just because I made an appointment with her, right?"

Tao Yanyan looked at Concubine Li coldly: "So many years have passed. As her former best friend, have you ever thought of her in your dreams at midnight? Have you ever thought about where she is now and what kind of life she is living?"

Concubine Li's eyes flashed, avoiding Tao Yanyan's gaze: "In short, her disappearance has nothing to do with me. I was not a close friend of hers at the time. We were just acquaintances. Don't talk as if we are very familiar with each other and I have to be responsible for her."

Seeing that she was tight-lipped and he couldn't get anything out of her, Tao Yanyan lost interest in continuing the conversation with her, so he just stood up and said, "Those who do evil will eventually perish. Concubine Li, you'd better take care of yourself." With a flick of his sleeves, Tao Yanyan turned around and walked out.

Concubine Li slammed the table and said, "How dare you speak to me like that? You have no respect for your elders. Come, slap me in the face!"

As soon as she finished speaking, several maids and servants came forward. Tao Yanyan's eyes narrowed, and those people stopped and dared not take another step closer.

"What are you standing there for? She's just a mere concubine, and she openly contradicted the dowager imperial concubine. She deserves to be punished!" A nanny tried to step forward, but was kicked away by Ying Yi. She vomited blood on the spot, and everyone was frightened and trembled.

"You, you are simply outrageous! You caused a disturbance in my place of meditation, spoke rudely to me, and even dared to allow your subordinates to kick and injure my people. I must file a complaint with the emperor and punish you for the crime of disrespect!" Concubine Li was furious, with veins exposed on her face.

Tao Yanyan said disdainfully: "Sue the Emperor? Who should I sue? His Majesty?" She took a few steps towards Concubine Li, calmly said: "But what can I do? His Majesty dotes on me and is reluctant to punish me. The Concubine should have more experience than me in the treatment of a concubine. Otherwise, I will think of a way for you. You can go downstairs and sue the late emperor. The late emperor dotes on you, maybe he will intervene."

"You, you, you, you actually cursed me, how dare you?" Concubine Li pointed at her, she was so angry that she was fuming.

"How can this be a curse? Queen Mother, you have a deep relationship with the late emperor, and I am only thinking about you."

After saying this, he looked around and said with regret: "Look, you live here in such a remote place, you don't see many people, it's lonely, and you have to recite scriptures and pray for the late emperor every day. The pain of missing you is hard to bear, but when will it end? It's better to go earlier and continue your relationship with the late emperor."

Concubine Li would never have thought that a little concubine would dare to say these words: "Come here, come here quickly, kick this lunatic out of here!"

But none of her people dared to step forward.

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "I'm about to go back to the palace anyway, so there's no need for you to worry about it, Madam Dowager. Oh, by the way, since you're here to practice meditation, there's no need for you to spend as much on food and clothing as when you were a concubine in the palace. Steward Li, this Jingci Temple is also part of the imperial property, so check it out. Remove everything that's out of the rules, and make corrections within a time limit. I'll come back in ten days, and if I see anything that's out of the rules again, the person in charge here will be held responsible and punished accordingly."

Manager Li hurriedly said, "Yes, I will investigate today."

"Li Fuquan, you are so bold! She is just a little concubine, why should I listen to her? How can she be the master of this palace? The Queen Mother didn't say anything, the Queen didn't dare to make things difficult for me, and even His Majesty treats me well. What qualifications do you have to withhold my expenses?" Concubine Li was completely defeated. If she wanted to make her life miserable, she would have to break up with her!

Butler Li swallowed his saliva. He didn't expect that Concubine Tao would be so angry as to cut down Concubine Li's expenses. However, it was not easy for him to dissuade her now. He had to give his master some face.

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "I am in charge of all the royal property. Jingci Temple is also a royal property. How can I not be in charge? You don't need to use the Queen Mother, Your Majesty and the Queen to pressure me. I am the most reasonable person and I am right wherever I go. You came here to practice. If you practice, you should act like a pure cultivator. Otherwise, if your heart is not sincere, wouldn't it go against the original intention of practicing? After all, such an important task of praying for the late emperor is arranged for you alone to complete it. Madam Concubine, you still have to have the necessary awareness!"

Concubine Li was speechless and said angrily, "Many of the things here were given by Concubine Li before, and some were given by my Lu family. They don't belong to the royal family, so don't mix them up!"

Tao Yanyan said to General Manager Li: "Make a list when checking. Those that belong to the Lu family should be sent back to the Lu family. Concubine Li has married into the royal family and is now a member of the royal family. It's not like they can't support a concubine. Why should the Lu family support her? As for the things sent by Li Cairen, make a list as well. Seal up all those that exceed the expenses of a monk. When Concubine Li doesn't need to practice asceticism anymore, return them to her. But now, at this moment, you are not allowed to use anything that is not for a monk!"

Manager Li wiped the sweat off his forehead, his heart was shaking like a sieve. This Concubine Tao was truly fearless today, it was obvious that she wanted to kill Concubine Li!

What hatred or grudge do you have? Why should I, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, be dragged into the vortex?

I can’t figure it out!

"You are rebelling, really rebelling against the sky! What qualifications do you, a mere concubine, have?" Concubine Li was at a loss for words and was so angry that she kept repeating these few sentences over and over again.

"Isn't this the way a favorite concubine behaves? I think that the Queen Concubine has been a favorite concubine for many years and is already used to it."

Tao Yanyan blinked his eyes, and was so angry that he could not bear the consequences. "Also, the number of people following you should be reduced by half. Although the royal family is rich and powerful, they do not keep idle people. You can cultivate yourself here by sending as many people as you need. The rest will be sent to the outer courtyard. Madam Wen in the west courtyard needs people, so select a few capable people to go there. If you fail to take good care of Madam Wen, you will be fined and punished with a stick. You can take care of yourself."

Everyone was dumbfounded. Today, Concubine Tao was going to turn Concubine Li's peaceful life upside down!

Tao Yanyan automatically ignored the look that Li Zongguan sent her and patted the non-existent dirt on her body: "Today's trip is really worthwhile. Let's go back to the palace. I will come back to inspect the results in ten days."

After saying this, he walked away without paying any attention to Concubine Li who was too angry to speak.