Harem Daily Life

"Your Majesty, I am also thinking about you! Please spare me for the sake of my loyalty!" Caiwei was beaten with ten boards until her skin was torn and she cried for mercy.

"Loyalty? Does your loyalty mean telling the Third Princess that she's not my daughter? Does it mean instigating the Third Princess to compete for my favor and making me the enemy of the only favored Empress? You're simply foolish and conceited. I absolutely cannot have someone like you around me anymore!"

Caiwei choked and looked at Concubine Xian in disbelief. Concubine Xian didn't want her anymore, did she? She was the one sent to the palace by the Wang family to help her!

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this time!" Caiwei lay on the ground and begged for mercy. She couldn't let the Majesty dislike her. Otherwise, she would not be able to leave the palace before she reached the age. If she was sent to other places to do odd jobs, she would be bullied to death without the Majesty's protection.

The virtuous concubine took a deep breath, looked at the maid who had been with her for many years, and said with a steely heart, "I have long warned you not to speak without restraint. Do you know that when His Majesty came here today, his eyes clearly revealed his distrust of me? His Majesty thought I was taking advantage of the Empress's pregnancy to curry favor! You simply want to kill me!"

Xian Fei gave the eunuch in charge a look, and Eunuch Zhao immediately called two maids to drag Cai Wei away. As for whether Cai Wei lived or died, Xian Fei would not care anymore.

"Eunuch Zhao, please help me plead with the Empress again. I know I was wrong. Please don't send me away. I won't dare to say another word from now on. I really won't dare!"

Caiwei was in severe pain, but she couldn't take care of the treatment now. She had to find a way to stay.

Eunuch Zhao chuckled, "Caiwei, you ignored me before. When I wanted to have a relationship with you, you just slapped me in the face. Now you come to beg me? Haha, it's too late."

Eunuch Zhao sneered, "What do you think I'm attracted to you for? It's because you're the Empress's favorite, her confidant. But in your current state, I'm afraid... you'll have a hard time surviving. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, you'd better find a way to buy some medicine, or else you'll lose your leg."

Eunuch Zhao said to the two maids, "Send her to the laundry department and tell them that she was incompetent and was punished by the virtuous concubine. She will work in the laundry department from now on. You don't have to report whether she is alive or dead."

After saying this, Eunuch Zhao turned around and was about to leave. Caiwei quickly called out, "Eunuch Zhao! Wait a minute, do you want to know the Empress's secret?"

As expected, Eunuch Zhao stopped, turned around and looked at the two maids. The maids understood and walked away.

Eunuch Zhao squatted down and stared at Caiwei with his triangular eyes: "What secret?"

Caiwei clenched her fist and said, "You have to promise me first that you will go to the Imperial Hospital to buy medicine for me and make connections at the laundry bureau so that I can recover from my injuries. Otherwise, I won't tell you."

Eunuch Zhao sneered: "If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. You think I'm happy to know it, huh!" After that, he stood up and continued to walk away.

Caiwei was anxious and quickly reached out to hug Eunuch Zhao's legs: "Okay, I'll tell you, I'll tell you now, but you must buy me medicine and arrange a place for me to go!"

Eunuch Zhao seemed to think it over seriously and nodded: "Go ahead, I can still afford a bottle of medicine."

Caiwei had no choice. The pain on her body made her sweat profusely. The person in front of her was the only one she could seek help from, so she had no choice but to say, "You know, I was sent here by the Wang family. What I said is 100% true."

Eunuch Zhao nodded: "Hurry up and tell me, I have to go back to do my work." Eunuch Zhao urged impatiently.

Caiwei seemed to have made up her mind and said, "Do you know why the Queen doesn't compete for favor? Because...she actually likes someone else."

The pupils of Eunuch Zhao's triangular eyes dilated. He looked around and chuckled, "What kind of secret is this? I think you're just kidding me!"

Anyway, no matter who you like, Concubine Xian can only be your Majesty's woman now.

Caiwei said, "Isn't this a secret? If His Majesty knew, he would be furious. You can use this secret to threaten the Empress. She is in power now. Don't you want to get some benefits and become the chief steward like Li Zongguan?"

Eunuch Zhao thought for a moment and narrowed his eyes: "Who is that person?" It is said that if you catch an adulterer, you should catch both of them. Eunuch Zhao's curiosity was also aroused.

Caiwei's eyes dodged for a moment, and she said, "That man is now a rising star in the court, about the same age as the Empress. They were childhood sweethearts, but unfortunately, they lost contact after the Empress was selected to enter the palace. However, the Concubine Xian has been keeping an eye on the court and knows his movements."

Although Caiwei's words narrowed the scope to a certain extent, Eunuch Zhao still did not get the answer he wanted.

"Just tell me who it is. You still have the time to take me around in circles." Eunuch Zhao had lost his patience.

Caiwei said, "Please ask Eunuch Zhao to buy some medicine to heal my wounds first. When I recover, I will tell you the man's name."

When Eunuch Zhao hesitated, Caiwei quickly said, "Eunuch, think about it, Concubine Xian is now assisting the Empress in managing the six palaces and holds real power. If you get something on her, won't you be able to do whatever you want with her in the future? You're only helping me recover from my injuries. If you keep me here, I can still be your witness in the future."

Only then did Eunuch Zhao make up his mind to spare her life for the time being.

If she dared to lie to him, he would take revenge.

Concubine Xian, unaware that her trusted maidservant had colluded with her father-in-law to harm her, was now worried about how to restore her impression of the emperor and prevent him from misunderstanding her.

He Min hadn't seen Caiwei for several days. When she asked Concubine Xian, she was told she had gone out of the palace on business. Over time, the child forgot about her. Furthermore, Concubine Xian gave her a new story, praising Empress Tao to the skies. He Min gradually dispelled her hostility towards Tao Yanyan, and she regained her innocent and lovely self.

Tao Yanyan hadn't noticed anything from the beginning to the end. She was now completely focused on taking care of the baby, and this time she had severe morning sickness, and hadn't been able to get up for several days.

Every day after leaving court, He Linzhang would visit her at Changle Palace first thing in the morning, eat a light lunch with her, and take a nap with her before returning to Qinzheng Palace to work. The concubines in the harem all saw His Majesty's affection for the Empress, but they had no chance to compete for her favor, so they could only occasionally gather together for a few casual chats to express their frustrations.

The Yongtai Palace of Concubine Xian gradually became the favorite place for all the concubines.

"It's snowing so heavily today, why did you come here? Why don't you stay in the palace? It's at least warmer." The virtuous concubine had snacks served and roasted a few oranges for the concubines to enjoy.

Concubine Zhou said, "I'm so bored being alone in the palace. I might as well go out for a walk and talk to the Empress. Otherwise, how can I pass this lonely time?"

Li Zhaoyi said, "That's right. Your Majesty hasn't come in the past few years. Sometimes I think I should have just pockmarked my face and not entered the palace. I've wasted my youth in vain."

The virtuous concubine smiled and said, "Find more fun for yourselves. Life must go on."