Harem Daily Life

Madam Gu said respectfully, "Yes, thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. I will arrange this year's flower viewing banquet."

The two of them were talking and laughing, and Concubine Xian even kindly invited Madam Gu to have lunch with her. Madam Gu simply said that she had an appointment with the Empress Dowager, so she did not dine with the other ladies and returned to Changle Palace.

Tao Yanyan listened to Madam Gu's talk about Concubine Xian's inquiries about the Gu family's two sons and smiled, "The Wang family's family traditions are quite good, but I heard that the Wang family girls who are about to marry are all cousins. As for their personalities and whether they will be as compatible with Concubine Xian, it's still up to my aunt to see for herself."

Gu Ning was worried that Concubine Xian would use the marriage to expand her power and threaten Tao Yanyan's position. Madam Gu obviously also had this concern and did not agree immediately.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. We will definitely choose the marriages of the other members of the Gu family that will be most beneficial to Your Majesty. I will discuss this matter with the Marquis after I return. He has a good brain and I will listen to him."

There was no way to disobey him, as Marquis Gu still had the final say in the family. Especially since the eldest son, Gu Yi, had chosen such a good marriage, which instantly raised the Gu family's status. The daughter also married well, and the remaining two sons would either be icing on the cake or live in mediocre circumstances. In any case, they couldn't choose a son that would threaten the Queen's position.

The Queen is pregnant again. If she gives birth to another prince, the position of Crown Prince will definitely fall on the son born to the Queen.

As long as the Gu family focuses on protecting the queen, they will surely have a bright future.

Mrs. Gu was so happy that she ate a little more at lunch.

When dinner was about to start, Tao Yanyan took his three children to the banquet, and the two twins stayed in Changle Palace to avoid being frozen in the cold weather outside.

Fortunately, the two little ones didn’t know what the Chinese New Year was and didn’t make any noise.

The virtuous concubine had been incredibly busy today. Early in the morning, she accompanied the empress dowager in receiving relatives and the wives of various families, keeping her busy. That evening, she was busy running around to manage the palace banquet, fearing any mistakes or scandals. Fortunately, everything was in perfect order, and Xu Zhaoyi also provided a lot of help. The two of them had a moment to relax and eat some snacks in a side hall.

Eunuch Zhao felt that if he wanted to make Concubine Xian submit, he should choose a critical moment that she could not refuse. Otherwise, when Concubine Xian came to her senses, she might deal with him first.

So after Consort Xian and Consort Xu Zhaoyi finished their snacks, Eunuch Zhao stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I have an urgent matter to report to you. Please excuse me for a moment."

Eunuch Zhao was the eunuch in charge of the virtuous concubine's palace. Xu Zhaoyi thought they had some private matters to discuss, so she took her leave and went to the banquet first.

After the virtuous concubine and the others left, he said, "Today is the New Year's Eve dinner. Is there anything that must be discussed now?"

Eunuch Zhao said, "Your Majesty, I went to visit Caiwei a few days ago, and she... died."

The virtuous concubine was stunned, thinking that ten blows wouldn't be fatal. But then she thought, the laundry room was short of medicinal materials and there was no one to take care of her. She might have caught a cold and died.

Although she felt a little regretful, Concubine Xian did not think that Caiwei's death was unjust. After all, if Caiwei had succeeded, she would have been punished by His Majesty, and her good days would be over.

"We were master and servant. Now that she's gone, I'm not happy. Please burn some paper money for her in a few days."

Eunuch Zhao nodded and said, "Yes, I will obey your orders. However, Caiwei left a message, and I don't know whether I should tell her or not."

Xian Fei was startled and narrowed her eyes. "It's been several days, and you're only telling me today? Oh, tell me, what did she say?"

Concubine Xian believed that Caiwei had no leverage over her, so although she was a little angry, she was not worried.

Eunuch Zhao said, "Caiwei said...she said that the reason the queen didn't compete for favor in recent years was because she had someone else in her heart."

"What?" Xian Fei angrily slammed the table: "You are talking nonsense!"

"Hey, I also heard it from Caiwei. I am just repeating Caiwei's words. Please calm down, Your Majesty." Eunuch Zhao said hurriedly.

The virtuous concubine took several deep breaths before asking, "What is your purpose in bringing this up today? You've been by my side for ten years now, so just say what you want to say. Why beat around the bush?"

Eunuch Zhao looked up, a smile on his face as he said, "What purpose could this servant have? I simply wish to serve the Majesty, to rise above the rest of the world. Alas, serving in the palace means either climbing the ladder or being trampled underfoot. We servants are completely dependent on our masters. Only when the masters are in power can we stand tall and proud. The Majesty is now a virtuous concubine, second only to the emperor and above all others, and a very important figure in the harem. I, this servant, simply wish to gain some benefits from following the Majesty, so that I can live a better life after leaving the palace."

Xian Fei rolled her eyes at him. "Stop the polite talk and get down to business. What do you need to do to make Cai Wei completely forget what she said? Oh, although she was the one who slandered me, I have no evidence now and can only be manipulated by you. You'd better not make any excessive demands, otherwise, I won't be so easy to deal with."

If Eunuch Zhao had not discovered the slightly unusual relationship between Lord Tang and Concubine Xian a long time ago, he might have been shaken by Concubine Xian's aura.

He smiled and said, "Your Highness is now assisting in the management of the harem, and the Empress relies on you. I am not talented, but I would like to ask Your Highness to give me some shopping work. As for other matters, I will report to Your Highness when I want to make progress in the future."

Concubine Xian's heart sank to the bottom. This was going to be a long-term threat to her!

"The Imperial Household Department will be in charge of all the palace purchases. Do you think I'll transfer you there so you can pocket the money? Or maybe you can just name a figure and I'll give you some money so we can settle this matter."

The virtuous concubine expressed her attitude, but Eunuch Zhao just smiled and said nothing. The two of them confronted each other for a while, and no one spoke again.

At this time, there was a knock on the door, and a palace maid came in: "Empress Xianfei, His Majesty and the Queen Mother have arrived. The Queen asks you to come over immediately."

The maid's urging made Concubine Xian feel uneasy for a moment. Eunuch Zhao said calmly, "Lord Tang is unable to attend today's palace banquet due to his low official rank. When I see you in the future, I will pay my respects to you."

The virtuous concubine clenched her hands tightly: "Okay, give me some time and wait for my news!" The virtuous concubine had no choice but to calm Zhao Yong down first.

"Then please arrange it as soon as possible, Your Majesty. Otherwise, my friends will also know about this, and it will be difficult to control it if it takes too long."

The virtuous concubine was now really angry: "You really can't keep any secrets!"

Eunuch Zhao smiled and said, "Don't be angry, Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty agrees with me, my mouth will be harder to pry open than a rock."

The palace banquet had already begun. When Tao Yanyan saw Concubine Xian coming in with a pale face, he thought she was feeling unwell, so he winked at Mingyue.

Mingyue understood and inadvertently went to the side of Concubine Xian.