Harem Daily Life

"Empress Xianfei, the Queen Mother asks if you are feeling unwell. Do you want to go back and rest?" Mingyue asked softly beside Empress Xianfei.

Xianfei glanced at the Queen, shook her head, and said to Mingyue: "It's okay, I'm fine and can hold on until the end. Thank you for your concern, Queen."

Since Concubine Xian herself said there was no need to leave early, Mingyue naturally would not persuade her anymore. She returned to Tao Yanyan and whispered a few words to him, but Tao Yanyan did not care.

Han Zhaoyi looked at Concubine Xian, then at Empress Tao, still shocked by everything she had just overheard.

Before she entered the palace, she had been close friends with Mr. Tang's current wife, Miss Fang, and had also met Concubine Xian several times at flower-viewing banquets. However, she had never expected that Concubine Xian also had feelings for Mr. Tang.

Because Concubine Xian's father was the Minister of Rites, he was most knowledgeable about various etiquettes, so under her father's influence, Concubine Xian did not seem to be a rebellious person. But how could such a serious concubine have a crush on a foreign minister?

The object of this virtuous concubine's admiration was the husband of her best friend. Han Zhaoyi was so angry that she lost her appetite even when faced with a table full of delicacies.

Once a concubine entered the palace, she severed all ties with the outside world and became a pawn of the family, placed by the emperor's side, dedicating her life to the stability and prosperity of the family. If a concubine had feelings for an outsider, it would be a great disrespect to the emperor. If the affair was exposed, not only would she suffer a bad fate, but even her family would be implicated.

Han Zhaoyi narrowed her eyes, thinking that this virtuous concubine actually had such thoughts, so don't blame her for stepping on her in revenge for her sister.

Tao Yanyan felt a little nauseous, so he was supported by Qingfeng and went to the side hall next door to rest. Unexpectedly, before he had rested for long, Han Zhaoyi came to find him.

"Your Majesty, I have something important to report." Han Zhaoyi finished speaking and glanced at Qingfeng and Shuang'er. Tao Yanyan did not ask them to leave, so Han Zhaoyi had no choice but to continue, "Your Majesty, I want to expose the crime of disrespect committed by Consort Xian..."

At the palace banquet, Concubine Xian was preoccupied with her affairs and showed little interest throughout the entire feast. Mingyue came to her again and asked her to take Eunuch Zhao with her to the side hall. Concubine Xian's heart tightened for no reason.

The two followed Mingyue to the side hall, and the door was locked from the outside. Inside the room, the queen sat in the main seat with a serious face, and Han Zhaoyi looked at the virtuous concubine with ridicule.

Not only was Concubine Xian a little frightened, but Eunuch Zhao was also very nervous.

"I wonder why the Queen asked me to come here?" Concubine Xian calmed herself down and asked.

Tao Yanyan glanced at Han Zhaoyi and asked, "Han Zhaoyi said she heard you were threatened by this Eunuch Zhao. Is that true?"

Concubine Xian clenched her fist and said, "Eunuch Zhao is the eunuch in charge of my palace. He didn't threaten me. Maybe Han Zhaoyi misheard."

Han Zhaoyi sneered: "It seems that the virtuous concubine is really afraid that others will know your ugly deeds, so she dare not tell the truth even when threatened by a servant."

Xian Fei glanced at Han Zhaoyi coldly and said, "Don't eat carelessly, and don't speak carelessly. I hope Han Zhaoyi will be careful with what you say and do."

Han Zhaoyi retorted, "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. I heard everything anyway. Your Majesty, the virtuous concubine is a concubine, but she is thinking about another man. She is unfaithful to Your Majesty and unworthy of the position of virtuous concubine. Please make your decision."

The virtuous concubine looked at the queen, knelt down and said, "Please understand, Your Majesty. Since entering the palace, I have served Your Majesty wholeheartedly and have no second thoughts. I don't know why such slanderous rumors have been spread."

"Slander? If it's slander, then why would you be threatened by this eunuch Zhao? Humph, if you were innocent, why would you surrender? It's obvious that eunuch Zhao has evidence against you, which is why you obeyed his request and agreed to let him participate in the palace purchases." Every word Han Zhaoyi said was exactly what eunuch Zhao and Concubine Xian had said, without any discrepancy.

The virtuous concubine and Eunuch Zhao were as pale as paper and could not deny it.

Tao Yanyan glanced at Eunuch Zhao and asked, "Are you threatening the master?"

The Queen's voice was cold and clear, and Eunuch Zhao quickly knelt down and said, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I only heard about this from Caiwei and felt that the matter was serious, so I asked the Concubine Xian about it. I was just chatting with the Concubine Xian, not threatening her."

Tao Yanyan frowned: "Why is there another person? Where is Caiwei?"

Eunuch Zhao hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Caiwei was beaten with ten sticks by the virtuous concubine. She died a few days ago."

When he heard that someone had died, Tao Yanyan frowned even deeper and looked at Concubine Xian with some disappointment.

The virtuous concubine knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Caiwei made a mistake and was punished by me. Later, I sent her to the laundry department. I did not expect her to die."

Tao Yanyan knew that since Concubine Xian took over the management of the six palaces, she had never unreasonably punished the servants, so there must be a reason for Caiwei to be punished.

"I remember that Caiwei was your most capable maidservant. So, does that mean this maidservant has long harbored second thoughts about you, holding onto something that might be used against you, and planning to threaten you one day?"

The virtuous concubine sighed and said, "I never expected her to be such a person. But please rest assured, Your Majesty, I have no second thoughts about Your Majesty. I swear to heaven that if I deceive Your Majesty, I will be struck by lightning."

Seeing Concubine Xian make such a solemn oath, Tao Yanyan said nothing. Instead, he looked at Eunuch Zhao and said, "You have been with Concubine Xian for ten years. You have no master in your eyes, only interests. A slave like you is really hateful."

Eunuch Zhao quickly lowered his head and begged for mercy: "Please, Queen, have mercy. The Concubine Xian didn't promise me anything. I... I was just asking for confirmation."

Tao Yanyan looked at him calmly: "Hmph, don't think that others are fools. You are so greedy, disloyal and disrespectful, you are a servant who rebels against your superiors and slanders your master. I really can't bear to see you stay with the virtuous concubine any longer."

After saying that, she winked at Qingfeng, who went out and called two guards and two palace maids, then grabbed Eunuch Zhao and left.

"Please spare my life, Your Majesty! I haven't even threatened you enough! Please have mercy on me, Your Majesty! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please save me! My friend also knows..." Before he could finish his words, Shuang'er went up and knocked him unconscious.

"Take him to the Ministry of Punishment. Since he likes to threaten others so much, then poison him and make him mute so that he can never speak again." Tao Yanyan was really cruel when he became cruel. This eunuch Zhao was the second person who was severely punished by Tao Yanyan.

The first person she severely punished was a bandit leader she met while on patrol. Because he had harmed a woman, she ordered her men to chop off his penis.

The virtuous concubine waited for the Queen's judgment with a pale face.

What she was even more afraid of was that if Eunuch Zhao’s friends leaked the matter, how would she face people in the future?