Harem Daily Life

Lord Shu was treated coldly at the Wen family and was driven out by Lord Wen. He did not dare to delay and went to the home of Lord Wang, the Minister of Rites, overnight.

Seeing Lord Shu arrive after dark, Lord Wang assumed something important had happened and hurried to greet him personally. After hearing what Lord Shu had said, Lord Wang fell silent for a moment before speaking, "Lord Shu, you said the former queen's father told you this news? Haven't you considered the possibility of a misunderstanding, or perhaps it's just fake news?"

Lord Wang and the now-deceased Wang family were not on the same boat. If Queen Wang were still alive, how could Concubine Xian have adopted the Third Princess? Therefore, Lord Wang did not want to interfere in this matter.

Lord Shu painstakingly explained for a long time, repeatedly assuring Lord Wang that the news was true, and persuaded Lord Wang, "Now that your daughter has reached the position of Consort Xian, doesn't Lord Wang want Consort Xian to be promoted even further?"

Lord Wang quickly shook his head. "No, no, it's a great blessing for Concubine Xian to have the fortune she has now. Our Wang family has nothing to ask for except that she be safe and well in the palace. I will pretend I never heard anything Lord Shu said today. It's getting late, and I have to attend court tomorrow. I'll excuse my absence."

Lord Wang ordered him to leave, and Lord Shu had no choice but to leave in anger again.

After hitting a wall twice in a row, Lord Shu was very angry. When he arrived at the residence of Lord Censor Zhang, his face looked very bad.

Upon learning of Lord Shu's intentions, Lord Zhang pondered for a long time, as if engaged in a fierce internal struggle. Finally, he said, "Since I've heard your news, it would be a violation of our duties as censors if I didn't submit a memorial. However, Lord Shu, the Wang family's son has committed an unforgivable crime. One thing for all, I hope you won't be confused."

Lord Shu quickly said, "Don't worry, Lord Zhang. I will definitely not interfere in the affairs of the Wang family. Wang Yin is guilty of heinous crimes and should be dealt with according to the law."

After saying this, he pondered for a moment, then said, "To be honest, when I first heard about this, I could have stayed out of it. But when I thought about Ning Yuanhou being an insider and deeply tied to the Tao family, I wondered if there was some conspiracy. So, I risked being suppressed by Queen Tao and came to tell you this overnight."

His words were so sincere, as if Lord Shu was a selfless good man who was wholeheartedly devoted to the great Zhou Dynasty.

Censor Zhang nodded and said, "Don't worry. I will write a memorial tonight and report the matter to Your Majesty in the court hall tomorrow."

Lord Shu was very satisfied that he finally did not hit a wall for the third time.

The next morning, after the court had discussed all matters, Censor Zhang stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to report."

When He Linzhang saw that it was Censor Zhang, who had a bad temper and was stubborn, he frowned deeply.

But the censor wanted to speak, and no one could stop him. He Linzhang nodded slightly: "Go ahead."

Censor Zhang knelt down, holding the memorial in his hands, and began to speak.

"Your Majesty, I have reported that Tao Qian knew about this but failed to report it, concealing the fact that Empress Tao was not his biological daughter, and allowing Empress Tao to enter the palace as the legitimate daughter of the Tao family."

"What? Queen Tao isn't a daughter of the Tao family?"

"How dare you, to use a false identity to enter the palace? This is deceiving the emperor!"

The court officials all started whispering to each other, as this was the most explosive news they had heard recently.

He Linzhang narrowed his eyes. This matter was actually discovered?

Before he could ask Censor Zhang where he got the information from, he heard him continue, "I am reporting again that the Ningyuan Marquis concealed the fact that Empress Tao was his niece and was very close to the Empress. I'm afraid he has ill intentions and is endangering the country."

Since it involved the country and the people, the court officials all quieted down and watched the emperor's reaction quietly.

Everyone had previously assumed that Ningyuan Hou always sided with the Queen, but they hadn't expected him to actually be related! Some people familiar with the affairs of the capital immediately recalled the disappearance of the Gu family's daughter.

Ning Yuanhou remained calm, but his eyes were fixed on Zhang Yushi, as if he wanted to stare a hole in him.

He Linzhang clenched his fists and asked coldly, "Anything else?"

The emperor's voice was so cold that Censor Zhang shuddered, thinking the emperor had learned Empress Tao's secret and was furious. So he spoke with high morale, "I accuse you of this for the third time. Empress Tao's biological mother committed adultery without any plan, bringing disgrace upon the family. The identity of Empress Tao's biological father is unknown, and his background is unworthy of Your Majesty. Your Majesty, please depose the empress immediately!"

He Linzhang's veins were throbbing, and he had cursed Censor Zhang a hundred times in his heart.

Ning Yuanhou had originally thought that the day when Tao Yanyan's life story would be revealed would come sooner or later, but he didn't expect that this day would come so soon and so unexpectedly.

Facing the various looks cast at him by the court officials, Ningyuan Hou closed his eyes and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, Empress Tao is both virtuous and talented. She and Your Majesty share a deep love and have given birth to twins. She has made great contributions to the country and must not be deposed."

Censor Zhang said, "Marquis Ningyuan, we'll discuss the Queen's fate later. First, tell me whether what I just said is true."

Ning Yuanhou met Zhang Yushi's gaze and said, "It is true that Empress Tao is not Lord Tao's biological daughter. She is indeed the biological daughter of my missing sister. However, this matter was only discovered in recent years. The Tao couple adopted my sister's daughter and treated her as their own. Is there anything wrong with sending her to the palace for selection?"

Censor Zhang sneered and said, "Humph, who can prove that you only found out about this later? What if you had already set up the situation and deliberately let Lord Tao adopt your niece? On the surface, she's a daughter of the Tao family, but in reality, she's a daughter of your Gu family. Is this all a conspiracy?"

Ning Yuanhou looked at him as if he were an idiot and said patiently, "What conspiracy could there be? Could you please stop talking about conspiracy theories?"

After saying this, he turned to He Linzhang and said, "Your Majesty, you already know the whole story. I hope you will make a wise decision."

Upon hearing this, the ministers looked at the emperor in disbelief. Censor Zhang was even more shocked: "Your Majesty, did you know this a long time ago?"

He Linzhang rolled his eyes at him. "Yes, I've long known about Empress Tao's background. I made her my empress after careful consideration. Sir Zhang, you've just revealed this news. Where did you hear it from?"

Lord Shu looked a little unnatural and lowered his head slightly.

He also didn't expect that His Majesty had already known about it.

Since he knew this, and still helped Tao become the empress, doesn't this clearly show that His Majesty doesn't care about Tao's background at all? Then what's the point of them holding this handle now?

Lord Shu was a little panicked and glanced at Censor Zhang.

Censor Zhang pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, every dynasty has examined the lineage of every empress they have appointed. Empress Tao is the daughter of the missing Gu family daughter. If there is any doubt about her paternity, Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that the royal bloodline will be tainted, endangering the country?"