Harem Daily Life

It is not Tao Yanyan's character to accept his fate without any argument.

"Empress, may I ask where I have violated the palace rules and where I have overstepped my authority? Please let me know!" Tao Yanyan knelt down, looked at the empress, and said in a calm voice.

The Queen narrowed her eyes and met Tao Yanyan's gaze: "The Imperial Paladin is for His Majesty to use, how can you sit on it? Even I dare not ride with His Majesty, how dare you ride with His Majesty in half of the palace city! Ignoring the palace rules and the imperial power, isn't that usurping power? You even dared to question it, I think you are guilty of a greater crime, so kneel for another hour!"

The Queen seemed to be in much better health. She spoke with full energy and had a certain amount of dignity as the Empress Dowager.

Tao Yanyan said: "Your Majesty ordered me to ride in the sedan chair, and I was just following your orders. I can't disobey your Majesty's orders."

"Heh, you're making up stories. It seems like you haven't learned the palace rules thoroughly. Then I'll punish you to copy the palace rules ten times. After you kneel down, go back and copy. You can come out when you finish copying!" Is he going to confine her to Cuiweixuan and not let her come out?

Tao Yanyan glanced at the queen with a speechless look, and realized that the more she argued, the more disadvantageous it would be for her, so she stopped talking, stood up, shook off the hand of the maid who was pulling her, and walked out of the palace with her back straight.

Although the weather is not too hot now, my legs and knees will be in tatters if I kneel on the hard ground.

Qingfeng felt anxious, angry and worried when he saw his talented man kneeling in such humiliation.

"Talented lady, let me run out and report to His Majesty! Please come and save you!" Qingfeng said in a low voice.

Tao Yanyan looked at the palace servants and the strong maid guarding the palace gate, shook her head slightly, and stopped them, saying, "Don't go, just stay by my side. They are outnumbered and you can't get out."

"But three hours is too long, your legs..." Qingfeng was about to cry, his face flushed with anxiety.

"Mingyue and Changtai will probably think of a way to deal with us since we haven't gone back yet. Besides... doesn't His Majesty have a few spies in this harem?" Tao Yanyan was also feeling frustrated. She would remember this kneeling punishment today!

Qingfeng wanted to kneel down with them, but Tao Yanyan stopped him: "Stand still. You might have to help me back later. You can't bear this anymore."

So Qingfeng had no choice but to stand aside with his hands hanging down, moving his body slightly to block the sun for Tao Cairen.

When the concubines saw that the Queen had punished Concubine Tao, no one stood up to plead for her. They all continued to report what they were supposed to report, but they spoke much less than before.

The Queen glanced at the Imperial Concubine and said calmly, "Today is really strange. The Imperial Concubine did not come forward to act as a peacemaker. Why, you don't want to be a good person anymore?"

The imperial concubine thought to herself: Queen, you want to die, how can I stop you?

So she smiled and said, "Your Highness is the head of the harem. It is your right to manage the concubines. I dare not speak nonsense."

The Queen was a little uncomfortable to see that she did not go against her as before. However, when she thought about how the Royal Concubine had indeed restrained herself a lot since the Queen Mother returned the power of managing the palace from the Royal Concubine to her, she did not think too much about it.

Anyway, I punished Concubine Tao according to the palace rules, and no one can find any fault with her.

She glanced at the Imperial Concubine with disdain, and then spoke to Shu Fei in a friendly manner.

Concubine Zhao was the happiest person today. She had always hated Concubine Tao. Yesterday, Concubine Tao became the object of jealousy of everyone in the harem, and she got very angry and almost beat Xiangcao half to death.

I didn't expect that Concubine Tao would be punished today, and was made to kneel outside the Queen's Palace in front of so many people. It was so humiliating. It would be strange if she was not happy!

Just as she was feeling relaxed, a palace maid came in hurriedly to report: "Your Majesty, His Majesty has arrived, right outside the palace."

The Queen and all the concubines stood up to greet him, but no matter how long they waited, His Majesty did not come in.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she didn't think that the punishment was excessive, so she calmly led everyone out to welcome the emperor.

When Eunuch Zhang received the news, Concubine Tao had already been punished to kneel for half an hour.

After much deliberation, he risked being reprimanded by the emperor and reported the matter to the emperor who was in court.

The ministers were still arguing about state affairs. The emperor stopped them sternly and asked them to bring out the regulations for further discussion. Then he hurriedly withdrew from the court and went directly to the Queen's Fengyi Palace.

The people carrying the sedan chair walked very fast along the way, fearing that if they were a step late, something might happen to Tao Cairen.

Eunuch Zhang was very glad at this moment that he did not hesitate, otherwise if he had arrived a step later and by the time Concubine Tao fainted, no one would be able to save the Queen!

At this time, He Linzhang stood beside Tao Yanyan and stretched out his hand to help her up, but Tao Yanyan looked at the main hall of Fengyi Palace with "worry" and shook her head.

"Your Majesty, the Queen has punished me to kneel for three full hours. It's not even halfway through yet, and I cannot get up. Your Majesty should stay away from me. If I am helped by Your Majesty, I will overstep my authority again. If I am punished for a few more hours, it will be dark soon."

The palace maids and the maids who were kneeling on the ground twitched their lips. This Concubine Tao was really good at making complaints!

In front of the emperor, he is determined to fight with the queen to the end!

He Linzhang gritted his teeth, and saw the queen and all the concubines coming out in a large crowd.

"Your Majesty, please move to the inner hall." The queen led everyone to pay their respects.

"I am busy with state affairs, so I will not go in. I will take Talented Lady Tao away, you can do as you please, Queen." He Linzhang's voice was not loud, but it made the Queen tremble with fear.

Your Majesty, are you passing by your home without entering?

This is a slap in the face of the Queen!

Just for a sixth-rank talent!

The queen took a deep breath and explained, "The country has its own laws, and the palace has its own rules. I have followed the palace rules in punishing Tao Cairen. If Your Majesty wants to blame me for this, I have nothing to say."

He Linzhang looked at his wife with complicated eyes. He knew that according to palace rules, Concubine Tao was not allowed to ride in the imperial chariot, but in an emergency, he had to make a compromise. Did he really have to let the little Concubine walk back across half of the harem?

He hadn't rested well after the long journey, and he had gone once when summoned by the Queen Mother. Wouldn't he be exhausted to death if he went again?

But He Linzhang couldn't say that the Queen was wrong to punish him according to palace rules. He could only say, "Kneeling in the hot sun will do the trick. I will fine him three months' salary as a warning to others. What do you think, Queen?"

Although she was unwilling to pay the fine with silver, the emperor handed over the ladder, and the queen was also smart. She knew that if she continued to argue, she would have to compromise herself, so she said, "Yes, I will listen to your majesty."

He Linzhang then extended his hand towards Tao Yanyan again.

Tao Yanyan said weakly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration, and thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Then, in front of everyone, she did not help the emperor's hand, but said to Qingfeng, "Qingfeng, help me up."

Everyone gasped and watched the emperor standing there with a frown on his face and an unhappy expression.

Eunuch Zhang was almost dying of anxiety: Aunt, can't you see that His Majesty is angry?