The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Similarly, everyone in Jinxiu Pavilion was delighted.

Fang Yuan'er never thought that she would become a concubine after waking up from her sleep.

You should know that before, the princess took advantage of her pregnancy to ask for the position of concubine, but the prince did not agree.

She thought there was no hope, but who knew King Jing would suddenly agree?!

There were congratulations from everyone in Jinxiu Pavilion. Fang Yuaner spent money generously and everyone received a generous reward.

After giving the reward, she remembered that Xie Run had become a concubine together with her?

Fang Yuan'er played with the jade and said nonchalantly, "Fools really have good fortune."

Although Xie Run was also favored, he was still not as favored as Fang Yuaner.

Fang Yuaner is ambitious and has never taken the "silly and innocent" Xie Run seriously.

She can make soap, glass and ice, what can Xie Run do?

How long can you keep a man's favor by using your beauty to please him?

Fang Yuaner knows much more than that.

Influenced by modern thinking, she feels that whether she is in love or not is completely unreliable.

The only reason for tying a man completely to yourself is interests!

If Xie Run heard this, she wouldn't think there was anything wrong with it.

But Fang Yuaner overlooked one thing.

King Jing is just a prince now, so he is naturally bound by interests.

But if he becomes emperor one day and holds all the power in the world, what interests can bind him unless he holds the power of millions of soldiers?

Fang Yuaner underestimated the power of imperial authority in feudal society and will suffer a great loss sooner or later.

At this moment, Fang Yuan'er would not think that it was Xie Run who made King Jing change his mind and suddenly promoted her and Xie Run.

She was more inclined to believe that it was related to the fact that she and Xie Run were pregnant at the same time.

And Fang Yuaner thought more.

She and Xie Run became concubines, so there were three concubines in the mansion.

How does King Jing plan to deal with the two women given by Concubine Rou?

The identities of these two people are almost the same. Assuming there is no special favoritism, their positions must be similar.

But there is only one position left for concubine.

Either both of them were given the position of concubine, or they were concubines... Fang Yuan'er would of course rather be a concubine.

If these two people became concubines and blocked her path to advancement, Fang Yuaner would have no choice but to be rude.

If she was just a concubine, Fang Yuan'er wouldn't care too much whether she was favored or not.

I'm afraid these two will fight for the only position of concubine.

The princess asked King Jing the same question at noon.

After all, King Jing can give positions to people at will, but as a princess, in charge of all matters in the backyard, she naturally has many more things to consider.

When Prince Jing proposed to promote Xie Run and Fang Yuan'er to concubines, the princess brought up this matter.

Princess: "The people sent by Mother will arrive in two days. If Xie and Fang are promoted to concubines, how will their positions be arranged?"

According to the princess's wishes, she certainly wanted these two to become concubines.

After all, the status of a concubine with a family background and a concubine is completely different.

However, this could only be said by Prince Jing. If she said it and it got to the ears of Concubine Rou, she might be considered jealous and suppress the newcomer.

King Jing said indifferently, "Since Mother chose them to have children, whoever gives birth to a child first will be promoted to concubine."

The princess immediately understood, and both of them entered the palace as concubines.

As soon as King Jing said this, the two of them would become natural competitors of Yiru Mansion.

It saved the princess a lot of trouble.

"Then I'll go and make the arrangements." The princess asked again, "There are three people in the mansion who want to be promoted to concubines. I'm afraid they all have to move..."

Before the princess could finish, Prince Jing said impatiently, "Just take care of these trivial matters in the backyard."

That’s all, he added: “Of course I believe you.”

Apart from anything else, the princess's ability to get things done is still impeccable.

Soon, Xie Run received a message from the princess, asking her to choose the courtyard herself.

The one who brought the news was Miss Tinghe from the princess's courtyard.

She was delicate and spoke slowly, "Because the four courtyards of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter have not been occupied for a long time, there are many places that need repairing, and I am afraid it will not be cleared up in a short time. If we move together, it will be inconvenient when the two masters are pregnant. So the princess let us choose the courtyard first, and the concubines can decide when to move in."

The palace is regulated here. Apart from some small pavilions and courtyards, the main courtyard, the concubine courtyard and the concubine courtyard have been planned long ago.

The four courtyards for concubines are Chunshan Courtyard, Xiachi Courtyard, Qiufeng Courtyard and Dongxue Courtyard.

Originally, apart from the princess, there was only one concubine, Ning, in the palace.

She occupied the only second concubine's courtyard and renamed it Lanxiang Courtyard.

Even though Concubine Ning was later demoted to Concubine Ning, Prince Jing felt sorry for the eldest son and did not let her move out of Lanxiang Courtyard.

Because the palace had no concubines for many years, the courtyards regulated by the four concubines had been vacant for many years.

Miss Tinghe smiled and said, "Each of the four courtyards has its own characteristics. The backyard of Chunshan Courtyard has half a low mountain. The scenery is beautiful in spring and it is quite quiet."

"The Summer Pond Courtyard is near the Moon Viewing Pond, has the best location, and is quite bright, making it perfect for viewing lotus flowers in the summer. The Autumn Maple Courtyard is exquisite and elegant, with a maple forest in the front yard, and is also close to the princess's courtyard."

"Dongxueyuan is large, and there's a plum forest inside. It's just a little remote and cold, so it's only used every year to enjoy the snow. I'm afraid it'll take a long time to repair it..."

After hearing this, Xie Run smiled and handed Ting He a jade bracelet. He then asked softly, "Miss Ting He, have Sister Fang and Sister Yun chosen yet? If they find anyone they like, please let me know in advance so we don't run into each other later."

Ting He collected the bracelet and said with a smile, "I haven't made a choice yet for Concubine Fang and Concubine Yun, but I heard that Concubine Fang quite likes Xiachi Courtyard, and Concubine Yun thinks Qiufeng Courtyard is good."

"Thank you for your information, Miss He. Could you please allow me to think it over carefully before reporting back to the princess?"

"Of course." Ting He said, "The princess said that renovating the courtyard will take time to complete. The masters can take their time to choose. There is no need to rush."

Xie Run laughed in his heart when he heard this.

There are only four courtyards in total, what is there to choose from?

It's just to let the three of them discuss it privately to avoid an ugly quarrel over the yard.

This was originally the princess's task, but she generously delegated power, which also left the conflict to the three of them.

Among the four courtyards, the best is actually Xiachiyuan, which is the most luxurious and magnificent, and very much in line with Fang Yuaner's preferences. It is not surprising that Fang Yuaner chose it.

The second is the Autumn Courtyard, which does not need much renovation and is quite exquisite and grand. Concubine Yun can move in after she recovers.

Although the remaining Chunshan Courtyard is also good, it is the smallest of the four courtyards. The backyard is connected to half a low hill, and the terrain is not very flat.

Dongxueyuan is big, but it is very remote and cold, and is the worst of the four courtyards.

Of course, the worst is better than the small pavilion where Xie Run lives now.

When Xie Run heard this, he felt a little relieved.

She had no intention of trying to stand out, so naturally she didn't want to compete with these two people.

And when she heard that Chunshanyuan was half a hill, she couldn't help but feel excited.

After all, she walked in the yard all day long but couldn't even scatter a single flower. There were too many restrictions.

Chunshan Courtyard is quiet. When the time comes, she will close the gate and let her do whatever she wants.

In the end, as expected, Fang Yuaner chose Xiachiyuan, Yun Shufei chose Qiuriyuan, and Xie Run chose Chunshanyuan.

Construction of the three courtyards has already begun in full swing.

According to convention, a formal banquet is held when a concubine is promoted to a concubine.

Because Xie Run and Fang Yuan'er were both pregnant, King Jing was afraid of any further trouble, so he simply decided to wait until they gave birth to their children before holding the ceremony, which would be both lively and respectable.

Fang Yuaner was a little unhappy with Xie Runle's leisurely attitude.

She always felt that this was the princess's way of showing off her power.

Xie Run couldn't understand Fang Yuaner's train of thought. She was thinking about something else at the moment.

With the promotion, she will have to add people to her team.

According to the regulations for concubines, she can have four senior maids, four junior maids, three maids to sweep the floor, and a young eunuch.

The thief who leaked the soap recipe last time has not been found yet.

Yu Li was originally a person with a big heart and a quick temper. Now that she was pregnant and promoted, Xie Run was afraid that she would have eyes on him, so he was even more afraid to bring her around.

Xie Run was completely worried about adding new people.

After thinking about it, Xie Run called Dan Tao, Xiao Shu and Xiao Ci in.

As soon as the two came in, they bowed and stood quietly.

Xie Run said gently, "When I become a concubine, I will need more servants. You two are old now, and when the time comes, I will report to the princess and I will promote you to first-class maids."

After hearing this, Xiao Shu and Xiao Ci were overjoyed and quickly expressed their gratitude.

Xie Run added, "Don't be in a hurry to thank me yet. I want to promote you, but you have to use me."

Xiao Shu was quick-witted and responded immediately: "If the master needs me, I will do my best, even if it means death!"

Xiaoci was a little slow in responding.

Xie Run simply said, "There are new people coming to the courtyard, but I'm new here and I don't know their temperaments. You are family-born children, so you know the situation in the mansion better than I do."

"If you find anything good, feel free to recommend it to me. If it's chosen, there will naturally be a reward."

"Slave, you obey!"

While answering, Xiao Shu's eyes turned, and she already had several candidates in mind.

Xie Run asked them to recommend people, which was a real benefit.

Xie Run is now a concubine, and is somewhat favored. She is also pregnant with the prince's child.

Even if she entered her courtyard as a servant, she would still be more respectable than the maids in other courtyards.

For children like Xiaoshu and Xiaoci, their parents and brothers all live in the mansion, and their connections are countless.

As long as the news that Xie Run is short of people gets out, there will be many people who want to pay money and follow their path to serve Xie Run.

It's not just about money, it's also about favors and face, which is another matter.

In some ways, Xie Run was beginning to build up his own power in the palace.

The benefits are not visible now, but they will become apparent over time.

After promoting the two maids, Xie Run asked Dan Tao to call Yu Li in, leaving only the master and servant.

Xie Run: "Do you know why I called you here?"

Yu Li was still being punished and hadn't been to Xie Run to serve him for a long time.

When she heard Xie Run calling her, she thought that her master was no longer angry and wanted to call her back to serve him. But now she knew that was not the case.

Yu Li was a little nervous. "Master, I know I was wrong. I will be careful with my words and actions in the future and will never say anything that goes against the rules again."

Xie Run stared at her for a moment, shook his head and sighed, "No, you are still not convinced in your heart."

Yuli's expression froze.

Xie Run said slowly, "You probably still think you are sincere to me and are wholeheartedly speaking up for me. It is I who cannot distinguish between loyalty and treachery and have wronged you."

Yuli's eyes were slightly startled, and she subconsciously wanted to explain.

"I'm not! Master, I'm not..."

"Do you feel wronged?" Xie Run's eyes were clear and he asked calmly, "I'll only ask this once. If you keep lying, there's no need for me to ask again."

Yuli's heart sank. She was silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

Now that things have come to this, Yuli decided to just let it all out.

"This servant is loyal to my master, and heaven and earth can bear witness to that. But Fang is just a merchant's daughter, how can she compare to my master?"

"The people in the main kitchen flatter the powerful and look down on the weak. Concubine An has never been favored, but she was lucky enough to get pregnant. The people in the main kitchen treat her maids like lapdogs when they see them... I can't stand it!"

"The master already has favorites, why should he spoil them?!"

Xie Run felt helpless.

Yuli is a little overambitious and has a bad temper, but she is still loyal to her.

People like this are the most difficult to deal with. It is difficult to punish them, and it is also difficult to use them.

Originally, Xie Run wanted to correct her thoughts, but after hearing what she said, he felt cold sweat on his back.

Isn't the Yuli in front of me the Qiulan from back then? !

Xie Run sighed and closed his eyes heavily. "People with different ideals cannot work together. Hearing what you said, I'm afraid you often feel that I am not up to the mark, right?"

Yu Li immediately lost her previous arrogance and said softly, "I dare not. I just think that the master has a weak temper, so there should be someone with a strong temper by your side to seek justice for you."

Xie Run: "... Justice in this palace is never earned by being angry. Well, no need to say more."

Seeing Xie Run's expression, Yu Li finally panicked: "Master, what are you doing..."

Xie Run also chose to speak frankly: "Now that I have been promoted to concubine, I must be more cautious in the future. I am afraid I can no longer use you."

When Yuli heard this, she immediately knelt on the ground.

The movement was so big that you could even hear a sound that made your teeth ache.

"Master, do you think you don't want me anymore?"

Xie Run stood up and helped her up, his voice a little gentler, "You didn't make any mistakes, so I won't punish you. But you are not suitable to live in the backyard of this palace. Do you understand what I mean?"

Yu Li was a little confused, "Slave girl, I understand."

Yu Li felt that every word she said was very difficult. With red eyes, she asked, "Then what will the master do with this servant?"

"After all, we have a master-servant relationship, so I won't treat you unfairly. You're not young anymore, so I plan to find a good marriage for you and marry you off with great fanfare."

Yu Li's pale face instantly turned red, and she began to stutter, "Master, this servant..."

Xie Run: "I asked Dan Tao. She said that you have a neighbor in your hometown who grew up with you and passed the Tongsheng exam this year. She has admired you for a long time... What do you think?"

Yuli blushed and said, "Can I reconsider this?"

"of course."

After seeing Yuli off, Xie Run breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt helpless.

She raised her hand and touched her still barely noticeable abdomen.

She didn't want to be a heartless person, but for the sake of the child in her belly, she had to eliminate all dangers.

Yuli returned to her room and began to cry softly.

To say I'm not sad would be a lie.