The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Princess: "This matter can be regarded as mismanagement by this princess."

Concubine Lu quickly said, "How can you blame the princess?! The princess is busy with all sorts of affairs, and the maids under her are bound to have selfish motives."

"The princess can control people but not their hearts."

I have to say that Concubine Lu is really good at reading people and talking to them.

Even though the princess wanted to punish her severely, her anger dissipated a lot after hearing Concubine Lu's considerate words.

The princess raised her hand and rubbed her brow. "First, find a way to return the things you stole from Concubine An. If the things are gone, replacing them with silver and money will work just as well."

Concubine Lu wanted to say something but stopped herself.

The princess's eyes turned cold and she was stunned. "Why, you don't want to?"

Concubine Lu said helplessly: "It's not that I don't want to. It's just that I don't have any money. If I had more money, I wouldn't do such a stupid thing..."

The princess's gaze fell on Ping An, "Then let it be."

"Ping'an, go back and discuss with Concubine An, make a list, and calculate the total amount of money."

"From now on, I will deduct half of Concubine Lu's monthly allowance to repay the debt until it is fully paid off."

Concubine Lu couldn't cry anymore. Her heart ached and she had difficulty breathing.

She cried weakly, "Princess..."

The princess glanced at him coldly, "The fact that he stole something really brought disgrace upon the family. Even if you can escape the death penalty, you can't avoid the punishment of a living death."

Concubine Lu immediately shouted, "Please spare my life, Princess!"

Princess: "Considering that this is your first offense and there are some extenuating circumstances, I will punish you with ten lashes of the cane and confine you to your house for one month."

Concubine Lu said loudly: "Thank you, Princess, for your consideration!"

Ten strokes of the cane are not considered severe and the wound will heal after a period of rest.

House arrest is at most embarrassing.

Concubine Lu has always been thick-skinned and is least afraid of being embarrassed.

Now, I just hope this matter will pass.

The princess continued, "Juzi, the maidservant beside Concubine An, betrayed her master and ungrateful, and conspired with Concubine Lu to commit theft. She will be punished with thirty strokes of the cane and expelled from the palace."

Concubine Lu's face darkened, "Princess!"

"Why, do you have any objection?"

Concubine Lu gritted her teeth and said, "This servant is more at fault. Juzi was only threatened by me. Please, Princess, give her a lighter punishment."

Concubine Lu continued, "Her parents were ill and needed money, so I used that as a pretext to threaten her. I beg the princess to spare her this time and not drive her out of the house. Even if she stays, it would be fine if she could just stay and be a servant."

"She is also innocent in this matter."

The princess found her words somewhat amusing. "From what I understand, Concubine An treats you quite well."

"But you climbed into her bed behind her back and now you're stealing her things. It's clear that you're not someone who cherishes old feelings. Now you're begging for mercy for a maid. I don't understand."

Concubine Lu was silent for a long time before she said, "It's different."

As for how it was different, she couldn't tell the princess.

Even if the princess heard it, she might not understand it.

The princess was born a master, so how could she understand the thoughts of servants like them?

The princess suddenly said, "Mother Li, please go to Concubine An later. Tell her that I am giving her a favor. It is up to her to decide whether Orange stays or leaves."

Concubine Lu suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

She then said cautiously, "Princess, can I take ten strokes of the cane for Juzi? She's still young. If she gets thirty strokes, I'm afraid her life will be hopeless."

Concubine Lu knew that the executioner would also treat the person differently based on his condition.

Although both of them were hit by ten sticks, the sticks that fell on her must be lighter than those that fell on Orange.

The princess looked at her meaningfully. "Well, then. I'll grant your request."

A strong old woman dragged Concubine Lu outside to be executed. Juzi had been forced to kneel outside, and now the two of them were being punished together.

Before the crowd had dispersed, the princess continued, "I am also at fault in this matter. I will fine myself one month's salary to compensate Concubine An."

Mother Li and others advised together.

The princess, however, was a person of righteous ideas and never changed her words.

After Concubine Lu and Juzi were sent away after their punishment, the princess asked Mother Li, "What's going on with Concubine Lu and Juzi?"

Few people in the palace knew about Concubine Lu's affairs, but Mother Li happened to know about it.

"Master, do you still remember Concubine Liu?"

The princess lowered her eyes and found the information about this concubine Liu from her distant memories.

"Is she the one who was given to the prince two years ago and ran to Concubine Ning's door and cursed like a shrew?"

It’s true, the princess was quite impressed by this concubine Liu.

She dared to challenge Concubine Ning, who had two sons at the time, by using her position as a concubine. She stood at the gate of Lanxiang Courtyard with her hands on her hips and cursed for a whole hour, which made Concubine Ning sick with anger.

He is the only one in the backyard.

Mother Li nodded, "That's the person."

"My master must have forgotten that Concubine An and Concubine Liu entered the mansion together. One is fierce and arrogant, while the other is honest and simple."

The princess was always intelligent and seemed to understand something. She asked, "Have these two had a conflict?"

"There's no conflict at all. It's Concubine Liu bullying Concubine An."

Madam Li recounted the story, "At that time, both of them had just entered the mansion. Concubine Liu wanted to hit Concubine An for being disrespectful to her. It was Jixiang, Concubine An's maid, who stopped her."

Jixiang, also known as Concubine Lu.

The princess was extremely busy at that time, so she left this small matter to Mother Li to handle.

That's why Mother Li knows it so clearly.

Madam Li: "Because of this, Concubine Liu was punished and also bore a grudge against Jixiang. I vaguely remember that winter, Concubine Liu invited Concubine An to enjoy the snow, and while they were enjoying the snow, they talked about the story of lying on the ice to catch carp."

"It just so happens that my mother is seriously ill..."

The princess' heart moved, "What happened next?"

"I don't know what happened exactly, but I know that Concubine Liu insisted that Jixiang go to Guanyue Pond to cut ice and fish."

The princess frowned, "Did Concubine An also agree?"

Jixiang is Concubine An's maid. As long as Concubine An disagrees, even if Concubine Liu makes a big fuss, she can't do anything to Jixiang.

Mother Li said helplessly, "It's not like the master doesn't know Master An's temper. When others bully her, not only does she not get angry, she even eagerly explains for them."

"Concubine Liu is so powerful, what dares she say?"

"In the dead of winter, Jixiang jumped into Guanyue Pond to catch fish... Because the incident didn't become a big deal, no one paid any attention. All we know is that Jixiang didn't appear again that winter."

The princess suddenly thought of the pulse records of the three palace doctors. "The doctor said that her uterus is severely cold?"

Mother Li: "It fell around that time."

"I think Master Lu pleaded for Juzi because he was thinking of her. Her parents were also seriously ill in bed at the time."

In fact, if Mother Li just asks a little, she will know.

Jixiang's mother also passed away that winter.

The princess suddenly smiled and said, "Concubine An is quite lucky."

At first, Mother Li did not understand the meaning of the princess' words, but now after careful consideration, she quite agrees with them.

Concubine An was not favored much when she entered the palace.

Although Concubine Liu was aggressive and domineering, King Jing still doted on her for a few days.

However, the favored Concubine Liu died early at the hands of Concubine Ning, while the unfavored Concubine An's life became better and better, and she was pregnant with King Jing's child.

I heard it was twins.

This luck...it's really hard to say.