The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

After serving tea, King Jing did not forget to test Xie Run's chess skills.

The main reason is that he came early today and would be bored if he didn't find something to do.

Seeing that Xie Run had indeed solved the previous chess game, King Jing deliberately set up a more difficult endgame.

King Jing sipped his tea slowly, his every move revealing his noble elegance. "If you can break this game, I'll come to your place tomorrow."

He thought that after making this promise, Xie Run would be overjoyed.

Unexpectedly, Xie Run made a bitter face and bit his lip and said, "Then Your Majesty, please come back in two days?"

King Jing paused, his brow furrowed as he raised his teacup. "What did you say?"

Xie Run said sincerely: "This situation will definitely not be solved in one or two days..."

After saying this, he looked at King Jing with grievance.

If you don't want to come, then don't come.

He deliberately set a difficult situation for her and promised her that he would come tomorrow if she could break the situation.

What's the point of promising a task that can't be completed? Isn't it just a joke?

King Jing understood her look and felt like laughing but also a little angry at the same time.

This Xie is smart when she shouldn't be smart, and she is not smart when she should be smart.

If she really can't do it, and just acts coquettishly to fool him, will he still hold on to her?

This is what other concubines usually do, but who would have thought that it would be different for her.

But it’s better to be different.

If Xie Run really did this, King Jing would probably find it boring.

King Jing also intended to tease Xie Run, and said seriously, "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. If you can't solve it, it means you don't want me to come."

Xie Run: “…”

It’s so unreasonable!

In order to break the deadlock, Xie Run was absent-minded when serving at night.

King Jing saw it, and for some reason he became even more excited and tormented the people even more fiercely.

This directly led to Xie Run not getting up the next day.

Xie Run slept until three quarters past noon, and when he woke up he was still dazed.

Dan Tao helped her wash up, and Yu Li asked softly beside her, "Master, would you like me to bring the chessboard over?"

Xie Run felt dizzy. "No! I don't want to see the chessboard today! Last night I dreamed of chess pieces, and I was trapped inside and couldn't get out. It was so scary."

Dan Tao covered her mouth with the comb and chuckled.

Yuli opened her eyes wide, "But the prince said yesterday that if you can't solve the chess game, it means you don't want the prince to come. If the prince gets angry then..."

Xie Run spread his hands helplessly, "Even if the prince is angry, I can't solve this chess game. I might as well take a break today and solve it tomorrow."

What's more, there are signs of trouble brewing in the backyard recently, so Xie Run thinks it would be better for the prince not to come so often.

Yesterday she heard news from the main courtyard that the prince was dissatisfied with Concubine Ning's inability to take care of the child and wanted to give the second son to the princess to raise.

Regardless of whether this news is true or false, once it gets out, it will cause trouble.

Xie Run had just arrived and didn't dare to get involved in any disputes.

On this day, King Jing really kept his word and did not come to Linxuan Pavilion.

King Jing was thinking about what he had said to Xie Run, so he deliberately did not go to Linxuan Pavilion, but went to a concubine named An.

Concubine An came into the mansion two years ago and is a kind and honest person.

She was not favored by King Jing and had not served him for more than half a year.

When she suddenly heard that King Jing was coming to her place, she was so happy that she was stunned for a moment, and she was even a little flustered and at a loss as to what to do.

When King Jing came to settle his concubine, they were preparing to have dinner.

Seeing Concubine An standing by and serving, she nodded casually and said, "You sit down too. Don't be restrained."

Concubine An saluted and said excitedly, "Your servant does not need to sit down. I can just stand and serve the prince."

King Jing frowned, but before he could say anything, Concubine An was frightened and said tremblingly, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This servant, this servant..."

King Jing waited for a long time, but An didn't even finish her explanation, which made him even more unhappy.

He's not a ghost, so why is he so scary?

There happened to be some noise outside the door.

King Jing put down his chopsticks and said angrily, "What's going on outside?!"

It was also because the servants of Concubine An were not competent enough that a maidservant broke in.

Qiulan cried miserably, "I am Qiulan, the servant of Concubine Fang. Please, Your Majesty, save my master!"

King Jing frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, "What happened to your master?"

"I don't know what happened. I started vomiting as soon as the night fell. I felt groggy and couldn't even speak coherently." Qiulan cried, but her words were clear. "Please, Your Highness, go and see my master!"

King Jing stood up and went out: "Shi'an, go call the palace doctor."

Eunuch Shi'an responded quickly and followed forward.

Qiulan walked behind and glanced at Concubine An with pride, "Master An, I will leave first."

Concubine An pursed her lips, her face pale.

The prince only came once every six months and was intercepted just like that.

I don’t know when I will come again next time.

That night, King Jing naturally rested in Concubine Fang's Jinxiu Pavilion.

It was a small matter for Concubine Fang to call the prince away from Concubine An, but using illness as an excuse to cause unrest in the backyard was a slap in the face of the princess.

When a woman in the backyard fell ill, instead of asking the princess for a doctor, she went to the prince instead of the princess.

This is what it means to not take the princess seriously.

Moreover, this kind of competition for favor is also an unhealthy trend.

The princess was always quick to act. On the second day, she used the excuse that Concubine Fang was ill to persuade the prince to go to another concubine.

She was the legal wife, and it was her duty to care about her husband's health and manage the concubines in the backyard. Even King Jing could not say anything.

The princess directly announced, "When Concubine Fang is well again, she will be allowed to serve the prince. If she is seriously ill, she will be moved to the farm to recuperate."

Concubine Fang actually only had a mild heatstroke, but she deliberately exaggerated her condition in order to win favor.

Now that the princess has spoken, Prince Jing will not set foot in Concubine Fang's residence for at least a few days.

This slap on Concubine Fang's face made her quiet down.

There are two new people in the mansion. Concubine Fang is well-behaved, which is a good thing for Xie Run.

Later, King Jing rested at Xie Run's place for three consecutive days.

After Xie Run was favored, he began to feel uneasy, always worried that someone would harm him.

Unexpectedly, before anyone could take action, something big happened in the backyard.

The second young master fell into the lake!

Xie Run woke up from his nap after hearing the news.

She just tied her hair into a bun and hurriedly took Dantao and Yuli out of Concubine Ning's courtyard.

On the way, she was still puzzled: "The second young master was only two years old. How could he fall into the lake? Could someone have murdered him?"

Dan Tao frowned, "I don't know either. But the Second Young Master is only two years old. Who would be so foolish as to bring him to the lake?"

Yuli was timid and was extremely worried: "Will it not implicate the master?"

Xie Run felt a sense of sympathy when she said this: "That shouldn't be the case, right?"

Prince Jing's Mansion is quite large, and Xie Run has to cross a bridge when he goes to Concubine Ning's Lanxiang Courtyard.

As soon as she reached the middle of the bridge, she saw a beautiful woman with a figure as slender as a willow and a face as bright as a rose coming towards her.

The beauty has dazzling white skin and her outfit is extremely expensive and very eye-catching.

Xie Run was stunned and recognized at a glance that it was Concubine Fang who entered the mansion on the same day as her.

But when he saw Concubine Fang, Xie Run suddenly felt a pain in his head.

His eyes went dark and he passed out.

Dan Tao and Yu Li screamed, "Master!"