Harem Daily Life

Chapter 223 No one makes the decision for me, so I make the decision myself

Eunuch Dong was brought up, and he knelt before the emperor and confessed directly: "Your Majesty, I was wrong. I followed the order of the virtuous concubine and fed Zhao Liangyi in the cold palace a mute drug. I deserve to die!"

Xu Cairen covered her slapped face, her heart sinking into her stomach. Eunuch Dong now pushed the blame on Concubine Xian, saying that he was the one who planned it first and threatened him with his own sister.

Eunuch Dong and his sister depend on each other for survival. His sister works as a maid in the Xu family. Concubine Xu promised that as long as Eunuch Dong pushed all the blame on Concubine Xian, she would ensure that his sister would have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life. Otherwise, if Eunuch Dong implicated her, she would let the Xu family kill his sister. The interests and threats directly controlled Eunuch Dong.

Concubine Xian turned pale. "No, that's not the case. I don't know what poison it is. Dong Qi, have you been bribed by someone? Who arranged you to be by my side? You'd better tell the truth. If you wrongly accuse me, His Majesty will tear you into pieces!"

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, please help me. I am innocent!" Concubine Xian cried uncontrollably: "If my brother were still alive, he would definitely find out the truth and clear my name. Brother, my brother..."

He Linzhang pinched his brows and looked at the virtuous concubine who was kneeling and crying, but he still couldn't bear it.

"Stop crying. Are all the servants dead? Don't you know to help Concubine Xian up?" He Linzhang said angrily.

"Your Majesty, Concubine Xian ordered the palace maids to poison Zhao and frame me. Are you planning to let her go so easily?" Tao Yanyan spoke out to stop her, and Jing'er's hand, which was stretched out to help her, froze in mid-air.

He Linzhang looked at Tao Yanyan and narrowed his eyes: "Just as Concubine Xian said, Dong Qi might have been bribed by someone."

Tao Yanyan looked directly at He Linzhang and said, "So, you believed Concubine Xian's excuse."

The air suddenly condensed, and the imperial concubine looked at the upright Concubine Tao and clenched her fingertips. She was somewhat shocked by how strongly Concubine Tao wanted His Majesty to punish Concubine Xian. She turned sideways to glance at the emperor, whose eyes were frighteningly cold.

"So? What do you want from me?" He Linzhang's voice was not loud, but it made everyone present shiver.

Tao Yanyan took a deep breath and said word by word while facing the emperor's gaze: "Dong Qi, who poisoned me personally, will be beaten to death. The third son who falsely accused me will be beaten with thirty sticks and sent to the Ministry of Punishment. The talented Xu who provided the poison will be beaten with thirty sticks, demoted to a commoner, and moved to the cold palace. As for the virtuous concubine, she will be beaten with twenty sticks, demoted, confined to her house, and fined one year's salary."

The imperial concubine took a deep breath. She knew that Concubine Tao was likely to anger His Majesty.

He Linzhang was silent for a long time. Seeing that Tao Yanyan did not back down at all, he said in a deep voice: "Xu Cairen, Dong Qi, and Xiao Sanzi, all do as Concubine Tao wishes."

Eunuch Zhang and Manager Li received the order and sent people forward to drag the three men away.

Concubine Xu was dumbfounded and kept begging for mercy, but it was of no avail. She really didn't expect that Concubine Tao would be so cruel, nor did she expect that His Majesty would agree.

There was only one virtuous concubine left at the scene who had not yet been dealt with.

Concubine Xian knelt on the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I have been in the palace for four years. Are you really so cruel that you want to punish me with a stick? I am already weak. I am afraid that I will die if I am beaten with twenty sticks. Besides, I am really wronged! Wuuuuuuu..."

He Linzhang looked at Tao Yanyan and said, "As for Concubine Xian, she failed to discipline the palace ladies. She will be confined to her house for three months and her salary will be deducted for half a year."

Tao Yanyan was so angry that he almost laughed when he heard this insignificant punishment.

She stood up and bowed, her eyes cold: "This harem is your Majesty's harem, and Concubine Xian is your Majesty's beloved concubine. As long as your Majesty is happy. But I am not happy." After saying that, she quickly walked to Concubine Xian and raised her hand to give her a big slap.

With a crisp "pa" sound, the sword hit Concubine Xian's face, and her face turned red instantly.

"You, you are just a fourth-rank concubine, and you dare to hit me, a first-rank concubine? Are you rebelling against the heaven?" Concubine Xian covered her face and trembled with anger.

"No one will make the decision for me, so I will have to make the decision myself." After saying that, she clapped her hands and said to the emperor and the imperial concubine, "Since the matter has been clarified, I will take my leave first."

He Linzhang watched Tao Yanyan leave in anger, clenched his fists, and said nothing. The Imperial Concubine looked at the kneeling Concubine Xian and said, "Concubine Xian, you should go back first. You don't need to come out again for the next three months."

Concubine Xian cried, "Your Majesty, my face..."

Jing'er quickly grabbed Concubine Xian and said, "Your Majesty, let's go back early." Jing'er desperately winked at Concubine Xian. Concubine Xian looked at the emperor with a frighteningly dark face and had to swallow the rest of her words and leave.

But she remembered the slap!

After leaving Qingyun Palace with Qingfeng and the others, Tao Yanyan was so angry that he wanted to find a sandbag to beat them up.

Qing Feng consoled her from the side, "After all, you were confined, fined, and slapped, so please don't be angry anymore, Concubine."

Mingyue said: "Does your Highness want to leave the palace and go to the imperial farm? I will go and arrange it." Mingyue thought that finding something to do could at least divert her attention. Maybe if she was busy, she would not be so angry anymore.

Tao Yanyan sat in the sedan chair: "Let's go find Manager Li and ask him if he is still free. I don't want to stay in this palace now. I want to go out for a walk." She was so angry that she wished she could leave as far away as possible and never come back.

Manager Li knew that Concubine Tao was angry, so he quickly arranged his men and after lunch, they left the palace.

Breathing the fresh air outside, Tao Yanyan's depression slowly dissipated.

Today I had originally planned to visit a royal farm a little further away, but because of something I did in the morning, I was delayed, so I could only go and see the shop.

The shop was in the capital city. After walking around, he didn't find anything that could be improved. As long as he continued to run the business step by step, Tao Yanyan didn't stay long and took his people to the next shop. Unexpectedly, he met Gu Yi.

Gu Yi came out for a walk today on purpose. Yesterday, he knew that Concubine Tao came out to inspect the imperial property, so he thought of taking a walk around the street today to try his luck. Unexpectedly, he actually ran into her.

He suppressed the joy in his heart and stepped forward to greet them: "Greetings, Master Tao, and greetings, Young Master."

Little Jinan held a candied haws in his hand and said in a baby voice, "We meet again today, Master Gu."

"I wonder where the young master and the young master are going? I have nowhere to go today on my day off, so why not just accompany the young master and the young master for a walk?"

When Tao Yanyan heard this, he asked, "Master Gu, is there any place in the capital where people can be happy?"

Gu Yi choked: "Master Tao... are you unhappy?"

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "I'm not unhappy, I just want to be happier."

Not long after, everyone arrived at the horse farm.

Tao Yanyan and Xiao Jinan looked at each other, Tao Yanyan couldn't help but ask, "Is this what Master Gu said, the place that can make people happy?"

Gu Yi touched his head and said embarrassedly: "If I have something on my mind, I will go for a run. In fact, horses are very human, and the feeling of galloping is very comfortable."

Xiao Jinan looked at Gu Yi with bright eyes: "Can you take me riding a horse?"