The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Chapter 406 Involving Concubine Shang Wen

Concubine Wen's voice was soft and trembling, "But is there something wrong with the people around me?"

Eunuch Shi'an nodded and said, "I'm afraid I need to take someone back to ask."

Concubine Wen turned stiffly, her eyes falling on a palace maid with a round face and narrow eyes beside her.

She seemed to be filled with shock, yet also seemed to accept her fate, "Yunxiang...you come with me."

The maid named Yunxiang was stunned and seemed at a loss, "Your Majesty, where are you going?!"

Concubine Wen's voice gradually grew colder: "Go to the Ministry of Punishment and tell us about the Empress's death."

Yunxiang said in panic, "My queen, how could this servant know how the queen died?!"

"What does this have to do with me?!"

She retreated step by step, but was pinned down by the people brought by Eunuch Shi'an.

Concubine Wen lowered her eyes in despair, "When I was appointed a concubine, my sister dismissed all the people she brought from the Xia Dynasty under the pretext of adding new members."

"Only you... because I trust you, I specifically interceded for you and let you stay."

A tear fell from the corner of her eye, and Concubine Wen suppressed her heartache and said, "If you have nothing to do with my sister's death, I will personally apologize to you when you are released from the Ministry of Punishment."

"If it has anything to do with you..."

Concubine Wen couldn't help but clench her fists, "I will never let you go!"

Yunxiang screamed, "My Lady!"

Before he could say a few words, someone covered his mouth and took him away.

Eunuch Shi'an did not leave, but stayed behind and said a few words of comfort: "Don't worry too much, Concubine Wen. The Emperor is not angry with you for this matter."

"Besides, the Xia Dynasty's spies are very cunning. Perhaps they are just trying to confuse everyone and are making random accusations. It doesn't necessarily mean they have anything to do with Miss Yunxiang."

Concubine Wen nodded absentmindedly, "I hope it will be as the eunuch said."

After Eunuch Shi'an left, Concubine Wen suddenly felt weak and fell to the ground.

The palace maids around her rushed forward to support her, but she pushed them all away.

"Don't touch me, I want to calm down!"

Concubine Wen collapsed on the ground, silent for a moment, raised her hands and covered her face with trembling hands, unable to help feeling afraid.

If Yunxiang was really involved in my sister's death, then didn't she kill my sister?!

Concubine Wen also knew in her heart that Yunxiang must have done something, otherwise the emperor would not have sent Eunuch Shi'an to come and arrest her.

Eunuch Shi'an comforted her and said that the emperor did not vent his anger on her, but it was simply because she had never been in the emperor's eyes, so there was naturally no such thing as venting his anger on her.

After a long pause, Concubine Wen still found it hard to accept.

She and her mother were both the murderers of her sister?!

She felt like laughing, but couldn't help crying.

Concubine Wen staggered to her feet and sat down on a chair in the main hall of Yongming Palace in a daze.

I sat there from dawn to dusk, and the light in my eyes gradually dimmed.

Yunxiang hasn't come back yet, which means she was involved in the murder of the queen.

She... killed her sister, who was born of the same mother and had protected her since she was a child.

In an instant, tears covered Concubine Wen's face.

In Showa Palace, Xie Run sat on the chaise longue and let Dan Tao and the other girl massage her body.

She was in poor health now, and the emperor did not specifically exempt her from going to Fengyi Palace to mourn, so she could only go to Fengyi Palace to cry for a while every day.

But after just one day, I already felt some back pain.

Dan Tao and Xiao Shu were just expressing their sympathy for her when Yue Ya, who had just heard the news, said, "Your Majesty, today, Eunuch Shi An took people to Yongming Palace."

Xie Run was feeling sleepy, so he casually asked, "Did you find out who they were looking for in Yongming Palace?"

"I went to look for Concubine Wen." Yueya said, "I heard that Yunxiang, who was with Concubine Wen, seemed to be involved in the death of the Empress. Eunuch Shi'an took her away and sent her directly to the Ministry of Punishment. She hasn't returned yet."

"What?!" Xie Run subconsciously sat up straight when he heard this.

That bit of tiredness disappeared instantly.

"The investigation into the Queen's death led to Concubine Wen?"

Xie Run couldn't help but think of the casual guesses he made with the maids today.

"Who on earth is so vicious that he's not satisfied with using the Empress's mother to kill the Empress, but he's also dragging her sister into it?!"

"If this was done by the Xia Dynasty emperor...it would be truly shameful."

After a while, Dan Tao asked softly, "Why doesn't your Majesty suspect that this matter is related to Concubine Wen?"

Xie Run glanced at her and said, "Only when the Queen is here will the palace recognize her as Concubine Wen."

"Without a queen, she has no favors and no children. She has never even served the emperor, and she is a second-married woman... It is still unclear whether she can keep the position of concubine. Her life in this palace will only become more and more difficult in the future."

"But didn't the emperor let her raise the second princess?"

Xie Run glanced at Dan Tao and said nothing.

Dan Tao immediately understood what she meant.

The second princess is a fool, it doesn't matter who raises her.

Keeping the second princess would not make Concubine Wen feel more confident in her life in the harem, it could only make her life less difficult.

Xie Run: "...Although it's unlikely that Concubine Wen would do something stupid, it's not impossible."

What if Concubine Wen becomes jealous or is bewitched by the Xia people?

Xie Run did not dare to guess a person's nature based on his limited knowledge.

After a while, she finally remembered: "How is Concubine Wen?"

News from Yongming Palace was easy to gather. Yueya said quickly, "I heard that after Yunxiang was taken away, Concubine Wen sat in her palace for the entire afternoon and didn't even go to Fengyi Palace to burn incense that night."

Xie Run asked in confusion, "Who is this Yunxiang?"

Although Xie Run had once worked with Concubine Wen to manage the six palaces, she actually didn't know Concubine Wen very well.

Concubine Wen was weak in character and had a weak presence at all times.

Xie Run met her mostly in Fengyi Palace.

But perhaps it was because the Queen's charm was too great, and wherever the Queen was present, Concubine Wen's presence was extremely weak.

In Xie Run's impression, Concubine Wen was somewhat intelligent, but had no temper at all. Any major decisions were made by the Queen, and she just followed obediently.

The old people in Fengyi Palace were not surprised at all, saying that it was the same in the Xia Dynasty.

But precisely because of this, few people in the entire Yu Dynasty harem truly understood Concubine Wen.

Xie Run was actually a little worried: "If Concubine Wen is really involved, I wonder if she will be unable to come to terms with it?"

"Your Majesty, would you like to send someone to Yongming Palace to take a look?"

Xie Run thought for a moment, then caught a glimpse of a box of pastries on the table. He sighed, "Forget it. These are troubled times, and I can't do anything."

"Send more people to keep an eye on it. If the Queen's death is related to Concubine Wen, this matter will not be resolved in a short time."

The next day, Xie Run got up early again and was carried to Fengyi Palace by the eunuchs.

Seeing Xie Run yawning all the way, Dan Tao felt very sorry for her master.

"Your Majesty, you are already over seven months pregnant and can't stand this daily torture. If it really doesn't work...should we go and ask the Emperor for help?"