kingnovel Chapter 343 Rules
Chapter 343 Rules
Xie Run: "I used to think I was an outsider, watching the show from the backyard every day, like sitting on a mountain watching tigers fight."
"Now that I think about it, they weren't necessarily fools. They didn't show any signs of conflict, but they were probably already stabbing me in the back. Maybe I was lucky, or maybe you guys were secretly investigating and we were able to avoid these disasters."
"I was the only one standing there, foolishly happy, thinking I had found a peaceful life."
Xiao Shu: "Let's not talk about the past. The real culprit behind the roof tile fall and the poisoning a few days ago has never really appeared."
Xie Run: "So I just asked Fang Yuaner if she had ever plotted against me, but she avoided the question..."
"I know something about the falling tiles. Fang Yuaner avoided answering, so I guess there are more than one or two things."
The room was filled with silence, and everyone felt heavy in their hearts.
Xie Run suddenly smiled and said, "There's no need to be so nervous."
"I am now a favorite concubine, and I have a child. My position is very stable. Not everyone can harm me."
Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "Send someone to Fengyi Palace to tell the Queen everything Gong Chongyi said. Don't leak a single word."
Fang Yuaner said something right.
If she wanted to do something, Xie Run might not be able to help her, but it would be easy for him to ruin her.
The fact that the Queen was in serious health problems was kept a secret at Fengyi Palace.
Even Xie Run only knew some of the situation because the Queen deliberately revealed the information.
How could Fang Yuaner, a disgraced Chongyi, know these secrets?
Xie Run knew without hesitation that she had planted someone in Fengyi Palace.
On the second day, a young maid in Fengyi Palace accidentally dropped a teacup and was sent to the laundry department by Mother Li.
This was originally a trivial matter, but Fang Yuan'er in the side hall of Chonghua Palace was so angry that she broke her new jade hairpin.
The maid beside him continued, "Master, this is a white jade hairpin sent here expedited from eight hundred miles away. As soon as the material was unearthed, it was polished and sent here by top craftsmen."
"This jade hairpin is of fine texture and pure white. When worn on the master's head, it looks extremely elegant and bright."
Fang Yuaner pushed the maid's hand away and said, "You go down first."
The palace maid didn't know why her master's expression suddenly changed, but she still put down the jade hairpin obediently and turned to leave.
Fang Yuaner looked at the row of jade hairpins on the table and felt a surge of anger in her heart.
She said that Xie Run was not as innocent as he appeared.
As soon as she mentioned the Queen's poor health to Xie Run, Xie Run went to inform her right away. It seems that he was eager to lick the Queen's boots.
Fang Yuaner knew in her heart that the emperor would not let her raise the child in Wu Baolin's belly, but she still wanted to struggle.
Maybe?
She thought the emperor didn't like her bright looks, but only liked Xie Run's innocent and pure look. She specially asked people to find all kinds of jade jewelry, hoping to dress more elegantly so as to win his favor.
In fact, Fang Yuaner now hated the emperor so much that she had to spend countless efforts to convince herself to flatter the emperor again.
But now, after hearing Xie Run's outrageous actions and seeing a row of jade hairpins on the table that did not meet her aesthetic standards, she suddenly felt nauseous.
Is this the kind of virtue that the emperor likes?!
She took off the hairpin and jade ring she had just put on her head, took a deep breath, and put away all the jewelry.
"When you try to draw a tiger, you end up drawing a dog, which makes people laugh."
It was unclear whether she was referring to herself or hinting at something else.
After a while, she asked someone to inquire again: "Go and see what Concubine Li is doing."
……
As Wu Baolin's belly grew bigger day by day, the people in the harem became more and more restless.
Xian Zhaoyuan, who had gone to see Xie Run, also had the audacity to ask the Queen for help.
Of course, the Queen would never agree to her request.
This matter was brought up by Concubine Jing to make fun of during the greeting ceremony.
"How arrogant was Xian Zhaoyuan back then? She thought she could ignore the Empress Dowager because she had the Empress Dowager's grace and protection. And yet, she even had the nerve to come and beg the Empress yesterday?"
Concubine Jing's words were extremely harsh, and she looked at Xian Zhaoyuan with disgust.
At first everyone thought Xian Zhaoyuan was a king.
Who would have thought that after being praised and then ignored by the Queen Mother, she now dares not even fart and acts like a coward all day long.
Everyone instantly saw through her face-consciousness and naturally wanted to step on her.
Concubine Jing's appearance has been damaged, and she knows that she has no chance to serve the emperor in the emperor's bed. Now she has become interested in the child in Wu Baolin's belly, and she keeps disparaging Xian Zhaoyuan.
Xian Zhaoyuan lowered her head, her cheeks pale. "Sister Jingfei, please don't slander me. How dare I not respect the Empress?"
"I respect Her Majesty the Queen as much as the Empress Dowager!"
Xian Zhaoyuan would be very grateful at this moment.
When the Queen Mother held her in her arms, she had not lost her composure and still paid her respects to the Queen in a proper manner without any outrageous behavior.
Now she has the confidence to talk back to Concubine Jing.
Because Concubine Jing was knowledgeable and sensible, the Queen did not bear a grudge against her and instead did not want to listen to what Concubine Jing said.
The first reason is that her words are harsh and unpleasant, and the second is that is it a good thing to keep bringing up the conflicts between her and the Queen Mother?
Everyone has heard this so many times that being a queen is so unfilial.
The Queen glanced at Concubine Jing and said, "Xian Zhaoyuan has always been well-behaved and never acted recklessly. But Concubine Jing, you are getting worse day by day."
Everyone thought that Concubine Jing would take the opportunity to have a few words with the Queen.
Unexpectedly, she lowered her head and wiped away her tears: "Ever since my appearance was ruined, the emperor has never stayed in Yongning Palace again. Now it is true that every day is getting worse."
"When I look at myself in the mirror at night, I feel only heartache and resentment..."
The Queen coughed lightly and said, "Princess Jing, you should be more cautious when speaking nowadays."
There are two main culprits for the ruination of Concubine Jing's appearance. One is Concubine Duan who is now bedridden and recuperating from illness, and the other is the eldest prince.
Concubine Jing could say that she resented Concubine Duan, but she could never show any resentment towards the eldest prince.
When Concubine Jing understood what the Queen said, she felt a little more resentful in her heart.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration. However, I fear I will never have the chance to serve Your Majesty again in this lifetime. I only hope to raise a child so I don't end up alone."
No one expected that Concubine Jing, who was always arguing with others, would suddenly change her attitude today and take the opportunity to show weakness and plead with the Queen.
The Queen: "I've taken note of Concubine Jing's words. I'll ask the Emperor for you later."
"The fate of the heir is entirely up to the Emperor."
Concubine Jing and Xian Zhaoyuan stopped talking.
Wu Baolin just sat in the corner, silently touching his belly.
However, other women were discussing who should raise the child in her womb.
And she didn't even have the qualifications to speak.
Because, that's the rule.
After paying his respects, Wu Baolin's mood remained low.
He walked with his head down, feeling uncomfortable, and for a moment he didn't notice the person in front of him.
From a distance, Ye Cairen saw Wu Baolin walking towards her blankly and immediately became annoyed: "I haven't seen you for a few days. Have you become blind again?!"
"Are you trying to get close to me and pretend to fall so you can put the blame on me?!"
Wu Baolin, who had just come out of his own world, was hit with this scolding and felt so wronged that he wanted to cry.
Ye Cairen added, "You really want to hurt me again! I didn't do anything to you, but you have such a sad face. If someone doesn't know, they would think I bullied you again."
"What a disaster!"
Ye Cairen was tough on the outside, but he was already ready to slip away.
Wu Baolin was both angry and furious, thinking of the old grudges. He happened to see a few palace maids passing by with trays.
Without thinking, she picked up the box on the tray and threw it at Ye Cairen.
"Let you bully me!"
Ye Cairen felt a pain in his back and it took him a while to realize that he had been hit.
She was surprised and said, "Are you crazy?!"
How dare you take action in the harem?
Wu Baolin cried, "Am I crazy? You bully people and don't let me say anything?!"
As he spoke, he took something from a palace maid's tray and threw it at Ye Cairen.
She was about to smash it, but the other maids had already tactfully retreated to the side, explaining in a panic, "Replying to Wu Baolin, this belongs to Consort Zhaode. If it's damaged, our heads won't be enough to compensate!"
Wu Baolin was startled and stopped where he was, with cold sweat breaking out on his back.
She, she actually smashed Concubine Zhaode's things?!
Seeing that the situation was not good, Ye Cairen next to him also turned around and ran away.
She suffered a loss today, but she couldn't bear to argue with Wu Baolin, who was pregnant.
It would be bad luck if Wu Baolin was really pissed off.
This was originally a trivial matter, but after Wu Baolin smashed Xie Run's things, it became known to everyone.
As expected, someone reported to the Queen.
The queen had just drunk the medicine and was taking off her outer clothes, preparing to lie down on the bed and rest for a while.
Now, upon hearing this news, she suddenly became furious and said, "Just tell them that I'm not feeling well and have someone pass the news to the emperor and ask him what to do."
If Xie Run was assisting in managing the Six Palaces, Xie Run would have handled this matter himself. Why would he bring it to her?
Thinking of the useless Concubine Wen and the selfish Concubine Li, the queen sneered.
In this matter, the person who needs least attention is actually Ye Cairen.
Xie Run is in a high position and has great power, Wu Baolin is pregnant with an heir to the throne, but Ye Cairen is the only one who has no one to rely on.
The Queen: "If the Emperor doesn't want to take care of it, then let Concubine Li take care of it."
If Concubine Li has the guts, she can pretend to be sick!
After saying this, the queen closed her eyes and lay down on the bed.
The queen gave up and the matter was brought to the attention of the emperor.
The fighting on the front line is no longer smooth sailing, but rather a stalemate.
Many ministers of the previous dynasty began to persuade the emperor to cease fire.
The emperor is now very busy and feels irritable all day long.
When he suddenly heard someone asking about the trivial matters in his harem, he almost laughed out of anger.
"The Empress will take care of the affairs of the harem. If that doesn't work, there are Concubine Li and Concubine Wen. Are they all useless?"
"Such a trivial matter, yet you still come to ask me?"
The eunuch who delivered the message lowered his head and trembled all over: "The Queen is unwell and is now lying on the bed to recuperate."
"Because this matter implicates Consort Zhaode and Wu Baolin's unborn child, I have come to seek the Emperor's approval."
The emperor suddenly laughed and asked Shi'an Palace: "Do you think the queen did this on purpose?"
The palace maids and eunuchs serving nearby lowered their heads silently, wishing they could crawl into the cracks in the ground and pretend they didn't exist.
The emperor continued, "I rejected her arrangement, and she deliberately made these little things to annoy me?"
"It must be her. She always loves to vent her dissatisfaction in this way."
After all, they have been married for many years, and the emperor should be too familiar with the queen's methods.
Eunuch Shi'an could only bite the bullet and say, "Then Your Majesty, do you think we should hand it over to Concubine Li and Concubine Wen?"
The emperor thought of Concubine Li and Concubine Wen and couldn't help but frowned: "Concubine Wen is a princess of the Xia Dynasty after all. She has been studying under the Empress for a while. Isn't she incapable of taking on responsibilities?"
Eunuch Shi'an lowered his head and said, "It's not that Concubine Wen is incapable of taking on responsibilities. It's simply that Concubine Wen is a newcomer. With only a position but no qualifications, she can't suppress the elders who have come up from the mansion."
"Newcomer?" The emperor immediately thought of Concubine Li: "In the end, it's just incompetence."
"Isn't Concubine Li a newcomer as well? But she always manages to make Gong Chongyi lose face."
Eunuch Shi'an: "Your Majesty is right."
But I secretly complained in my heart.
Isn’t it because Your Majesty is partial to you that Concubine Li can make Gong Chongyi suffer a setback?
The emperor sighed, "Forget it. Concubine Wen is useless, and if Concubine Li were to handle it... I'm afraid it would be even worse."
"Have Wu Baolin come to apologize to Concubine Zhaode, and then confine him to house arrest for a month."
"If Wu Baolin has harmed Concubine Zhaode in any way, she should be made to pay double the price."
Eunuch Shi'an opened his mouth and said, "But Your Majesty, I heard that Wu Baolin damaged a set of pearl headwear that Concubine Zhaode had prepared for the Empress' birthday banquet. It's priceless... I'm afraid Wu Baolin can't afford the compensation."
I'm afraid that all the rewards Wu Baolin has received since he entered the palace combined cannot afford to pay for this set of headgear.
How about double compensation?
The emperor also realized this and said, "Forget it, then let her and Ye Cairen pay half each."
Eunuch Shi'an suppressed a smile, "Your Majesty is wise."
Just as Eunuch Shi'an was about to deliver the message, he heard the emperor shout again, "Wait!"
"Ye Cairen has repeatedly provoked trouble and behaved inappropriately, so he should be demoted to Baolin."
The Emperor said: "Although Wu Baolin was wrong in the past, this Ye Cairen is not a person who will stay quiet either."
"If she hadn't caused trouble, how could Wu Baolin have been so angry that he lost his mind and threw other people's things at them?!"
The emperor hates people who stir up trouble the most.
Especially people like Ye Cairen who think they are smart and deliberately provoke others to make mistakes.
He didn't think Ye Cairen was innocent at all.
Eunuch Shi'an quickly said, "Yes!"
When the Queen heard the Emperor's decree, she chuckled, "The Emperor took matters into his own hands. It's clear he knows that Concubine Li and Concubine Wen are not up to the task."
Ting He beside him smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has also issued an order to let Concubine Zhaode assist you in managing the six palaces."
"Someone has brought news that Concubine Zhaode was innocently harmed, and the Emperor made this arrangement specifically to compensate her."
The queen wanted to say why bother, but she reacted in an instant.
There was a hint of bitterness in her smile, "The Emperor is really good to Xie..."
Although in the end he was given the right to assist in managing the six palaces.
But when to give and how to give makes a huge difference!
Whether it was promotion or giving the right to assist in managing the six palaces, the emperor did not give it out for no reason, but had a legitimate excuse.
This made the six palaces jealous but did not leave any handle.
This kind of favor is much more reliable than the favor he received when he was the retired emperor, which brought him the resentment of all the palaces.