The Self-cultivation of a Salted Fish Concubine

Chapter 336 Xie Run: "Are you deliberately testing her?"

The maid beside him fanned Xie Run and asked softly, "Why did Concubine Li punish you?"

Fang Yuaner lowered her eyes, "It's just a small matter."

"Oh?" Xie Run said in confusion, then said, "It seems that you were the one who provoked her first and made her angry?"

Fang Yuaner suddenly raised her eyes and looked at Xie Run. Her eyes were dark and heavy, as if she had countless words to say, but in the end, they all turned into silence.

Before leaving, Xie Run suddenly asked, "Are you deliberately testing her?"

The calmness on Fang Yuaner's face faded in an instant, and she looked at Xie Run with a bit of panic in her eyes.

"you……"

Xie Run didn't listen to what she said next and turned away.

Afterwards, Xie Run asked someone to inquire about the news.

Learning that Concubine Li punished Fang Yuan'er didn't cause any waves, it was like a stone thrown into the water, without causing any ripples.

Xie Run was a little confused.

Could it be that Fang Yuaner also began to doubt Concubine Li?

She is not a stupid person, but why does she take the initiative to provoke Concubine Li several times?

Now that she has been punished several times, I don’t know what Fang Yuaner is thinking.

The Queen in Fengyi Palace didn't react at all, just as she had handled the situation in the past.

That night, the emperor returned to the harem for the first time and flipped over Hua Xiuyuan's card.

Xie Run took his son to bed early.

With the continuous good news coming from the front line, Concubine Wen in the harem could no longer sit still and went to ask to see the queen in a panic.

The queen refused three times, but finally let her into Fengyi Palace.

Seeing the Queen, Concubine Wen's suppressed sorrow suddenly surfaced on her face: "Sister, how can you still sit still?"

The Queen glanced at her calmly and asked, "Why can't I sit still?"

Concubine Wen: "The victory of the Yu Dynasty against the Xia Dynasty is certainly gratifying, but the Xia Dynasty is our motherland. Isn't it frightening for my sister to see her motherland being humiliated?"

"My sister and I resent Father and the Crown Prince just as much, but if the Xia Dynasty were truly gone, how would we have a place to live?"

"Recently, I've vaguely heard a lot of rumors in the court urging the dethronement of the empress, saying that how could the empress of the Yu Dynasty be the daughter of the Xia Dynasty? Sister... I'm really scared."

"We are now like a lone boat on the sea, with no one to lean on or rely on... Whether the Xia Dynasty wins or the Yu Dynasty wins, it will not benefit me at all."

The Queen said calmly, "Do you still remember who you are?"

Concubine Wen was stunned.

The queen's eyes were cold: "I am the queen of the Yu Dynasty, and you are the concubine of the Yu Dynasty."

"All of this can no longer be changed since we set foot on the territory of the Yu Dynasty."

"Remember who you are, and you won't panic anymore."

Concubine Wen looked at the Queen bewilderedly, "Sister, are you saying that we should completely abandon our motherland?"

The queen's narrow eyes showed no emotion: "Why, has your motherland ever shown you even a little pity?"

These words were like a knife stabbing into Concubine Wen's heart.

Concubine Wen had to face the facts.

Her motherland treated her as a pawn from the beginning and abandoned her without hesitation.

Her sister was only interested in securing her position as the Queen of Yu Dynasty and didn't care about Xia Dynasty's life or death at all.

But she had just come from the Xia Dynasty and still had some attachment to her motherland. She did not have deep feelings for the Yu Dynasty, nor did she have a position as rock-solid as that of the queen.

Like a dead leaf in the wind and rain, I don’t know where it will be blown to.

Concubine Wen wanted to make a final struggle: "Sister, don't you worry about my mother and my brother who are far away in the Yu Dynasty?"

There seemed to be some emotional fluctuation in the queen's eyes, but she regained her composure in an instant.

The Queen: "I have already repaid her what I owed her when I came to the Yu Dynasty to marry."

This sentence means that the queen has no attachment to Yu Chao.

Concubine Wen had no choice but to return home disappointed. She sat in her room for half the night and finally fell asleep in a hurry.

After seeing off Concubine Wen, the Queen asked someone to invite Xie Run to Fengyi Palace.

Xie Run was a little surprised when he suddenly received the news.

Since she was 'seriously injured', the Queen exempted her from the formalities.

She also didn't allow the six palace maids to visit her. Given the queen's personality, she would never go to see Xie Run unless necessary.

Xie Run went to Fengyi Palace with doubts in his heart.

As soon as I entered, I saw Tinghe serving the Queen with medicine.

Xie Run was even more confused.

The queen looks petite and gentle, but she is actually very strong-willed.

At the beginning of her last pregnancy, she felt very unwell, but she endured it and didn't reveal any information.

Even if I can't hold on any longer in the later stages, I still like to hold on in front of others.

After the miscarriage, rumors about her severe physical condition never stopped, but the queen never showed any sign of weakness in front of outsiders.

Now she actually started drinking medicine in front of Xie Run.

Xie Run was confused, but he could only suppress it in his heart and bowed slowly: "I greet the Queen."

"How is your health lately?"

After drinking the medicine, the queen took a candied date and ate it slowly to suppress the bitter taste in her mouth.

After a moment, she said slowly, "Not very good."

Xie Run: "...Your Majesty, you should take care of yourself. No matter how big the problem is, it is not as important as your own health."

Xie Run was actually worried that the queen would be worried about the war between the two countries, and her already severely damaged health would become even worse.

Many people in ancient times became ill due to depression.

The Queen: "I know the condition of my body very well."

"I have called you here today because I have recently felt that I am no longer capable of managing the six palaces. I have specifically summoned you to ask if you are willing to assist me in managing the six palaces."

Xie Run was at a loss for a moment.

The Queen knew Xie Run's concerns and said calmly, "This is my idea. If you wish, I will go and plead with the Emperor."

Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "Empress Wen is the Empress's younger sister. If the Empress is unwell, why not teach Empress Wen to help you manage the six palaces?"

The Queen's answer was straightforward: "Ci Rui lacks prestige and is not efficient enough to control the concubines."

If you think about it carefully, if you want someone to assist the Queen in managing the six palaces, it can only be Xie Run.

Who can blame her for having the highest position, being favored and having children, and being able to suppress the other concubines in the six palaces?

The Queen: "I know you don't like to get involved in the trivial matters of the six palaces. If I were not unable to handle it, I would not have troubled you."

"You did a great job managing the palace back then, and I trust your abilities and character."

Xie Run thought for a moment and said, "I am only assisting the Empress. If I can help relieve the Empress's worries, I am willing to give it a try."

The Queen nodded. "The Emperor has been busy with matters of the former court lately and hasn't been to the harem very often. I haven't seen the Fifth Prince for a long time. How is he doing lately?"

Xie Run had a faint smile on his face: "Fortunately, he has grown a little taller. Tomorrow I will bring him to pay my respects to the Empress."

"You're still injured, so there's no need to rush to pay your respects." The Queen's tone was much gentler. "The Emperor often says you're taking good care of your child. If you focus on raising him, there's no need to pay your respects so often. My child, you still need to rest well so that he can grow well."

"On behalf of the Fifth Prince, I thank the Empress for her concern."

The two chatted about some matters in the harem.

Seeing that the Queen looked tired, Xie Run offered to leave.