The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

The closer it gets to winter, the earlier it gets dark. When I came out of Baosi Pavilion, the setting sun had already reached the horizon and the sky was becoming increasingly dim.

On the way back to Jinghua Tower with the emperor, Xie Yuzhen couldn't help but think about it.

This matter has been complicated and has involved the biological mother of the third princess. The person behind the scenes has indeed had many tricks up his sleeve. How strong is her foundation and how familiar is she with the spider-web-like interpersonal relationships in the harem to set up such a scheme that becomes increasingly confusing the more she tries to figure it out.

Xie Yu really didn't have much of an idea. He turned to look at the emperor. Just as he was about to open his mouth and try to ask this "teacher" for advice, a strange sound suddenly rang out in the gloomy palace road.

It was like a person with half of his tongue cut off, shouting in the night wind: "Woo-Hey!"

When this voice sounded, Xie Yuzhen instinctively shuddered with fear.

The voice of the "person" who kept calling out "Hey, hey, hey" was very ethereal, echoing in the palace path where the light was gradually dimming.

"What's that sound?" Xie Yuzhen calmed himself down and looked around.

The palace servants also blew out the tinder to light the lamps, and carried the palace lanterns to search everywhere.

The emperor frowned and listened for a moment, then raised his hand to hold Xie Yuzhen, and pulled her into his arms: "Don't be afraid, it sounds like the sound of an owl. How did the Imperial Guards let this guy fly into the palace?"

owl?

Xie Ruizhen subconsciously raised her head and looked above the palace wall. In an instant, she met a pair of yellow eyes. Those eyes were embedded in a face that looked like a person whose nose had been cut off. It also looked like a moving skeleton. It turned strangely, and it suddenly spread its wings and pounced towards Xie Ruizhen.

"Here!" Xie Yuzhen shouted, and the emperor also saw the big bird swooping over.

He immediately stepped forward to block Xie Yuzhen. Since he had no weapon with him, he swung his wide sleeves and first covered the big bird's head. Then he pressed his hand down heavily, accurately pinching the bird's neck, which was not very obvious but very flexible under the fluffy feathers.

The emperor grabbed the bird and threw it to the ground three times without saying a word. After making sure it was dead, he threw it to the panicked palace servant and said, "Check how it got in."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at Xie Yuzhen: "Are you not scared, Mr. Xie?"

Xie Yuzhen looked at the emperor's hands, which looked no different from those used to gently caress her, and took a step forward to hold them up with both hands. She was tall and could easily see the emperor's eyes without having to look up much, but at this moment she shyly tilted her head and pressed her soft and smooth cheek against the back of the emperor's hand.

"Your Majesty was so heroic just now!" Xie Yuzhen looked at the emperor with a smile, "It's just a flat-haired beast, why should I be afraid of it?"

Although she was pregnant, her hands and feet were still very nimble. In addition, she knew very well that the emperor would not do such a humiliating thing as pushing the concubine out alone and running away under such circumstances. So when Xie Yuzhen saw the big bird attacking her, she did not feel any fear at all. Instead, she was ready to use the emperor as a human shield at any time.

When he held down the big bird just now, the broken feathers pricked the emperor's palm, and he could still vaguely feel a slight pain. But when the woman in front of him held it up with both hands, the emperor found that the place that was pricked had a strange, somewhat secret itchy feeling.

When he looked at Xie Yuzhen again, he discovered that although this woman's face was flushed with shyness and emotion, the emotion that poured out of her eyes when her eyelashes fluttered was excitement.

Just like the emotions that are constantly churning in his heart at this moment.

It's excitement.

"You are indeed very courageous." The emperor sighed, and then took the hand held by Xie Yuzhen and kissed the back of her hand. Then he smiled and said, "But we still have to ask the imperial physician to take your pulse."

Sunset and moonrise.

There was silence in Baosi Pavilion.

The Queen had ordered the Queen to summon a carriage to take Shi Wang back, and Concubine Deng also went back with her - Shi Wang was a member of her palace, and she had to take care of her afterwards.

The servants in Baosi Pavilion who had been punished were also allowed to get up one after another. Wen Baolin told them to rest on their own and not to serve him so urgently.

And with her guarantee and plea, Susu was released.

At this moment, she was following Shen Xiaoyi, looking very haggard.

"Nanliu, don't go back tonight. Stay here with me for a few days." Wen Baolin boiled some hot water on a small stove. Shen Xiaoyi wrung out the hot handkerchief and applied it to her knees.

The sisters sat opposite each other. Shen Xiaoyi looked at Wen Baolin, who had also lifted his trouser legs to his knees and behaved in a very rude manner. She was too tired to continue mocking him in her heart: "We are not that close. There is no one else here. You don't need to act like a good person anymore."

Wen Baolin paused, and she smiled bitterly: "We are all surnamed Shen, sisters from the same family. Although I don't know why you became like this after entering the palace, but..."

"Stop talking!" Shen Xiaoyi's eyes suddenly burst into terrible anger, and her face gradually twisted. "What do you know, the high and mighty daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, huh! How can you understand the suffering of someone like me!"

"......Nanliu?" The Shen Nanliu in Wen Baolin's memory was still the timid, quiet and introverted little sister who had just been brought to the Marquis' Mansion.

Wen Baolin was well aware of his father's twisted temper. He was afraid that his father would really take his anger out on an innocent girl, so he deliberately got close to Shen Xiaoyi and lived and ate with her for a long time.

She herself had no sisters, so it was with great luck that a younger sister came along. Neither of them were competitive people, so they got along very well.

But Shen Xiaoyi, who had lived an unhappy life for most of her life, died in a raging fire, a ghost full of hatred.

"You were born with everything! A father who is a marquis, a loving mother, and a noble status!" Shen Xiaoyi's whole body was twitching and shaking abnormally, "Who am I? A bastard who should have been thrown out to drown when he was born! I am stupid and dumb! But I finally grew up to this age and was able to leave that dirty home with him... all because of you!"

"Because those high-ranking masters in your Yuyang Marquis's Mansion got angry and dragged me out like a dog and locked me in another cage!"

Her chest was heaving violently, her expression became more and more crazy, her eyes were wide open, and the corners of her eyes seemed to be torn apart.

"Who am I? I am just a tool for you high-ranking masters and ladies to vent your anger on!" Every time she spoke, she took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, "The adopted daughter of the Marquis's Mansion, you are so impressive!"

"But I don't care about your shabby mansion and your status as a shabby adopted daughter! I would rather go back to that doghouse-like home. At least there I don't have to worry every day and think about things that I can't understand. I'm also tired of you always being so high and mighty and giving me charity. I'm even more tired of you giving me a flower or a plant and there are a lot of people constantly reminding me that I don't deserve it! I have to be grateful!!"

She stood up suddenly, barefoot, and regardless of the severe pain and stiffness in her knees, she almost crawled out of Baosi Pavilion.