The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

"Liu Shuyi was released?" Xie Yu was a little surprised. Ever since she heard her mother say that the Fourth Princess seemed to be crying in Kunning Palace, she had a vague premonition that she couldn't explain. However, she didn't expect that Liu Shuyi didn't lose her temper, but instead took this opportunity to completely lift the house arrest.

"It seems that after suffering a great loss and being locked up for such a long time, she has become a lot smarter." Xie Yuzhen asked Xiaoxi to go to Yuchunju to run errands and inform Concubine Xu that Liu Shuyi had been released from confinement.

The hatred between these two half-sisters who had severed their relationship could no longer be resolved due to the death of Hong, and the huge setback suffered by the Shunyi Marquis' Mansion.

Xie Yuzhen had no intention of interfering with how Concubine Xu dealt with this hatred. At most, he would watch from behind to prevent Concubine Xu from being completely defeated in the fight.

The most important thing for me now is my daughter's full-month ceremony and leaving the palace on the day when the Yongjia Marquis Mansion is completed.

The daughter's full-month ceremony was held in mid-March, which was exactly three days after the empress dowager had finally decided on the date to return to the palace. The empress dowager, who had lived outside the palace for a long time, would definitely show up for her granddaughter's full-month celebration. However, Xie Yuzhen knew very little about this empress dowager. He only knew that she was born in the Chengguo Mansion, her original surname was Hu, but she did not get along well with her natal family.

The eldest princess' biological mother, Concubine Hu Duan, was the empress dowager's niece. However, when Concubine Hu Duan was still alive, the empress dowager did not favor her very much. She even rarely showed close attention to the eldest princess and only asked Concubine Deng to raise this granddaughter who was closest to her in blood.

Empress Dowager Hu was not close to the concubines in the harem, nor was she greedy for power. She preferred living in a Taoist temple in the mountains rather than in the inner palace. She would be gone for several years, and would only remember to come back to show her face during the holidays. She seemed to have a very indifferent temperament, even a little cold.

After much thought, Xie Yuzhen decided to treat Empress Dowager Hu with a more enthusiastic attitude.

Respecting elders is not wrong. If I can please her, in the future...

Xie Yuzhen looked at his daughter and briefly cleared his mind - although the Chengguo Mansion was personally cut down by Empress Dowager Hu and is now very obedient, it is still an old noble family. If he can win over one or two of them, perhaps they will be of use in the future.

Make a note of this secretly.

Xie Yuzhen began to think again about the emperor's promise to take her out of the palace to visit her relatives.

As a woman from outside the palace, Xie's mother could not stay in the palace for long. She would leave the palace after Xie Yuzhen finished his confinement. Although Xie Yuzhen wanted to entrust Xie Yi to his mother for upbringing, he could not send the child away so soon.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Yongjia Marquis Mansion will be completed around May. By then, my daughter will be four months old and my body will have recovered. I can take this opportunity to express my gratitude outside the palace.

When he is older, he will ask the emperor to allow him to study in the imperial study with the princes and children of noble families.

Thinking of this, Xie Yuzhen asked Xia Zhi to bring Xie Yi into the house.

The child changes every day. After the New Year, Xie Yi has grown up a lot. His facial features and face shape are all like his mother's, without any unpleasant genetic traces.

Still wearing a festive red dress, she greeted politely when she entered, then happily walked over and sat next to her sister and mother: "Mother, what do you want to talk to Tan Nu about?"

As soon as the little girl in the cradle heard his voice, she began to laugh and wave her short arms. Xie Yi wiped her hands with a handkerchief before she reached into the cradle and asked her sister to grab her fingers and play with them.

Xie Yuzhen watched the interaction between the brother and sister tenderly, and felt her heart softened. But she quickly gathered her overly soft and warm emotions, straightened her expression and said to Xie Yi, "In a few months, the Marquis' Mansion will be completed. Mother wants you to leave the palace and live in the Marquis' Mansion with your grandmother and uncle. What do you think?"

Xie Yi looked up at his mother, thought carefully, and asked, "Can I still go to the palace to see my mother and sister?"

"Of course." Xie Yuzhen just wanted to hand him over to his mother to raise, not to abandon him completely. The Yongjia Marquis Mansion was not far from the palace, so it was very convenient to summon him.

"Yes." Xie Yi nodded vigorously twice, "Tan Nu understands. Don't worry, mother, Tan Nu will be good and will not cause trouble for grandma and uncle."

"Good boy." Xie Yuzhen reached out and touched the kid's forehead with some heartache.

She doesn't need him to be successful or have a bright future, she just wants him to grow up safely and be obedient...

"The Shanggong Bureau sent two new rattan balls. Take them and play with Sister Xiaoxi in the yard."

Xie Yi's calm expression gradually turned into joy: "Yes! Don't worry, Mom, I won't run around!"

The little girl, who had been playing with her brother's fingers for a while, had fallen asleep. Xie Yuzhen carefully helped Tan Nu pull his fingers out of her daughter's small palm. The mother and daughter looked at each other and smiled secretly, and made a "hush" gesture to each other.

Watching his son walk out of the house with slightly exaggerated movements, like a thief, tiptoeing without making a sound, Xie Yuzhen suddenly had the illusion that life was peaceful. But behind that illusion, Xie Yuzhen saw a storm that was about to be created by himself.

After receiving the message she passed on, Concubine Xu came to Shouning Palace in person in the afternoon.

Firstly, she wanted to thank Xie Yuzhen for thinking about her during her confinement, and secondly, Concubine Xu herself was a little worried about Liu Shuyi's drastic change in temperament, and instinctively began to seek a sense of security.

"...She is very different from before. She has a much more restrained temper and is more patient than before." Concubine Xu was wearing a pink palace skirt today, with a peach blossom hairpin on her head and a white jade pendant around her waist. She unconsciously fiddled with the jade pendant with her fingers, and her tone revealed worry, but more of it was determination.

"She already knew that I changed my name and surname, severed ties with the Liu family, that Hong was dead, her family's titles were stripped, the fiefdom was taken back, and her brother was deprived of the title of Crown Prince. Yet, she just asked the palace servants to go to Yuchun Residence to 'invite' me over, and I declined the invitation on the pretext that I had to serve in Zichen Palace in the afternoon." Concubine Xu said, "She didn't even get angry."

"It seems that he has become much calmer." Xie Yuzhen seemed to be thinking about something.

Lady Xu nodded: "Although Hong's death was her own fault, it was indeed because of me that her evil deeds were exposed... I don't believe that Liu Shuyi will not put this account on my head."

"I guess she probably only knows that Hong died because of me, and that the Liu family was stripped of their titles because of this. She doesn't know anything else about the inside story." Lady Xu looked at Xie Yuzhen, "To prevent her from making associations and getting angry, sister, let's keep our distance from each other in the future. I'll deal with her as soon as possible!"

She raised her hand to assure Xie Yuzhen, and Xie Yuzhen held her hand: "You really don't need my help?"

"Why bother you to deal with her, sister? I am a thorn in her eyes now. If she makes a move, it will definitely be against me. And I will naturally find a way to make her make a mistake..." Lady Xu said with a smile, "When the time comes, I will just ask you to speak a few fair words for me in front of His Majesty."

As she spoke, she looked at the sleeping baby in the cradle. Her heart was filled with happiness, and Lady Xu became more determined in her decision.

She would never allow Liu Shuyi to have any possibility of endangering her sister Xie and little niece.

no way!