The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

The moment the death knell rang, Deng Qingsui was completely stunned.

She hurried out of the palace and trotted all the way to the main hall where Concubine Deng lived. When Concubine Li staggered out of the inner room and shook her head at her with tears in her eyes, Deng Qingsui was unable to react as her elder sister was gone like this.

When she thought about how she had escaped because she was at a loss, Deng Qingsui felt a surge of regret and shame. What made her feel even more guilty was another deeper reason: Could it be that it was because of the bad review she gave to the emperor that her elder sister...

Deng Qingsui's face turned pale and she shuddered violently.

If she was ignorant and did it because she was coaxed by the Duchess of England the first time she gave a bad review, then this time, she knew what would happen after giving a bad review, but she still obediently did what her elders arranged.

Feeling guilty, Deng Qingsui and her two younger sisters were brought into the inner room by Concubine Li, and finally met the eldest sister with the most noble status among the daughters, Concubine Xian.

Perhaps because they were not from the same mother, Deng Qingsui discovered that the eldest sister did not look like herself or her two younger sisters. The woman lying on the bed without a breath had a pair of curved dark eyebrows, an oval face with soft lines, her eyes were closed, her lips were pale, her face was gray, and there was a mark on her neck that proved that she had suffered a heavy blow, and a wisp of cotton wool was placed on her philtrum.

Deng Qingsui stared at the wisp of cotton with a blank mind, hoping that it would tremble even a little. However, the cotton did not move at all, proving that Concubine Xian was indeed dead at this moment.

There was wailing in Changrui Palace.

Let’s go forward a little in time.

In the Lizheng Hall, the injured emperor was shirtless, with his bloodstained robes not yet cleaned, and he met the Duke of England who had hurried over in the noisy back hall.

The Duke of England was a middle-aged man of ordinary appearance, wearing a dark official uniform. His hair was slightly gray, and he had a beard that was long enough to reach his neck, which was still very dark. "I, your humble servant, pay my respects to Your Majesty. I have seen with my own eyes that Your Majesty is well. Your humble servant..."

The emperor raised his hand to interrupt the Duke of England's polite words: "I summoned you here today because the virtuous concubine is in a very bad condition. Your family... should make preparations in advance. Moreover, if something happens to the virtuous concubine, you, as a father, will inevitably be sad and hurt, and delay your work. That's why I summoned you here to ask if there is anyone in the Cavalry Battalion who can temporarily take over your command for a while?"

When the Duke of England heard that his daughter was really dying, he did not feel sad at first, but was more shocked. When he heard the Emperor continue to say that he would give up his position and go home to "rest" for a while because the virtuous concubine would not live long, he felt a bitter feeling in his heart.

However, the emperor did not give him a chance to answer, but continued: "Jingcheng (the second prince) is young and has lost his mother suddenly. I am really worried that the maids in the palace will not be able to take good care of him. I originally thought that if his grandmother was still alive, I would let him live in the Duke of Ying's mansion for a while to relax. Unfortunately..."

Why did the Duchess of England die?

Challenge the emperor's majesty and attempt to threaten the monarch.

The Second Prince would not be left unattended after Concubine Deng's death, but it would be most thorough for a blood relative to look after him.

The emperor also mentioned the Duchess of England's wife, and said he was worried that the nanny would not be able to take good care of the child. The implied meaning was already clear in the eyes of the Duke of England, and the man who was about to lose his eldest daughter could not help but breathe a sigh of relief - although the emperor always criticized his own family, he still attached great importance to the second prince and intended to take a daughter into the palace. It was obvious that his family had not yet reached the extremely dangerous situation that the eldest daughter said.

The Duke of England, who had an idea in mind, pretended to be grateful and tearful: "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your grace... It's a pity that my wicked daughter is unlucky and can no longer enjoy your grace. Now the Second Prince is young and needs someone to take care of him. If Your Majesty doesn't abandon me, I still have three daughters in my family..."

Which daughter should be invited to enter the palace?

The Duke of England is still undecided.

He actually wanted to offer Deng Qingsui to the emperor, so that he would know that his family was truly loyal to him, and return this unstable factor to the emperor, eliminating all the past estrangements...

But at the same time, he couldn't be sure. If he handed over Deng Qingsui and there was nothing in his family that could make the emperor afraid, would the emperor coax Deng Qingsui into throwing all her heart into him and help the man deal with her family... That shouldn't happen, right?

Since childhood, they have always taught Deng Qingsui that family is the most important thing!

What's more, his own Duke of England's Mansion would also be Deng Qingsui's confidence, right?

The Duke of England hesitated and decided to make up his mind, saying that his fourth daughter, Deng Qingsui, was gentle and virtuous and could become a concubine to take care of her sister's son.

The emperor spoke first: "I also know that the three young ladies of the Duke of Ying were invited to the palace by their mother."

Seeing that the emperor seemed to be asking for his daughter as a concubine in person, the Duke of England felt a lot more relaxed - since the emperor had already pointed out who he wanted, it would not be considered that he had voluntarily handed over his daughter in order to please the emperor, and his reputation would also sound better this way.

But...all the tricks I've used to confuse people with Deng Qingsui's sisters over the years couldn't be hidden from the emperor?

The Duke of England thought again of the arguments he had with his eldest daughter. He admitted that she was indeed intelligent, but she was too pessimistic. Women were always easily sad and had no tolerance at all. If she had been more obedient and stayed in the harem instead of relying on the divine objects and the trust of the emperor and empress to make frequent moves, then wouldn't it be a foregone conclusion that Lu Jingcheng, the only healthy prince in the palace, would succeed to the throne in the future?

She obviously has such a stable position yet she still wants to harm others. She is indeed a narrow-minded, jealous and unvirtuous woman.

"...My mother asked the nanny beside her to tell me that the fifth young lady of your family is simple-minded, friendly to her sisters, and lively and smart..."

"That child is a very good child in the mansion. She treats the servants and her two sisters very well..." The Duke of England reacted instantly and changed his words a little abruptly, "...Your Majesty is right. My fifth daughter is indeed the most innocent and friendly..."

In fact, he was a troublemaker, secretly competing with Deng Qingsui and refusing to obey his elders' discipline...

The Duke of Ying was confused about how much the emperor knew about his family affairs. He was about to say something when he saw a eunuch rushing over: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you, Your Majesty, please accept my condolences. The virtuous concubine of Changrui Palace just passed away..."

Although the Duke of England complained about his eldest daughter's meddling, when he heard the news of her death, he couldn't help but feel as if his brain was hit hard by a heavy object, and he fell into a brief blank.

The emperor raised his eyebrows, looked at the Duke of Ying who seemed to be stunned, and curled his lips: "Duke, please accept my condolences. Life and death are both serious matters. Come, go with me to Changrui Palace to see her off."

The more chaotic the Duke of England's mansion is, the better. If it's in chaos, he can take advantage of the situation.

Deng Wu was just a chess move to muddy the waters, making it impossible for the Duke of England to figure out his true intentions and thus making it impossible for him to take correct responses. The emperor's target was actually still Deng Si, but this woman was devoted to her family, so he had to weaken her spirit first before he could control her.

Just as Xie Yuzhen coveted the power left by Concubine Deng, the emperor also wanted the "good reviews" function that was very likely to exist on Deng Si's panel.

Deng Qingsui, who was completely unable to think, was embraced by Xie Yuzhen, who was wearing plain clothes, crying bitterly. She just kept wailing that she was delayed because of the assassination of the emperor and that she could not see her beloved sister Qingzhi for the last time. The real sadness, nostalgia and warm embrace made Deng Qingsui completely stunned and she didn't know how to respond.