The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

Xie Yuzhen subconsciously wanted to ask why.

But after she thought about it, she understood what the queen meant.

As long as the Queen was there, it would be illegal for her to interfere in state affairs without the Queen's permission, no matter whether she was a noble concubine or a royal noble concubine. Whenever she wanted to cause trouble, her opponents would inevitably bring up the Queen to stop her. Even if the Queen herself had no hostility towards Xie Yuzhen or even expressed her support, those who were familiar with etiquette and were better at taking advantage of it would still have countless ways to use this to attack Xie Yuzhen who had exceeded his status.

But Xie Yuzhen thought there was a way to avoid this: "As long as we are of one mind and support each other, even if outsiders can use countless tricks, how can they break us up? It's just a matter of talking."

"Of all the affairs in the court, the most troublesome thing is talking." The Queen shook her head and said, "The weapons of the literati are their paper and pen, and their mouths. Don't underestimate the lethality of these two things. Even though Your Majesty is in power now, he still has to take care of these things, and...he is getting older. Compared with the reckless behavior when he was young, he has become more and more concerned about his reputation these years."

"You want to save face by having an affair with me." Xie Yuzhen has always disliked those literati who always talk about rules and etiquette. At the same time, she despises them because they failed to argue with the emperor about her entering the palace.

The Queen held her hand and said earnestly, "We are the Emperor's concubines, but in the end, we are just women. The multiple women with complicated backgrounds in the harem are nothing compared to the concubines usurping power and meddling in government affairs. Until you have enough power to suppress all the literati in the world and still make them loyal to you, they will always be a knife that looks harmless but can actually destroy you with etiquette and words."

"It is said that the queen is a minor ruler," she said, "but you can see that the power in my hands is actually only dependent on the emperor's appreciation of me. I am in charge of the harem and the women of the royal family. If something really happens, I have to submit a memorial... Compared with the queens of previous dynasties, I am much more destitute. In the recent previous dynasty, the queen could directly intervene in government affairs, interfere with the transfer of officials, and even sell official positions, keep slaves, and enclose land... But now, I am like this. I have no one in my natal family, and it is difficult for my orders to leave the palace. When my mother was fighting with the late emperor, she had to have a son who could fight in the front."

"I am the queen and I am still like this, what will happen if you are not the queen?"

"And if you are in charge of government in the future, will you drag me, a patient, into this and let those people stir up trouble between us, so that I can't rest and recuperate?"

"The emperor doesn't look like he will die soon..." Xie Yuzhen made the queen's eyes shudder: "That's too unfair to you. If you are willing to take on the title of master and let them think that I am just assisting you, I don't care about this title."

"If you have a son in the future, or simply bring one home and establish a new emperor, even if the conflict between us can be reconciled, it cannot be completely eliminated. People with ulterior motives will find every opportunity to alienate you and me. I don't want to gamble with people's hearts, and I don't want to waste my affection for you." The queen paused, "And I can see that you are ambitious. Can assisting in the government really satisfy you?"

“Rather than gamble on the thousands of dangers and difficulties in the future, it is better to eliminate this possibility from the beginning.”

Xie Yuzhen frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "You are not in good health, so you should stay in the palace and be under my watch, which will be safer."

Seeing her eagerness to convince herself, the queen finally smiled for the first time that night: "I know my body very well. My mental illness is worse than my physical illness. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Being a queen is really too tiring. I can't help wanting to escape, but I can't really let it go. That's why I can't help thinking that it would be better to just die."

"I don't know what you think of me, but... you always say that you are not a good person, so how can I really be a good person? I also have selfish desires, I also want to escape, and I also have a temper." The queen said faintly, "Life in this palace is really tiring, and I always can't remember what I am busy with, but my heart is getting more and more empty..."

"I asked to go on my own initiative, not for you. But if this could help you have a smoother future, I would just help you."

"As for Concubine Ning...I want to take her away, but I'm afraid the emperor won't allow it." The queen said with some distress.

Although what she said made sense, and her tired appearance made people agree with her, Xie Yuzhen still did not give up: "If the queen leaves the palace, how will she make a living? Will she have a place to stay? What if, what if someone accidentally harms her outside?"

"Although my family has fallen, my mother left me some properties and old friends before she passed away. In order to leave me a way out, these properties and people have not been made known to outsiders. And don't look at me looking sick now. If you really want to fight with me, we are so close, I am afraid that you will not end up well." The queen said easily.

Xie Yuzhen still refused to accept: "You are having a miserable time in this palace. I know I shouldn't force you to stay, but..."

The Queen raised her hand and made a "hush" gesture: "We are already friends, right?"

Xie Yu was stunned for a moment, but couldn't resist the temptation of these two words and nodded.

"Look, my wings have been trapped in the cage for so long that I'm almost dead... As a friend, you are so desperate to pull me back from the brink of death, so... I will be selfish for once and ask you, my friend, to turn into a breeze and help me spread my wings again and escape from this cage, okay?"

The candlelight flickered, and no human voice was heard in the silent hall.

Xie Ruizhen knew how hopeless it was to be locked up in one place. If the Queen continued to argue with her about the benefits that the position of "Queen" could bring, then she would naturally have a thousand excuses to continue arguing with her. But at this moment, Wang Linghui seemed to have completely seen through Xie Ruizhen, and she appealed to her emotions, breaking her heart.

"......Your Majesty is so eloquent, I am even more reluctant to let you go." Xie Yuzhen said angrily.

The queen knew that she had convinced the other party, so she raised her hand and touched the woman's head: "Although life in the palace is better than that of ordinary people, this was not what I wanted from the beginning. With your help, for me, it is like a ray of hope after a dark period, and I can live a new life again."

"But since those people in front of me have taken the initiative to cause trouble and want to kill Concubine Ning and take my position as Queen, how can I not give them a final response?" The Queen sighed and said, "I do have a temper."