The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

The sky is bright.

Wang Xuanshi did not sleep well that night. She felt that something was about to happen. She got up from the bed and subconsciously called the name of her most trusted female attendant: "Shanlu."

"Madam." The maid opened the curtain and said, "Madam, Sister Shanlu is still recovering from her leg injury. If you have anything to say, just tell me."

Looking at the face that was familiar to her but not very close to her, Wang Xianshi was stunned for a moment. When she was about to say that she had nothing to do, she changed her mind and thought that although this palace maid was transferred from the Shanggong Bureau later, she had been very loyal and obedient during the days she served her. Shanlu had injured her leg and could not walk easily, so why not ask her to run errands for her first?

That person had contacted her before, saying that he had obtained evidence of the Queen's crime and would impeach her in the next few days... But she had been waiting and waiting, and her legs were almost broken from kneeling, but there was still no news... Concubine Wang was getting anxious.

She looked at the well-behaved and docile palace maid several more times and thought: Never mind, I just asked her to convey a message and I won’t let her know the content.

Then he said, "Go to the Shanggong Bureau and find a treasurer named Wang. Her name is Wang Yue, and she is from my family. Ask her if she has any letters to send home this month. I will help her take them out."

The maid had no doubts and nodded, "Yes."

After helping the royal concubine get up and wash up, the palace maid set off for the Shanggong Bureau.

While choosing clothes in her own wardrobe, Concubine Wang looked at the pomegranate red skirt placed at the bottom with some regret - there were two funerals in succession in the palace, and although the concubines did not have to wear mourning for the two deceased, they could not wear brightly colored clothes to attract attention.

She casually took out a palace skirt with a white background embroidered with orchids and put it on. When Wang Xuanshi was hesitating whether to put on some makeup before going out, the palace maid who had just been to the Shanggong Bureau came back in a hurry with someone.

"Madam, a female official wants to see you." The palace servant who was guarding the door whispered.

Wang Xuanshi frowned and said, "Please come in."

She contacted Wang Siku mostly at night. Although the other party used his name and did not cover his face, he always wore a hood. The light was dim at night, and Wang Xuanshi only felt that the facial features of the palace maid who came to see her looked slightly different from the ones she had seen before, but the figure and voice were similar. In the end, she attributed the slight difference in her face to the fact that she could not see clearly at night.

"Why is the treasurer here at this time?" Wang Xuanshi welcomed the female official in, then turned around and called away all the palace servants.

It was just dawn at this time, and Wang Xuanshi had to go to the coffin place for the two deceased people to mourn.

"Treasurer Wang" said anxiously, "There is a strange phenomenon outside the palace. A stone tablet has floated out of the water of Jing River. There are words engraved on the stone tablet, saying that there is a witch in the palace, violating moral principles!"

"Ah?!" Wang Xianshi was shocked. "How could it be... Is this what the Master is doing?"

"Treasurer Wang" just nodded slightly in silence, and then she quickly said: "The memorial submitted by the lord was kept in the palace, so he needs you to expose this matter in front of everyone in the harem. As long as you start, he will naturally help the front court. If you make a fuss inside and outside, His Majesty will not be able to continue to protect the witch."

"I understand." Wang Xianshi couldn't tell if there were any flaws in these words. She was full of excitement about finally taking action. She nodded and said, "Then can you tell me what the queen did now?"

Seeing her impatient look, "Treasurer Wang"'s tone turned a little cold, and he told Concubine Wang what Marquis Yuyang and others had prepared earlier: Concubine Ning coveted the honor of the concubine's position in the harem, poisoned the late emperor and put the blame on her husband's family, and the Queen wanted to join forces with Concubine Ning, using the power of the Grand Princess's Mansion and her influence in the royal family to completely control the harem, so she assisted the King in his evil deeds and murdered the eunuch - this set of statements was completely inferred by the Queen based on Treasurer Wang's confession.

After hearing this, Wang Xuanshi was frightened to the point of falling backwards, and then she was very anxious to confirm the truth of the matter with "Wang Siku" and asked: "Did she really do such a vicious thing? If she is convicted of this crime, will they all be dead?"

Wang Xuanshi could only see the huge benefits that the queen's fall would bring to herself, but she had no idea what kind of crisis she would face as the first accuser.

After all, she was just an ignorant chess piece who regarded the other party as an enemy and came with the desire to "revive the family". However, she was easily hooked by someone with ulterior motives and was held in his hands from then on.

"If the facts are verified, the perpetrators will certainly not escape death." "Treasurer Wang" said, "But the Empress was married to you by the late emperor himself, and she has been the mother of the country for many years. She is deeply loved by your majesty and the Empress Dowager. She may be able to save her life. However, the Empress has always been weak. Perhaps, she will be frightened to death when she is suddenly questioned."

"Yes, she just lost her child..." Princess Wang sent "Treasurer Wang" away thoughtfully.

However, she did not rush out, but went to the room of her personal maid Shanlu, told her what happened today, and sought her opinion.

"If we want to get rid of her, there will never be a better opportunity than now, but I suddenly feel a little sorry for her. Alas, if only the elders of the previous dynasty could slow down a little, at least wait until the seventh day after the death of the fifth prince..." The royal concubine said in great distress, "She was still a princess. Back then, she was so glorious when she followed the princess into the capital. Although I was young at that time, I still remember her wearing a bright red riding suit, so majestic... Now, she has come to the point where her life is controlled by a small person like me."

After listening to Wang Xuanshi's mumbling for a long time, Shanlu, who had to lie in bed to recuperate due to an injured foot, finally couldn't help interrupting her: "Madam, business is more important. Think about the master and mistress at home, and think about how prosperous and wealthy the Wang family was in the past, and how she ruined it all!"

Shanlu is ten years older than Wang Xuanshi. She is Wang's servant girl. She has been with Wang Xuanshi since she was a child. Later, she simply combed her hair herself and entered the palace with Wang Xuanshi. Wang Xuanshi also listened to this person who was both her mother and sister.

"Think about how she has treated you since you entered the palace, and think about what the master and his wife said to you before you entered the palace. Whether the entire Wang family can regain its former glory depends entirely on you, my lady. You must not be soft-hearted at this critical moment!"