The Legend of the Concubine in the Harem

After seeing off his excited daughter, Xie Yuzhen sighed softly and called Xia Zhi in: "You just said that Concubine Shun wanted to see you for something?"

"Yes, your Majesty." Xia Zhi replied, "Because your Highness happened to be here at that time, I took the initiative to ask Shun Jieyu to rest in the side hall."

Xie Yuzhen nodded: "Well, please go again and invite the person over."

"Yes."

Shun Jieyu Gegentana was originally the daughter of King Danzhu of the grassland tribe. Several years ago, King Danzhu's tent risked looting the border of Dasheng due to a disaster on the grassland and a shortage of food. However, they were quickly counterattacked and defeated by Dasheng. As a result, they had to surrender and offer their daughter, large tracts of grassland, horses, cattle, sheep, and all kinds of jewels and gold and jade.

Gegentana, the only daughter of King Danzhu, and Ulan, a recognized beauty in their tribe, were sent to Dasheng at that time. One was named Shun Meiren and the other a Cai Nu.

Twelve years passed. Although these two tribute girls had never been favored by the emperor, their status was gradually promoted due to Xie Yuzhen's generosity in favors to the harem.

Shun Jieyu came over very quickly. She was not very old when she entered the palace. Although she was a hostage and tribute, and a proof of her father's sincerity in paying homage to the superior country, Gegentana still held on to her pride as a princess at first. She never made mistakes in her etiquette in dealing with people, but that was all. She was indifferent to the other concubines in the palace, and was not close to anyone except Ulan who was sent with her and the tribute girl Baoler.

However, as time went on in Dasheng, the edges and corners of Gegentana's character were gradually worn away by time - she was in a foreign country, and could never return to her hometown in this life. She was not favored by the emperor, and she could not find strong support from either her clansmen or this "husband".

As time passed, although Gegentana still felt a little resentful and sad about having to marry far away, she was also glad that her "colleagues" in the inner palace of Dasheng were not difficult to get along with, especially the two queens above her.

Although the former one usually looks a bit serious, he is actually a soft-hearted and kind person inside. Even though he was a tribute from a defeated country, he was never treated harshly. Instead, he got everything he deserved for his position. Even the palace servants were specially selected from among them who were steady, gentle, and familiar with the palace rules, which helped Gegentana a lot in her life in the palace.

Gegentana was grateful to the empress from the bottom of her heart and often sighed that her departure was too early.

As for the current mistress of the harem, to be honest, Gegentana was not very familiar with her. She could always sense a sense of oppression from Queen Xie, which made her dare not get close to her. But... after Queen Xie took office, she saw that the rules set by Queen Wang when she was alive were not abolished, but were well continued and improved. Gegentana knew that Queen Xie was actually a very good woman.

During the past decade or so when the previous dynasty had undergone earth-shaking changes, Gegentana felt that her days in the harem were the same as before, without much change, stable and peaceful. She also learned to play mahjong, and took Ulan and others to become card friends with Li and Jin, who were also tribute girls from next door who had never been favored. Occasionally, they would even go out of the palace with them to hunt and go for an outing. At this time, she would always have the illusion that she was still under her father's command and was Danzhu's favorite princess.

"Your servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen. Long live the Queen." Shun Jieyu bowed deeply.

Xie Yuzhen's exotic face was filled with anxiety, and she could not help but frowning slightly: "Stand up, and take a seat - what is the matter with Shun Jieyu's visit?"

Shun Jieyu bowed again and thanked the Queen for the seat, then said with a worried look on her face: "Your Majesty, I...I would like to ask you to allow Wulan to become a nun."

"Oh?" Xie Yuzhen raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "What's going on? Why did Wu Baolin suddenly come up with such an idea?"

Baolin Wulan was one of Shun Jieyu's concubines. She had snow-white skin, long golden-brown curly hair, and a pair of blue-green mandarin duck eyes that were very different from those of ordinary people. She was extremely beautiful, but the emperor treated her more like a rare collection, picking her up to be displayed in the palace to embellish his palace and power.

Like Shun Jieyu, Wu Baolin had never been favored since entering the palace. And compared to Shun Jieyu, the Danzhu Princess, Wu Lan, who was born in an ordinary family, was more silent and timid. She stayed in her palace almost every day and refused to go out. If she had to go out, she would follow Shun Jieyu closely, and was as taciturn as a real decoration.

Facing the Queen's doubtful questioning, Shun Jieyu bit her lips several times, and even wrinkled the handkerchief in her hand with entanglement. Finally, she closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, and then suddenly stood up, knelt heavily on the ground, and bowed deeply to Xie Yuzhen: "Please forgive me, Queen."

Xie Yuzhen smelled an unusual scent at the tip of her nose, a scent she hadn't smelled for a long time. She had an interested smile on her lips and said anxiously, "What's wrong? Shun Jieyu, get up and talk first."

She helped Shun Jieyu up with great tenderness, and said to her like a caring elder sister: "Just sit still, don't panic, don't be anxious. If there is anything, just tell me. You need to calm down before you can speak clearly, right?"

Shun Jieyu sniffed and followed Xie Yuzhen's strength to be placed on her side: "Your Majesty... your concubine... I..."

At the same time, Xie Yuzhen glanced at Xia Zhi and said, "Go and see if the kitchen has made any milk-flavored snacks today, and bring two plates for Shun Jieyu."

Knowing that she was to avoid suspicion, Xia Zhi knelt down and agreed, then took away the female officials and palace maids who were waiting to serve her in the house.

Seeing this, Shun Jieyu felt more and more that she had made the right choice today, and with a bit of panic and grievance, she began to confide in Xie Yuzhen: "Your Majesty, I... have always been good friends with Wu Baolin, and we often play together, but recently I suddenly found that Wu Baolin seemed to be a little strange. She... She suddenly became very close to a eunuch, and suddenly became very unhappy. When I was chatting with her, I caught her distracted several times..."

"I was worried that something had happened to her, but when I asked her, she said nothing happened. Later, I was really worried, so I secretly investigated, and then I found out that she was actually with the eunuch..."