After Mid-Autumn Festival
As the weather grew cooler day by day, some of the concubines in the harem, unable to bear the chill, had already changed into autumn clothes.
Qingtan rushed into the hall, not even having time to wipe the sweat from her brow, and respectfully announced, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Consort Wan and Consort Liang have gotten into a fight!"
"Consort Wan and Consort Liang?"
Xu Lejin paused for a moment, looked up at Qingtan, and said, "Consort Wan and Consort Liang live in Yonghe Palace and were getting along well before. Why did they suddenly start arguing?"
Qingtan sighed.
"Your Majesty, it's because of the Fifth Prince. Consort Wan ordered the palace servants to carry the Fifth Prince to the main hall, but Consort Liang refused. After a while, Consort Wan and Consort Liang got into an argument."
Xu Lejin nodded, frowning as she pondered.
Afternoon
Consort Que, with a solemn expression, led Consort Wan and Consort Liang to Yikun Palace.
Consort Que was dressed in a dignified and proper palace attire, with her hair neatly combed. Consort Wan and Consort Liang, on the other hand, were quite disheveled. Consort Wan's hair was messy and her clothes were dirty, while Consort Liang's hair was disheveled.
"Your Highness, Consort Yu, you must do justice for me!"
Consort Liang knelt down with a thud, her voice choked with sobs.
While Xu Lejin was still in a daze, Consort Liang burst into tears.
Because Consort Liang had been disfigured before, she looked so disheveled that Xu Lejin felt a pang of pity for her.
Her face darkened, and Xu Lejin said coldly, "Consort Que, tell me what's going on?"
"Reporting to Consort Yu, Consort Wan said that as the mistress of Yonghe Palace, the Fifth Prince should be raised by her. She sent someone to Consort Liang's residence to take the Fifth Prince to the main hall of Yonghe Palace, but Consort Liang refused."
“After a while, Consort Wan and Consort Liang got into a dispute, and a tug-of-war ensued. I really couldn’t make a decision, so I had no choice but to bring them here to ask Consort Yu to uphold justice.”
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, her gaze turning to Consort Wan and Consort Liang.
Consort Wan raised her head proudly and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness Consort Yu, I am a Consort, the mistress of Yonghe Palace. Although Consort Liang is a Consort, she is not the mistress of a palace."
"Your Majesty, I wish to bring the Fifth Prince to my main palace to raise him, but Consort Liang refuses."
With a soft sigh, Xu Lejin looked at Consort Liang.
Consort Liang looked on with a hesitant expression, gazing expectantly at Xu Lejin, and said, "Your Highness, Consort Yu, although I am not a principal consort, I am still a consort. His Majesty has already granted my request to raise the Fifth Prince. I…"
"Consort Wan ordered the palace servants to take the Fifth Prince to the main hall, but I naturally refused. No matter how much I pleaded, Consort Wan wouldn't listen and even started fighting with me for the Fifth Prince."
Her voice choked with emotion, and large tears streamed down Consort Liang's face.
"Consort Wan pulled the Fifth Prince hard. The poor Fifth Prince, at such a young age, suffered such a calamity and cried incessantly. As his mother, my heart is breaking!"
After speaking, Consort Liang began to sob.
Xu Lejin looked shocked and gazed at Consort Que.
Consort Que nodded gently, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, her voice choked with emotion, "Indeed, the Fifth Prince, at such a young age, was pulled and cried loudly, Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty, I am incompetent and failed to stop Consort Wan and Consort Liang. Please punish me, Your Highness Consort Yu."
Consort Que stated the facts in a proper and conventional manner.
Xu Lejin listened to this and couldn't help but feel sorry for Consort Liang and the Fifth Prince. She thought to herself that Consort Wan had indeed gone too far today. Her struggle with Consort Liang for the Fifth Prince was an adult conflict, but it caused the Fifth Prince, a child, to suffer such a disaster as well.
Although Consort Liang came from the Imperial Laundry, the Fifth Prince was ultimately of the Emperor's blood, a noble and privileged royal prince with a high status.
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Wan with a complicated expression, then said in a serious voice, "Consort Wan, tell me the truth. Are what Consort Que and Consort Liang said true?"
"Your Highness, Consort Yu, this humble servant..."
At this moment, Consort Wan finally realized her mistake and her face showed fear.
Hesitantly, Consort Wan forced herself to speak in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I acted rashly in the heat of the moment. I beg you, Noble Consort Yu, to forgive me, considering my sincere heart. Your Majesty..."
Xu Lejin snorted coldly.
"Does Consort Wan's sincere heart justify humiliating Consort Liang and tormenting the Fifth Prince like this? Consort Liang is a fellow concubine in the harem, and the Fifth Prince is the Emperor's bloodline. How can you people fight over him like this?"
“It is the Emperor’s decree that Consort Liang personally raises the Fifth Prince. Even if Consort Wan is willing to raise the Fifth Prince, you should report to the Emperor instead of going directly to Consort Liang and trying to forcibly take the Fifth Prince away.”
With an icy expression, Xu Lejin looked at Consort Wan and asked, "Consort Wan, do you know your crime?"
"Your Highness, Consort Yu, your humble servant..."
Consort Wan panicked and immediately knelt down, lowering her head and quickly thinking to herself.
After a moment, Consort Wan spoke in a weak voice, "Your Majesty, I know my crime. Please, Your Highness, consider that I have always cared for and loved the Fifth Prince, and be lenient with me."
Xu Lejin looked surprised upon hearing this.
Even at this point, Consort Wan still stubbornly insists that she is thinking only of the Fifth Prince and that she loves him dearly.
Consort Wan's actions today are nothing more than for her own selfish desires.
Now, they're putting on airs and blatantly lying.
After a pause, Xu Lejin spoke in a deep voice, "I will report today's events to the Emperor for his decision. Consort Wan and Consort Liang's vying for the Fifth Prince shows no regard for his young age; both are at fault."
"Without rules, there can be no order in the harem. Today, I hereby punish Consort Wan and Consort Liang by confining them to Yonghe Palace for three months and making them copy the palace rules ten times."
Consort Liang lowered her head and softly agreed.
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