Chapter 23: The Great Search for the Harem
The emperor continued, "A lot has happened in the past two days, and I have thought a lot.
Suddenly I realized that at this critical moment, you are the only person I can count on in the harem.
This has nothing to do with love, status, or position; it only has to do with your own strength."
Upon hearing this, the virtuous concubine gave a wry smile and said, "Does this also mean that from now on, I, Your Majesty, can only serve as your subject, not your lover?"
The emperor shook his head and said, "Father once said that love is fleeting.
Staying together in youth and accompanying each other in old age is the greatest blessing in life, just like him and his mother.
I didn’t understand it at first, but now I seem to understand it a little bit.”
After hearing this, Concubine Xian grinned and said, "Your Majesty, no matter what you think, I am still your concubine and will never change for anyone.
If you like me, you can only fall in love with me like this.
If in Your Majesty's heart I can only be a minister from now on, then I will definitely do my duty as a minister.
Give me three days, and promise me not to see the imperial concubine within these three days.
Three days later, I promise that the harem will be half peaceful."
After saying this, Concubine Xian stood up, bowed to the emperor, and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, the emperor suddenly stood up and reached out to hold the virtuous concubine.
The virtuous concubine tried to break free, but she never expected that the emperor was weak and was suddenly pulled forward and fell towards the virtuous concubine.
The virtuous concubine suddenly remembered that the emperor was poisoned and was knocked unconscious yesterday. He was in poor health, so she quickly reached out to catch him.
The emperor took the opportunity to hug Concubine Xian and said, "Weiyang, you are the only one in my heart. It has always been you."
After hearing this, Concubine Xian calmed down.
Without struggling or speaking, the two were silent for a while. The virtuous concubine pushed the emperor away, turned and left.
Only the emperor was left standing there feeling lost.
The virtuous concubine brought Qian Lou and a large group of people from the imperial court and returned to Yong'an Palace in a crowded crowd.
In a short while, everyone in the harem knew about it.
The virtuous concubine first asked her capable eunuch Fu Shou to take the dog for a walk around the Yong'an Palace, but found nothing.
He then took a group of people to Concubine Shu's Changchun Palace.
The charcoal stove in Concubine Shu's palace was burning very brightly, and when Concubine Xian came in, she felt a wave of heat hitting her face.
The virtuous concubine and the virtuous concubine had not seen each other for five years. When they met again, the virtuous concubine had become so thin that only a bag of bones was left.
Xianfei almost burst into tears when she saw Shufei, whose face was pale and her expression was desolate.
"Sister, what have you been through all these years? How could this happen?"
Concubine Shu was very happy to see Concubine Xian. She smiled, reached out and pulled Concubine Xian over and said, "Sister Weiyang, I'm very happy to see you."
When Concubine Xian heard this, tears fell down her cheeks like beads from a broken string.
"I'm happy too. Don't worry, sister. I will definitely catch the murderer who hurt you."
Concubine Shu smiled weakly and said, "I believe you."
Xian Fei reached out and wiped her eyes, then said, "Come here, help Shu Fei up and move her aside."
Shufei's personal maid Shihua helped her up. A thin-looking woman came over and picked up Shufei and placed her on a rocking chair beside her.
The virtuous concubine walked over and sat next to the virtuous concubine, and the two smiled at each other.
As soon as Concubine Xian waved her hand, Qian Lou took people and dogs to search around.
The first thing to be affected was the bed of Concubine Xian, and sure enough, the thin dog kept barking at the bed.
"Chop up this bed."
Qian Lou was about to take action when the maid who had just been holding Concubine Shu stepped forward and split the bed in pieces with one palm.
The virtuous concubine smiled and said, "This girl is quite skilled."
"Her name is Shi Mu. She is a maidservant specially chosen by my eldest brother to serve me. She is born with supernatural powers and knows some martial arts."
Qian Lou quickly stepped forward and carefully examined the pile of bed boards, and indeed found white powder.
"Your Majesty, it's still on the bed, exactly the same as His Majesty's."
When everyone in Changchun Palace saw so much white powder found in the bed board, their faces suddenly changed and they were shocked.
Concubine Shu had a gloomy face and said calmly, "Is this the Red Beauty Drunk?"
"That's probably it. Powder was found in His Majesty's royal couch, his usual chair, and even in his purple bamboo brush."
After hearing this, Concubine Shu gripped the handle of the recliner tightly with her fingers, as if she wanted to crush it.
"Keep searching." said the virtuous concubine.
Then everyone found powder on Concubine Shu's beauty bed, dressing table, bookshelf, tables and chairs.
"I didn't expect that my sister has more medicine than His Majesty. It seems that the person who poisoned you hates you even more and wants to kill you."
Concubine Shu was furious and asked angrily, "Who is it?"
"I heard from Princess Jinyang that this medicine comes from Nanli." The virtuous concubine replied.
"Nanli...haha...it's actually someone from Nanli who has entered the palace. No wonder they came to harm me first."
When Concubine Shu heard Nan Li, she suddenly calmed down.
The maidservant Shi Mu just now continued, "This Nanli person is really despicable. He couldn't defeat the Duke on the battlefield, so he thought of coming to the harem to take revenge on the young lady."
Concubine Shu looked up into the air with a distant gaze and said, "If it really was someone from Nanli who entered the palace, I can understand."
Xian Fei reached out and patted Shu Fei's hand and said, "Sister, Qian Lou just said that the nanny beside the imperial concubine has a sister who married a person from Nanli.
People outside the palace are still investigating the rest of the details, and there will be news within three days, so don't worry."
"It's actually the imperial concubine! The Anping Marquis doesn't want to live anymore." Concubine Shu said angrily.
"Poems and paintings, send messages home."
"Yes."
Concubine Xian looked at the messy Changchun Palace and said, "Sister, I don't think you can live in Changchun Palace anymore.
Why don’t you stay at my Yong’an Palace for two days first, and then come back after you’ve cleaned up this place.”
After hearing this, Concubine Shu nodded and said, "I'm sorry to bother you, sister."
"You and I are sisters, there's no need to be so polite."
After saying that, he looked at Fu Shou and said, "Take Shihua and the others and send Concubine Shu to Yong'an Palace for resettlement."
"Yes."
The virtuous concubine looked at the virtuous concubine and said, "I have been ordered to search the harem one by one to see if there is any medicine powder elsewhere. I will not accompany my sister for the time being."
"Go on with your business. Don't worry about me."
Concubine Shu waved weakly towards Concubine Xian.
The virtuous concubine brought her people to the Queen's palace. The Queen received the news early in the morning and cooperated surprisingly well.
Qian Lou brought people to investigate inside. The Queen and Concubine Xian were standing opposite each other in the yard.
The queen looked the virtuous concubine up and down. After so many years, she was still carefree, happy and cheerful, and her beauty remained the same.
On the other hand, I have worked hard for palace affairs and have to be on guard against the imperial concubine. I have aged a lot over the years.
Even though she has lost her palace power, she is still the queen, so this is a good opportunity to take a break.
So he said, "How come Sister Xianfei has come to her senses and is willing to come out to see His Majesty?"
The virtuous concubine smiled and said, "There is no need to tell others about the matter between your majesty and me.
I just heard that the Queen has been suppressed by the Imperial Concubine for many years and has suffered a lot of grievances."
The Queen laughed and said, "My sister, you are joking. It is just the same as when I was in the Eastern Palace.
Before there was you, and later there was the imperial concubine. To me, there is no difference.
But my sister, you just came out and took the power of the harem. The imperial concubine might not accept it. My sister should be more careful from now on."
Upon hearing this, Concubine Xian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry about that. I have been in the palace for many years and have never deliberately targeted anyone.
But if someone does something wrong, it would be easy for me to catch him.”
The queen nodded after hearing this, she believed it.
She could look down on Concubine Xian's persona, but she could not look down on Concubine Xian's mind.
"Then I wish you success, sister." The queen smiled faintly.
"I would like to ask for your blessing, Queen."
After Qian Lou came out, he said to the Queen and Consort Xian, "Your Majesty, there is nothing found in Kunning Palace."
Xian Fei immediately said, "Since that's the case, I won't bother Her Majesty the Queen any more."
The queen nodded, turned around with her head held high and went back into the palace.
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