Chapter 34: Caning
In this harem, the treatment of those with children and those without children is very different.
Not to mention giving birth to a prince, even if it was just giving birth to a princess, it would be much better than that concubine who couldn't give birth to anything.
Grace is what they fight for, but offspring are the foundation of their survival.
Concubine Ning is now over 30 years old. Compared with those young and delicate new concubines who have just entered the palace, she is already old and ugly. The emperor has rarely stayed overnight in her palace in recent years.
But even so, others did not dare to look down on her. She got everything she deserved. Her life in the palace was very comfortable, and even the queen had to give her some face.
All this was because she gave birth to the fourth prince.
When Concubine Ning learned that the Queen had summoned her, she did not think much about it. After dressing up a little, she took a sedan chair to the Pepper Palace.
The palace maid carefully helped Concubine Ning to the ground.
Concubine Ning looked at the imposing gate of the Pepper Palace in front of her and clicked her tongue, feeling a little disdainful and a little jealous.
As the mistress of the six palaces, Queen Qin seemed to enjoy unlimited glory and everyone wanted to curry favor with her. However, everyone knew that Queen Qin was actually a hen that did not lay eggs. Over the years, except for one pregnancy in her early years, she had never been pregnant again.
The emperor and the empress dowager forbade anyone to discuss this matter, but everyone was not stupid and could guess that it must be that Queen Qin had injured her body when she had a miscarriage that year, which caused her to never get pregnant again.
Concubine Ning thought more than once that Queen Qin was just occupying the toilet without doing anything.
She clearly cannot have children, but she still occupies the throne of Queen and refuses to give up the throne. She has no self-awareness at all!
The maid quietly reminded: "My lady, be careful with the threshold."
Concubine Ning stepped over the high threshold of the Pepper Room, walked into the hall, and knelt down to salute Queen Qin.
Queen Qin was wearing a black long dress with wide sleeves. Such a dark color made her look even colder and more indifferent.
The senior palace maid Zhenzhu took two steps forward holding a silk handkerchief, inside which lay a round jade pendant.
Queen Qin asked, "Is this something from Concubine Ning's palace?"
When Concubine Ning saw the jade pendant, her pupils shrank slightly.
She subconsciously grabbed her sleeves and forced a smile on her face, trying to make herself look more calm and natural.
"This was given to me by the Empress Dowager last year. I didn't see it when I was sorting things out recently, and I thought I had lost it by accident. I was just about to report it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and ask them to help find it, but I didn't expect it to fall into the hands of the Empress Dowager."
Queen Qin said coldly: "This jade pendant was found on a palace maid named Tanhua."
Concubine Ning said without thinking: "I don't know this person."
"I don't care whether you know Tanhua or not. I only know that it was Tanhua who wanted to poison the prince, and Tanhua had your jade pendant on her."
Concubine Ning was horrified: "I have never thought of poisoning the prince. I am innocent!"
"Innocent?" Queen Qin smiled coldly, "No one in this harem is innocent."
"I have been wronged. Please, Queen, please look into this matter!"
Concubine Ning knelt down and kowtowed, with layers of cold sweat on her back.
Queen Qin looked at her coldly and said, "This jade pendant is evidence of your plot to murder the crown prince. Even if you refuse to plead guilty, I will not forgive you today. Come, drag Concubine Ning away and give her thirty strokes of the cane."
Concubine Ning screamed in fear: "Queen, spare my life!"
Two strong maids walked in, grabbed Concubine Ning's arms, one on the left and one on the right, covered her mouth, and dragged her out roughly.
Immediately afterwards, Concubine Ning’s screams were heard outside.
Put out the bowl and ask for votes~
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
