In the Tokyo Palace, Consort Li Xian had already known that the Xiazhou Tanguts had been defeated, because the entire palace was celebrating. The palace was more lively than usual, except for Li Yueji, who stayed in her bedroom and refused to go out.
Today was the day for all the concubines to go to Zide Hall to pay respect to Empress Erfu. The palace ladies and eunuchs in her palace came to remind her twice, but she refused to go.
Anyway, no one would care about her in Zide Palace, and she had been bullied in vain. And now she was not afraid of being punished. Pingxia was destroyed, her father's life and death were unknown, and her current identity made her feel that she could not live anymore.
Li Yueji came to propose marriage, but now that there is no need for marriage, people think that her title of virtuous concubine will be abolished soon.
Li Yueji thought about death and had been thinking about it these days. There were no weapons or poisons in the palace, so after thinking about it, hanging herself was the easiest option. The thought of hanging herself from the beams kept coming up in her mind countless times.
Last night she cut two pieces of clothing, twisted the rope, and prepared everything, but it was not easy to implement. I don't know why it was so difficult for a person to commit suicide, especially when she was depressed but relatively calm.
She found an excuse for herself, wanting to know whether Li Yiyin was alive or dead, and then committing suicide.
After a while, all the concubines and female officials in Zide Hall had knelt down to bid farewell to Fu Ermei who was sitting on the imperial couch.
The palace ladies Zhang and Du stayed with Fu Ermei. As soon as they left, Du immediately reminded her that Concubine Li did not come.
Fu Ermei said: Maybe she is in a bad mood, she is a Dangxiang person.
Zhang and Du looked at each other and whispered: This is disrespectful to the Queen. The Queen once questioned the crime openly, allowing others to see the Queen's majesty.
Fu Ermei frowned and said: She is from Xiazhou and has no one to rely on in Tokyo. Now her family is in trouble again. If I bully her again, is it too much
Mrs. Du said: Because of this, if the Queen punishes her, no one will speak for her.
Zhang also said: Since she is the concubine of Emperor Daxu, she has not been tamed for so long, and her heart is still with the outside world. Besides, the way to rule subordinates is to respect the order of the hierarchy.
Fu Ermei was very hesitant.
Just then, someone said: Queen Dafu is back.
Soon, Fu Jinzhan entered the palace with a large crowd of people. She was wearing a purple round-collared official uniform and a fu hat. She had just come back from work in the front court. She wore no jewelry and was dressed very simply, like a man. However, the round-collared silk was soft to begin with, and was held up by her plump chest, making it more conspicuous. Her skin was jade-white with light makeup, and her hair under the hat looked even darker.
The eldest sister Fu Ermei called out.
Zhang and others put their hands on their abdomens, bent their knees and squatted down, paying their respects to the Queen.
The women in the room were all as beautiful as flowers. Some were standing or half-squatting, and they were all polite and courteous in different postures. In this gorgeous and clean palace, they were indeed a pleasing sight.
Jinzhan flicked her sleeves lightly and said, "No thanks. Can the second sister still handle the affairs of the harem?"
Fu Ermei immediately said: There is something I don’t know what to do.
When Jinzhan heard this, she slightly turned her head, and the eunuchs and palace maids around her all bowed and said: "I'm leaving."
Fu Ermei then told the queen about why Li Yueji remained silent and did not come to see the queen.
Jinzhan immediately said: Didn't Liu Renzhan send a box of Northeast ginseng as tribute a few days ago? You should send two roots to let Li Yueji recover and comfort her. She didn't come to say hello because she was not feeling well.
Zhang and others looked puzzled.
Jinzhan smiled and said: Your Majesty, when you return from the expedition to Pingxia, Li Yueji will still be the virtuous concubine, there will be no changes.
The battle of Pingxia went smoothly. Given your majesty's temperament, it is time to win over the Tanguts. Li Yueji was originally a virtuous concubine. Isn't this the best way to show your attitude
Several palace ladies suddenly realized: So that's how it is
Fu Ermei said: Isn’t Liu Renzhan the general of Pingzhou? I thought the soldiers of the imperial guards respected you, elder sister. Even the generals at the border are trying to please you.
Jinzhan smiled and said: He is not trying to please me, but because Your Majesty has conferred the title of Duke of Xia on Zhe Dejian, and he dare not give him gold, silver or other treasures, fearing that I would lose face if I did not accept them.
Fu Ermei pondered and said: I wonder when His Majesty will be able to return to the capital.
The eunuch and the palace maid came to Li Yueji's palace with ginseng wrapped in red silk, repeated Jinzhan's words, and asked Li Yueji to rest.
The palace lady beside Li Yueji specifically asked: Excuse me, sir, is this the decree of the Great Queen Fu or the Second Queen Fu
The eunuch said: Both queens are here, and they said the same thing.
The palace woman thanked him and sent the eunuch out.
Soon the palace lady came back and said: "The Queen is a kind person. I thought this was going to be a disaster. If it were the previous dynasty, the virtuous concubine would be used as a show to the monkeys."
Li Yueji sighed.
The palace lady advised kindly: "My Lady Concubine, there is always a way out. With your looks and figure, even if you don't rely on your family, you still have a chance, and the two queens have no intention of dealing with you."
Li Yueji couldn't help but say: If you were like me, and the whole tribe was conquered by force, you would understand my humiliation. People around me look at me like a stray dog.
The palace lady said: You may have misunderstood some things. Others treat the queen badly not because you are a Dangxiang, but because the queen is not in power.
Li Yueji frowned and said: Oh
The palace woman said: "I really have something to say. How can a woman stay in her parents' home all the time? No matter where she is, a married woman belongs to someone else, and the royal family is her home. If a woman doesn't manage her position in her husband's family well, where else can she go
She came over and whispered in Li Yueji's ear: I heard from an eunuch that even Queen Dafu sewed clothes for the emperor and served him with food and clothing. Have you seen Queen Dafu? She is so powerful! Even the emperor is the same as other men. If his own women treat him well and take care of him, he will treat you as his own family.
Li Yueji said calmly: You know a lot.
The palace lady was a little embarrassed and said: To be honest, I was married before I entered the palace, and my husband died in the war. In the previous dynasty, the Central Plains was still in chaos, and the palace did not have strict rules for selecting palace maids. They preferred to select widows, and they could also help the people in dire situations. Even the concubines of the previous emperor were many widows.
Li Yueji's attention was diverted, and she asked curiously: Is there such a thing
The palace woman said: There is nothing wrong with it. Women who have experienced things know what is good and what is bad, and know how to care for others. A lady like the virtuous concubine is used to enjoying the good life, and she is not satisfied with the good life.
When she said this, she suddenly came to her senses and quickly reached out and slapped her mouth: "Your servant is talking nonsense, damn it!"
Concubine Li remained calm and did not blame her. It was not the first time that this woman talked too much.