"Your Ladyship, please calm down! This servant meant to push her into the water to make it look like she drowned, but who would've thought that Yin Zhi, a young miss, could swim! By the time this servant realized, she'd already been taken away by the people from the Minister of Personnel's mansion!"
The imperial concubine flew into a rage. "You useless wretches! You can't even handle such a simple task. What's the use of keeping you around!"
Mo Li knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a single word in her own defense.
When Yin Zhi was brought back to the Minister of Personnel's mansion, her clothes were still wet. She was casually thrown into the wood - shed, not even given a change of clothes.
She had originally planned to plead with His Majesty, but unexpectedly, someone had pushed her from behind on the way!
Thankfully, she knew how to swim; otherwise, those people would've succeeded!
She was both anxious and terrified. But no sooner had she escaped than she was found and captured by the first mistress's people.
Who gave these people the right to decide her life and death so casually?!
Why was Yin He allowed to marry the young marquis, while she, for simply trying to plan for her own future, had to end up like this?
If she weren't a concubine's daughter, if her mother weren't a woman from a brothel, if she were the daughter of the first mistress, would her life have been different?
The Minister of Personnel's mansion was in an uproar because of Yin Zhi.
Concubine Yao, Yin Zhi's birth mother, had been wailing and causing a ruckus since Yin Zhengping returned. "My lord, I don't know what wrong Zhi'er has done to offend the first mistress, but why is she treating her like this?"
"This concubine knows that the first mistress has never liked our mother and daughter. We've never tried to compete with her for anything. Zhi'er has never tried to compete with the second young miss either. Why won't the first mistress give us a way out?"
"If this gets out, how can Zhi'er ever get married! My lord, Zhi'er is also your daughter. This concubine begs you, please go and talk to the first mistress and spare Zhi'er!"
Yin Zhengping immediately stormed into the first mistress's courtyard.
After hearing Concubine Yao's words, the first mistress was so angry that she was almost foaming at the mouth. With her fiery temper, she immediately smashed the teacup.
"Yin Zhengping, have you lost your mind! You come back and immediately start accusing me without even asking what your precious concubine's daughter has done!"
"I've turned a blind eye to her petty schemes. She always wants to compete with He'er in everything. But today, she actually tried to seduce His Majesty. She's going to ruin our whole family!"
Yin Zhengping preferred Concubine Yao's gentle and docile nature precisely because he was afraid of the first mistress's temper. Seeing the first mistress smash the teacup, his arrogance immediately deflated.
"My lady, what are you talking about? How could Zhi'er possibly..."
"Everyone at the racecourse saw it. Do you think I'm lying to you?" The first mistress sneered. Over the years, she'd long since lost hope in Yin Zhengping. In his eyes, there was only Concubine Yao, and everything good should go to Yin Zhi.
"I'm telling you, Yin Zhengping. Today, the Grand Princess betrothed He'er to the young marquis of the Pingyang Marquis's mansion. You two better not cause any trouble. If you dare to ruin He'er's wedding, I'll fight you both!"
Yin Zhengping was scolded mercilessly. "My lady, what are you talking about? Fighting? He'er is also my own daughter..."
Half - way through, he suddenly realized. "No, weren't we talking about Zhi'er? Why are you bringing He'er into this?"
The first mistress was too lazy to deal with him. "The Wanyue Nunnery in the north of the city is the new place I've found for Yin Zhi..."
"This won't do!" Concubine Yao shrieked. "Zhi'er is still a young girl. She hasn't gotten married yet. If she enters the Wanyue Nunnery, her whole life will be ruined!"
"Then what do you suggest? Let her recklessly offend His Majesty and then drag our whole family down with her?"
Concubine Yao seemed to be frightened. With teary eyes, she said, "But, what if His Majesty..."
What if His Majesty really liked her Zhi'er? Then they could rise to great heights.
The first mistress sneered. "What kind of daydream are you having? Is your daughter more noble than the imperial concubine? If you can't bear to part with her, then go with her."
"My lady..."
"And you!" The first mistress turned to Yin Zhengping, who was about to speak. "If you can't bear to part with her either, then go with them. When He'er gets married, I'll have someone invite you back to sit in the place of honor."
Lord Yin came from a poor family. He married the first mistress when his official career was on the rise. In just a dozen years, he'd risen to the position of the third - rank Minister of Personnel. He knew very well that without the support of his father - in - law and his wife, his official career wouldn't have been so smooth. Coupled with the first mistress's fiery temper, he'd developed a fear of his wife over the years.
Over the years, he'd only taken Concubine Yao as a concubine and had a daughter. He didn't even have a concubine's son. Even so, his wife always scolded him mercilessly.
But Yin Zhengping didn't dare and couldn't do anything to her. After all, she was his first wife.
"My lady, I don't mean that. I'm just thinking that there might be some hidden story?"
"What hidden story? It was He'er's little friend who told her about it. I'm so ashamed!" The first mistress patted her face and then pointed at Yin Zhengping's forehead. "If I hadn't acted quickly and let her offend His Majesty, how many heads do you have to be chopped off!"
The first mistress's maid also recounted the whole incident in detail. After hearing it, Yin Zhengping was both ashamed and angry, but mostly shocked.
"She... She's going to kill our whole family!"
Over the years, countless women had tried to climb into the emperor's bed, but had His Majesty ever taken a fancy to any of them?
Even if, by some lucky chance, His Majesty took a fancy to her and favored her a few times, could the imperial concubine be easily dealt with?
When His Majesty first ascended the throne, some people had even submitted memorials suggesting that His Majesty hold a beauty - selection to fill the harem. But what was the result? So far, there wasn't a single prince. The concubines had either died or been sent to the cold palace. There were even rumors that His Majesty had committed too many killings and was fated to overcome his wives and sons. As a result, no one wanted to send their daughters into the harem. The young ladies would turn pale with fright at the mere mention of the beauty - selection.
Yin Zhi... Who on earth had given her the courage!
Finally, Yin Zhengping said dejectedly, "Do as my lady says."
Yin Zhengping ignored Concubine Yao's wailing and left immediately.
The next day, Yin Zhi had her hands and feet tied and was sent to the Wanyue Nunnery in an unassuming carriage. They told the outside world that she'd gone to recuperate from an illness.
When Zhuxing brought this news to Shen Qing, Shen Qing was stunned for a moment.
"Who's Yin Zhi?"
"She's the girl who followed His Majesty that day. This servant has given her a warning. Originally, according to His Majesty's wishes, since she knew about the relationship between His Majesty and my lady, she should..."
Zhuxing made a throat - cutting gesture.
"But my lady said not to kill casually, so this servant gave her poison. If she dares to reveal a single word, her intestines will rot."
"You did well," Shen Qing said.
If it were up to her, she would've done the same.
Compared to a stranger, of course she and her child were more important.
After the Qixi Festival came the Zhongyuan Festival. In the Jing Kingdom, the Zhongyuan Festival was a grand occasion. On this day, the common people would release river lanterns to offer sacrifices to the spirits of the dead.
The day before the Zhongyuan Festival, Shen Qing asked Yingxiu to buy materials for making river lanterns so that they could make some and release them by themselves. But when Yingxiu returned, her face was as white as a sheet, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"What happened outside?"
Yingxiu gasped for breath, not knowing whether it was from exhaustion or fear.
"Someone... Someone's dead..."
Yu Zhen, who was cleaning the room, was startled. "Who died to scare you like this?"
"It's... It's the second master!"
Xu Yanxing is dead?!