lcionline Chapter 342: Demoting Concubine Han to a Concubine
Chapter 342: Demoting Concubine Han to a Concubine
Shen Zhinian sneered, "It seems that Concubine Han still hasn't learned the palace rules well enough!"
"Let's not talk about what happened today, what the facts are."
"Only the mistress of a palace has the power to punish the concubines. Even if Concubine Sun really knocked over the reward given to you by Concubine De, you are a noble, who gave you the courage to slap her?!"
Concubine Han choked.
She kept trying to put the blame on Sun Changzai, and indeed ignored this point...
"Empress Rou, my concubine... my concubine..."
"Even if I did something wrong, it was Concubine Sun who offended me first. This is an indisputable fact!"
There are countless people in the harem staring at Shen Zhinian, wanting to see her make a mistake so that they can attack her and make her lose her power to assist in managing the six palaces.
Although this matter is small, Shen Zhinian must handle it properly.
When concubines of lower rank go out, they are not followed by a group of people like concubines of higher rank. Han Guiren only brought Zidie with her today, and Sun Changzai only brought Zhuer with her.
Shen Zhinian looked at Zhu'er first: "You say."
Zhu Er bowed and said, "Replying to Concubine Rou, the truth is just as our young master said, it was Zi Die herself who failed to hold the reward securely. I saw it clearly at the time, and the young master did not touch her at all!"
Then, Shen Zhinian's eyes fell on Zidie: "Tell me what happened."
When meeting Shen Zhinian's cold and deep gaze, Zidie felt for the first time that the beautiful and charming Concubine Rou could be so terrifying!
However, she and the young master were one and the same, and there was no turning back, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "No, no...it was Concubine Sun who bumped into me, and the things in my hands fell to the ground!"
Shen Zhinian's tone remained unchanged, and he asked again: "According to what you said, Sun Changzai suddenly bumped into you? How do you do your job? With the reward given by Empress Defei in your hand, why didn't you avoid it?"
"Or, you were very close to each other, so you didn't notice Sun Changzai, and she took advantage of you because of your negligence?"
Zidie tried to excuse herself: "We were very close to each other, so I didn't notice it!"
Shen Zhinian leaned back on the soft pillow, disdainful to talk to her anymore.
Madam Xiao stepped forward and scolded, "Palace maids learn the rules after entering the palace. Madam Jiaoyin has told you that you must be careful when you are on duty and don't offend your master!"
"The palace road is so wide, and you are holding the reward given by Consort De, so you must be more careful not to bump into any young lady."
"Since Sun Changzai didn't bump into you suddenly, then you didn't keep a good distance from the young lady, and it's your fault if you knocked something over!"
"You slut! Sun Changzai hasn't held you accountable yet, but you're blaming her for something else!"
At this point, Madam Xiao said solemnly, "How can the harem allow such a lowly maid who confuses right and wrong? Madam, in my opinion, she should be sent to the Xinzheku to do hard labor!"
Zidie followed Concubine Han and had no courage to begin with. After being frightened by Madam Xiao, she felt like her soul had left her body!
Xinzheku is not a place for human beings to stay. If she goes there to do hard labor, can she live to the age of 25 and leave the palace?
Zidie knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, shaking off everything: "I am just following orders... Please spare my life, Concubine Rou! Please spare my life, Concubine Rou!"
Sun Changzai pointed at Han Guiren and sneered, "You're so good! You let the maid drop something and blamed it on me, and you even dared to lie to Concubine Rou! Do you really think everyone is a fool and can be fooled at will?!"
Concubine Han was completely stunned.
She thought that no one else was there at the time, and as long as she and Zidie insisted that it was Sun Changzai who knocked the reward away and refused to admit it, then no matter how Sun Changzai argued, it would be useless.
After all, this little conflict between the palace concubines was not enough to require the eunuchs from the Ministry of Punishment to come and interrogate her. Who could prove that Concubine Sun was innocent?
But Han Guiren never expected that Concubine Rou was so cunning that she tricked Zidie into telling the truth with just a few words...
She was able to bend and stretch, and immediately kowtowed and said: "Madam Roupin, please forgive me! I... I was really confused for a moment..."
"It was Concubine Sun who was always disrespectful to me, and I was so angry..."
"Empress Roupin, I really know I was wrong! Please forgive me this time!"
Shen Zhinian said coldly: "It is normal for concubines to have occasional minor frictions. As long as they don't go too far, neither I nor the Imperial Concubine will hold on to it. But you are really going too far!"
"Even if Sun Changzai really has a conflict with you, you should report it to your superiors and ask for a punishment. Where did you learn this method of confusing right and wrong and framing others?"
"If you were to climb to a high position one day with this kind of behavior, wouldn't you have to frame every concubine in the harem who had offended you?"
Hearing this, Han Guiren felt even more uneasy: "Your Majesty, you are too serious. I dare not..."
"Don't dare? I think you are very brave!"
Shen Zhinian was too lazy to talk nonsense with her and ordered: "Madam Xiao, go report today's events to the Imperial Concubine and ask whether Concubine Han can be demoted to a concubine!"
Above the rank of concubine, only the emperor can decide their promotion or demotion.
The empress could decide the status of concubines and below.
Everyone in the harem knew that Queen Jiang was no different from being deposed. Since Concubine Liu was in charge of the six palaces, she could naturally decide on Concubine Han's fate.
Nanny Xiao replied "yes" and walked out.
Concubine Han collapsed to the ground, finally feeling scared: "No... Concubine Rou, no..."
The rules of the Great Zhou were strict. Unlike some dynasties, promotion of concubines in the palace was easier than eating and drinking.
During the reign of Emperor Taizu, a rule was established that concubines in the harem could not be promoted without reason. If she was demoted to a concubine, she didn't know how many years she would have to endure before she could climb back to the position of a noble!
Shen Zhinian didn't bother to look at Concubine Han anymore. Xiao Mingzi and Xiao Zhouzi immediately dragged her out from the left and right.
"As for Zidie... she slandered the imperial concubines, which is an unforgivable crime! But considering that she finally confessed, I will give her twenty strokes of the cane."
Although a weak palace maid would lose half her life after being beaten with twenty boards, this punishment was better than doing hard labor in the Xinzheku.
Zidie said with tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Madam Roupin, for your mercy!"
Sun Changzai's face was rolled with an egg and then thickly applied with cooling ointment, and it looked less red and swollen now.
At this moment, she looked at Shen Zhinian with undisguised gratitude and dependence, and her voice choked for a moment: "Sister Roupin, it's great to have you..."
"Without you, who in the harem would care whether I have been wronged..."
Your Majesty? Don't count on it...
Shen Zhinian looked at her: "Are you happy now?"
Sun Changzai nodded repeatedly: "Of course I'm happy!"
"In fact, when Concubine Han slapped me in the face, I was really angry and raised my hand to hit her back!"