FSC [QT] Chapter 113.2

After leaving the Palace of Peace and Harmony, Ah Wu did not follow the direction that Yu Yan left, but she changed to a small road and took a shortcut.

She had a good memory. As early as when she entered the palace in the morning, she wrote down the road that the eunuch who led the way took them. 

At the same time, she also wrote down some small roads that she saw but did not walk during the process of entering the palace.

At this moment, her mind had already formed a flat map of the imperial palace, and the road from the palace gate to the Palace of Peace and Harmony was very detailed.

She had a good sense of direction. After taking a detour for a while, she managed to reach the road leading to the front palace from the Palace of Peace and Harmony before Yu Yan and his group. 

After hesitating for a long time, she untied the rope around her neck, took out the purse that was still warm from her body, and threw it in the most conspicuous place on the road.

When she dropped the purse, she carefully wiped the area a little, even though the white marble steps looked clean enough.

After doing all this, Ah Wu went back through the path and walked behind Yu Yan and his group.

“A maid was lost from Concubine Xu’s place. It was said that she died accidentally by falling into the water. In fact, she was used as a punching bag by Concubine Xu and was hit to death by a vase.”

“Concubine Yu fell ill a few days ago, but she kept it a secret and did not ask the imperial physician to see her. The servants who served Concubine Yu said that Concubine Yu coughed all day and even coughed up blood.”

“It was suspected to be tuberculosis, which is contagious…”

Yu Yan walked in front with a blank expression, while a young eunuch behind him reported the movements in the harem these days.

But they were all insignificant news. 

Perhaps the most troublesome one was that Concubine Yu might have tuberculosis. However, this matter was not troublesome to deal with. 

Just ask an imperial physician to check her pulse. After confirming that she had tuberculosis, she could be directly moved out of the palace.

There is an imperial mansion outside the capital specifically for these sick concubines to live in. However, once they leave, they may not be able to come back.

Emperor Qian had been cultivating himself and had not visited the harem for decades. In fact, there was really no difference between being outside the palace and being inside the palace for the childless concubines.

It was just that Concubine Yu’s family was not well-known, so maybe she was afraid that the servants in the imperial mansion would climb up and bully the masters, so she concealed her illness.

“Also, the First Prince had a new concubine a few days ago. According to the spy’s report, the concubine is very similar to Jin Ruyi, the eldest granddaughter of the Marquis of Chengyi’s mansion.”

This news caught Yu Yan’s attention. His originally calm expression changed a little. His steps paused for a moment, and his eyebrows raised a little.

You should know that after the death of the Marquis of Chengyi, those people in the Marquis of Chengyi Mansion did not have a good ending.

The men in the three clans were exiled, while the female family members were made slaves and sold in the market.

The former was fine, just lived a little harder, but at least, they could still survive. 

But, for women in this era, the latter case was a life worse than death.

Official slaves cannot be removed from the official register. That is to say, once they are registered as official slaves, they will be slaves for the rest of their lives. 

Most official slaves are the female dependents of officials and nobles who have made mistakes. Therefore, many wealthy families often buy these wives back home, not to be slaves, but to humiliate them. 

Especially some nouveau riche and local tycoons. They are excited when they think that these women who used to be high and mighty can be played with by them at will.

Some brothels and music houses are also very interested in these official slaves, especially some young ladies who are registered as slaves. 

They have delicate skin and tender flesh. They have been taught piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting since childhood. Basically, they can be bought back and trained for a period of time before they can receive customers. 

Because of their former status as official ladies, they can be sold at a high price. These kinds of official slaves are the most popular in these dirty places.

Such an ending is despairing for those female nobles who used to be pampered. Therefore, some strong-willed women often choose to commit suicide to prove their innocence.

Yu Yan heard that the wife of the Marquis of Chengyi and the concubines tore their outer clothes into strips and hanged themselves the night before they were being sold. 

Before they committed suicide, they also strangled the unmarried young ladies in the Marquis of Chengyi’s mansion in order to protect the reputation of the Marquis of Chengyi’s mansion. 

The jailer carried out more than a dozen bodies from the cell that day, including Jin Ruyi’s.

Now it seemed that the First Prince helped her to fake her death and escape.

Yes, the Marquis of Chengyi was a staunch member of the First Prince’s party. This time, the Marquis of Chengyi offended Yan Zhongying and caused the disaster of confiscating his property in order to help the First Prince. 

If the First Prince did nothing, it would inevitably chill the hearts of other ministers who also supported him.

Moreover, Jin Ruyi was once the confirmed concubine of the First Prince. If she really went to those places, it would be a loss of face for the First Prince. It was reasonable that he would use some means to save her.

 

 

 

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