Quick Wear: The Enchanting Concubine, Rules of Survival and Plunder

Chapter 242 Demoting Wife to Concubine 9

"Your words remind me," Shen Changzai's expression became serious, "Since I can enter the palace, I certainly can't be a stepping stone for my elder sister. Bring out the headband I embroidered for the Queen Mother, and let's go to the Queen Mother's palace now."

When Shen Changzai arrived at the Empress Dowager's palace, Shen Jingyao's maid Xuan Dong was kneeling outside the Empress Dowager's palace and shouting, "Empress Dowager, please go to Changning Palace and save my queen! The Imperial Concubine wants to punish my queen to kneel for two hours."

Shen Jingyao was punished to kneel in Changning Palace. Her maids Xuanchun and Xuandong naturally rushed to find help. Xuandong came to the Empress Dowager's palace to ask for help, and Xuanchun naturally went to find the Emperor.

However, Xuan Dong could easily go to the Empress Dowager's palace for help, but it was different for Xuan Chun. After all, the Emperor's palace would not allow a palace maid like her to make noise, especially when the Emperor was still meeting with court ministers. Therefore, when Xuan Chun wanted to make noise outside the Emperor's palace, she was immediately gagged and taken away by the eunuchs.

Shen Changzai and Cheng Lan looked at each other, then pretended not to see Xuan Dong, and said to the eunuchs guarding outside the palace: "Please go in and report that I, Shen Changzai, want to see the Empress Dowager."

"Concubine Shen, please wait a moment. I will go in and report right away." The eunuch knew Concubine Shen's identity, so he was naturally very respectful.

Xuan Dong glared at Shen Changzai angrily, but immediately shouted again: "Empress Dowager, I beg you to save my queen! My queen is weak and can't stand the punishment of the Imperial Concubine."

Shen Changzai frowned, very dissatisfied with Xuan Dong's behavior. This was a maid taught by her eldest sister, and she really didn't know any rules. Her aunt was also kind-hearted, otherwise, a maid like this who didn't know the rules should be beaten to death directly.

The eunuch came out quickly and said to Shen Changzai respectfully, "Shen Changzai, the Empress Dowager wants you to come in."

"Thank you for your help, eunuch." Shen Changzai said with a smile and gave Cheng Lan a wink.

After receiving the signal from her master, Cheng Lan quickly stuffed a purse into the eunuch's hand.

After the eunuch became a purse, he became even more respectful to Shen Changzai: "Shen Changzai, please go in quickly! Don't keep the Empress Dowager waiting for too long."

Tsk tsk! Although they are both girls from the Shen family, Shen Changzai understands the ways of the world much better than Shen Bin.

After Shen Changzai led the maid into the room, the eunuch frowned and looked at Xuan Dong and said, "Let's go! The Empress Dowager said that since Concubine Shen made a mistake, it is natural for the Imperial Concubine to punish her. If you dare to continue making loud noises, you will be dragged away and beaten to death."

Xuan Dong's expression was one of disbelief. She really didn't want to believe that the Queen Mother could be so cruel as to ignore her own mother.

At the same time, inside the palace.

"Your concubine pays her respects to the Empress Dowager." Shen Changzai saluted the Empress Dowager respectfully.

"Get up!" The Queen Mother's voice was kind, but her expression revealed a trace of fatigue. "Come, come closer and let me take a good look."

"Yes," Shen Changzai stood up and walked to the Queen Mother, shyly calling her, "Aunt."

"Good boy," the Queen Mother held Shen Changzai's hand and looked at Shen Changzai with satisfaction, "How is it, are you used to the palace? Are the servants serving you well?"

"It's a habit," Shen Changzai replied, "The servants below are serving me well. Thank you, aunt, for worrying about your niece."

"Oh! Why do you say that?" The Queen Mother pulled Shen Changzai to sit next to her, "Then tell me, what am I worried about for you?"

"Whether it's the palace where my niece lives or the servants who serve her, they must have been arranged by my aunt," Shen Changzai winked mischievously, "Aunt, do you think my niece is right?"

"Haha!" The Queen Mother laughed with relief, "I didn't expect you to be so smart."

"That's right," Aunt Cui also said with a smile, "If Miss Six wasn't smart, the Duke wouldn't have sent Miss Six to the palace."

Yes, the Queen Mother’s brother was conferred the title of Duke.

"Alas!" The Queen Mother sighed, "If only your elder sister could be as smart as you. I think your father must have given you some advice before you entered the palace. The Emperor was very unhappy that the Shen family sent a girl to the palace. The Emperor is no longer the same as before."

"Aunt, my father has already told me before I entered the palace," Shen Changzai said, "My father told me to keep a low profile after entering the palace and not to fight for the emperor's favor. It would be best if the emperor could ignore me for a while. So my niece plans to stay sick and doesn't want to sleep with him in the short term."

Given the emperor's current dissatisfaction with the Shen family, Concubine Shen has no choice but to avoid the emperor's favor for the time being. After all, there is still a long time to come and there is no need to rush for a moment.

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "That's a good idea. I'll ask Madam Cui to help you arrange it."

"Then I, your niece, would like to thank you, Aunt." Shen Changzai hesitated as she spoke, "Aunt, are you really not going to care about my elder sister? Are you just going to let my elder sister be punished by the Imperial Concubine?"

"The Imperial Concubine must have had reasons to punish your sister. The Emperor is not only dissatisfied with the Shen family, but also with me," the Queen Mother's face turned ugly, "so how can I manage your sister? After all, the Emperor is very satisfied with the Imperial Concubine's management of the harem. If I interfere with the Imperial Concubine's punishment of your sister, I don't know what the Emperor will think of me."

The empress dowager naturally felt sorry for her niece, but ever since she knew that the emperor was dissatisfied with the Shen family and her as a mother, the empress dowager couldn't help but become timid, fearing that she had done something wrong again and would make her son unhappy. Therefore, when her niece was punished, the empress dowager could only harden her heart and do nothing about it.

What's more, don't we have a son?

If his son still cared so much about Jingyao, he would naturally not allow the Imperial Concubine to punish Jingyao.

Therefore, the main reason why the Queen Mother ignored Jingyao was that she wanted to test Jingyao's position in her son's heart. This was related to whether she, as an aunt, should give up Jingyao.

"Alas!" Shen Changzai sighed slightly, "My niece really doesn't understand what my elder sister is trying to do. Logically speaking, given my elder sister's current situation, isn't it best to keep a low profile? As long as the emperor cares about my elder sister, even if my elder sister doesn't come out to meet people, no one in the palace dares not to take my elder sister seriously."

Then, Shen Changzai recounted the experience of paying respects in Changning Palace.

"Not only does the eldest sister openly disregard the Imperial Concubine, she also treats the Chang Concubine and the Yun Concubine the same way," Shen Changzai continued, "How can there be such a person as her? The eldest sister doesn't want to keep a low profile and reduce other people's ill will towards her, but why does she rush to offend others? Does she think that she can do whatever she wants because she has the emperor's favor?"

"What does she think of the emperor by doing this? Does she think he is a tyrant? Or does she think the emperor is not worried enough because of her?"