AWB Chapter 385 Concubine Shu
Chapter 385 Concubine Shu
Like Xie Ci'an, Gu Jianchu was filled with fear.
If it weren't for the system, she would probably be dead today.
She knew that as the Empress Dowager, she would be watched by countless eyes while pregnant, but Xie Ci'an had already dismissed all the concubines from the palace, so it was relatively safer. Even if the court officials had any ideas, they would not be able to infiltrate the palace.
What's more, the palace maids around her would test the poison of everything she ate, and they even specially arranged for young eunuchs to do the testing, so there would definitely be no accidents.
She didn't expect that someone would do something with the medicine she drank.
No matter how careful you are, you can never guard against a thief in your own home. It's also her fault that she has been living too comfortably recently, so she has become less vigilant.
But that's true. When she was in the palace, those who had ulterior motives couldn't do anything to her. But once she left the palace, some things around her would inevitably be handed over to others, and those people would probably have more opportunities.
After all, her position is a fatal temptation for many people. As the mother of a country, the child she gives birth to will be a legitimate son and can be directly named the crown prince.
It was fine when she was not pregnant. Those ministers could even use her infertility as an excuse to repeatedly ask the emperor to send women into the palace to bear princes for him. But once she became pregnant and the emperor was determined not to take a concubine, they would have no excuse to send women into the palace.
Unexpectedly, they couldn't wait even a moment, not even to see whether she was pregnant with a boy or a girl.
Some people really ignore all dangers in order to get rich.
She promised that she would never criticize the system for being incompetent again.
【Tongzi, who poisoned me? 】
【Shu Guifei, however, has now been demoted to a commoner. 】
Upon hearing this, Gu Jianchu's brows instantly twisted into a knot.
If the system hadn't mentioned it, she would have even forgotten about this person.
Not only did Gu Jianchu not remember, Xie Ci'an also didn't remember that there was Concubine Shu. What's more, there was no one in the Shu family now.
Concubine Shu was demoted to a commoner, Empress Dowager Shu was put under custody for colluding with criminals, and Duke Anguo was so angry at his own wife that he suffered a stroke. From then on, no one from the Shu family appeared in the court. The Shu family had become so destitute that no one would even think of them if they were not mentioned.
Gu Jianchu looked suspicious.
[I remember that I banished Concubine Shu to a nunnery. How could she appear in Wanguo Temple now?]
If the system had not just reminded her of the danger, Gu Jianchu would have suspected that the system's information was wrong.
Some time ago, a new nun at the nunnery where Concubine Shu was staying, while kneeling as punishment, accidentally knocked over a candle, which in turn ignited the curtains. Combined with the dry weather at the time, a gust of wind ignited the small fire into a full-blown blaze, burning down most of the nunnery. Fortunately, nearby residents helped put out the fire, preventing it from spreading further. Only a few nuns were burned, and none of them were in danger of death.
The abbot asked local officials to report the matter to the emperor, but the emperor did not think much of it and simply allocated funds to the nunnery for reconstruction.
It will take time for them to rebuild the nunnery, and Concubine Shu is a criminal you demoted and sent them to guard. The Emperor's orders didn't specify how Concubine Shu should be placed. She should stay in the nunnery, but the nunnery needs renovations everywhere, and there's no place for Concubine Shu to retreat. It's also not appropriate to imprison her. After all, Concubine Shu was only sent here to atone for her sins, not as a criminal. Even if she was demoted to a commoner, she was once the Emperor's concubine, and she can't really be thrown into a prison and forced to live and eat with those criminals.
After discussing this with the county magistrate, the abbot decided to send the person to Wanguo Temple. Although Wanguo Temple was a Buddhist temple, and it would be inconvenient for a woman like her to come here, it was an imperial temple, perfect for guarding prisoners sent from the royal family. Furthermore, Wanguo Temple was large, and they could easily set aside a place for Concubine Shu to practice her meditation.
The county magistrate sought the opinion of the abbot of Wanguo Temple. After discussion, a month ago, Concubine Shu was sent to Wanguo Temple. The abbot set aside a separate meditation room in the back for Concubine Shu. The door to the room was usually locked, and the abbot sent a small nun to bring her three meals a day. Otherwise, she was confined to the meditation room.
[It was quite a coincidence that when the little Shani came to deliver food to Concubine Shu, she accidentally mentioned that the Emperor would come to the Wanguo Temple in a few days to pray for the people. Concubine Shu suddenly remembered that the day when the Emperor would leave the palace to pray for the people was coming. She didn't want to stay in such a shabby place like the temple anymore, so she wanted to create a chance encounter with the Emperor and win his heart back.]
[She's locked up in the meditation room, so she can't get out, right?]
Of course she couldn't get out. Although the host hadn't assigned anyone to watch her, the door was locked every day, and the courtyard wall was very high. Without the key, she couldn't get out. So she took advantage of the moment when Xiao Shani came to bring her food and knocked him unconscious. She then secretly copied the key. Then she pretended to wake Xiao Shani up. Xiao Shani only felt a slight headache, but Concubine Shu said he had fainted accidentally for no reason. Xiao Shani was young after all, so she didn't think much about it and believed Concubine Shu's words.
After Shu Guifei copied the key, she sent for the accountant of Wanguo Temple. The accountant wasn't a monk, but someone hired by the abbot. Shu Guifei had already heard that he was short of money and had a sick daughter who needed medicine. Taking advantage of this, Shu Guifei gave the accountant all her valuables, bribing him to help her forge the key.
To earn money for his daughter's medical expenses, the accountant worked as an accountant at the temple during the day and copied books for others at night. He didn't make much money in a month, and it was the first time he had ever seen such a large sum of money. He was inevitably tempted, but he was also afraid of causing trouble. After repeated inquiries, Concubine Shu assured her that it was just the key to the box, and she needed to make an extra copy for her sister. The accountant believed Concubine Shu and thought it was not a difficult task. He helped to forge a key and gave it to Concubine Shu.
[Shu Guifei looked forward to the emperor's visit to Wanguo Temple every day. She had already thought about how to meet the emperor by chance and how to seduce him.]
[Occasionally, Concubine Shu would ask the little Shanni who brought her food when the Emperor would come to Wanguo Temple. The little Shanni was simple-minded and didn't think much of it, so she told Concubine Shu the day the Emperor would come to Wanguo Temple. Since Concubine Shu couldn't come out during the day, she sneaked out under the cover of darkness. The night she came out was exactly the night you were interrogating Cousin Wu Yuan and Auntie.]