It was the scorching sun at noon, and the fiery heat was burning.
Although it was only early spring, today's temperature was truly baking.
A group of chattering Royal Concubines suddenly flooded into the quiet palace, chirping incessantly.
Yan Qu Hall, which had only been quiet for two hours, became lively again.
These were the Royal Concubines who had just finished their dance practice, each one drenched in fragrant sweat, their gauze clothes soaked through and clinging tightly to their skin, revealing their soft curves intermittently, overflowing with charm and fragrance.
Fortunately, the palace had a strong yin energy; otherwise, something would surely have happened.
Li Xuan lay on the wall, basking his round belly, licking his paws, appreciating the beautiful scenery, and waiting for the show to begin.
"Liang Chuchu!"
"Wang Suyue!"
"Get out here!!!"
The prelude hadn't even finished, and the main act was already impatiently starting.
Li Xuan turned sideways, propping his head with one paw, finding a comfortable position.
Liang Chuchu and Wang Suyue appeared from both sides, quickly walking towards each other until their foreheads touched, like two fighting cocks brimming with fighting spirit.
"What's wrong with those two again?"
"Who knows? They argue every other day, but from the looks of it today, they might come to blows."
"Stop eating, stop eating, come out and watch the show."
The Royal Concubines who had just returned from dancing didn't even have time to eat before they all rushed out.
Those who were starving simply grabbed some fruits and pastries, leaned in the shadow of the doorway, and found a prime viewing spot to watch the excitement.
There were even a few who brought out their rice bowls and small stools, eating their rice while watching, seemingly intending to use today's spectacle as an accompaniment to their meal.
The nearby eunuchs and palace maids also unconsciously slowed down their work, dragging their feet.
These servants didn't openly watch, but they all lingered in the courtyard, unwilling to leave.
Watching everyone so skilledly enter 'gossip mode,' Li Xuan, as the behind-the-scenes director, couldn't help but be stunned.
"Is it that popular?"
"How do these two usually get along?"
Li Xuan couldn't help but sit up slightly, showing respect.
"Liang Chuchu, did you throw my chamber pot into the latrine well?"
Wang Suyue launched the first attack.
"I, I didn't do it on purpose..."
Liang Chuchu couldn't hold up in the first round, stammering and appearing extremely guilty.
But what she said was actually the truth.
There were no outhouses in the palace; whether it was the emperor, concubines, palace maids, or eunuchs, everyone used special "buckets" to relieve themselves.
The buckets used by the nobles were called "official chambers," and they were usually stored in a special place called the "clean room," with dedicated eunuchs and palace maids responsible for them.
Although these official chambers were used for filth, their craftsmanship was extremely meticulous; some were porcelain basins, others were made of huanghuali wood, or even agarwood, and they would be lined with plant ash or sandalwood ash.
In short, the higher one's status, the more advanced the official chamber used.
They were taken out when needed and removed immediately after use, ensuring no odor remained indoors or outdoors.
Of course, the Eunuchs and palace maids, as servants, were not so fortunate.
They used "chamber pots," which were usually kept in a communal place and brought to their rooms when needed, then the waste was poured into a latrine well, which led directly to the river outside the imperial city.
The Royal Concubines in Yan Qu Hall, for instance, did not yet have their own official chambers, but most of them came from distinguished backgrounds and brought private chamber pots with them when they entered the palace.
After all, they, who considered themselves nobles, would certainly not be willing to share chamber pots with palace maids and eunuchs.
Speaking of which, Wang Suyue's chamber pot was quite valuable, and she had used it since she was a child.
If it weren't for a palace maid reporting Liang Chuchu, she wouldn't have known that her "lifelong chamber pot" had already returned to the latrine well.
Thinking about it this way, Wang Suyue's anger was understandable.
Upon closer inspection, Li Xuan also bore some responsibility; if he hadn't pushed things along, the "lifelong chamber pot" wouldn't have met such an early demise.
Earlier, when Liang Chuchu went to empty the chamber pot, Li Xuan gave her a push from behind, startling her into dropping the chamber pot she was holding into the well.
Li Xuan still remembered her shocked, bewildered, and panicked expression at the time.
Liang Chuchu stood stunned for a while before turning around to see what had bumped into her.
But Li Xuan, having done his mischief, had long since vanished, and she was left seeing nothing but emptiness.
"Not on purpose means it was definitely intentional!"
"You must have held a grudge and deliberately retaliated against me."
"My poor 'Jingliu' was harmed by you, you wicked woman..."
Wang Suyue grew sadder as she spoke, her eyes red, trying to hold back her sorrowful tears.
Even Li Xuan, watching the drama from the wall, felt a pang of guilt, but he couldn't help but be secretly astonished: "She actually named her chamber pot?"
In this matter, Liang Chuchu was indeed in the wrong.
But it didn't matter; in such confrontations, being unreasonable was king.
"Then, then you shouldn't have poured out my lunch!"
"I worked all day and didn't even get to eat; you want to starve me to death! Wang Suyue, you're afraid I'll gain favor in the future and suppress you, leaving you unable to rise, what a vicious scheme."
Liang Chuchu immediately turned the tables, attempting to counterattack.
Of course, she wasn't entirely making things up or being unreasonable.
Li Xuan lay lazily, scratching his navel, yawning widely, and starting to feel sleepy.
"Burp, I ate too much."
Since it was inconvenient to go to the Imperial Kitchen recently, Li Xuan found himself a new free buffet.
The victim, Liang Chuchu, naturally received no formal notification.
Although she had caused trouble today, she still wanted to nervously fill her stomach first.
But unexpectedly, her meal tray had already been emptied, with not even a crumb left.
"No human eats that cleanly; someone must have done mischief and poured out my food," Liang Chuchu naturally thought.
And as for the culprit, she could figure it out with her heels.
In the palace, even slightly regulated places had strict food standards.
What each person ate and how much they ate each day was decided early on.
Now that Liang Chuchu's food was gone, she could only go hungry.
"You're talking nonsense! I just got back; how would I have time to pour out your pig slop!"
Wang Suyue saw that this brat showed no remorse and even dared to slander her, so angry that a stormy surge gathered in her chest, making the other Royal Concubines quietly lower their heads, ashamed of their inferiority.
"Consort Wang is a heaven-sent talent; I'm afraid her future achievements will be immeasurable," someone whispered with emotion.
"Hmm!?"
Eunuch Yin coldly snorted, turned and glared, immediately scaring the attendant eunuch who had been spouting nonsense back.
"Dare to speak nonsense again, and don't blame me for being merciless."
"Forgive me, Eunuch, forgive me, Eunuch, it was a momentary lapse of judgment, and I spoke without thinking," the attendant eunuch quickly apologized repeatedly.
At this moment, another attendant eunuch beside him changed the subject for his companion and asked, "Eunuch, don't you need to manage these two Talent?"
"Manage? How do I manage them?"
Eunuch Yin rolled his eyes, speaking irritably.
"One is the daughter of the Grand Secretary, and the other is the young lady of the Zhongwu General Residence; offending either of them isn't worth it."
Eunuch Yin shook his head, looking as if he wanted to stay out of it.
"Eunuch is wise. Both of these Royal Concubines come from prominent families. Even if they don't receive the Emperor's favor in the future, they will likely hold significant influence in the imperial harem. They indeed need to be treated with caution."
The attendant eunuch who had been reprimanded earlier immediately seized the opportunity to flatter, but Eunuch Yin merely glanced at him coldly, seeming not to appreciate it much.
"But letting them carry on like this isn't very presentable. Should we signal other Royal Concubines to step forward and intervene?" Another attendant eunuch, seeing his companion frown slightly, stepped forward and offered his suggestion.
"When they're tired of making a fuss, they'll disperse on their own. No need to bother with them."
"Leave the Royal Concubines for now, tell everyone else to disperse immediately, these cheap rascals are too idle."
"Yes."
the Eunuch who offered the suggestion immediately took the order, preparing to disperse the nearby palace maids and eunuchs.
Eunuch Yin also prepared to turn and leave; these two girls caused trouble every other day. If it weren't for their good fathers, they would have been expelled from the imperial palace long ago.
But just then, the clumsy attendant eunuch suddenly pointed at the scene and stammered, "Eunuch, Eunuch..."
"Now what!"
Eunuch Yin's brows furrowed deeply, clearly in a very foul mood.
"They're, they're fighting!"
The clumsy eunuch's words were shocking.
Eunuch Yin was so startled that he immediately turned to look, and Liang Chuchu and Wang Suyue were indeed entangled, their hair disheveled like two female ghosts.
"What a disgrace, what a disgrace!"
Eunuch Yin had managed Yan Qu Hall for many years and had never seen two such troublesome Royal Concubines.
The other Royal Concubines watching the show around them were laughing hysterically, and some were even shouting encouragement, truly enjoying the spectacle without caring about the consequences.
"Separate them, quickly separate them!"
Eunuch Yin cried out anxiously.
The three major weapons of women fighting: slapping, hair-pulling, and clothes-stripping.
Liang Chuchu used them with perfect mastery, and she was also dishonorable, launching a sneak attack first.
Just now, the two had argued more and more fiercely, and Liang Chuchu, finding herself at a disadvantage, impulsively invited a physical fight.
Wang Suyue hadn't expected Liang Chuchu to dare to lay hands on her, and she was initially stunned and thrown off rhythm.
She only came to her senses when several scratches appeared on her body, her neatly tied bun became messy, and her gauze clothes gradually came undone.
But there was no panic or embarrassment on her face; instead, a terrifying smile appeared.
"Liang Chuchu, since you're looking for death, don't blame me for being merciless!"
The next moment, a chorus of startled gasps rang out.
Li Xuan also suddenly sat up, his jaw unconsciously dropping, his eyes wide and round.
The scene before him shocked the cat for a hundred years.
Wang Suyue seized Liang Chuchu and actually started performing a set of Military Fist on her.
This was not a metaphor, but actual Military Fist!
[Wang Family Military Boxing (Incomplete): 0%]
Thanks to book friends 20220804220348928 and Han Yangyang for their monthly ticket support!
Dong dong dong dong dong, dong dong.
Bai Miao plays a little tune for everyone to liven things up.
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