I'm already a concubine, who wants to fight with you?

Chapter 3 Killing someone with a borrowed knife

At daybreak, Xie Fei went to pay his respects as usual.

Before reaching Xiao Shirong, he heard faint crying sounds coming from inside.

When they went in, they saw Pei Yuan's concubines kneeling on the ground and being slapped by the old mother.

Sometimes Xie Fei felt that Xiao Shirong was somewhat mentally abnormal.

It is said that this girl was born in the Xiao family of Fanyang, a noble lady of a prominent family. She was supposed to marry the prince, but because she offended the queen, she was granted marriage to Pei Yuan.

At that time, Pei Yuan was far away in the frontier with his father. When he came back and learned that he had a new wife, he cried and shouted that he could not afford her. He even went to the emperor to cancel the engagement.

Of course, he couldn't cancel the engagement, but Xiao Shirong was also ridiculed by the entire capital because of this.

Therefore, Xiao Shirong extremely hated everything about Pei Yuan.

She has the support of the palace and the Xiao family. The entire Pei Mansion is under her control and everyone follows her lead.

She is not at all as gentle and virtuous as people say she is; she is simply a lunatic.

Every morning, she would make her concubines kneel outside the yard for a long time, and would beat, scold and humiliate them if they were not satisfied with her.

Just a few days before Xie Fei entered the palace, a concubine could not stand being slapped in the face by Xie Fei every day, so she stripped off her clothes and knelt in a crowded courtyard, and finally jumped into a well out of shame.

Whenever a concubine served Pei Yuan, a bowl of safflower soup, which was harmful to the body, would be waiting for her before dawn the next day. As a result, several concubines became unable to have children.

Pei Yuan was a foolish man who was greedy for pleasure. It didn't matter to him whether the women in the harem could give birth to children or not, as long as they could satisfy his sexual desires. Therefore, he didn't care about Xiao Shirong's evil deeds.

Xiao Shirong showed off his power in front of his concubines all day long, venting all his dissatisfaction with the Pei family on these pathetic women.

Even a normal person would be driven crazy by her.

Xie Fei sighed secretly, fortunately he still had the emperor's decree to grant him marriage.

Otherwise, according to Xiao Shirong's personality, life as a concubine would be truly tormenting.

After waiting for more than an hour, when the sun was already high in the sky, Xiao Shirong finally got up and asked his concubines to come in and talk.

Led by Xie Fei, the concubines including Xiang Xiaoniang were all very cautious.

In the hall, Xiao Shirong sat lazily at the top, graceful and elegant, as beautiful as a snake.

Two maids knelt down and dyed her nails with balsam juice.

After paying respects, everyone took their seats one by one.

Xiao Shirong glanced at Xie Fei coldly, and Xie Fei smiled at her. The two knew the connection between them.

Afterwards, Xiao Shirong looked at the other concubines.

Everyone's face was red and swollen, and the corners of their mouths were bleeding, which made her feel a little relieved.

Xiao Shirong knew that the leper who was suddenly thrown on the bed last night must have been Xie Fei's doing, but she couldn't get angry.

Otherwise, if things get out of hand, it will be of no benefit to anyone.

She couldn't punish Xie Fei openly, but she had plenty of ways to make Xie Fei sad.

Slamming the table, Xiao Shirong shouted angrily, "Mother Wang, bring me Fang Qinrou's indenture contract and send her to the brothel!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

A girl who was only twelve or thirteen years old was stunned for a long time. After she came to her senses, she fell to her knees and cried out heartbreakingly. "Madam, I really don't know how I angered you. You can beat me or punish me in any way you want, but please give me a way to live!"

If you go to a brothel, you will become a whore who can be humiliated by anyone. It is better to die than to do that.

No matter how the little girl begged with tears in her eyes, Xiao Shirong remained indifferent.

"I didn't want to make this plan, but unfortunately the Xie family's sister has entered the mansion, and I can't do anything about it."

She deliberately brought the topic to Xie Fei, and said regretfully, "You all know that the world is fickle. Now the master is unemployed, and the family relies on the meager ancestral inheritance to survive. With the addition of Xie's sister, the expenses have increased, and it has become even tighter."

Xie Fei looked calm on the surface, but he was thinking in his heart, this is all bullshit.

No matter how poor the Pei family was, they couldn't even afford to support a girl.

He simply used her as an excuse to get rid of Fang Qinrou and create some hatred.

Xiang Xiaoniang and the others could see the tricks clearly, but Fang Qinrou was young, timid and introverted, so she couldn't understand it at all.

When Mother Wang brought the indenture contract, Fang Qinrou was so frightened that she trembled all over. She threw herself at Xiao Shirong's feet and begged continuously, but was kicked away by Xiao Shirong.

Gently blowing on her newly stained nail polish, Xiao Shirong said hypocritically: "Sister, it's not that I'm cruel. If Sister Xie hadn't entered the mansion, it would be no problem to support you. But Sister Xie is noble, and I can't treat her harshly for you."

Fang Qinrou cried so hard that tears and snot were streaming down her face. Seeing that begging Xiao Shirong for help was useless, she crawled over and knelt in front of Xie Fei, twitching as she tried to pull at the corner of her clothes.

"Sister Xie, please don't chase me away. My mother and my sister-in-law are waiting for me to take the money back home. If I go to the brothel, the three of them will die!"

Xie Fei dodged sideways and said softly: "I am the same as you..."

"Thank you, sister!" Fang Qinrou heard her refusal and suddenly raised her voice. She took out a pair of small scissors from her sleeve and pressed them hard against her neck.

Xiang Xiaoniang shouted in fear: "Qin Rou, what are you doing? Put down the scissors!"

Xiao Shirong's face also changed, and she said angrily: "If you want to die, you must die in a brothel. If you dirty the Pei Mansion's territory, I will skin your mother, brother and sister-in-law!"

Fang Qinrou's red eyes were filled with fear, and her hand holding the scissors was shaking violently.

"If I go to the brothel, they will die too!"

She looked at Xie Fei again and said bitterly, "Sister Xie, you are the daughter of an official, rich and noble, why do you have to fight for your life with a lowly person like me? If I become a ghost, I will be the first one to not let you go!"

Xie Fei was silent.

Xiao Shirong sneered and said, "Sister Xie, this bitch has said this, what do you think?"

Xie Fei glanced at Fang Qinrou, and Fang Qinrou quickly pushed the scissors deeper, the tip of the knife pierced the skin, and a trace of blood seeped out.

This girl is stupid, but she knows who the weak ones are.

Xie Fei seems to be much kinder and gentler than Xiao Shirong.

Xie Fei lowered his eyes and blamed himself: "It's all my fault. I was born redundant, which is why the lady went to such lengths to send Sister Fang to a brothel in order to completely eliminate me."

The concubines looked at each other, and Xiang Xiaoniang said quickly: "Sister, this is not strange..."

Before she could finish her words, Xiao Shirong gave her a cold look and Xiang Xiaoniang quickly shut up.

Xie Fei's nose felt sore, his eyes turned red, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He looked even more pitiful than Fang Qinrou.

She wiped her tears, knelt softly on the ground, and said in a sobbing voice: "Please send me to the farm, madam. As long as I have three thatched cottages and two acres of thin land, I will be content!"

(End of this chapter)