TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 199 Yixiu 68

Zhen Huan's first reaction was that this matter was difficult. "Huanbi, you call me elder sister, so I have to take responsibility for some things. Tell me the truth."

"Do you really like Prince Guo? Or is it because of something else?"

Huanbi's face suddenly turned red, and she rolled the silk thread in her hand into a ball.

"Eldest sister, Prince Guo has outstanding looks and a good status. Most importantly, he treats people kindly. Who wouldn't like him?"

Under Zhen Huan's increasingly sharp gaze, Huanbi bit her lower lip and hesitated for a moment.

Finally, he spoke his heart out, "Also, the emperor has taken a fancy to Prince Guo. If I could marry him, my father wouldn't be exploited and framed by others."

"Eldest sister wouldn't be as alone and weak as she is today."

As if she was worried that Zhen Huan would think she was a person who loved power, Huanbi secretly raised her eyes and took a look.

She quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand me, elder sister. I'm not just looking at status. I just... I really like the prince."

Zhen Huan gently patted Huan Bi's arm, "Don't be so nervous, I know."

"Even if you're after power, it's not a heinous crime. Huanbi, you don't have to do this. Students study hard for years, but how many of them can still hold on to their ambitions?"

"There's nothing wrong with wanting a higher position. You have a point. We need to think about it carefully."

With Zhen Huan's support, Huanbi immediately smiled and nodded.

"My eldest sister is so nice to me."

Zhen Huan smiled bitterly and touched Huanbi's hair. After experiencing the emperor's mood swings, she did not have much trust in royal family members like Prince Guo.

But Huanbi's choice was indeed good, and she could not find any reason to object.

I can only try my best to help her plan and teach her how to live a better life.

Sincerity is the most important thing in a relationship, but sincerity is hard to come by. Only what you have in your hands is real.

Huanbi never expected that she would be given a bunch of tasks just by expressing her worries.

"My Lady, why are you learning this? I still have to serve you!"

Looking at the book in front of her, Huanbi subconsciously wanted to hide. She was not illiterate. She had the opportunity to study hard when she was following Zhen Huan at home.

But she really had a headache seeing these.

Zhen Huan hurriedly asked Liu Zhu to stop them, "Why are you running? In the past, you were always confused when I showed you. Now you can't do that. Liu Zhu wants to come with you."

Huanbi saw the deep meaning in Zhen Huan's eyes and knew that learning these things would be beneficial to her future, so she had to sit down reluctantly.

"You'll naturally get into it the more you watch it. It won't hurt if you just listen."

Liu Zhu smiled brightly. Her master finally regained her spirits and was willing to accompany her in whatever she asked her to do.

"What are you talking about, Madam? This kind of opportunity is not something that everyone can have. How could we not know what is good for us? We are just worried that if we don't learn well, we will make you angry and waste this good thing for nothing."

"You're the only one who can talk, but I'm very strict."

Zhen Huan smiled and pinched Liu Zhu's face. She had lost some of the flesh on her face after suffering with her these days.

With the connection to the imperial kitchen, Zhen Huan later exchanged letters with Shen Meiyu several times.

After such a long time, there was still no news. Zhen Huan was sure that the emperor was using this to deal with others, and her worries were reduced a lot.

She couldn't go out now, and she needed time to think carefully about how to get along with the emperor in the future.

Everyone in the harem knew more or less that the emperor was cold-hearted and was not surprised by this.

An Lingrong once again inadvertently mentioned Zhen Huan while accompanying the emperor, and this time the emperor did not pretend to be stupid.

He twisted the Buddhist beads in his hand and looked at the woman in front of him who was making tea. There was always a gentle smile on her beautiful face, as if nothing was bothering her.

I can't seem to remember what she looked like back then.

I only vaguely remember that she was a somewhat timid girl.

"The fruits and vegetables in the Forbidden City are truly nourishing. You are now very different from when you first entered the palace."

An Lingrong smiled even more deeply when she heard this. She did not stop her hands and finally put a few jasmine petals in the tea as garnish.

"Thanks to the emperor's grace, I am here today." After saying this, she presented the teacup to the emperor, "Your Majesty, please try it. This was taught to me by my sister Wan."

When the emperor heard her mention Zhen Huan, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.

He looked down and saw a few jasmine petals floating in the bright yellow tea.

"This orchid's fragrance is already rich, why add jasmine?"

An Lingrong lowered her eyes and smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry to have laughed at you, Your Majesty. I prefer jasmine, and it's in season right now, so I always add a few leaves to any tea I use."

"Although this will damage the aroma of other teas, I just like it."

She tilted her head to look at the other person, and said this with confidence, rarely revealing a hint of arrogance.

"You've become more lively now that you're my mother." The emperor smiled and pointed at An Lingrong. "But you're right. In life, what matters most is what you like."

The emperor took a few sips and put down the teacup. "Don't worry about the rest."

It doesn't matter if he favors Wanpin a little more. She has suffered a lot this time, so she will be left alone for a few days after she is released.

I guess this temper will be restrained.

"Speaking of this, I remember something. Wanpin's father made irresponsible remarks after drinking. It has been investigated. Although it was an unintentional mistake, he still made a mistake."

"I want to release him, but I'm worried about what the ministers will say."

"Your Majesty, I don't understand these things!" An Lingrong smiled awkwardly and took a sip of tea.

The emperor waved his hand dismissively, "It's normal that you don't understand the affairs of the previous dynasty. It's just idle chat."

"Ministers filed petitions one after another, accusing Zhen Yuandao of being so bold because of Wanpin. They didn't know where they got the news that Wanpin frequently visited the Yangxin Palace."

The emperor raised his hand and rubbed his brow, sighing softly, "They are holding on to this matter, and I am really in a difficult situation."

An Lingrong listened silently, thinking that it had finally come. The emperor just wanted to warn Zhen Huan, but he still had to pretend to be affectionate.

An expression of surprise appeared on her face at the right moment, and she walked forward to massage the emperor's legs in a flattering manner.

"They are just some ministers. Your Majesty is the Supreme Ruler, so why should you need to consider their expressions? Otherwise, just pretend to shut them up."

The emperor was amused by her flattering appearance and said, "You are not allowed to frame the ministers like this. Now tell me what to do."

"This..." An Lingrong frowned in embarrassment.

"I can't think of it at the moment, but Your Majesty will definitely have a way!"

"Please let me go and see Sister Wan. She is so smart and will definitely understand your painstaking efforts."

The emperor pursed his lips tightly and spoke only after a long while.

"Well, if that's the case, then lift the confinement on Wanpin. She's been suffering these days. You should go and see her."

"Yes, thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will go right away."

An Lingrong did not stay with the emperor for long. She bowed and left in a hurry.

This has always been her image in the emperor's mind: hardworking but with limited talent, she only shows some talent when fiddling with some idle toys.

Su Peisheng came up to replace the emperor's tea, "Look how happy Concubine Yi is. She almost fell down when she went out."

The emperor smiled and didn't care about An Lingrong's rudeness.

After leaving the Yangxin Palace, An Lingrong rushed to the Suiyuxuan without stopping, and at the same time asked someone to invite Shen Meiyu.

The two happened to meet outside Suiyuxuan, and with the emperor's oral order, no one would stop them.

An Lingrong briefly told the other party what happened today.

The people in the room had already stuck their heads out when they heard the noise, and ran into Shen Meizhuang, who had a happy face.

"My lady, look who's here!"

Liu Zhu bowed and quickly led the person in.

When Zhen Huan heard the voice and looked up, An Lingrong and the other person were already in front of her. She quickly put down the book in her hand and went to greet them.

"Why are you here? What happened outside?"

"Don't worry, Sister Wan, it's good news. The Emperor has just issued an order to lift your house arrest."

An Lingrong conveyed the emperor's meaning clearly, and Zhen Huan covered her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as my father is safe, I'm happy. I knew he was wrongly accused. It doesn't matter if I'm punished, as long as my father is safe."

At this time, Zhen Huan had not yet understood An Lingrong's hint and was still immersed in joy.

The two people next to her looked at each other without saying anything in detail. They believed that Zhen Huan would understand when she came to her senses.

"Thank you for taking the trouble to help me with this matter."

Zhen Huan's eyes were glistening as she looked at them with gratitude. She was extremely glad that she had made friends with An Lingrong. Shen Meizhuang did not like the emperor and rarely took Jinghe out.

If she pleaded rashly, she might get herself implicated, but the manpower she had was not comparable to An Lingrong's.

No matter which one of them takes action alone, the result will not be better than the current one.

"Why are you being so distant? When we first entered the palace, we agreed to support each other."

"Sister Mei is right. I've suffered a lot these days, so I need to take good care of myself."

"I don't know what the Emperor's next plan is, but... Sister Wan is bound to suffer some grievances. Don't take it to heart, it will eventually pass."

An Lingrong's words helped Zhen Huan regain some of her sanity.

It was just to shut Youyou up, she could bear it.

"Don't worry, Lingrong. No matter how difficult it is, it will be like this. I know what I'm doing."

Having not seen each other for a long time, they had endless topics to talk about and chatted until late at night.

Not long after, the emperor's decree came out, demoting Zhen Yuandao by one level and fined him three years' salary. Originally, the emperor promoted him because of Zhen Huan, but now everything was back to the way it was overnight.

Fortunately, this life was saved.

Although Zhen Huan was only fined her salary, the emperor never came to Sui Yuxuan again.

The difference is that the Imperial Household Department no longer dares to be perfunctory as before.

Jin Xi was afraid that Zhen Huan would be upset, so she tried to persuade her carefully.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The bond between you and the Emperor has lasted for many years. As long as this storm is over, the Emperor will surely come."

Zhen Huan laughed at herself, "That's right. Even the royal family members imprisoned in the palace only have their treatment reduced by half. The fact that my father and I are safe is already a special favor from the Emperor."

"Your Majesty, please don't blame the Emperor. He is the Emperor!"

Jing Xi bent down and spoke in a low voice. She could see that Zhen Huan was blaming the emperor.

In the past, when there were no problems, the more genuine their feelings were, the better. But at this time, Jing Xi hoped that Zhen Huan could transcend love.

If either the ruler or his subjects, the emperor or his concubines really act on their emotions, that would be the beginning of misfortune.

Zhen Huan nodded slightly, "You don't have to persuade me, I understand everything, I was just angry for a moment."

"Your Majesty, would you mind sending something over to let the Emperor know your feelings?"

"Let's leave it like this for now. It's good for us to live our lives in peace and quiet." Zhen Huan frowned and scattered the chess pieces in her hand onto the chessboard.

She was angry at the emperor's exploitation, but she did not really feel any resentment in her heart.

Until you have thought it through, you can only choose to escape.

On this day, Shen Meizhuang brought Jinghe to Suiyuxuan. The little one followed the adults quickly, swaying from side to side and looking very happy.

Ever since Jinghe learned to walk well, she no longer wants to be held and is particularly keen on exploring new environments.

"Jinghe, come and give Empress Wan a hug."

Zhen Huan was reading a book in the corridor. When she saw Jinghe coming, she immediately bent down and opened her arms, even ignoring Shen Meizhuang who was standing beside her.

Jinghe giggled and threw herself into Zhen Huan's arms, kissing her skillfully with her little mouth.

"Good boy, so cute."

Zhen Huan hugged Jinghe and was affectionate with her for a while. She didn't have her own children, so she loved the child very much.

When she was a child, she was a little worried about Jinghe's appearance, but fortunately, the mother and daughter looked more and more alike.

Shen Meizhuang also dared to take Jinghe out with confidence.

"Okay, stop being so annoying, Jinghe, go play by yourselves."

Shen Meizhuang came here for a reason. She and An Lingrong hadn't made things clear beforehand, and she thought Zhen Huan could figure it out herself.

Who would have thought that after so long, Zhen Huan didn't react at all.

"Sister, is there something you need to come here today?"

Shen Meizhuang smiled and gave her a glare, "If you don't welcome me, then I'll leave."

"No, no, no, it's all my fault. Sister Mei, please don't be angry~" Zhen Huan smiled and pulled the person back, begging for mercy.

"That's more like it. You've been released from house arrest for a while now. What's the point of being stuck in the yard like this all day? The weather is getting hotter. Do you have any rules?"

Zhen Huan turned her head away and pretended to be dumb, "What rules? This is fine."

"Why are you still acting like a child? Even after knowing what happened in the previous dynasty, you're still feeling uncomfortable."

"I've seen the relationship between you and the Emperor. He must have his own considerations this time. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Zhen Huan's eyes flickered, and a sense of uneasiness suddenly emerged in her heart.

"What happened in the previous dynasty?"

"You didn't know? Blame me. I should have known you didn't like to go out these days."

The self-blame on Shen Meizhuang's face made Zhen Huan stiffen, and she suddenly didn't want to listen anymore.

"Recently, many rumors unfavorable to you have appeared in the court. The two who caused the most trouble have been transferred out of the capital."

"It's just that the places they go to are not bad. As long as they make achievements in politics for a few years, they can return to Beijing smoothly."

A demote in public but a promotion in private, this was Zhen Huan's first reaction.

"Prince Lian of the past really should not be underestimated. Even under imprisonment, he still possesses such abilities."

For the first time, Shen Meizhuang felt the urge to sigh and hold her forehead. "Do you really think it was the work of Master Ba and the others?"

"What else? He's simply trying to use my father and me to discredit the Emperor. He has few children and allows concubines to interfere in government affairs. If word gets out, it'll be a sign of a tyrant ruler."

Love can be so confusing to the mind. Shen Meizhuang stared at Zhen Huan for a long time.

Some people don't believe that this is the smart partner.