jdhmnovel Chapter 192 Ling Huan's Clever Maneuvering in a Dilemma
Chapter 192 Ling Huan's Clever Maneuvering in a Dilemma
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were strolling in the Imperial Garden. Zhen Huan looked at the beautiful scenery and sighed softly, "Lingrong, although the Queen Mother's incident has been resolved, I still feel uneasy. It seems that there is a greater conspiracy lurking in the dark."
An Lingrong gently took Zhen Huan's arm and said, "Huan'er, don't worry too much. When the enemy comes, we will fight with our soldiers; when the water comes, we will block it with earth."
At this time, Baojuan hurried over, looking a little panicked. "My lady, this is bad! I heard that the Empress, who was confined to Jingren Palace, was furious when she learned that Concubine Hua had been reinstated as a concubine. I'm afraid there will be trouble again."
Zhen Huan frowned, "This queen has always been vicious and unruly. Even under house arrest, she remains restless. Lingrong, we must be prepared."
An Lingrong nodded: "Huan'er is absolutely right. I just don't know what methods this queen will use."
As the two were talking, the eunuch Xiao Xiazi arrived to deliver his message: "My two young ladies, the Emperor has decreed that you should proceed to the Yangxin Palace immediately."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong looked at each other, and saw confusion in each other's eyes. They hurriedly tidied their clothes and went to the Yangxin Palace.
Arriving at the Yangxin Palace, after paying their respects, the Emperor's face looked slightly exhausted. "Hanhuan, An Lingrong, I summoned you today because the Empress came to me tearfully, saying that she had been in the palace for many years and, although she had made mistakes, she did not deserve to be treated so coldly. She also said that Hua Fei's restoration was a great blow to her, and she was willing to reform herself and set an example for the rest of the harem. Thinking of our old relationship, I am a little hesitant. What do you think?"
Zhen Huan was shocked, but she replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Queen has made many mistakes before. Although she has said she will mend her ways, the human heart is unpredictable. Your Majesty needs to consider this carefully."
An Lingrong also echoed, "Your Majesty, Huan'er is absolutely right. The Empress has been in the harem for many years, and her power is deeply entrenched. If she is easily restored to favor, I'm afraid there will be another wave of unrest in the harem."
The Emperor frowned slightly. "I understand the pros and cons of this, but the Empress's words are so earnest that I find it difficult to make a decision."
Zhen Huan thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, if you really want to give the Empress a chance, why not lift the confinement first and let her reflect in the palace for a period of time, observe her words and actions, and then make a decision."
The Emperor looked at Zhen Huan and said, "Huan Huan, this plan is quite sound. An Lingrong, what do you think?"
An Lingrong said, "Your Majesty, Huan'er's method can not only give the Queen a chance, but also temporarily maintain peace in the harem. I think it is feasible."
The Emperor nodded. "In that case, I will do as Huanhuan says. However, I will also have people secretly monitor the Queen's actions."
After leaving the Yangxin Palace, An Lingrong said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, the Queen's return to favor this time will definitely not be so simple. We must handle it carefully."
Zhen Huan said, "That's right. I always feel that the Queen has something else up her sleeve. Let's go back to the palace first and then discuss it."
Back in Zhen Huan's palace, the two were discussing when the maid Cui Guo came to report: "Your Majesty, my lady, the maids from Jingren Palace came to deliver some snacks, saying they were a gift from the Empress."
An Lingrong asked cautiously, "Why would the Queen suddenly send some snacks? Huan'er, there might be something wrong with these snacks."
Zhen Huan looked at the snacks and sneered, "This Queen is probably a weasel paying New Year's greeting to a chicken. She has no good intentions. Let's get someone to test these snacks first."
Not long after, the eunuch who had been inspecting the snacks returned with a report: "Your Majesty, my lady, a slow-acting poison has been placed in your heart. It's not fatal, but if consumed for a long time, it will weaken your body and make your face haggard."
Zhen Huan angrily said, "This queen has such a cruel heart! She actually wants to poison us secretly."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, we can't just sit there and wait for death. We have to find a way to let the Emperor know about the Queen's evil deeds."
Zhen Huan's eyes lit up. "Lingrong, we can use their trick against us. First, pretend to be oblivious and accept the snacks. Then, we can find a chance to expose this to the Emperor."
An Lingrong nodded: "This is a brilliant plan. However, we still need to find a reliable witness."
As they were speaking, Xiao Yunzi, a young eunuch from Zhen Huan's palace, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, my lady, I am willing to be a witness. I once saw a maid from Jingren Palace tampering with the snacks."
Zhen Huan said with relief: "Xiao Yunzi, if this can be accomplished, you will have accomplished a great feat."
A few days later, the palace held a flower viewing banquet. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong both attended in their finest attire. At the banquet, Zhen Huan deliberately mentioned the Empress's gift of snacks: "Your Majesty, the Empress sent some snacks to my palace a while ago. Lingrong and I thought it was a token of her kindness, but we didn't expect..."
The emperor asked, "What do you want to do?"
An Lingrong continued, "Your Majesty, that pastry was laced with a slow-acting poison. If it weren't for the caution of Huan'er and I, the Empress would have murdered it."
The Emperor was furious: "How could such a thing happen! How dare the Queen be so bold?"
Zhen Huan said, "Your Majesty, fortunately, Xiao Yunzi saw it with her own eyes and can prove that it was done by someone from Jingren Palace."
Xiao Yunzi stepped forward and knelt down, telling him everything he had seen.
The emperor's face was gloomy. "I wanted to give the Queen a chance, but she is so unrepentant. I hereby order that the Queen be confined to Jingren Palace. Without my permission, she may not leave the palace. All the maids and eunuchs in Jingren Palace shall be punished with fifty strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
After Zhen Huan and An Lingrong thanked her, Zhen Huan said softly, "Lingrong, this time I finally thwarted the Queen's conspiracy."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, the Queen won't let this go. We must remain vigilant."
However, before one crisis is over, another one arises. Suddenly, news spreads from the palace that An Lingrong's father has been involved in corruption and bribery outside the palace. If this news is true, it will not only cause An Lingrong to fall out of favor within the palace, but may also bring disaster to the family. How should Zhen Huan and An Lingrong deal with this sudden crisis?