Crossing the Palace Fighting Fox Harem

After hearing this, Ji Anni did not express her opinion, but thought seriously about Hua Rong's words.

If this incident is destined to end with someone's sacrifice, then in order to protect Concubine Baogui, the only option is to choose the path Huarong just mentioned.

Ji Anni felt a little shaken.

“Your Majesty…”

Hua Rong wanted to continue to encourage her, but Ji Anni waved her hand and whispered, "You go back first. I know what to do."

Ji Anni was very confused. She had never thought that things would get to this point. She had only been in the palace for a short time and did not have much experience. She did not know that even a small matter in the palace could turn into a big deal. Moreover, the fall from the horse and the poison arrow were not small matters.

Seeing Ji Anni's upset look, Hua Rong said no more. She bowed to Ji Anni and left quietly.

***

Hua Rong was originally a maid of Princess Tianning. After leaving the Concubine Palace, she should have returned to Princess Tianning.

But in fact, she went to the East Palace where Concubine An was.

In Concubine An's bedroom, Hua Rong and Concubine An were having a secret conversation behind closed doors. Even Ning Shuang could only stand outside the door and had no right to listen.

Because the door and windows were closed, the light in the room was a little dim. The pattern of the window panes was reflected on the ground, adding a bit of weird atmosphere. In the room, Concubine An was sitting on the brocade couch, and Hua Rong was standing upright about three steps in front of her.

Both of them had gloomy faces and looked a little solemn.

Concubine An is Princess Tianning's cousin and a family member. Princess Tianning often asks Hua Rong to go to the East Palace to pass on messages to Concubine An, or to receive and send some small gifts, so Hua Rong is also a frequent visitor to the East Palace, and no one would find it strange to appear alone in the East Palace. However, every time Hua Rong comes to the East Palace to see Concubine An, it is not just as simple as being ordered by Princess Tianning.

Just like today, Hua Rong came to the East Palace on her own initiative without any orders from the princess.

As the saying goes, one does not visit a temple for no reason. Hua Rong's sudden arrival also made Concubine An feel a little nervous.

In the solemn atmosphere, Hua Rong finally spoke first. She whispered, "Your Majesty, I just met Zhao Ji and tested her. She said she has no interest in the throne, and doesn't care whether Prince Ming can become the crown prince. Your Majesty, Concubine Zhao is not a threat to you..."

After hearing this, Concubine An smiled sarcastically and said, "Humph, if she doesn't want anything, why would she enter the palace?"

Hua Rong said: "I don't know. But I heard her say that she entered the palace for 'a certain reason'."

"Some reason..." Concubine An pondered, frowning slightly. In addition to becoming the queen, what other reasons could Zhao Ji have entered the palace? "I don't believe her nonsense. She must have some plans for the throne. But... she didn't tell you a word. Did she see through your acting?"

Hua Rong said: "Your Majesty, judging from Zhao Ji's expression, she completely believed what I said."

Concubine An sighed and said, "I don't know if Zhao Ji is too smart or too stupid. If she is smart, how can she trust you completely? If she is stupid, why would she be unwilling to join forces with you? Although you are just a palace maid, you are the princess's close attendant and your value is not low. Did she see through you, or was she too cautious, or did she think you were humble and unworthy of cooperating with her?"

"Your Majesty, there is another possibility. What Zhao Ji said is true, she doesn't want to be the queen at all."

After hearing this, Concubine An laughed it off and said, "That's absolutely impossible."

Since Concubine An was so sure, Hua Rong said no more. She stood with her hands hanging down, looking extremely respectful.

Concubine An continued, "That Zhaoji came to my East Palace today, and the broken feather is indeed in her hands as you said."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty." Hua Rong said expressionlessly, "I have asked Zhao Ji to dye the mark black so that no one will suspect Your Majesty."

Ji Anni thought that Concubine An wanted the emperor to see the Bao family's mark on the arrow feathers, but she was wrong. Concubine An, like Ji Anni, did not want the emperor to see the real mark. Because once the red mark belonging to the Bao family on the arrow feathers was made public, it would undoubtedly attract everyone's attention to the fight for the throne, which would be equivalent to sounding the alarm for all those involved in the fight for the throne.

If all parties concerned are on high alert, Concubine An will be hesitant and have many concerns when she really takes action in the future.

So it’s not that the alarm bell shouldn’t be sounded, but that it shouldn’t be sounded too early.

If people knew that the mark on the arrow feathers was from the Bao family, then it would be easy for everyone to think that this incident originated from the struggle for the throne. All concubines were suspected, and Concubine An was even more suspected. But as long as the blame was put on someone who had no direct connection with the harem, Concubine An would naturally be able to avoid disaster.

The reason why the Queen Mother agreed to the Emperor's thorough investigation of the case was not because the Queen Mother and Concubine An had planned it in advance, but because they were not the masterminds. In fact, the Queen Mother and Concubine An were completely unaware of the incident of the horse falling with the poisoned arrow.

Concubine An looked gloomy and whispered to herself, "I wonder who has the guts to plot against me."

This poison arrow incident was clearly a frame-up, but the strange thing was that it was too obvious. It was so obvious that it seemed that behind the frame-up, there was another more sinister purpose hidden - to attract the attention of everyone inside and outside the palace, to remind everyone that there would be another bloody storm in the harem.

"Hua Rong, Hua Rong..." Concubine An stared at Hua Rong's face with a half-smile, and said in a voice that was unclear whether it was praise or sarcasm, "Thanks to you, the poison arrow incident was not related to the fight for the throne. If Zhao Ji really dyed the sign black, it would have really helped me a lot. It's not bad to put the blame on the Yang family, just in time to eliminate a political enemy for Dad."

Huarong congratulated without a smile: "Congratulations, Madam."

Concubine An raised her lips slightly, without making any laugh, but showing a cold smile, and asked in confusion: "Hua Rong, I have always wanted to know why you chose me as your master?"

"Hua Rong said that she wanted to be a maid standing beside the queen, and wanted to personally push someone who she thought was capable of managing the harem to the throne."

"Is that why you chose me? Since your entire family was executed for slandering the An family, are you still willing to assist me?" Concubine An looked at Hua Rong in front of her with suspicion, as if she wanted to see from her face whether she was being insincere.

But Huarong had no expression at all, neither smiling nor sad, making it impossible to guess what she was really thinking.

In fact, what Hua Rong told Ji Anni was true. Her father was indeed a university scholar, and he was killed because he was dissatisfied with An's dominance in the court. However, Hua Rong did not set her mind to expel An and restore the imperial power as she told Ji Anni, but chose to assist Concubine An and help her ascend the throne of the queen.

No one knows why Hua Rong made such a choice, not even her master, Concubine An.

Perhaps only Huarong herself knows the real reason.