The Legend of Zhen Huan: Rebirth of Ling Rong

"Hongli, it seems that you already have your own plans and ideas in mind, right?" I smiled, with a hint of curiosity and exploration in my eyes.

Hongli, who was being questioned, raised his head slightly, his eyes evading at first, but he quickly gathered himself and said, "Mother, you are right. I do have some ideas in my mind. But..."

Having said this, he paused for a moment, then continued, "Although Third Brother has always been intelligent, in some areas, I believe I am still slightly better!"

Hongli's words revealed a sense of confidence and pride.

"My dear child, it would be wonderful if you could understand the deeper meaning of this. You must know that the Third Prince is the Emperor's eldest son, and he and the Empress are very close. Although the Empress has been temporarily confined to the palace by the Emperor due to certain matters, this is definitely not a long-term solution."

"After all, the Empress's position in the palace is extremely important, and the forces behind her are complex and cannot be underestimated. The court and the harem have always been interconnected, so we must act with extreme caution."

"Mother, don't worry, I will definitely do a good job on this. Mother, you have been pregnant and it has been hard, so don't worry about so many things. Now that I have grown up, you can leave many things to me." Hongli said confidently.

I quietly gazed at Hongli, the Fourth Prince and the Third Prince, who were both of outstanding temperament and extraordinary intelligence. The Fourth Prince had deep and sharp eyes, while the Third Prince was gentle and elegant, with a scholarly air in his demeanor.

However, apart from the two of them, the other princes are still young. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but wonder in her heart: I wonder who will take the supreme position.

The situation in the palace is unpredictable and ever-changing. Every prince dreams of ascending the throne, fighting openly and covertly for it.

During this period, a shocking discovery made my heart sink - the emperor's dragon body was much worse than before. Wei Lin secretly told me that the emperor had been taking elixirs frequently recently and was in a bad mood, so his body was already very weak.

What surprised me even more was that the person who had been accompanying the emperor and serving him attentively in recent times was not other concubines, but Concubine Ning, who was usually quite low-key.

She stayed by the emperor's side almost all day and all night, never slacking off or complaining, and took great pains to take care of the emperor's daily life and diet.

However, what is puzzling is that, as far as I know, Concubine Ning's attitude towards the Emperor was extremely cold. She always disdained to participate in the open and secret struggles in the harem, and turned a blind eye to the Emperor's favor, never actively seeking it.

This drastic change is truly unbelievable, and I can't help but wonder: What exactly caused this drastic change in Concubine Ning? Did she suddenly realize the importance of the Emperor's grace? Or is there a hidden secret and hardship?

All kinds of speculations lingered in my mind, making me want to explore the truth behind it more and more.

So I went to her chamber, and she was there, and she stood up and bowed to me.

"How come Concubine Rong has time to come to my place today?"

"It's rare that I have some free time today, so I came to see my sister. How is she?"

"Thank you for your concern, my concubine is doing well."

"Baojuan, please wait for me outside. I'll talk to Concubine Ning and come back later."

"But, Your Majesty..." Baojuan looked at me, very worried.

"It's okay, just go ahead and don't worry. I'll call you if anything happens!"

"Your Highness, you have come here specially today. I wonder if there is something you want to talk about? I come from the countryside and speak my mind frankly. Please forgive me. I have always been like this. I speak my mind without holding back."

Hearing this, I smiled slightly, thinking that Concubine Ning was really straightforward. So I stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "I heard that my sister once fell seriously ill when she was in the Old Summer Palace. Fortunately, Prince Guo came to her rescue..."

Before she finished speaking, Ye Lanyi's expression changed instantly, her eyebrows raised, and she said coquettishly, "Enough! I, your Highness, did know you before, but so what? What exactly do you want to say, Your Majesty?"

Seeing how excited she was, I thought I must have hit the nail on the head. Perhaps she hadn't expected me to bring this up, which is why she reacted so strongly.

"Sister, please don't misunderstand me. I don't have any other thoughts or ideas at all." I looked at her sincerely, my eyes clear and gentle, as if I was afraid that my words would cause her to misunderstand in the slightest.

"I was once of low status, but fortunately, Your Highness helped me save my life. Since then, I have been filled with gratitude towards Your Highness, and have always dreamed of finding an opportunity to repay Your Highness for saving my life! Furthermore, Your Highness once spoke well of Your Highness before the Emperor, saving Him from danger. I will always remember this."

"Sister, I trust Prince Guo's character from the bottom of my heart. I came to see you today specifically for something related to Prince Guo." I smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone.

Concubine Ning's face showed a puzzled expression, and she frowned slightly, and asked softly, "Because of the prince? Forgive my ignorance, I don't know what the queen means. I hope the queen can explain it clearly."

As she spoke, she carefully observed my expression, secretly guessing the real purpose of my visit.

"I'm sure my sister knows that the Emperor has sent Prince Guo to guard Yanming Pass. Given the Emperor's temper, he's certainly suspicious of you, but there's no one else available in the army right now. If that day ever comes, the Emperor won't let you go."

"Aren't there enough lessons from the past?"

"What do you mean, Madam? Will the Emperor take action against the Prince? I understand. The Emperor is suspicious. He chose a woman he doesn't love as his wife, and then sent him to guard Yanming Pass. He still harbors suspicions about him. I really feel sorry for the Prince."

"What's the point of being unworthy? The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the prince is just a minister. The Emperor can naturally grant marriage to anyone with just a word. Everyone is his pawn to consolidate his imperial power, without exception."

I spoke my heart out to Concubine Ning because I knew her deep affection for Prince Guo. If the Emperor ever attacked the prince, Concubine Ning would never sit idly by.

"I long for freedom, but once I enter this deep palace, I will never be free again. The prince advised me to live well no matter what, and I listened to him."

"Now, the prince is in a difficult situation, and I cannot sit idly by. The emperor has often summoned me to accompany him recently. If I can please the emperor and help the prince, it would be good."