The Legend of Zhen Huan: Rebirth of Ling Rong

"My lady, please be careful. The Queen will definitely not ignore what has happened to Lord An." Jianqiu took the opportunity to speak for the Queen.

After saying this, Jianqiu retreated.

The queen gave a look and Jianqiu brought an incense burner.

The queen said calmly: "In such hot weather, the dead ashes in the incense burner have reignited. What should we do?" She seemed to be talking to herself.

I pretended not to understand and stood there blankly. I turned to look at my sister and signaled her with my eyes.

My sister immediately understood what I meant, walked over, took a cup of tea, put out the reignited ashes, and put down the cup.

She knelt down and said to the Queen: "A wise man works hard with his mind. I am as smart as ice and snow. I am humble and can only repay the Queen with my hard work."

"Lady Wan is so smart. No wonder the emperor likes you so much. I like you too." The queen seemed very satisfied.

"Then you guys go back first. If there is any news about this matter, I will send someone to inform you."

"Jianqiu, go see them off. I need to rest for a while."

On the way back, my sister asked in confusion, "What happened to you just now? You're not like usual. You understood what the Queen said, but you pretended not to understand. Why is that?"

"Sister, you don't know. I just don't want the Queen to be wary of us too soon. We are weak and alone and cannot compete with Concubine Hua."

"If the Queen sees that we are too clever and difficult to control, she will not be at ease. For now, it is best to stay out of the spotlight."

"It's hard for you to think so much, but even the Queen has spoken to the Emperor and it's useless. What about your father's matter? Is there any other way?"

"A turning point in father's situation lies with my sister. If my sister can see the emperor, she only needs to persuade him to be fair. Although father is wrong, his crime does not deserve death."

This way my sister won’t be too embarrassed and won’t be suspicious of me.

"The Emperor may not see me right now. What if something else happens? I'm still worried."

"Don't worry, sister. Just remember what I said. It won't be a problem for me."

As soon as we returned, the emperor sent Su Peisheng to tell my sister to go there.

The emperor was very angry at the moment and refused to see anyone. He just asked Concubine Wan to go there.

"Sister, remember what I said. Just be careful and don't make things difficult for yourself."

My sister went with Su Peisheng.

The Emperor was sitting upright on the dragon couch at this moment. He looked at the person who came and finally smiled.

"Hanhuan, you're here."

"May your Majesty be blessed!"

"Come here and sit next to me. I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to come see you."

"Your Majesty is very busy with government affairs, and has so many things to do every day. I am very happy that he thought of me."

"How do you think I should deal with the matter of Lady An's father?"

"This is a matter of state affairs, and I dare not speak rashly."

It's okay, you and I are just chatting here, no one else will say anything.

When I have free time, I read books that often say, "Since ancient times, wise rulers have combined kindness and severity, and enforced the law strictly. Your Majesty is wise and intelligent, and will certainly investigate this case thoroughly."

"Hanhuan, you are truly my sweetheart."

The emperor's worries immediately disappeared and he was in a good mood.

At this time, in the prison, An Bihuai was trembling with fear, as if facing a powerful enemy.

It's dark and damp here, as depressing as hell.

My ears were filled with endless screams and howls. The yamen runners were escorting prisoners in prison uniforms, and the iron chains on their bodies made a clanging sound.

Every person who came in had almost no chance of leaving. Walking in, being carried out was the ultimate outcome.

An Bihuai had been locked up for two or three days at this time. Although he had not been interrogated, no jailer had tortured him.

But every day he listened to the wailing and heart-wrenching screams from the nearby cells, and he was almost scared silly.

I was afraid that it would be my turn the next moment.

There are all kinds of prisoners in the prison. Most of them are corrupt, take bribes, take human lives, and commit heinous crimes. There are also some poor people who speak out for justice and are framed.

In the room next to him lived a man who was convicted of corruption and bribery. Due to the huge amount of money involved, he had been sentenced to death and would be executed in the autumn.

The man's spirit had long been broken. He kept repeating the names of his wife and children every day. He was like a madman and could only hang on for a few more days.

According to people nearby, his wife, implicated because of him, spent all her family wealth searching for someone to rescue him. However, his beloved concubine had already taken away all the family property and children and ran away.

Poor wife of his, she shed tears every day, which made him feel guilty. Over time, she went crazy.

Hearing this, he thought of his wife at home. Although he was timid and a bit profit-driven, he had never done anything that was against the will of heaven. The only people he felt sorry for were his first wife and daughter.

He thought of the past.

At that time, he was still a small businessman selling spices. He met Lingrong's mother by chance. She was an embroiderer from Suzhou, very beautiful, gentle and good-natured, and her embroidery was excellent.

He fell in love with her at first sight, and they later got together. She made a lot of embroidery and donated a small official position for him. Although it was a small official position, it was still a career in the government.

He gradually rose to the position of magistrate of Songyang County, managing a small area. After entering the officialdom, he gradually became accustomed to the world of wine, women, money and power, and learned to be profit-driven.

He didn't treat her the same way as before. He married several concubines and let them bully her and her children. Those were his children too!

Now that he is behind bars, his concubines must have all run away. Who would be waiting to be convicted and thrown into jail together with him?

I guess she is the only one still waiting for him. What stupid things has he done over the years?

He despised her age and fading beauty, and he hadn't seen her for a long time. But she was so beautiful before, and she could have had better choices, but she had to endure the hardships with him...

Scenes from the past flashed before his eyes. He thought about everything in the past and felt even more guilty towards her and their Rong'er.

Rong'er has been calm and sensible since she was a child, with the same temperament as her mother. She has never caused me any trouble, unlike her sisters who are willful and capricious and often cause trouble.

But now Rong'er has been selected to enter the palace, and I will never see her again. Rong'er's entry into the palace as a concubine is an honor our family has never had.

Because of this, my career in the officialdom became much easier. The local officials and my colleagues in the officialdom all treated me with respect.

But now, I'm afraid everyone is avoiding me, afraid of being implicated by me.

This must be my karma. If I can still get out, I will definitely make it up to them. But, can I still get out?

This life might end here. With fear, guilt, and regret, An Bihuai slowly fell asleep...

He seemed to be dreaming of returning to the past, to the beautiful days when they first met...