The Legend of Zhen Huan: Rebirth of Ling Rong

"I pay my respects to Concubine Wan!" Madam Zhen bowed in compliance with her duty.

"Why didn't Mother bring Yu Rao with her today? She rarely gets to visit the palace, so she always wants to come and see me."

"Ever since your father got promoted, people have been coming to give him gifts and congratulations. Yu Rao is attending a gathering of noble ladies in the capital today, so she won't have time to visit the Empress."

"Father's promotion is all due to the Emperor's grace. I hope Mother will remind him to be careful in everything he does, to be cautious in his words and deeds, so as not to be taken advantage of by someone with influence."

"Of course, your Majesty's concerns are also what I am concerned about. But your father is usually very cautious. He just likes to buy some ancient relics to appreciate, and he is not cautious about anything else." Mrs. Zhen said.

"Mother, I want to take Huanbi as my sister. When it is convenient, please find a man of good character in the court for Huanbi. That way, she can have a good home."

"And Liuzhu, she and I grew up together and have a deep bond. If this can happen, it will be the fulfillment of one of my wishes."

When Mrs. Zhen heard this, she looked obviously uncomfortable and a little unhappy, but she soon returned to normal.

"Of course. Huanbi and Liu grew up with the Empress, so they naturally have a good relationship. Your father and I will keep an eye on them. But it's getting late, and I should go back!"

Madam Zhen stood up and bowed to take her leave.

"Why are you leaving right after arriving, mother? Why don't you spend more time with me?"

"I have been in the palace for a long time. Others will say that Your Majesty is spoiled and arrogant. There is a long time to come. Your Majesty should take care of yourself in the future."

Mrs. Zhen said with some reluctance.

"Yes, mother is always cautious, and her daughter knows that."

Mrs. Zhen left reluctantly.

Because of her meritorious service in exposing Nian Da Ying's crimes, Cao Qinmo was promoted to concubine by the emperor and given the title of Xiang.

But at this moment, Cao Qinmo wanted much more than that.

"A mere concubine position is not enough. I want to climb up step by step. The higher I climb, the better Wen Yi's future will be. I will have a better chance of marrying a good concubine in the future."

"Hua Fei is unreliable, and Wan Fei is even less so. They only came together for profit and will disperse when the profit is gone. If one day Wan Fei blocks my path to becoming a concubine, I will still not show any mercy."

Cao Qinmo said to the maid beside her.

The emperor went to visit the empress dowager and told Cao Qinmo about her crime of exposing Concubine Hua and betraying her former master.

"Cao Qinmo is just like Concubine Wan. She is too smart, which is not a good thing." The Queen Mother said righteously.

"The Emperor must have thought carefully about Nian Gengyao's matter. If we don't get rid of the roots of the problem, it will probably grow again in the spring breeze!" The Empress Dowager was worried about Nian Gengyao.

"What does the Empress Dowager mean?" the Emperor asked the Empress Dowager.

"The Emperor has come this far with great difficulty. I will never allow anyone or anything to affect the Emperor and his ancestors' legacy."

The emperor hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed with the empress dowager's idea.

Su Peisheng went to convey the imperial edict, ordering Nian Gengyao to commit suicide, Nian Fu to be executed, and all his sons over the age of fifteen to be garrisoned on the border.

The empress dowager was very satisfied after hearing this, and slowly said: "The matter of Nian Gengyao has been resolved. The emperor does not need to tell Wanpin about many things in the future!" The empress dowager said to the emperor earnestly.

"Yes, son, I know." The emperor replied respectfully.

"Although the incident of Nian Gengyao is over, there are still people in the court who are as naive as him and take advantage of the emperor's favor. They must be cleared out one by one." The emperor looked at the empress dowager and said meaningfully.

"Longkodo is already old, the emperor can let him go back to enjoy his remaining years." The empress dowager spoke softly to the emperor.

After hearing this, the emperor showed a look of surprise on his face. He looked at the empress dowager and said, "Uncle Longkodo, why did the empress dowager think of him when I didn't mention him?" The emperor asked in pretended surprise.

The Queen Mother smiled slightly, a barely perceptible emotion flashing in her eyes, and she softly replied, "It just occurred to me suddenly. It's up to the Emperor to make the decision."

After the emperor left, the empress dowager asked Zhu Xi beside her, "What do you think the emperor means? After Nian Gengyao, is Longkodo the next person he wants to get rid of?"

Zhuxi replied: "Empress Dowager, the Emperor is not an ungrateful person!"

"But I've heard that Longkodo has recommended many officials to form their own factions..."

The Queen Mother sighed softly.

It was already the second day when Nian agreed to hear the emperor's decision on how to deal with Nian Gengyao.

"Empress, it's bad. The general..." Songzhi hesitated at this time.

"What's wrong? Songzhi, what happened to your brother?" Nian Ying asked anxiously.

"The Emperor issued an edict yesterday, ordering the general to commit suicide, the eldest son to be executed, and all sons over the age of fifteen to be stationed at the border. Your Majesty, please accept my condolences!" Songzhi knelt down crying.

When Nian Da Ying heard the news, it was like a bolt from the blue. He froze, his face turned pale as paper, his lips trembled slightly, and his body began to shake.

She stared at the front with her eyes wide open, looking in disbelief, as if the world had collapsed. Suddenly, her vision went black, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Empress!" Songzhi shouted in panic, her voice full of fear and anxiety.

She hurried forward to support Nian Yingda, but Nian Yingda was so heavy that Songzhi couldn't lift her up. She looked around anxiously and shouted, "Help! Help! The queen has fainted..."

When Nian Shilan woke up in a daze, it was already night.

She slowly opened her eyes, and everything in front of her was blurry. It took a long time for the scene to become clear.

I saw a figure lying on the bed and sleeping. Upon closer inspection, it was Songzhi.

She moved her body slightly and felt weak all over, as if all her energy had been drained away. She wanted to get up but couldn't for a long time.

When Songzhi heard the noise, she suddenly raised her head and saw that she had woken up. A happy expression appeared on her face: "Empress, you are finally awake!" As she said that, Songzhi quickly got up, helped her up, and held a bowl of water to her mouth.

She drank a few sips of water and her throat felt a little better, but the grief in her heart did not diminish at all.

Thinking of my brother, tears welled up in my eyes again and slid down my cheeks.

She looked up at the empty room, which was once filled with laughter and joy, and where she and the emperor had spent countless sweet moments.

At that time, the emperor doted on her very much and often stayed with her. The other concubines were envious and jealous of her.

But now, everything has changed and she is heartbroken.

Closing my eyes, I recalled every moment I spent with the Emperor. Those beautiful moments have now become a distant past.

At that time, she and the emperor were so happy and loving...

But now, all of this has come to nothing. She never thought that the emperor would one day be so cruel as to personally issue those orders.

"elder brother……"

She cried bitterly, as if she had shed all the tears in her life, until her eyes were red and swollen and she could no longer cry.

She turned around and lay down, never getting up again.

Songzhi saw it and felt pain in her heart.