The Legend of Zhen Huan: Rebirth of An Lingrong: Counterattack to Become the Queen Mother

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong hurried along, their sleeves fluttering in the wind. An Lingrong's face was pale, but her eyes held a resolute look. She clutched the handkerchief tightly, as if it were the source of her entire strength. Zhen Huan, on the other hand, frowned, her lips pursed, and she stared straight ahead, her gaze thick with worry, like a dark cloud.

Upon entering Chuxiu Palace, an oppressive atmosphere overwhelmed me. The palace maids and eunuchs were all silent, heads bowed, not daring to utter a single breath. The ground was a mess, with shards of broken porcelain scattered everywhere, as if silently telling of the violent events that had just occurred.

Zhen Huan spoke first. Although her voice was not loud, it was full of majesty: "What's going on? Who is so rude here?" Her eyes were like torches, sweeping over the crowd. Everyone lowered their heads and no one dared to answer.

An Lingrong approached Zhen Huan and whispered, "Sister, looking at the situation, I'm afraid there must be a big dispute." She frowned slightly, her eyes full of confusion and uneasiness, and her slender fingers unconsciously tugged at the corner of her clothes.

At this moment, a young palace maid trembled as she stepped forward, knelt down with a plop, and said in a trembling voice, "My ladies, Concubine Xia and Lady Chun had an argument. Concubine Xia... Concubine Xia smashed a lot of things in her rage."

Zhen Huan's eyes flashed: "Why are you arguing? Chun'er has always been innocent and kind, how could she have a conflict with her?" There was a hint of anxiety in her tone, and her hands clenched unconsciously.

The young maid hesitated, as if afraid of getting into trouble by telling the truth, but under Zhen Huan's gaze, she whispered, "Mrs. Chun accidentally bumped into Concubine Xia, who then wouldn't give in and insulted her. She was so angry she retorted a few times, and then Concubine Xia... started to fight."

An Lingrong's heart tightened. She knew very well how arrogant and domineering Concubine Xia was, and she was also worried about Chun'er's safety. She hurriedly said, "Sister, let's go see Chun'er first."

Zhen Huan nodded, and the two of them walked quickly towards Chun'er's residence. When they opened the door, they saw Chun'er sitting on the edge of the bed, her eyes red and tears welling up in them. Seeing Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, she burst into tears, like a wronged child meeting her family: "Sisters, Concubine Xia is too bullying!"

Zhen Huan hurriedly walked forward, took Chun'er into her arms, and patted her back gently: "Chun'er, don't cry, sister is here, and will never let you suffer any grievances." Her eyes were full of heartache, and she gently stroked Chun'er's hair.

An Lingrong also stepped forward and comforted her softly: "Chun'er, tell us what happened?" She squatted down, raised her head and looked at Chun'er, with concern and inquiry in her eyes.

Chun Er sobbed and said, "I was playing in the garden and saw a beautiful flower. I wanted to pick it and give it to my sisters, but I accidentally bumped into Concubine Xia. I apologized, but she scolded me for being an unruly girl and said she was going to teach me a lesson. I got so angry that I accused her of bullying, so she pushed me and had someone smash my things."

After hearing this, Zhen Huan's face darkened terribly: "Xia Changzai is so arrogant, she must not be let off easily." A trace of anger flashed in her eyes, and her fists clenched.

An Lingrong stood up and said, "Sister, this matter needs to be considered carefully. Concubine Xia has Concubine Hua's support behind her, so we can't act rashly." She frowned slightly, a hint of worry in her eyes, and bit her lower lip lightly.

Zhen Huan took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Lingrong is right. We can't be impulsive. But we can't just let it go. We must find a way to teach Concubine Xia a lesson."

At this moment, Xia Changzai arrived uninvited. She held her head high and strode into the room with a smug sneer on her face: "Oh, are you planning how to deal with me?"

Zhen Huan looked at her coldly: "Concubine Xia, you bully Chun'er for no reason. Aren't you afraid of the emperor's blame?" Her eyes were as cold as a knife, stabbing straight at Concubine Xia.

However, Concubine Xia snorted disapprovingly: "Blame? Concubine Chun offended me, and I only gave her a slight punishment. How could the emperor blame me? But you guys, don't try to confuse right and wrong." She crossed her arms, her eyes full of arrogance.

An Lingrong stepped forward and said softly, "Concubine Xia, this palace emphasizes harmonious coexistence. You are so aggressive, aren't you afraid of losing people's hearts?" Her eyes were calm, but revealed an invisible pressure, and she raised her chin slightly.

Concubine Xia sneered, "People's hearts? I don't care about that. In this harem, only the strong can survive. If you know what's good for you, stay out of my business."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged glances, each seeing determination in the other's eyes. Zhen Huan said, "Xia Changzai, you are wrong. Although there may be conflict in the harem, justice and kindness will never be buried. You will pay the price for your actions today."

Concubine Xia was enraged by Zhen Huan's words. She took a step forward, as if she wanted to take action, but when she saw the vigilant looks from the palace maids and eunuchs behind Zhen Huan, she stopped: "Okay, I'll see what you can do to me!" After that, she turned around and left angrily.

After Xia Changzai left, Chun'er said worriedly, "Sisters, she won't let this go. What should we do?"

Zhen Huan pondered for a moment and said, "Chun'er, don't worry, the sisters will protect you. Lingrong, let's go back to our respective palaces and think about how to deal with it."

An Lingrong nodded: "Okay, sister. I will check the spices when I get back to see if I can make a spice that can calm people down. Maybe it will have some effect on Concubine Xia." A trace of thought flashed in her eyes, and her fingers tapped her temples lightly.

Back at the palace, An Lingrong dove headfirst into the spice room. She carefully selected the various spices, her eyes focused and serious, muttering to herself, "Jasmine soothes the mood, lavender calms the mind, and a little mint..." Her hands expertly blended the spices, their movements light and graceful.

Zhen Huan paced the palace, thinking about how to use the palace rules and Xia Changzai's weaknesses to teach her a lesson. She stopped at times, frowned at times, and her eyes flashed with wisdom.

The next day, Zhen Huan invited several respected concubines to the palace for tea, including Concubine Xia. Although Concubine Xia was puzzled, she still came to the appointment.

Everyone sat together, drinking tea and chatting. Zhen Huan smiled and said, "I invited you sisters here today to share some interesting stories from the palace with you and to enhance the friendship between sisters." Her eyes were gentle, with a faint smile on her lips. She raised her hand slightly to signal the palace maids to serve tea.

After three rounds of tea, Zhen Huan changed the subject and said, "The etiquette in the palace is an important matter that demonstrates the royal style. Concubine Xia, you have always been smart and must have a lot of experience in etiquette. Why not share one or two with the sisters?" Her eyes seemed harmless, but with a hint of imperceptible provocation, and she looked straight at Concubine Xia.

Xia Changzai was shocked. She knew that Zhen Huan was deliberately making things difficult for her, but it was difficult to refuse. She had to bite the bullet and said, "When it comes to etiquette, we must follow the rules of our ancestors and there must not be any mistakes. For example, when paying respects, we must have a straight posture and respectful words..."

Zhen Huan nodded and smiled: "What Concubine Xia said is absolutely right. But I heard yesterday that Concubine Xia and Concubine Chun had an argument, and that situation seemed a bit contrary to the code of etiquette." Her smile was still gentle, but her tone was a little reproachful. She stared at Concubine Xia, observing her reaction.

Concubine Xia's face changed, and she was about to retort, but Zhen Huan said, "But I believe Concubine Xia was just impulsive. Today, in front of all the sisters, you might as well apologize to Concubine Chun and show Concubine Xia's magnanimity." There was unquestionable majesty in her eyes, and she raised her chin slightly.

Xia Changzai was furious, but she didn't dare to lash out. She gritted her teeth and said, "It was Chun Changzai who bumped into me first. What's my fault?"

At this time, An Lingrong said, "Xia Changzai, it is inevitable that there will be bumps and bruises when sisters in the palace get along with each other. If they all make a big fuss like yesterday, wouldn't the harem be in chaos? Besides, Chun Changzai is still young and it was an unintentional mistake. Why should Xia Changzai be so petty?" Her eyes were calm, but with an invisible persuasive power, and she gently put down the teacup in her hand.

The other concubines also echoed: "Yes, Xia Changzai, it is still more important to maintain peace."

Seeing that everyone was on Zhen Huan and An Lingrong's side, Concubine Xia was reluctant, but she also knew that if she continued to be stubborn, she would definitely give people a reason to criticize her. She glared at Zhen Huan fiercely, stood up, and said reluctantly, "Forget it. For the sake of all the sisters, I will not argue with Concubine Chun today."

Zhen Huan smiled slightly: "Concubine Xia is indeed very understanding. I hope that in the future we sisters can live in harmony and serve the emperor together." A hint of victory flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it and picked up the teacup to take a sip.

The storm seems to have subsided, but both Zhen Huan and An Lingrong know that this is just a small episode in the harem struggle. In this harem full of conspiracy and calculation, they will face more challenges and crises.

Days passed, and a grand banquet was held in the palace. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong dressed up and went to the banquet venue hand in hand.

The banquet was filled with singing and dancing, and the food and wine were delicious. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong sat in their seats, enjoying the music and dancing with the other concubines. However, An Lingrong felt a vague unease. She whispered to Zhen Huan, "Sister, I have a feeling something is wrong tonight. It seems like something is going to happen." A hint of worry flashed in her eyes, and she frowned slightly, gently setting down her wine glass.

Zhen Huan's heart tightened: "Lingrong, why do you feel this way?" A hint of vigilance flashed in her eyes. She looked around but didn't find anything unusual.

An Lingrong shook her head. "I can't really explain it, it's just a hunch. Sister, we should be careful."

At this moment, the singing and dancing on the stage suddenly stopped. A young eunuch hurried forward and said in a panic, "Your Majesty, this is bad! The Imperial Garden has suddenly caught fire!"

Everyone's faces changed. The emperor stood up and shouted, "Send people to put out the fire quickly!"

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged a glance, each seeing worry in the other's eyes. They knew that someone must have been behind this fire, and they were about to fall into a new crisis...