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

Zhen Huan was the first to break the silence. She bit her lower lip lightly, her eyes full of worry: "Lingrong, this fire is so fierce and it is definitely not accidental. Look at the direction the fire is spreading, it seems to be heading towards our residence." As she spoke, she raised her hand slightly and pointed to the sky that was illuminated red by the fire, her fingers trembling slightly.

An Lingrong frowned, her eyes fixed on the raging fire. Her face was slightly pale, and her hair on her forehead was soaked with sweat: "Sister, let's not panic for now. The most urgent thing is to ensure the safety of everyone in the palace, especially those palace maids and eunuchs. They may not be able to protect themselves in this fire." As she spoke, she unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand.

Zhen Huan nodded in agreement. She turned to Xiao Yunzi beside her and instructed, "Xiao Yunzi, take some people with you and go to each palace to check. Save those who can be saved and make sure to minimize casualties." Xiao Yunzi took the order and left. Her figure quickly disappeared in the fire.

At this time, Chun'er also hurried over, her eyes were full of fear, her eyes were red, and tears were rolling in her eyes: "Sisters, what should we do? I'm so scared!" She threw herself into Zhen Huan's arms, her body trembling constantly, and her hands tightly grasped the corner of Zhen Huan's clothes.

Zhen Huan gently patted Chun'er's back and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Chun'er. We are here. Let's find a safe place to take shelter first."

An Lingrong looked around, thought for a moment, and then said, "Sister, let's go to the cold palace. It's in a remote area, so the fire might not spread there. Besides, the area around is open and relatively safe."

Zhen Huan agreed, and the three of them, along with several of their personal maids, hurried towards the cold palace. Along the way, thick smoke billowed, making it difficult for them to breathe. They could only cover their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs and move forward with difficulty.

When they arrived near the cold palace, they found that it was not peaceful here either. The door to the cold palace was closed, but there was a burst of noise coming from inside. Zhen Huan was confused and knocked on the door: "Who is in there? Why is there so much noise?"

A woman's voice came from inside the door: "Is this Concubine Wan? Please save us! For some reason, this cold palace has suddenly caught fire and we are trapped inside!"

Zhen Huan was startled. She looked at An Lingrong and said, "Lingrong, what should we do?"

An Lingrong said calmly, "Sister, let the guards break down the door first. Saving people is the most important thing."

The guards worked together to break open the door to the cold palace, and a thick smoke rushed in. The palace maids and eunuchs in the cold palace rushed out one after another, all of them in a state of disarray, their faces full of fear.

Zhen Huan spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. It was the once-favored Concubine Li. Li, now haggard and with disheveled hair, saw Zhen Huan and a complex expression flashed across her eyes, one of gratitude and guilt. "Empress Wan, thank you so much for saving my life."

Zhen Huan frowned slightly: "Sister Lipin, why are you here?"

Lipin sighed, "Ever since I fell from favor, I've been banished to the cold palace. I thought I'd spend the rest of my life here, but I didn't expect to encounter this fire."

An Lingrong looked at Lipin, and something in her mind moved: "Sister Lipin, have you noticed anything unusual in the cold palace? This fire is too strange."

Lipin shook her head. "I've been living in the cold palace in a daze, and haven't paid much attention. But recently, I've often heard some strange noises, as if someone is moving around in the dark."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong looked at each other. They knew that this might be an important clue.

At that moment, Xiao Yunzi arrived to report, "Your Majesty, the fire has been somewhat brought under control, but the Imperial Hospital has been severely damaged, and many precious medicinal herbs have been burned. Furthermore, some charred pieces of cloth were found near the fire, and they appear to have some strange patterns on them."

An Lingrong took the piece of cloth and examined it carefully. Her eyes grew more serious. "Sister, I've never seen this pattern before, but it looks like a marking. Could someone have left it there intentionally to confuse us?"

Zhen Huan pondered for a moment: "In any case, put this piece of cloth away first. We will study it carefully after returning to the palace."

Everyone returned to Zhen Huan's palace. Although the palace had not been completely burned down by the fire, it was still in ruins. The maids and eunuchs were busy cleaning up the rubble. Zhen Huan, An Lingrong, and Chun'er sat aside, discussing a countermeasure.

Chun Er suddenly said, "Sisters, do you think it was the remnants of Concubine Hua who did this? They have always held a grudge against you sisters and want revenge."

Zhen Huan shook her head. "Concubine Hua has fallen. While her remnants may stir up trouble, I have a feeling this matter is more complicated than that. There must be a larger force behind this."

An Lingrong nodded in agreement: "Sister, you are right. We can't just focus on the remnants of Concubine Hua. We need to investigate from other aspects as well."

At this time, Mei Zhuang came to visit. Seeing the tragic situation in Zhen Huan's palace, she was very sad: "Sister, what is going on? Who is so cruel and wants to kill you?"

Zhen Huan briefly recounted what had happened. After hearing this, Mei Zhuang angrily said, "There are so many conspiracies and intrigues in this harem. We must be careful and prevent them from succeeding."

An Lingrong looked at Mei Zhuang and said, "Sister Mei Zhuang, you have a wide network of contacts in the palace. Could you help us keep an eye out for any suspicious people or things recently?"

Mei Zhuang nodded: "Don't worry, Lingrong, I will keep an eye on it."

In the following days, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong worked on rebuilding their residence while secretly investigating the fire. They found that before the fire, some strange craftsmen had entered the palace, claiming to be repairing the palace, but the identities of these craftsmen were very suspicious.

Zhen Huan ordered Xiao Yunzi: "Go and check the origins of those craftsmen and find out who sent them."

Xiao Yunzi took the order and left. After some investigation, he returned to report: "Your Majesty, those craftsmen were hired privately by a minor official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and this minor official has a close relationship with a minister in the court."

Zhen Huan was startled: "Which minister?"

Xiao Yunzi lowered his voice and said, "It's General Su, an old subordinate of Nian Gengyao."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong suddenly realized that all this was a conspiracy planned by General Su to avenge Nian Gengyao.

Zhen Huan sneered, "Does he think he can succeed? We must expose his conspiracy and make him receive the punishment he deserves."

An Lingrong said, "Sister, let's gather all the evidence first and then report it to the Emperor. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the Emperor with nothing but empty words."

So, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong investigated more carefully. They found the hiding place of the craftsmen and found a lot of evidence related to the fire, including gunpowder and fire starters.

When they came before the emperor with the evidence, he was furious: "How dare General Su be so audacious! Does he still regard me as the emperor?"

The emperor immediately ordered that General Su and his accomplices be thrown into prison and severely punished.

After this incident, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong's positions in the harem became more stable. They knew that in this harem full of conspiracies and calculations, only by constantly strengthening themselves can they protect themselves and the people around them.

One sunny day, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were strolling in the Imperial Garden. Looking at the blossoming flowers, Zhen Huan sighed softly, "Lingrong, the harem's struggles are just like these flowers—beautiful on the surface, but lurking dangers."

An Lingrong held Zhen Huan's hand and said, "Sister, as long as we are united, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we can handle them calmly."

However, what they don't know is that in this seemingly peaceful harem, another crisis is quietly brewing...