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

After returning to the temple and bidding farewell to Zhen Huan, An Lingrong set out on the journey back to the palace. On the way back, she felt increasingly uneasy. Concubine Xia was causing such trouble today. Could someone be behind this, deliberately testing Zhen Huan? And who knows when the matter of Prince Guo will be exposed? If that day comes, what will she do?

That night, An Lingrong rested at an inn on her way back to the palace. She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The secret of her rebirth lingered in her heart. She couldn't help but wonder if her rebirth had disrupted her destiny, leading to all these events. But now, she could only do everything she could to protect Zhen Huan, determined not to let the tragedy of her past life repeat itself. As she pondered, she secretly resolved to find a way out for herself and Zhen Huan in this treacherous harem. However, the unknown fate of love hung over their heads like a dark cloud, threatening to bring down disaster at any moment.

The next day, after An Lingrong returned to the palace, she heard that Concubine Xia was acting recklessly in the palace again, and she had something to worry about. She sent someone to summon Concubine Xia to her palace.

When Xia Changyi came, her face was full of arrogance:

"Noble Concubine An, what do you want to call me for?"

An Lingrong smiled lightly:

"Xia Changzai, I heard that you have been quite restless in the palace recently."

Xia Changzai subconsciously retorted:

"I'm just following the palace rules, how can I say I'm restless?"

An Lingrong's eyes turned cold:

"Yesterday at Ganlu Temple, you were so rude to Sister Zhen Huan, but have you forgotten your own status?"

Xia Changzai hummed:

"So what about Zhen Huan? She only gained favor through some seductive tricks!"

An Lingrong shouted angrily:

"Shut up! Sister Zhen Huan is gentle and kind, don't slander her here! You deliberately provoked trouble yesterday, I will never tolerate you!"

Xia Changzai was a little panicked:

"How dare you punish me? My father is an important official in the court!"

An Lingrong said slowly:

"Even though your father holds a high position and great power within the harem, I will only follow the palace rules. Today, I will punish you by making you kneel for three full hours in the Buddhist temple, burning incense and praying for the empress dowager. You must not slack off for even a moment, and no one else is allowed to do it for you."

Xia Changzai widened his eyes:

"How could you do this! This Buddhist temple is gloomy and cold. Three hours will kill me!"

An Lingrong remained unmoved:

"This is the price you pay for disrespecting Sister Zhen Huan. If you dare to do it again, I will not let you off lightly."

Although Concubine Xia was unwilling, she had no choice but to go to the Buddhist temple under An Lingrong's majesty. But how could she swallow this anger? As soon as she came out of the Buddhist temple, she went straight to the emperor's study.

Upon seeing the Emperor, Consort Xia knelt down with a plop, her face full of grievance and resentment:

"Your Majesty, please make the decision for me!"

The emperor frowned:

"What's wrong with you?"

Xia Changzai cried and said:

"Your Majesty, Concubine An punished me by making me kneel in the Buddhist temple for three hours without any reason! The temple was cold and damp, and my knees still hurt so much. I feel so wronged!"

The emperor's face darkened.

"Why did Concubine An punish you?"

Xia Changzai rolled his eyes:

"I only spoke a few words to her, and she became angry and accused me of being disrespectful to Zhen Huan. But I never meant that! I have always respected Empress Zhen Huan, and I may have been a little careless in my words, but that's not a crime that warrants such a severe punishment!"

Not long after, An Lingrong also learned that Concubine Xia had complained to the emperor, and she hurried to explain to the emperor.

An Lingrong bowed respectfully and said:

"Your Majesty, I have a reason to punish Concubine Xia. Yesterday at Ganlu Temple, Concubine Xia was offensive to Sister Zhen Huan and her attitude was extremely bad. Although Sister Zhen Huan is cultivating at Ganlu Temple, she is a person of high moral character and holds considerable prestige within the harem. Concubine Xia's actions were truly inappropriate and disruptive to the harmony of the harem. As a member of the harem, I saw this and punished her according to palace rules in order to maintain order and peace within the harem. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor fell into deep thought. He was well aware of the complexities of the harem. An Lingrong and Zhen Huan had always had a harmonious relationship, while Concubine Xia was indeed arrogant. However, Concubine Xia's father was quite powerful in the court, so he couldn't deal with her lightly.

The emperor spoke slowly:

"I am aware of this matter. Although your intentions were good, the punishment of kneeling for three hours is indeed too harsh. Concubine Xia also deserves punishment for her inappropriate words. I think that Concubine Xia should be punished by confining herself to her own palace for five days to reflect on her mistakes and copying the "Nu De Jing" (The Book of Women's Virtues) ten times as a warning to others. Concubine An, please do not pursue this matter further."

Although An Lingrong felt that the emperor's punishment was a bit lenient towards Concubine Xia, she did not dare to say anything more and could only respond:

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey Your Majesty's orders."

Although Concubine Xia was unwilling in her heart, she did not dare to disobey the emperor's order and had to thank him.

An Lingrong returned to her palace and sat on the couch, her expression solemn. Her personal maid brought her a cup of tea and said softly, "Your Majesty, don't worry about this anymore. Have some tea and rest."

An Lingrong shook her head gently. "When will there ever be a moment of peace in this harem? Even though Concubine Xia's matter today is over, she will definitely not let it go. She will definitely cause trouble again in the future."

The palace maid said worriedly, "What should we do? Your Majesty and Concubine Wan are far apart, so it's inconvenient to contact each other. You must be extremely careful."

An Lingrong frowned slightly. "I can only hope that everything goes smoothly for you, sister, in Ganlu Temple. I will also keep a close eye on all the movements in the palace, and make sure that no one with ulterior motives takes advantage of you."

Afterwards, An Lingrong sent a trusted palace maid to Ganlu Temple to bring a letter to Zhen Huan, informing her of what had happened in the palace and asking Zhen Huan to be vigilant and not be plotted against by others.