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

An Lingrong sent her trusted maid to Ganlu Temple. Zhen Huan was chanting in the Buddhist temple. When she heard that Lingrong had sent someone, she was delighted and hurried out to meet her.

When Zhen Huan saw the palace maid, she asked softly, "Is Lingrong doing well in the palace?"

After paying her respects, the palace maid said, "Replying to Lady Wan, the Imperial Concubine is doing well in the palace, but there have been some twists and turns in the matter of Concubine Xia." She then told the story of Concubine Xia causing trouble, An Lingrong punishing her, Concubine Xia filing a complaint, and how the Emperor dealt with the matter.

Zhen Huan frowned slightly. "This Concubine Xia is so unruly. I must be more careful in the future. Lingrong has also suffered a lot, having to deal with me everywhere in the palace."

The palace maid continued, "The Imperial Concubine also said that you can practice peacefully in Ganlu Temple. She will keep an eye on all the movements in the palace and will definitely not let you be plotted against."

Zhen Huan nodded: "I understand Lingrong's painstaking efforts. You go back and tell her that I will also be cautious in my words and actions in Ganlu Temple. I only hope to survive this disaster as soon as possible."

After the maids left, Zhen Huan paced the courtyard alone. She knew the path to the harem was becoming increasingly difficult, and even within Ganlu Temple, she couldn't truly escape the strife. Speaking of her demotion to noble lady, Zhen Huan's heart was filled with bitterness. It turned out that during her time at Ganlu Temple, rumors had spread in the palace that she had been restless and had had affairs with men outside the temple. The Emperor was furious upon hearing this, and although he hadn't verified the facts, he ordered Zhen Huan's title of noble concubine stripped and demoted to noble lady Wan as a warning to others. Zhen Huan knew this was a deliberate frame-up, but she was powerless to defend herself and could only endure it silently.

An Lingrong was also not letting up in the palace. One day, while strolling in the Imperial Garden, she ran into Concubine Xia.

When Concubine Xia saw An Lingrong, her face was filled with sarcasm: "Noble Concubine An, how are you? Humph, how long do you think you can be so proud?"

An Lingrong looked at her coldly: "Xia Changzai, I advise you to restrain yourself and stop causing trouble."

Concubine Xia came closer and lowered her voice, saying, "Do you think that punishing me will make Zhen Huan's life easier? Her life in Ganlu Temple will not be so peaceful!"

An Lingrong was startled, but remained calm and composed: "If you dare to harm Sister Zhen Huan, I will not let you off easily!"

Xia Changzai sneered and said, "Let's wait and see!" Then he walked away.

An anxious An Lingrong hurried back to the palace, pondering how to respond. She felt she needed to discuss a comprehensive plan with Zhen Huan. So, she wrote another secret letter, mentioning Concubine Xia's threats and asking Zhen Huan if she had any ideas or leads.

After receiving the letter, Zhen Huan pondered for a long time. She thought of some strange signs that had been happening in Ganlu Temple recently, such as the strange pilgrims who were always wandering outside the temple, as if they were spying on something. She informed An Lingrong of these developments in her reply.

An Lingrong read the reply, feeling increasingly uneasy. She decided to find a trustworthy person to secretly protect Zhen Huan at Ganlu Temple. At this moment, she thought of her brother. Her brother was a man of integrity and martial arts prowess, and he was sure to take on this important task.

An Lingrong called her brother and said earnestly, "Brother, Sister Zhen Huan is in danger in Ganlu Temple. I can't trust anyone else. Only you can help me."

The elder brother nodded and said, "Don't worry, sister. I will never let Lady Wan get hurt."

After disguising himself, the elder brother quietly made his way to Ganlu Temple. Outside the temple, he spotted some suspicious individuals. He quietly lurked nearby, closely observing their every move.

Meanwhile, in the palace, An Lingrong was also trying to find out if there was someone else behind Concubine Xia's actions. She used her connections in the palace to gather information.

One day, her personal maid learned that Concubine Xia was in close contact with a nobleman from outside the palace, who seemed to be related to a senior official in the court. An Lingrong had a plan in mind. She decided to start with this nobleman to see if she could find something to hold Concubine Xia in check and prevent her from plotting against Zhen Huan.

Through some clever tactics, An Lingrong got to know the proprietress of a restaurant frequented by the nobleman. She struck up a conversation with the proprietress under the pretext of buying some unique spices.

An Lingrong smiled and said, "Madam, I heard that your restaurant is often frequented by dignitaries. If I could sell my spices here, it would definitely complement the restaurant."

The proprietress smiled and replied, "The Imperial Concubine's spices are naturally excellent, but this restaurant's clientele is quite complex. Take, for example, Mr. Xia, who comes here so often. He's not someone you'd want to mess with."

An Lingrong pretended to be casual and asked, "Oh? Who is this Mr. Xia?"

The proprietress lowered her voice and said, "This Mr. Xia is related to Concubine Xia. He seems to have some supporters in the court. He often discusses things with some people in this restaurant. I am a small business owner and I don't dare to ask too much."

An Lingrong's heart moved. "So, this Young Master Xia is quite an interesting person. Madam, if he comes again next time, could you please let me know?"

The proprietress hesitated: "This... Your Majesty, I'm afraid of getting into trouble."

An Lingrong took out a silver ingot and said, "Don't worry, Madam. You and I are the only ones who know about this matter. If anything goes wrong, I will protect you."

The proprietress, blinded by the money, agreed: "Very well, Madam, if I know anything, I will tell you."

An Lingrong returned to the palace, patiently awaiting news. She knew the battle with Concubine Xia's backing had only just begun, and she needed to be cautious and tread carefully at every step to protect Zhen Huan and maintain her foothold in this perilous harem. Gazing out the window at the moonlight, she silently prayed, hoping her brother would be well at Ganlu Temple, and that she could quickly uncover Concubine Xia's flaws and put an end to the turmoil.