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

Zhen Huan took a deep breath and said to An Lingrong, "Lingrong, the waters of this harem are too deep. We are like groping in the dark, and we never know when we will fall into a trap. What do you think this nanny is planning?"

An Lingrong gently patted Zhen Huan's hand: "Huan'er, don't be afraid. As long as we are together, there will always be a way. I don't believe those people can always succeed! This nanny must have something to rely on to be so stubborn, but we are not easy to fool."

After a long time, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong immediately became alert, their eyes fixed on the door. The door slowly opened, and the maid walked in. Seeing Zhen Huan and An Lingrong in the room, she was slightly startled, but quickly regained her composure.

Zhen Huan was the first to speak: "Mammy, you've been gone for so long, you've kept us waiting! Mammy, are you having a smooth journey?"

The nanny bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was just running some errands and was delayed for a while."

An Lingrong sneered, "Mammy, please don't try to fool us. Tell us the truth about where you went and who you met! Do you think we're all naive women?"

The nanny raised her head, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, but she still pretended to be calm and said, "Madam Rong, I was just walking around the palace and didn't do anything wrong."

Zhen Huan stood up and slowly approached the maid. "Mammy, do you think we are fools? Long Yue saw you sneaking around outside the imperial study, and you still dare to quibble! Are you doing this to implicate Long Yue?"

The nanny plodded to her knees and said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I was just cleaning and had no ill intentions."

An Lingrong stepped forward, squatted down, and looked at the maid. "Mammy, if you tell the truth now, perhaps we can give you a lighter sentence. If we wait until we find out, you won't be so lucky! You've been in this palace for many years, you should know the seriousness of the matter."

Beads of sweat appeared on the nanny's forehead. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "My Lady, I am really just following orders. The other slaves don't know anything."

Zhen Huan frowned. "Following orders? On whose orders? Mammy, you'd better think carefully before answering. If you persist, don't blame us for being ruthless."

The nanny gritted her teeth and said, "My Lady, I can't tell you. If I tell you, I'll die."

An Lingrong stood up and said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, it seems this nanny is determined not to speak. We can't let her go so easily. We have to find a way to make her talk. What do you think of locking her up?"

Zhen Huan hesitated: "Wouldn't this be too cruel? After all, she is also an old lady in the palace."

An Lingrong looked at Zhen Huan and said, "Huan'er, this harem is not a place for mercy. To be kind to the enemy is to be cruel to oneself. If not, how can we protect ourselves and Longyue?"

Zhen Huan sighed, "Well, that's all we can do. I hope she can figure it out soon."

So, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong ordered people to lock the nanny in a remote room and only give her a small amount of water.

A day later, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong went to check on her. The nurse was already somewhat weak, but still refused to speak.

Zhen Huan looked at the maid, feeling a little sorry. "Mammy, why are you doing this? As long as you tell us who is behind this, we can spare your life. You don't want your family to be implicated because of your stubbornness, do you?"

The nanny said weakly, "My lady, I cannot tell you. I have family members and I cannot bring trouble to them."

An Lingrong said from the side: "Mammy, do you think your family will be safe if you don't tell us? If the emperor knows about this conspiracy, your family will be in even greater trouble. If you cooperate, we can even plead for you and keep your family safe."

After hearing what An Lingrong said, the nanny showed a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Zhen Huan struck while the iron was hot: "Mammy, if you tell us now, we can protect your family and keep them from being implicated. Think carefully about which is more important."

The nurse was silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Your Majesty, it was Concubine Li. She is jealous of your favor and dissatisfied with your rising status in the palace. That's why she came up with this conspiracy to frame you."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were shocked when they heard this.

Zhen Huan angrily said, "Princess Li! I have no grudge against her, why is she so cruel? Is there no room for sisterhood in this harem?"

An Lingrong sneered, "Huan'er, there's no such thing as a free grudge in this harem. It's all just a fight for favor. In this palace, favor means status and power. How could she willingly be overpowered by us?"

Zhen Huan calmed down: "Lingrong, what should we do now? Tell the Emperor? But what if the Emperor doesn't believe us?"

An Lingrong thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry. We have to come up with a foolproof plan. We can't give Concubine Li a chance to bite us back. We have to have conclusive evidence that will convince the Emperor."

Zhen Huan nodded: "You are right. But what should we do? I am very confused now. Lingrong, please make a decision."

An Lingrong paced around the room. "We can first gather some evidence, such as the source of the spices and the connection between Nanny and Lipin. Once we have solid evidence, we can tell the Emperor and leave her with no excuse. In the meantime, we must be careful not to reveal our true intentions."

Zhen Huan agreed, "Okay, as you say. Lingrong, I'm going to have to work hard on you again this time. You're so thoughtful, and without you, I really don't know what I would do."

An Lingrong smiled and said, "Huan'er, there's no need for such polite words between us. We are sisters, sharing happiness and hardship. Your business is my business, and I will do my best."

So, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong began to secretly investigate Lipin. They found that Lipin often had secret contact with a young eunuch, and this young eunuch was the one who had contacted the nanny in the remote palace before.

Zhen Huan said to An Lingrong, "Lingrong, it seems we've found the right direction. As long as we catch this young eunuch, we'll have no problem finding evidence. But this young eunuch is bound to be cunning. How can we successfully capture him?"

An Lingrong nodded. "However, we must proceed with caution. We must not let Concubine Li notice our actions. I think we can send someone to keep an eye on him first, figure out his movements, and then find a suitable opportunity to strike."

Zhen Huan's eyes lit up: "Lingrong, this is a very good plan. Let's do it this way. We must completely expose Lipin's conspiracy."

They made a plan and decided to capture the young eunuch one night when he was out.

At night, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, along with their guards, set up an ambush on the path the young eunuch had to take. The young eunuch, unaware of the situation, walked slowly. When he reached the ambush, the guards swarmed over him and captured him.

The young eunuch looked at Zhen Huan and An Lingrong in horror: "Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, I didn't do anything!"

Zhen Huan said sternly, "How dare you quibble! We all know about your conspiracy with Lipin. If you tell the truth, perhaps we can spare your life. If you continue to be stubborn, don't blame us for being ruthless."

The young eunuch overheard the incident and, realizing the truth had been revealed, confessed everything. It turned out that Concubine Li had obtained a special incense from outside the palace, intending to burn it in Zhen Huan's palace, causing her to fall unconscious and then pin the blame on An Lingrong. The maid was the one responsible for relaying information and placing the incense in the palace.

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong obtained evidence and decided to meet the emperor.

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was furious: "How dare Concubine Li act so boldly! I will not let her off easily!"

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong presented the evidence. After reading the evidence, the emperor ordered Concubine Li to be banished to the cold palace and severely punished the relevant personnel.

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong successfully resolved the crisis, and their friendship became even deeper because of this incident.

Yet, they knew the harem's struggles would never cease. In this ever-changing harem, more challenges awaited them. But they remained undaunted, knowing that as long as they worked together, nothing could stump them. They would continue to write their own legendary stories within the harem, steadily advancing towards the throne of harem master.