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

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong walked side by side on the corridor back to the palace. Zhen Huan glanced at An Lingrong and said, "Lingrong, although this trip out of the palace has been turbulent, it has made our friendship even stronger than before."

An Lingrong nodded slightly, her eyes flickering, "Huan'er, yes. Fortunately, you and I handled the matter of Ah Zhi properly, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous."

Zhen Huan frowned slightly, "But within this harem, the various conspiracies and intrigues will probably never cease. We two need to be extra careful."

An Lingrong responded, "Huan'er is absolutely right. When we return to the palace, we must be even more vigilant."

As soon as she entered the palace gate, Su Peisheng came to greet her with a smile on his face: "Empress Xi, Lady An, you two are finally back. The Emperor was just talking about you."

Zhen Huan smiled faintly and said, "Thank you, Eunuch Su. Is the Emperor well?"

Su Peisheng bowed and replied, "Your Majesty is well, I'm just worried about whether the two ladies are tired after leaving the palace this time."

An Lingrong said softly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will not be tired of waiting."

The two of them arrived at the Emperor's Palace of Tranquil Longevity. Upon seeing them, the Emperor smiled and asked, "Hanhuan, Lingrong, did your trip out of the palace go smoothly?"

Zhen Huan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, everything went smoothly at first. However, later on, while at the place of prayer, we encountered a poor woman named Azhi who had been kidnapped and sold by criminals. Lingrong and I rescued her and have handed her over to the local authorities for disposal."

The emperor nodded slightly. "You did the right thing. In this harem, I also hope that you can be as kind and intelligent as this, and not be bullied by treacherous people."

An Lingrong said, "Your Majesty is wise. Huan'er and I will definitely support each other and live up to His Majesty's expectations."

Coming out of the Yangxin Palace, Zhen Huan breathed a sigh of relief: "Lingrong, we can't be completely sincere in front of the Emperor. The hearts of people in this palace are unpredictable."

An Lingrong felt the same way. "Huan'er, I understand. By the way, do the flowers in your Yongshou Palace still need tending? I've made some new fertilizer that might help them grow."

Zhen Huan's eyes lit up: "Lingrong, you are always so considerate. Thank you for your help."

A few days later, a palace banquet was held. All the concubines were dressed in their finest attire. Concubine Xia, still arrogant, snorted upon seeing Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, "Hmph, you two really showed off when you left the palace this time."

Before Zhen Huan could answer, Concubine Chun jumped in front and said, "Concubine Xia, don't be jealous. Sister Huanhuan and Sister Lingrong have done good things, unlike you who do nothing all day long."

Xia Changzai's face flushed with anger: "How dare you, little girl, talk back to me!"

An Lingrong quickly pulled Concubine Chun over and said, "Chun'er, don't be angry with her."

At the palace banquet, there was singing and dancing. The emperor said to Zhen Huan, "Huan Huan, do you have any performance to entertain me?"

Zhen Huan stood up and bowed: "Your Majesty, I am willing to play a song for you." After that, she sat down in front of the piano, stroked the strings with her slender hands, and the sound of the piano was lingering.

At the end of the song, the emperor praised: "Hanhuan's piano skills are becoming more and more exquisite. Lingrong, how about you?"

An Lingrong stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have recently composed a new piece of music for the flute, and I would like to perform it for you." The flute music was melodious and plaintive, and everyone was captivated by it.

The emperor was delighted: "Huanhuan and Lingrong are indeed talented."

However, the day after the palace banquet, a maid in Zhen Huan's palace suddenly died. Zhen Huan was shocked: "What on earth could have happened? She was fine yesterday."

An Lingrong rushed over and examined the maid's body. Her expression was solemn. "Huan'er, it seems this maid died of poisoning. Why is she in your palace?"

Zhen Huan thought for a moment: "Could it be that someone did this on purpose to frame me?"

An Lingrong nodded: "It's very likely. We need to find out who this palace maid has been in contact with recently."

They asked the maid's companion, who replied tremblingly, "Your Highness, she accepted a snack from a young eunuch at the palace banquet yesterday. He said it was freshly made from the imperial kitchen. She ate a little and came back feeling unwell."

Zhen Huan's eyes turned cold: "Who is that little eunuch?"

The companion shook his head: "I don't know, I just feel that the young eunuch looks unfamiliar."

An Lingrong said, "It seems this young eunuch is a serious suspect. Let's go to the Imperial Household Department to investigate."

In the Imperial Household Department, the eunuch in charge flipped through a booklet and said, "My two majesties, there are so many young eunuchs entering the palace recently that it's difficult to find them all."

Zhen Huan said, "Please look carefully. This concerns the lives of those in my palace. It is definitely not a trivial matter."

An Lingrong pondered and said, "Huan'er, could it be that someone bribed the young eunuch to target you?"

Zhen Huan bit her lower lip and said, "If that's true, this person is truly vicious."

As she was speaking, Bao Que came running over: "Your Majesty, I have heard that the young eunuch seems to have had contact with people close to Concubine Li."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged a glance: "Lipin? Why would she do this? Let's go to Lipin's palace."

When they arrived at Lipin's palace, she looked a little flustered when she saw them coming: "Empress Xi, Empress An Lingrong, how come you have time to come to me today?"

Zhen Huan said bluntly, "Princess Li, are you aware that someone close to you has had contact with the eunuch who poisoned my maid?"

Lipin waved her hands hurriedly: "Your Majesty, I have no idea. Someone must have deliberately framed me."

An Lingrong sneered, "Princess Li, don't try to quibble. If this truly has nothing to do with you, would you dare allow us to search your palace?"

Lipin hesitated for a moment: "This... Your Majesty, how can you search at will without the Emperor's order?"

Zhen Huan said, "Princess Li, if you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of being searched?"

Concubine Li stammered and was unable to speak.

An Lingrong said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, it seems she is involved in this matter. Let's report this to the Emperor."

Zhen Huan nodded: "Okay."

When the emperor heard about this, he ordered a search of Lipin's palace. As expected, the remaining poison was found in a corner of Lipin's palace.

When Concubine Li saw this, she collapsed to the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! Someone has framed me."

The emperor angrily said, "The evidence is irrefutable, yet you still dare to quibble! I am so disappointed in you."

In the end, the emperor punished Concubine Li by confining her to house arrest and reducing her salary.

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong successfully resolved the crisis again. Zhen Huan looked at An Lingrong gratefully and said, "Lingrong, this time it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you, I really don't know how I would have coped."

An Lingrong smiled and said, "Huan'er, you and I are sisters, no need to thank me. But the struggles in this harem will probably never end."

Zhen Huan sighed, "As long as you and I are together, we can weather any storm."

Days passed, the palace seemed peaceful, but in reality, there was an undercurrent. One day, Zhen Huan was walking in the imperial garden, and An Lingrong came to accompany her.

Zhen Huan looked at the flowers in full bloom in the garden and said worriedly, "Lingrong, I've been feeling like something big is going to happen lately, and I'm feeling uneasy."

An Lingrong comforted her, "Huan'er, don't worry. When the enemy comes, we will fight; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. No matter what happens, we will face it together."

Zhen Huan gently held An Lingrong's hand: "With you here, I feel much more at ease."

At this time, Chun Changzai came running over with a kite in her hand: "Sister Huanhuan, Sister Lingrong, look at the kite I made, isn't it beautiful?"

Zhen Huan smiled and said, "Chun'er is really skillful."

Chun Changzai said coquettishly, "Sisters, can you accompany me to fly a kite?"

An Lingrong looked at Chun Changzai's innocent appearance and sighed in her heart: "Okay, Chun'er, we will accompany you."

The three of them flew kites in the Imperial Garden, their laughter temporarily dispelling the gloom from Zhen Huan's heart. But both Zhen Huan and An Lingrong knew that the peace in the harem was only temporary, and greater challenges might be quietly approaching. Only by working together can they continue to move forward in this harem full of calculations, bravely moving forward towards their unknown fate and writing their own legendary chapters. No matter the thorns or the swords and fire ahead, they will not let go of each other's hands, because they are each other's only warmth and support in this harem.