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

"Lingrong, you must be careful when you go to the talent show!" Lin Xiu held An Lingrong's hand, her eyes full of worry.

"Mom, I know, don't worry too much." An Lingrong comforted her.

"This harem is not like our spice shop. The people there are sinister!" Lin Xiu frowned. "You should talk less and do more. Don't offend anyone."

"Mom, I remember everything. You must take good care of yourself at home." An Lingrong said.

"I will. What will you do if you are wronged in the palace?" Lin Xiu said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Mom, I will protect myself, don't worry!" An Lingrong said firmly.

On the day of the talent show, the place was bustling with activity. An Lingrong looked around, feeling both nervous and excited. Suddenly, a little maid bumped into her.

"Oh! How do you walk?" the little maid exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't notice." An Lingrong apologized quickly.

"Hmph! You'd better be careful. Today is a talent show. If you offend the noble, you will be in trouble!" said the little maid unhappily.

An Lingrong frowned slightly, but remained silent. Then, she saw Zhen Huan. Zhen Huan was like a blooming peony, beautiful and elegant. An Lingrong's heart stirred, and she recalled all sorts of things from her past life, but she knew she couldn't show them now.

Zhen Huan also noticed An Lingrong and smiled slightly, "Sister, are you okay?"

"It's okay, thank you for your concern, young lady." An Lingrong responded.

"Sister, are you here for the beauty pageant as well?" Zhen Huan asked.

"Yes." An Lingrong replied.

"Then we have to take care of each other! There are so many rules in this palace that I'm a little nervous." Zhen Huan said with a smile.

"Well, the girl seems very calm." An Lingrong said.

"No, I was just pretending to be calm. By the way, I'm Zhen Huan, and you, sister?" Zhen Huan said.

"I am An Lingrong." An Lingrong replied.

Just then, a domineering woman came over. It was Concubine Xia.

"Hmph! You two are chattering here. Didn't you see that I'm here?" Xia Changzai said arrogantly.

"Who are you? Why are you so rude?" Zhen Huan frowned.

"Hmph! I'm Xia Dongchun. You'd better stay away from me and don't block my way!" Xia Changzai said disdainfully.

"You..." Zhen Huan's face turned red with anger.

"Forget it, let's not bother with her." An Lingrong pulled Zhen Huan's sleeve.

"Hmph! You're quite sensible!" Xia Changzai walked away arrogantly.

"This woman is really going too far!" Zhen Huan was indignant.

"There are probably quite a few people like this in this palace, so we'd better be careful," said An Lingrong.

As the selection began, the atmosphere intensified. When it was An Lingrong's turn, she took a deep breath and walked into the hall. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager sat above, their gazes dignified.

"Your servant An Lingrong pays homage to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager." An Lingrong bowed respectfully.

"Look up," said the emperor.

An Lingrong slowly raised her head and saw a flicker of scrutiny in the emperor's eyes.

"Are you An Lingrong?" asked the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty, it is you, my lady." An Lingrong replied.

"Well, he looks like a well-behaved child." The Queen Mother nodded slightly.

At this moment, a maid next to them suddenly said, "Miss An, I heard you run a spice shop. These spices are fragrant if used well, but poisonous if used poorly. You don't have any bad intentions, do you?"

An Lingrong was shocked. She didn't expect that someone would make things difficult for her here.

"Madam, although I run a spice shop, I have always run it with integrity. How could I have any bad intentions?" An Lingrong said.

"Hmph! Who knows?" the nanny persisted.

"Sister Lingrong won't do that. I can vouch for her!" Zhen Huan suddenly stood up and said.

"Who are you?" asked Mammy.

"I am Zhen Huan. Madam, you cannot wrongly accuse a good person based on your own guesswork," Zhen Huan said.

"Hmph! Don't try to fool me!" The nanny wanted to say something.

"Enough! No more rudeness!" the Queen Mother said, "An Lingrong, please leave."

"Thank you, Queen Dowager." An Lingrong looked at Zhen Huan gratefully and walked out.

"Zhen Huan, thank you so much this time." An Lingrong said.

"We are friends, there is no need to thank me. By the way, where do you live now?" Zhen Huan asked.

"I... I don't have a place to live yet." An Lingrong said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Why don't you live in my house so we can have some company." Zhen Huan invited warmly.

"This... isn't a good idea." An Lingrong hesitated.

"What's wrong with that? Let's just do it!" Zhen Huan said with a smile.

So, An Lingrong lived in Zhen Huan's house. During this time, the relationship between the two quickly heated up.

"Lingrong, look how beautiful these flowers are!" Zhen Huan said, pointing at the flowers in the garden.

"Yes, as beautiful as you, sister." An Lingrong said with a smile.

"You just know how to make me happy. By the way, you are really good at mixing spices. Can you teach me?" Zhen Huan asked curiously.

"Of course, if you like, I can teach you some simple recipes." An Lingrong said.

"That's great!" Zhen Huan said excitedly.

As they were talking, Zhen Huan's maid Liu Zhu ran over.

"Miss, the master and the mistress asked you to go to the front hall." Liu Zhu said.

"I understand, Lingrong, let's go together." Zhen Huan said.

"Okay." An Lingrong nodded.

When they arrived at the front hall, Zhen Huan's parents were waiting for them.

"Huan'er, is this your friend?" asked Zhen's father.

"Dad, this is An Lingrong. We met during the talent show and are now good friends." Zhen Huan introduced.

"Hello, uncle and aunt." An Lingrong bowed.

"Hurry up and don't be polite." Zhen's mother said with a smile, "Since you are Huan'er's friend, treat this place as your own home."

"Thank you, auntie." An Lingrong said gratefully.

The days passed quickly at Zhen Huan's house, and the results of the talent show came out. Both An Lingrong and Zhen Huan were selected.

"Lingrong, we have both been selected. We must support each other in the palace in the future!" Zhen Huan said, holding An Lingrong's hand.

"Yes, sister, we will!" An Lingrong's eyes flashed with determination.

As the day of entering the palace approached, An Lingrong and Zhen Huan began to prepare. Together they selected what to bring with them and discussed the palace rules.

"Lingrong, the clothes in this palace are so gorgeous!" Zhen Huan said as she looked at the palace clothes that were delivered.

"Yes, but I wonder how much struggle there is behind this splendor." An Lingrong said.

"No matter how many fights there are, we are not afraid as long as we are together," Zhen Huan said.

"Well, sister, I have the courage with you around," An Lingrong said.

On the day of entering the palace, An Lingrong and Zhen Huan took a carriage and drove towards the unknown palace.

"Lingrong, we are entering the palace." Zhen Huan looked at the palace wall, feeling a little emotional.

"Yes, sister, our new journey has begun." An Lingrong held Zhen Huan's hand tightly.

As the carriage slowly pulls into the palace, their fates become inextricably linked to the court, and their friendship is put to the test amidst the ever-changing dynamics of the palace. What kind of people and events await them in the palace? How will they navigate this complex world of palace life?