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

Zhen Huan leaned lightly on the couch, holding a scroll, and said leisurely, "Ever since the Queen was confined to Kunning Palace, the harem has finally had some peace for a while. It's truly rare."

An Lingrong smiled faintly and replied, "Huan'er, these peaceful days seem stolen. I only hope they can last longer."

Concubine Hua frowned slightly, "Hmph! Don't be fooled by this appearance. Who knows when another disturbance will arise."

Zhen Huan closed the book and sat up straight. "Sister Hua Fei is right. We are not afraid now, but we will fight against the enemy with our own strength and block the water with our own earth."

Time passed by so slowly, and they spent several years in this palace. During this time, they enjoyed the colorful cherry blossoms in spring and the chrysanthemums in autumn, and their days were quite peaceful.

One day, Chun Er came running over like a cheerful bird: "Sisters, the lotus flowers in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom. Let's go and enjoy them together!"

Zhen Huan happily stood up and said, "That's great! I haven't seen lotus flowers for a long time. I miss the magnificent sight of the lotus leaves reaching up to the sky."

An Lingrong also nodded: "I heard that there are many varieties of lotus this year, and the colors are particularly gorgeous."

The group went to the Imperial Garden together. When they reached the lake, they saw graceful lotus flowers, with a lingering fragrance.

Concubine Hua exclaimed in admiration, "This lotus has some integrity, rising from the mud without being stained, unlike some of the filthy people in the harem."

Zhen Huan scolded, "Sister, please don't mention those troubles in front of such a beautiful scene."

Then, the years passed quietly, and before anyone knew it, Hongli had grown up and was made the crown prince. He was highly regarded by the emperor and often accompanied him in state affairs, demonstrating his extraordinary wisdom and strategy.

One day, Zhen Huan was playing chess with An Lingrong in the palace, and Concubine Hua was watching the game.

Zhen Huan gave birth to a child and said slowly: "Now the Crown Prince Hongli has become more and more calm and steady. He will definitely be able to shoulder the responsibility of governing the Qing Dynasty in the future."

An Lingrong nodded in agreement, "Huan'er is absolutely right. The way he handles government affairs, he has the demeanor of an emperor."

Concubine Hua snorted softly, "Of course, a royal child should behave like this, but don't be like some useless people."

A few years later, the emperor's health gradually declined, and he became seriously ill and bedridden. The entire palace was shrouded in a depressing atmosphere.

Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Concubine Hua served by his side without taking off their clothes, praying day and night for the emperor's speedy recovery.

However, fate is fickle and the emperor's condition became increasingly serious, and no medicine could cure him.

On a stormy night, the emperor died in his bedroom.

Suddenly, the entire palace was filled with wails and the death knell rang.

Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Concubine Hua were extremely sad, but they knew that they could not panic at this moment.

Zhen Huan fought back tears and said to An Lingrong and Concubine Hua, "Now that the Emperor has passed away, Crown Prince Hongli is about to ascend the throne. We should help him stabilize the situation and not let the harem become chaotic."

An Lingrong wiped away the tears from her eyes and said, "Don't worry, Huan'er. We will do our best."

Hua Fei also said firmly: "With us here, there will be no chaos in the harem!"

After Hongli's coronation ceremony, Zhen Huan was honored as the Empress Dowager of the Eastern Palace and An Lingrong as the Empress Dowager of the Western Palace.

One day, Hongli came to pay his respects.

"Your son pays his respects to the two Empress Dowagers." Hongli said respectfully.

Zhen Huan asked, "Emperor, now that you have just ascended the throne, there are many things to do at court. Are there any difficulties?"

Hongli replied, "Your Majesty, I feel a little pressure, but with the support of the ministers, I can handle it. However, I want to select concubines from the imperial harem to fill it with more offspring for the royal family."

An Lingrong frowned slightly, "Your Majesty, we shouldn't rush into this matter. Let's first settle state affairs, and then we can consider the selection of concubines later."

Hua Fei said, "The Empress Dowager is absolutely right. A peaceful harem will help the Emperor concentrate on state affairs."

Hongli nodded and said, "I will follow the Empress Dowager's instructions."

However, some concubines and imperial concubines in the harem were dissatisfied with the two empress dowagers.

One concubine muttered privately: "Zhen Huan and An Lingrong only relied on trickery to sit on the throne of Empress Dowager. They don't have any real ability."

This reached Zhen Huan's ears, but she simply smiled calmly: "Others have the right to speak, so let them speak. As long as the Emperor respects us and the harem is peaceful, we don't need to pay attention to these gossips."

An Lingrong was a little worried: "Huan'er, although we can ignore them, if they incite strife in the harem, I'm afraid it will affect the Emperor."

Zhen Huan held An Lingrong's hand and said, "Lingrong, don't be afraid. With us here, they won't be able to cause any major trouble. Let's wait and see what they do, and then we'll make a decision."

One day, a concubine deliberately bumped into An Lingrong in the imperial garden.

Before An Lingrong could say anything, the imperial concubine started to complain: "Queen Dowager Xigong, you must discipline the palace maid beside you. She walked so recklessly that she almost bumped into me."

The maidservant beside An Lingrong knelt down hurriedly and said, "Please forgive me, Queen Mother. I know I was wrong."

An Lingrong said softly, "Get up. I see that it was you who was careless in your steps. How can you blame it on the maid?"

The concubine was furious and said, "You...you are slandering me!"

Zhen Huan arrived just in time and said in a deep voice, "That's enough! In this harem, you must be careful with your words and actions. If you dare to cause trouble again, don't blame me and the Queen Mother of the West Palace for being merciless."

When the concubine saw Zhen Huan come forward, although she was unwilling, she dared not say anything.

After learning of this, Hongli came to the Empress Dowagers of the Eastern and Western Palaces to apologize: "I am unfilial and have wronged the Empress Dowager. I will definitely discipline everyone in the harem and will not allow such things to happen again."

Zhen Huan said, "Your Majesty, we will take care of the affairs of the harem. You should focus on the affairs of state and not be distracted by these trivial matters."

When the new emperor was first established and undercurrents surged in the harem, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong worked together to deal with it, and Hua Fei also helped. With their wisdom and majesty, they worked hard to maintain peace in the harem, and continued to write their own legends in this new chapter of the palace. As time went by, they stayed true to their hearts, protected the royal honor, and protected the peace of the palace. Even if there were still storms ahead, they were not afraid. They only waited to see how this palace picture would continue to unfold and how the Qing Dynasty would shine under the rule of the new emperor.