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

After Lingxi successfully solved the incense-making problem for a neighboring country's envoys and cleverly rescued Fu Heng, his reputation grew. One day, An Lingrong suddenly had the idea to test Lingxi's incense-making skills.

An Lingrong mixed all the fragrant ingredients together, then covered Lingxi's eyes with a piece of silk and said softly, "Lingxi, try to separate these mixed spices."

Lingxi smiled and said, "Empress Dowager An Lingrong, Lingxi will do her best." After that, she reached her slender hand into the pile of spices, first sniffing gently, then rubbing them with her fingers. In less than half an hour, she had sorted out all the spices properly.

Seeing this, An Lingrong's eyebrows lit up with joy: "Lingxi, you are truly intelligent and have a great talent for making incense. It is a blessing to have you inherit my legacy."

Lingxi said coquettishly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Lingxi is only where she is today because of your careful teaching."

Zhen Huan also praised him: "Lingxi is so smart, he will definitely surpass me in the art of making incense in the future."

However, Lingxi's popularity was too great, attracting the attention of everyone in the harem. Soon, rumors began to spread in the palace.

A palace maid whispered to her companion in a secluded corner of the imperial garden, "Have you heard? Princess Lingxi is so incredibly intelligent, could she be the reincarnation of a demon?"

His companion covered his mouth in panic and said, "Don't talk nonsense. If the princess hears it, it will be disastrous."

The maid disagreed: "I am only telling the truth. Look at how skilled she is at making incense. How could an ordinary person do that? She must have some evil power."

The rumor spread quietly throughout the harem like a faint breeze.

Lingxi felt aggrieved and angry when she heard the rumors, her eyes reddening. "Old Buddha, Empress Dowager Lingrong, why are they slandering me like this? I've only been diligently learning the art of making incense."

Zhen Huan gently stroked her back and comforted her, "Lingxi, don't be sad. The people in this palace are treacherous and can't stand others being outstanding. The more you care, the more they will take advantage of you."

An Lingrong also looked solemn. "This rumor is spreading with all the force. I'm afraid there's someone behind it fanning the flames. We must handle it with caution and not let this malicious slander hurt you."

When the Queen heard about this, she summoned everyone to discuss the matter and said, "These rumors have a very bad influence on the palace. If they are not stopped, there will be great chaos."

Fu Heng clasped his fists and pleaded, "Your Majesty, I am willing to investigate the source of this rumor and uncover the person behind it."

The Queen nodded. "Fu Heng, thank you for your help. Please make sure this is a quick and decisive battle."

Fu Heng took the order and went to investigate everywhere. Finally, he heard two young eunuchs whispering beside an abandoned well in the cold palace.

Little Eunuch A: "Do you think we'll be discovered if we spread the rumor that Princess Lingxi is a witch?"

Young Eunuch B: "What are you afraid of? We've taken the reward from that master, so we just need to insist that we heard it from others."

Fu Heng shouted angrily, "How dare you spread rumors in the palace!"

The young eunuchs collapsed to the ground in fear when they saw Fu Heng, who then escorted them before the Empress.

The queen glared at the young eunuch and said, "Tell me! Who ordered you to do this?"

Young Eunuch A trembled, "Empress, it was...it was the maidservant beside Concubine Ning who gave us money and asked us to spread rumors in the palace."

The Queen was shocked and angry: "Concubine Ning? Why would she act like this?"

Zhen Huan pondered for a moment, "Queen, this Concubine Ning is probably jealous of Princess Lingxi's favor from you and the Queen Mothers, and also because of the spotlight she has gained for making incense, so she has evil intentions."

An Lingrong said, "We must not let such a villain off easily."

The Queen immediately ordered: "Send Concubine Ning and that nanny to see me."

Concubine Ning and her nanny were brought before the Empress. Concubine Ning still tried to argue: "Your Majesty, I am innocent. It must be those two eunuchs who framed me."

The nanny also echoed: "Your Majesty, this servant has always been loyal and faithful, and this is absolutely not the case."

Fu Heng presented the evidence found in the cold palace, which was the purse of Ning Fei's reward silver and the note containing the rumors.

The Queen threw the evidence in front of Concubine Ning and asked, "What else do you have to say?"

Seeing that her plan had been exposed, Concubine Ning's face turned pale and she knelt down to beg for mercy: "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. It was out of confusion and jealousy of Princess Lingxi that I resorted to such a bad plan. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

The Queen angrily said, "You jealous woman, you have committed such a grave offense. How can I forgive you so easily? From this day forward, Concubine Ning will be demoted to a concubine and confined to the palace for three years. That nanny will be dragged out and severely beaten with fifty sticks and banished from the palace."

After this incident, the rumors died down for a while. But Lingxi's heart was still haunted, and she often thought to herself, "In this palace, there are few people who truly treat me with sincerity. Only the Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager Lingrong, and Fu Heng truly protect me. I must be more cautious in the future and not cause them any more trouble."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong are well aware of the endless palace strife. Even if they have quelled this current disturbance, there's no guarantee there won't be new plots and schemes in the future. Only by remaining vigilant and supporting each other can they protect themselves and those they care about. In this perilous palace, they forge ahead, continuing their legendary story. But they never know where the next storm will strike, and what challenges await them.