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

After Su Jinran returned from the prince's rejection, he was not discouraged. He knew that in the power struggle within the palace, only by finding more powerful bargaining chips could he have a chance of survival. So, he turned his attention to some marginalized but still dissatisfied forces in the palace.

Su Jinran secretly contacted several concubines who had clashed with Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, and met with them in a secluded courtyard. After respectfully bowing to them, he spoke earnestly, "My Lady Concubines, my Su family has been wronged, my sister suffers in the cold palace, and Zhen Huan and An Lingrong are utterly tyrannical in the palace, completely disregarding the lives of others. Your status in the palace should be unparalleled, yet you are suppressed by them. Are you willing to accept this?"

A concubine frowned and said hesitantly, "Master Su, although what you said makes some sense, Zhen Huan is now the Queen Mother of the Eastern Palace, and An Lingrong is the Queen Mother of the Western Palace. How can we compete with them?"

Su Jinran's eyes flashed with determination. "My Lady Dowager, my Su family still has many influences outside the palace. If we can cooperate with the ladies inside and outside, and find some leverage over the two of them, we won't have any trouble bringing them down. Then, the ladies can regain power and restore their former glory."

The concubines were moved after hearing this. After exchanging glances, one of them said, "Master Su, if it's really as you say, we might as well give it a try. However, the risks are enormous. Do you have a detailed plan?"

Su Jinran said confidently, "Don't worry, ladies. I've already sent people to secretly investigate Zhen Huan and An Lingrong. I heard that although An Lingrong's spice shop outside the palace looks glamorous on the surface, it seems to have some hidden secrets in its operation. For example, it has traded spices with some mysterious people. If we can verify it, we will definitely put them in trouble."

In the palace, Anarchun began to prepare the materials needed to make the Western Region Poison Powder. She set aside a secret room in her palace and carefully placed various precious medicinal herbs and dangerous poisonous herbs.

Lingxi watched curiously and asked, "Empress Chunpin, these herbs look scary. Can they really be made into a life-saving powder?"

Anarchun smiled and replied, "Princess Lingxi, as long as they are properly mixed, they can exert magical effects. Just like this poisonous herb, it is fatal when taken alone, but when mixed with other herbs, it can dissolve an extremely difficult heat poison."

An Lingrong also came to check on her from time to time. She warned Anar Chun: "Princess Chun, there must not be any mistakes in the production process. It not only concerns your own safety, but also the peace of the entire harem."

Anarchun nodded and said, "Don't worry, Queen Mother. I will be cautious and careful with every step I take, and I will keep the poison powder safe and will never let it fall into the wrong hands."

Zhen Huan, on her side, also sensed something strange. She said to An Lingrong, "Huan'er, I've been feeling like someone is secretly watching us lately. I'm afraid someone is plotting something again."

An Lingrong's eyes glared. "I guess Su Wanqing's family still refuses to give up. They're making trouble outside the palace, and sooner or later they'll make a move. We need to be prepared."

Zhen Huan thought for a moment and said, "Have Fu Heng assign more people to closely monitor the Su family's every move. At the same time, they should also pay attention to the interactions of those in the palace who are not on good terms with us."

An Lingrong replied, "Okay, I'll go tell Fu Heng right away. Also, we need to expedite Anarchun's work on making the poison powder. It might come in handy in the future."

Fu Heng took the order and left, fully aware of the importance of this mission. His spies were quietly spread out in every corner of the capital, closely monitoring the Su family's connections with the court and beyond.

One day, Fu Heng receives news that Su Jinran is secretly meeting with a court official, apparently planning to disclose the affair of An Lingrong's spice shop to the Emperor. Fu Heng rushes back to the palace to report this to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong.

Fu Heng said solemnly, "Your Highness, Empress Dowager An, Su Jinran, and the Minister of Rites are secretly colluding to impeach Empress Dowager An over the spice shop incident. They're still gathering evidence everywhere, and it seems they're planning a fatal blow."

An Lingrong's expression changed slightly. "This Su Jinran is truly unscrupulous! My spice shop has always been legally run. What evidence could they possibly find?"

Zhen Huan said solemnly, "No matter what evidence they have, we can't just sit there and wait for death. First, send someone to the spice shop to carefully check all the accounts and transaction records to ensure there are no loopholes."

An Lingrong nodded. "This is the only way. I hope this is just Su Jinran's last-ditch effort. We can't let them drag us into this mess."

Amidst the turbulent events within and beyond the palace, various factions once again find themselves in a tense standoff. In a secret chamber, Anarchun concentrates on crafting her poison powder, while Zhen Huan and An Lingrong wrestle with the Su family's schemes. Watching all this from the sidelines, Lingxi gradually understands the cruelty of palace intrigue and secretly vows to strive for growth and protect the people she cares about. How will this new turmoil unfold? Will Zhen Huan and An Lingrong once again successfully resolve the crisis, or will Su Jinran's scheme succeed? All of this unfolds quietly within the depths of the palace.