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

After dealing with the tunnel incident, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong returned to Zhen Huan's palace. Zhen Huan sat on a chair, frowning slightly, and said to everyone in a serious tone, "This incident has sounded the alarm for us. We can't allow such security loopholes in the harem again." Her hands rested lightly on the armrest, her fingers tapping unconsciously.

An Lingrong nodded, with a hint of worry in her eyes: "Sister, those people are so cunning, we must be more cautious. In addition to strengthening the guards of the palace gates and important places, I think we must also conduct more stringent inspections on people entering and leaving." She walked to Zhen Huan and gently held Zhen Huan's hand, as if to give each other strength.

Chun'er tilted her head and thought for a while, then jumped up and said, "Sisters, we can set some special marks on the palace gate, so that if someone sneaks in or out, we can find out!" Her eyes were shining, her face was full of excitement, and her hands were gesturing in the air.

Mei Zhuang smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Chun'er, this is a good idea. We can use a pigment that only we know of to mark a hidden part of the palace gate, and then check the mark every day to see if there are any abnormalities."

Zhen Huan's eyes flashed with appreciation: "This is a good idea. Let's do it this way. We must implement it as soon as possible."

So, they began preparing special paints and arranging markings. During this process, Zhen Huan said to An Lingrong, "Lingrong, this investigation has made me realize that we can't just passively defend ourselves. We must also take the initiative and find those enemies who are still hiding in the dark." Her eyes became sharp, like an eagle ready to hunt.

An Lingrong nodded slightly, her expression solemn. "Sister, I had the same idea. We can start by investigating the connections of those arrested people and follow the clues to find the real culprit."

A few days later, the guards in charge of the investigation came to report: "Empress Wan, Empress An, we have discovered that those arrested have some connection with a gang outside the palace. This gang seems to be specifically acting on behalf of certain people in the palace."

Zhen Huan's eyes glared, "What gang? Any clues?"

The guard replied, "Your Majesty, this gang is called the Black Hawk Gang. They act in secret, but we have found one of their bases outside the palace."

"Okay, let's go and take a look." Zhen Huan stood up and took An Lingrong and others. Under the protection of the guards, they quietly left the palace and came to the Black Hawk Gang's stronghold.

They hid in a small alley, observing the situation at the stronghold. An Lingrong whispered, "Sister, the security here is very tight. We can't act rashly."

Zhen Huan nodded: "You are right. Let's observe and see if there are any flaws."

At this time, Chun'er suddenly pointed in a direction and said, "Sisters, look! That person seems to be in contact with the palace."

Everyone looked over and saw a man in gorgeous clothes walking into the stronghold. Zhen Huan frowned and said, "This man looks familiar. I think I've seen him in the palace before."

After some recollection and discussion, Mei Zhuang suddenly said, "I remember now! He is a relative of an official in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I met him at a banquet in the palace before."

An Lingrong's eyes flashed with anger: "It seems that there is something wrong with the Ministry of Internal Affairs as well. We must investigate it thoroughly after returning to the palace."

Back at the palace, they immediately began investigating the official from the Imperial Household Department. After interrogation, the official confessed that he had colluded with the Black Hawk Gang, leaking palace secrets to them for money and assisting them in causing trouble in the harem.

Zhen Huan shouted angrily: "As an official of the Imperial Household Department, how dare you do such a treasonous thing! Do you know how much harm this will bring to the harem?" She was so angry that her whole body was shaking, and her eyes seemed to be spewing fire.

The official knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was blinded by greed. Please spare my life!"

"Hmph! Your crime is unforgivable! Drag him away, throw him into jail, and wait for the Emperor's decision!" An Lingrong said coldly, her eyes filled with disdain and anger.

After dealing with the internal affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong continued to track down the Black Hawk Gang. They learned about the Black Hawk Gang through various channels and learned that the leader of the Black Hawk Gang was an extremely greedy and cruel person who dared to do anything as long as he had money.

"We have to find a way to get rid of the Black Hawk Gang, otherwise there will never be peace in the harem." Zhen Huan said to An Lingrong, her eyes were extremely determined.

"Sister, I have an idea. We can set up a trap, lure them into the trap, and then catch them all in one fell swoop." A hint of cunning flashed in An Lingrong's eyes.

"Oh? What game?" Zhen Huan asked curiously.

"We can pretend to transport a batch of precious spices out of the palace, attract the Black Hawk Gang to rob the goods, and then set up an ambush around." An Lingrong described her plan in detail, with confidence in her eyes.

Zhen Huan nodded: "This plan is good, but we must ensure that it is foolproof and cannot let them escape."

So, they began to prepare a trap. Zhen Huan arranged for people to prepare some precious spice boxes, which were actually filled with heavy objects. An Lingrong was responsible for arranging guards to ambush around the transportation route.

On the day of the operation, the spice transport team set out, but the Black Hawk Gang took the bait and stopped the team halfway.

"Leave the spices behind and we'll spare your lives!" the Black Hawk Gang members shouted.

"How dare you! How dare you rob the palace!" the guard pretending to be the leader of the transport team shouted loudly.

Just as the Black Hawk Gang was about to seize the spices, the surrounding guards rushed forward and engaged in a fierce battle with them. Although the Black Hawk Gang was ferocious, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were well prepared and quickly gained the upper hand.

"You've fallen into our trap!" Zhen Huan walked out from the side and looked at the people from the Black Hawk Gang coldly.

Seeing this, the Black Hawk Gang leader tried to escape, but was stopped by An Lingrong: "You still want to run?"

After a fierce battle, all the Black Hawk Gang members were subdued. Zhen Huan looked at the captured Black Hawk Gang leader and said, "You have committed many evil deeds. Today is your end!"

After dealing with the Black Hawk Gang, the safety of the harem was greatly guaranteed. However, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong did not relax their vigilance, as they knew that the struggle in the harem would never stop.

One day, a young lady came to Zhen Huan and said in a panic, "Empress Wan, I've been hearing strange noises lately, like someone crying near my palace, but when I went out to check, there was nothing. I'm so scared."

Zhen Huan comforted her: "Don't be afraid, my lady. We will find out everything."

She and An Lingrong came to the young lady's palace and carefully examined the surrounding environment. An Lingrong found some strange marks in a corner of the wall, as if someone had scratched it with a sharp object.

"Sister, look here. These marks don't look like they were formed naturally. They look like someone did it on purpose." An Lingrong said, pointing at the marks.

Zhen Huan frowned: "This harem is really not peaceful. It seems there is a new trouble."

They asked the palace maids and eunuchs near the palace, and a young eunuch trembled and said, "Your Majesty, I... I heard that a palace maid died here before. She was wrongly accused and died a tragic death. Could it be her wronged spirit that is haunting us?"

Chun Er was so scared that she hid behind Zhen Huan: "Sister, is there really a ghost?"

Mei Zhuang said calmly, "There are no ghosts in the world. Someone must be playing tricks to scare us."

Zhen Huan nodded: "Mei Zhuang is right. We must find out who is behind this."

After some investigation, they found that it was a maid who was jealous of the lady's favor. She deliberately made strange noises and traces to scare the lady and make her fall out of favor.

Zhen Huan looked at the maid, her eyes full of disappointment: "Why did you do this? We are both maids, why do we have to hurt each other?"

The maid cried and said, "My lady, I am jealous of her. She has everything, but I have nothing."

An Lingrong sighed: "Jealousy can make people lose their minds. What you are doing is not only hurting others, but also yourself."

After dealing with this matter, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong decided to carry out some activities in the harem to relieve the pressure of the palace maids and eunuchs and reduce the occurrence of negative emotions such as jealousy.

They held talent shows and poetry gatherings in the palace, allowing all the palace maids and eunuchs to participate. At a poetry gathering, the palace maids and eunuchs showed off their talents, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

A maid stood up and recited, "The harem is as deep as the ocean, and the unity of sisters brings sweetness. May the storms cease from now on, and may peace and joy prevail in the world."

Zhen Huan smiled and clapped her hands: "This poem is well written! This is also the wish of all of us."

An Lingrong also nodded: "I hope the harem can always be so harmonious."

However, the peaceful days did not last long. One day, the emperor suddenly fell seriously ill. The imperial doctors treated him day and night, but his condition did not improve.

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were extremely worried. They stayed by the emperor's bedside. Zhen Huan's eyes were filled with tears: "Your Majesty, you must get better!"

An Lingrong was also worried: "Imperial Physician, what's going on? Why hasn't the Emperor's condition improved?"

The imperial physician said helplessly, "Your Majesty, the Emperor's illness is severe. We have tried our best, but we still can't find the cause."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong decided to find the cause of the illness themselves. They conducted a detailed investigation into the emperor's diet and daily life. During the investigation, An Lingrong discovered that the emperor's pillow had a faint odor.

"Sister, smell this." An Lingrong picked up the pillow and handed it to Zhen Huan.

Zhen Huan sniffed it and frowned, "This smell is very strange, as if there is something in it."

They opened the pillow and found some strange powder inside. After examining it, the imperial physician was horrified: "Your Majesty, this is a chronic poison. Someone is secretly plotting to kill the emperor!"

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were furious, vowing to uncover the mastermind, save the Emperor, and maintain peace in the harem. They began to reassess those around them, becoming suspicious of anyone who might have come into contact with the Emperor's belongings. A new investigation and struggle began, and with each challenge, they strengthened their resolve to protect the harem. Their friendship, like a burning flame, never extinguished in the darkness, illuminated every corner of the harem.

During their investigation, they discovered that a eunuch in charge of the emperor's daily life looked flustered and behaved suspiciously. Zhen Huan called out to him, "You, come here!"

The eunuch turned pale with fear, his body trembling slightly: "Your Majesty..."

"Why are you so panicked? Did you put poison in the emperor's pillow?" An Lingrong stared at the eunuch with a sharp gaze.

The eunuch fell to his knees with a thud: "Your Majesty, I am wronged! I know nothing."

"Hmph! If you don't tell the truth, don't blame us for being rude!" Zhen Huan shouted angrily, and the majesty in her eyes made the eunuch dare not look directly at her.

The eunuch hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, "Your Majesty, it was…it was Your Majesty's former personal maid who asked me to do this. I dared not disobey her. She threatened me, saying that if I didn't do it, she would kill my entire family."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise in their eyes: "Hua Fei? Hasn't she already lost power? Could there still be remnants of her followers operating in secret?"

They decided to follow this clue and after some searching, they found the palace maid. When the palace maid saw Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, she knew that the plot was exposed and tried to escape, but was caught by the guards.

"Tell me! Did you instruct the eunuch to poison the emperor's pillow?" Zhen Huan asked loudly.

The maid sneered, "So what? Concubine Hua was such a good woman, but you guys ruined her like that. I want to avenge her!"

"You are confused! Concubine Hua committed many crimes in the past, and she deserves it! By doing this, you will not only harm the emperor, but also implicate countless innocent people." An Lingrong said with great sorrow.

The maid ignored the advice and continued to look angry: "I don't care, I only care about revenge for the queen."

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong had no choice but to hand over the palace maids and eunuchs to the emperor for punishment. When the emperor learned the truth, he was furious and ordered them to be executed.

After this incident, the emperor's condition gradually improved. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong breathed a sigh of relief, but they also realized that the struggles in the harem were like weeds, which could not be completely burned out and would grow again in the spring breeze. They had to remain vigilant at all times.

In the days that followed, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong paid more attention to the management of the harem and the review of personnel. They established a more complete set of harem personnel files, recording in detail everyone's background, behavior and interpersonal relationships.

One day, a new lady came into the palace. She was lively and cheerful, and was very respectful to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong.

"Empress Wan and Empress An, I have long heard of your great names. It is my great honor to meet you today." The young lady bowed with a smile.

Zhen Huan smiled and replied, "My lady, you are too polite. From now on, we are all sisters and will support each other."

An Lingrong also nodded: "I hope you can live happily in the palace."

However, the arrival of this young lady caused some subtle changes in the harem. Some young ladies were jealous of her beauty and talent and began to speak ill of her behind her back.

After hearing these rumors, the young lady went to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong with grievance, "My Queen, I didn't do anything, why are they saying this about me?"

Zhen Huan comforted her: "My lady, it is inevitable that there will be such gossip in the harem. Don't take it to heart. Just do your best."

An Lingrong also said: "We will help you deal with these things, don't let them affect your mood."

They found the ladies who spread the rumors and sternly warned them. Zhen Huan said, "We are all members of the harem, we should live in harmony and stop doing things that hurt others and do not benefit ourselves."

Under the mediation of Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, the atmosphere in the harem returned to harmony. But they knew that this was only temporary and they needed to work hard to make the harem a truly peaceful place.

Over time, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong's prestige within the harem grew, and their legendary stories became more widely recounted. Yet, they remained undeterred by this, remaining humble and kind, and continuing to work for peace and stability within the harem. Like two shining pearls within the harem, they radiated warmth and resolve, becoming role models and a source of support for all within.

During a palace sacrificial ceremony, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were in charge of preparing the sacrificial supplies and the ritual process. They meticulously checked every detail to ensure the sacrificial ceremony went smoothly.

"These offerings must be placed neatly, as a sign of respect for the gods." Zhen Huan said to the palace maids. She personally adjusted the position of the offerings, her eyes focused and serious.

"Also, these sacrificial costumes must be kept clean and tidy, without any flaws." An Lingrong also gave instructions. She carefully checked every part of the costumes, frowning slightly and looking serious.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly. The harem members, dressed in solemn sacrificial attire, stood in an orderly manner at the sacrificial site.

However, when the sacrifice was halfway through, a strong wind suddenly blew up and blew down some items on the altar. Everyone was panicked and the scene was in chaos.

Zhen Huan shouted loudly: "Don't panic, everyone! Stay calm first!" As she spoke, she and An Lingrong directed the palace maids and eunuchs to clean up the scene.

An Lingrong was wondering if there was anything unusual about the sudden strong wind. She noticed that the wind was blowing from a specific direction, and there was some strange smoke in that direction.

"Sister, look over there!" An Lingrong pointed in the direction of the smoke and said to Zhen Huan.

Zhen Huan looked over, her eyes stern: "There's something wrong with this wind, it seems someone did it on purpose. Let's go and take a look!"

They walked towards the direction of the smoke with their guards and found that someone had placed some special items nearby, causing the chaos.

"Who did this? How dare they disrupt the sacrificial activities!" Zhen Huan said angrily.

After investigation, it was discovered that it was done by a jealous concubine of Zhen Huan and An Lingrong, who wanted to punish Zhen Huan and An Lingrong by disrupting the sacrificial ceremony.

Zhen Huan and An Lingrong reported the matter to the emperor, who ordered the young lady to be confined to her house and severely punished her maids and eunuchs.

After this incident, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong approached every palace activity with greater caution, to prevent similar incidents from happening again. They knew that in this harem, kindness was their weapon, but wisdom and vigilance were also essential. Only in this way could they protect the peace of the harem and continue to write their legendary stories.