The Legend of Zhen Huan Reborn: Overthrowing Zhen Huan to Become the Queen Mother

Chapter 238 Shilan's Temperament

"I will be satisfied if I can get a word of praise from the emperor." Lou Yong'er said with a smile.

The emperor narrowed his eyes at her perfect smile and said, "Yong'er has a good character."

Lou Yong'er smiled shyly, "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I was scolded by the Imperial Concubine in my early years, but now that I see that the Imperial Concubine treats Xinhe like her own child, I feel that I am not as good as the Imperial Concubine. Therefore, I have been studying hard and tempering my character, hoping to catch up with the Imperial Concubine a little bit."

The emperor raised his eyebrows. Catching up with Shilan's temperament?

He looked at her carefully for a moment, and seeing her sincerity, he didn't pursue the matter any further.

"I remember that you were good friends with Wan Changzai in the past, and you worked as a needlework girl with her."

Lou Yong'er blinked and said frankly, "Of course I did, but I was young at the time and didn't work hard on it. Even if I had the idea later, I wouldn't have had the opportunity."

"Yong'er, haven't you heard any rumors?" The emperor glanced at her meaningfully.

Lou Yong'er smiled slyly, "Of course I heard it, otherwise why would I approach the emperor for no reason?"

The emperor laughed and said yes repeatedly.

Lou Yong'er continued: "Then Your Majesty..."

"You also hope that Concubine Wan will return to the palace?" After the emperor laughed, he turned and looked directly at Lou Yong'er.

Lou Yong'er and the emperor met each other's eyes. It was a rare opportunity for her to see the emperor's face. She said seriously, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. I only follow your wishes."

"Okay." The emperor left Lou Yong'er contentedly.

In just a few days, it was finalized that Zhen Huan would return to the palace.

In mid-June, the weather was neither too cold nor too hot, and Zhen Huan's pregnancy was three months old and stable.

The Queen intends to use Zhen Huan and will not let her be inferior to others, nor will she let her be superior to others.

Concubine Duan kept Longyue in her care and remained silent. Even the Empress was like this, so Concubine Qi did not dare to say anything.

It was Jiang Ruyin who invited all the concubines in the harem who had given birth to royal heirs to drink tea and watch the play together. Among them, the six concubines were naturally among them.

The Queen and Jiang Ruyin tacitly did not mention Zhen Huan's position.

The emperor was in a very good mood and gave a good look to every concubine who came to flatter him. For a while, the harem was full of flowers.

It is said that a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, and a secret lover is not as good as not being able to steal.

It was a foregone conclusion that Zhen Huan would be reinstated as a palace concubine, but the emperor was no longer so interested in the little nun Mo Chou on Lingyun Peak.

Until mid-May,

"This tea tastes quite good," the emperor said curiously.

Su Peisheng bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, this is cooked with pine needles, bamboo leaves, and plum blossoms. The water is the dew on the lotus leaves before sunrise. That's why it tastes this way."

Seeing the emperor's hesitation, Su Peisheng continued, "I have noticed that the emperor has looked gloomy and haggard recently, so I have the courage to ask Aunt Zhuxi for advice and have her make this tea to calm the emperor's mind."

After Zhen Huan left the palace, Zhuxi was sent to the Cining Palace by the emperor. If Su Peisheng mentioned it again, the emperor would not think much about it because he thought that Zhuxi and Su Peisheng had served in the Yangxin Palace for many years.

"You are thoughtful." The emperor said lightly.

At the end of May, the emperor visited Lingyun Peak again.

The Zen room on Lingyun Peak is hidden in the lush forest and looks particularly quiet and peaceful.

A few wisps of light mist drifted out from the crack of the door of the wing room.

The emperor was dressed in dark casual clothes and stepped into the meditation room with steady steps.

The room was filled with the faint scent of sandalwood, its smoke curling like a thread of melancholy in the air. Light filtered through the half-drawn gauze on the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the old cushion and Buddhist shrine.

Zhen Huan was dressed in plain clothes and knelt devoutly in front of the Buddha, praying.

The wing room was small, and the emperor could even hear Zhen Huan's prayers in front of the door.

The candlelight in front of the Buddha statue flickered, and the light and shadow flickered on Zhen Huan's face.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she told the Buddha her wishes and thoughts for the emperor.

Finally, Zhen Huan was silent for a long time, and added almost silently:

"I, a believer, am willing to remain a vegetarian for the rest of my life and practice cultivation at Lingyun Peak. I pray for the Emperor's well-being... Buddha, please don't let that person forget me..."

When she finished speaking, there was a hint of sorrow in her tone.

A complex emotion flashed in the emperor's eyes, including pity and guilt.

Calculating the time, it has been nearly two months since I last set foot here after learning that Zhen Huan was pregnant.

"Huan'er misses her husband." The emperor suddenly spoke, pretending to be calm and joking.

Zhen Huan was shocked and turned her head suddenly in disbelief.

"emperor!"

Tears as big as beans rolled down her cheeks, and Zhen Huan murmured in disbelief.

The emperor felt even more distressed when he saw that she was thin, had a big pregnant belly, and looked haggard.

"Don't be afraid, Huan'er. I've been busy with the affairs of the court recently. I will come to see you as soon as I'm done." The emperor strode over and took Zhen Huan into his arms.

He looked around, but saw that the room was still cold, without any trace of richness and elegance. He looked at Su Peisheng with some suspicion.

Su Peisheng lowered his head and groaned in pain.

"Your Majesty, please don't blame me." Zhen Huan wiped her tears. "Eunuch Su sent me many good things, but I didn't want to use them myself. Since Your Majesty didn't come, I only used them because the sight of them reminded me of something."

The emperor then let Su Peisheng go, "It's all my fault. I made you suffer. Don't call yourself a humble concubine anymore. It hurts me to hear that."

"This..." Zhen Huan hesitated for a moment, but finally compromised, "I obey your command."

The emperor choked and said silently with some embarrassment, "You are now pregnant and have contributed greatly to the birth of my heir. I intend to promote you to a noble lady and welcome you back to the palace as a concubine."

Now it was Zhen Huan's turn to be embarrassed. Stunned, shocked, confused, puzzled, and embarrassed were boiling in her mind one after another.

Prince Guo’s words, “You are my only wife,” are still ringing in my ears.

The thought of Prince Guo made the fire of revenge burn in her chest. Zhen Huan suppressed the humiliation in her heart and said softly, "Thank you, Silang. I'm glad I didn't make things difficult for you."

Zhen Huan's tactful words made the emperor think of Jiang Ruyin who always insisted on this matter, but now that Zhen Huan blurted out, the emperor did not feel the slightest bit pleased.

The emperor patted Zhen Huan soothingly and sat cross-legged on the couch.

Zhen Huan followed, and seeing that the emperor didn't say anything, she personally poured tea for him and served him by his side.

The emperor calmed down a lot and closed his eyes to think.

By summer's end, the three pregnant concubines had finally secured their pregnancies. Even without the other concubines' reminders, the emperor himself found the constant chirping of cicadas irritating.

The wing room at Lingyun Peak was in the shade, and there was no heat in the room, which made him feel comfortable both physically and mentally for no reason.

The emperor was thinking about going to the Old Summer Palace as soon as Zhen Huan returned to the palace when Zhen Huan spoke softly.

"The cicadas are chirping, and everything is hot. This scene brings back my dreams of the past."

"Oh?" The emperor opened his eyes and looked at her.

Zhen Huan looked at the emperor with loving eyes.