An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

I knew all along that the current emperor was not a faithful man.

However, as soon as the green plaques for the new concubines to serve the emperor arrived, the emperor immediately chose Xia's plaque, which was something An Lingrong had not expected.

Moreover, Xia was also greatly favored by the emperor.

In the afternoon, the sun began to set, and although there was still some residual heat, it was no longer too hot.

After noon, An Lingrong and Shen Meizhuang arrived at Zhen Huan's Suiyu Pavilion.

The three of them sat together in the courtyard of Suiyuxuan, enjoying tea. Jinxi was very considerate and sent a eunuch to roast some peanuts and sweet potatoes in an oven.

Milk tea simmered on a small stove, the aroma of milk and tea mingling together, a sweet scent that brought joy.

An Lingrong thought to herself, "Indeed, the harem without the emperor's interference is the best place to live a good life."

Shen Meizhuang didn't like sweets, so the lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake she brought was only for Zhen Huan and An Lingrong to eat.

She herself held a teacup and leisurely sipped her tea.

"Have you heard? Xia is now deeply favored by the Emperor. The Emperor sends gifts to the inner palace every few days."

"Yes, that's right. I heard that Her Majesty the Empress also favors Consort Xia. I heard that she mentioned to the Emperor yesterday that Consort Xia is beautiful and sensible, and is just waiting for good news so that she can be promoted in rank." Zhen Huan said while peeling peanuts in her hand.

Shen Meizhuang seemed to suddenly remember something. "Lingrong, the Xia family used to be arrogant and bullied you all the time. Have they toned it down recently?"

An Lingrong laughed and said, "Xia's personality is like this, it will be difficult to restrain her. However, she is currently favored by the emperor and spends her days either by the emperor's side or in the empress's palace, so she has no time to provoke me."

Zhen Huan smiled and said, "Xia is indeed very fortunate, but she has received such favor so soon after entering the palace."

Then she chuckled and teased Shen Meizhuang, "Although there are many talented women among this year's candidates, in Huan'er's heart, Sister Mei is still the best. I suppose the Emperor hasn't discovered Sister Mei's merits yet. If he does, he will cherish her a hundred or a thousand times more than he cherishes Lady Xia."

Shen Meizhuang blushed and said, "You've already entered the palace, yet you still speak so recklessly."

After laughing, fearing that An Lingrong might misunderstand, he added, "Sister Lingrong is gentle and proper, and she will surely win the Emperor's favor."

An Lingrong saw everything. If it were back then, she might have been suspicious, but now she didn't think being favored by the emperor was such a wonderful thing. She thought it was just a means for the emperor to control the harem.

Thinking of this, An Lingrong smiled gently, "Lingrong doesn't have any great ambitions. As long as I can follow my two elder sisters and live peacefully in the harem, that's enough."

As they were chatting, Caiyue, who had returned to the palace to fetch Shen Meizhuang's cloak, rushed in, looking quite unwell.

"Why are you so flustered?" Shen Meizhuang asked first, noticing her personal maid's unusual expression.

"Your Highness, on my way back, I saw a crowd gathered around a well in the Imperial Garden. I went to take a look and found that they had pulled a palace maid out of the well. She looked like she had been in the well for quite some time. One of the palace servants nearby said that the deceased maid, judging from her attire, resembled Fu Zi, a maid who had recently been assigned to Consort Hua's side. However, she had been in the well for so long that her features were no longer recognizable. But I clearly saw that the maid's eyes were wide open. I wonder if she died with her eyes wide open in disbelief..."

Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang gasped, and Zhen Huan beside her turned pale. Only An Lingrong remained composed.

"Jinxi, you've been in the palace for so long, do you often see things like this?" Besides Baojuan, Jinxi was the only one who had served in the palace for a long time and had no one else to ask. As Zhen Huan spoke, Shen Meizhuang's gaze also turned to Jinxi, as if searching for a glimmer of light or a glimmer of hope.

Jinxi nodded and said, "Your Highnesses, the harem is the Emperor's harem, and of course it has its own rules and regulations. Miss Caiyue is still young and must have been frightened. There are many people and many things to do in the harem, and some careless people may accidentally cause trouble somewhere. I believe Her Majesty the Empress will definitely order a thorough investigation. Whether it was an accident or intentional, she will give the harem an explanation."

An Lingrong pondered to herself, "As expected of an old hand in the palace, not only is he calm and composed in the face of events, but his words are also impeccable."

No matter how powerful Zhen Huan was in her past life, she has only just entered the palace today, and there are still many things she doesn't understand. It is thanks to having such a calm and steady palace maid by her side that she has a chance to rise in the future.

Thinking back on this, An Lingrong found her past self quite laughable. She had only focused on Huanbi and Liuzhu, the maids beside Zhen Huan. She felt jealous and angry whenever Zhen Huan treated her two maids even slightly better, and she constantly compared herself to Zhen Huan's maids. She hadn't realized that the true mastermind behind Zhen Huan was actually this person.

If I had figured these things out earlier in my past life, I wouldn't have ended up being slapped every day in the cold palace.

As evening approached, Jinxi said, "It's getting a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings since autumn started. Why don't you ladies go inside for dinner later?"

The three of them originally intended to have dinner together before parting ways, but they unexpectedly heard this news halfway through, which affected their appetite and mood.

The three parted ways, each with their own thoughts, unaware that a new storm was brewing in the harem.

It's just unknown who else will be affected by this incident.