An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

After leaving Yanxi Palace, Wen Shichu followed behind Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, constantly wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

Seeing Wen Shichu's easily flustered expression, Liu Zhu couldn't help but giggle. It wasn't until Zhen Huan gave her a sidelong glance that she covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud.

It wasn't until they returned to Suiyu Pavilion that Zhen Huan asked Imperial Physician Wen about An Lingrong's condition.

Zhen Huan frowned. "Judging from the pulse, is there anything else wrong?"

Wen Shichu replied, "The fact that Consort An was able to wake up today shows that the person who administered the medicine was unable to tamper with it again." With a compassionate heart, Wen Shichu couldn't help but sigh when mentioning An Lingrong's condition, "Although Consort An is not in danger now, the person who administered the medicine used too strong a dose, which may have damaged her heart and lungs. She will probably need to take care of herself from time to time in the future."

"But please rest assured, Your Highnesses, I have just written a prescription and have already instructed the person serving Consort An. If she takes the prescription daily and takes good care of herself, she will improve in less than a month." Seeing the worried looks on Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang's faces, Wen Shichu quickly said.

Hearing this, Shen Meizhuang felt a little relieved, but her eyes welled up with tears. She said softly, "We entered the palace on the same day as Lingrong. Although we are not yet favored, we can at least speak to the Empress. Lingrong is timid by nature and has never had the chance to gain the Emperor's favor. Now, she has not caused any trouble, yet she is being treated so badly. It's truly heartbreaking. Putting aside the coldness and indifference of human relationships in the harem, a slight misstep can endanger one's life. It's truly terrifying."

"Huan'er, do you think Lingrong was assassinated this time because of our overly sharp edges?"

Seeing Shen Meizhuang's anxious expression, Zhen Huan comforted her, "Sister Mei, don't worry too much. The harem has never been peaceful. Regardless of whether we were too outspoken today, as long as we live in the harem, we will have to be extremely careful in the future. Now that this matter has come to us, let's carefully plan and discuss it."

Seeing Zhen Huan frowning in thought, Wen Shichu knew that Zhen Huan was seriously making plans. He simply lowered his head and said, "If the two ladies need me to do anything, please just say the word, and I will do my best."

Zhen Huan shook her head. "For now, I only ask Imperial Physician Wen to help take good care of Consort An. I'll think about the rest later."

Wen Shichu didn't ask any further questions, and simply took his medicine box and left.

After Wen Shichu left, Zhen Huan spoke up, "Wen Shichu is an honest man. The intrigue and backstabbing in the harem are too cruel for him. I can't bear to drag him into this."

“I understand,” Shen Meizhuang said softly. “If it weren’t for you and me being caught in this whirlpool, who would want to jump into it?”

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Ever since An Lingrong woke up that day, and Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang came to see her together, not only have the servants in Yanxi Palace become much more attentive.

Even Huang Gui, the head of the Imperial Household Department, became much more attentive, frequently visiting Yanxi Palace to deliver novel trinkets or tea and spices. In short, he always made sure to show his face, whether there was a reason or not.

At first, An Lingrong was really puzzled, because Huang Guiquan was originally an opportunist who would only go up to someone if there was something to gain. Why was he suddenly being so attentive? Who knows what he was up to?

Because An Lingrong's health has not fully recovered recently, the Empress has exempted her from getting up early to pay her respects. Since she is not paying her respects to the Empress, she cannot wander around. Therefore, An Lingrong has not left Yanxi Palace much lately, and naturally, she does not understand many things for the time being.

It wasn't until a few days later, when Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang came to the palace to see her, that An Lingrong learned that Huang Gui had been instructed by the Empress.

A few days ago, when the concubines came to Jingren Palace to pay their respects in the morning, the Empress and the concubines chatted and suddenly mentioned that among the newly promoted concubines in the harem, only Consort Wan, Consort Shen, Consort An, and Consort Chun remained. The beauties who entered the Forbidden City were like flowing water, but she didn't know why their fates were so unfortunate. There was some sadness in her words.

So he had Jianqiu summon the head of the Imperial Household Department to inquire about the situation so that the people serving in the Imperial Household Department would be more careful, especially the new and old officials, and that there would be no more negligence.

When Huang Guiquan was summoned to Jingren Palace, he assumed it was just for some routine questions, never expecting the Empress to say something so outrageous. He was terrified, realizing that all the recent turmoil in the palace was now his responsibility. So he immediately became very obedient, serving the palace with utmost care these past few days. Besides visiting An Lingrong, he also frequently visited the elders like Consort Hua and Noble Lady Cao, fearing he might cause any trouble.

However, among the newcomers, An Lingrong's group was the most numerous.

If you ask why, anyone with a discerning eye can see it clearly: among the remaining four newcomers, Zhen Huan, Shen Meizhuang, and An Lingrong have always been on good terms, and Consort Chun had previously lived with Zhen Huan in Suiyu Pavilion.

From this perspective, those who perished were those who had little to no interaction with Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, while those who remained alive were genuinely on good terms with the two new favorites.

If you think about it for a moment, you'll realize that things are a bit different. If things go through several twists and turns, it might become some kind of rumor.

An Lingrong suddenly felt a strange sensation and asked, "When Your Majesty said this, was Consort Hua in the Empress's palace?"

Zhen Huan recalled, "That day, Consort Hua arrived very early, and she was indeed there."

An Lingrong pondered for a moment and said, "What Your Majesty said is true, but by saying it in such a contradictory way, it seems to point out that the newcomers and the old guard are now at odds. In the past, when the newcomers had problems, it was probably not because the old guard had interfered. And after the newcomers entered the palace, whenever the Imperial Household Department did not serve them well, it was all because of the newcomers."

"I didn't think much of what you said back then, but I thought Her Majesty the Empress was always fair, so I didn't think anything of it. But hearing Lingrong say it today, it does seem like she's implying something." Shen Meizhuang put down her teacup and focused on recalling the events of that day.

When the Empress spoke those words that day, she seemed nonchalant and casual. But now, the three of them could discern the true meaning behind them with just a little reflection. How could someone like Huang Guiquan, who had been immersed in the inner palace for so many years, not understand the implications?

An Lingrong's eyes lit up. This was the Empress's most effective tactic; her favorite method was to use others to do her dirty work.

Regardless of who initiated this whole affair, the most troublesome newcomers are now gone, and the remaining ones are still unstable, so there's no need for her to personally intervene. She can simply let Consort Hua and the other concubines handle it.

"Perhaps the Empress really meant something, but her words on the surface were flawless. Besides, the people below often use their cunning to get things done. Whether it's being attentive today or not, they can always smooth things over if something goes wrong in the future." An Lingrong pondered, and inadvertently muttered her thoughts out loud.

Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang were both taken aback upon hearing this.

But being a woman from a respectable family, she understood seven or eight parts of the situation with just a little knowledge and remained calm in the face of adversity. Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang exchanged a glance, and Zhen Huan spoke first, "Lingrong, I didn't expect you to see things so clearly."

Hearing a hint of approval in Zhen Huan's words, An Lingrong's heart trembled. This was the genuine praise she had longed for in both her past and present lives.

In her past life, she had done so much. Even though she was afraid, she went to the Cold Palace to kill Yu Shi for Zhen Huan, all for the sake of earning a sincere compliment from Zhen Huan. She only wanted to be the younger sister who was worthy of standing beside Zhen Huan. Now, hearing Zhen Huan's words, An Lingrong couldn't help but feel both joy and moved.

Zhen Huan continued, "The Empress's words seem flawless on the surface, and what we're thinking now is nothing more than our own speculation."

However, there have been too many things happening in the palace recently. First, Lady Yuan died, then Lady Fucha miscarried, and then someone tried to harm you. These things seem unrelated, but they also seem to be connected in some inexplicable way.

However, we haven't yet figured out the details of each and every one of these issues.

I used to think my younger sister wouldn't dare get involved in these things. Mei Zhuang and I even discussed it. We told her that if she was afraid, she didn't need to think about these things and could just focus on recovering. But I never expected that Ling Rong would be so perceptive. Mei Zhuang and I only mentioned it briefly, and she understood the key points.

In this whole affair, you've suffered the most. If there's anything you want to say or do, your sister Mei and I will definitely share your burdens.

Seeing that Zhen Huan's words were sincere, An Lingrong, who was already somewhat pleased, let go of her worries after hearing Zhen Huan's words, and was filled with joy. She was also secretly glad that she had finally chosen the right path in this life, and that she would finally have someone to face the days ahead with.

An Lingrong nodded, "Lingrong appreciates the care of my two elder sisters. Since entering the palace, I have not gained the Emperor's favor. Who is the person who harmed me, and what is their purpose? I really can't figure it out."

“That’s right. If Lingrong is related to these things, then there’s only one,” Shen Meizhuang suddenly came to her senses, “that is, Lingrong and the other concubines who had accidents all lived in Yanxi Palace.”

"Could it be that several things are inextricably linked to Yanxi Palace, and Lingrong happens to live there? The person behind it is worried that Lingrong has discovered something, which is why they are so eager to take action against her?" Shen Meizhuang continued to speculate.

This makes sense, and Zhen Huan nodded in agreement. "The three of us noticed earlier that Bao Juan was acting strangely, but we didn't point it out beforehand."

Logically speaking, Baojuan could have continued to hide by Lingrong's side. If she had intended to poison her earlier, she could have found an opportunity to do so slowly beforehand. Why did she rush to do it the day after Fucha's miscarriage? Wouldn't it be too conspicuous if one concubine in the palace had an accident one after another?

Moreover, the reason Liu Zhu discovered this was because Bao Juan acted too hastily and revealed a flaw.

The cause of this matter must be related to Empress Fucha's miscarriage. An Lingrong, Zhen Huan, and Shen Meizhuang exchanged glances, and from this perspective, the matter became clear.

So, what exactly did An Lingrong discover, or what did she have the opportunity to discover, that made the person behind Baojuan so eager to take action against An Lingrong?

The three of them racked their brains for a long time, but still couldn't come up with a solution.

Zhen Huan smiled faintly, "Stop thinking about it, let's just find this person!"