An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

An Lingrong frowned and sighed softly. Now that she was finally free from being manipulated by others, she had to think carefully and thoroughly about everything, which inevitably made her anxious.

However, since things have come to this point, even if we are anxious, we can only wait and see.

An Lingrong looked around. The emperor and empress sat dignifiedly, and all the concubines present seemed to be in a meditative state, their eyes closed and their breaths even lowered.

Perhaps because there were too many people in the room, An Lingrong suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

Suddenly, I heard a snap behind me; the latch on the door frame clicked again.

An Lingrong turned her head and saw Jianqiu and Huang Guiquan from the Imperial Household Department walking in one after the other. A cool breeze also came in, which made An Lingrong feel a little clearer.

Suddenly noticing that Jianqiu and Huang Guiquan were each holding an account book, he felt a pang of anxiety and straightened his back a bit.

After Jianqiu and Huang Guiquan greeted their masters, they stood at attention and waited for their masters to ask them questions.

"Has everything been investigated thoroughly?" the emperor asked.

Jianqiu didn't answer, but only glanced at Huang Guiquan.

Huang Guiquan was taken aback. When he was summoned, he only knew that the emperor wanted to check the distribution of Shu embroidery and handkerchiefs. So when he heard this seemingly random question, he didn't know how to answer. After a moment, he realized that since the emperor hadn't said what he wanted to check, it would be good enough to answer whatever came to mind.

Huang Guiquan bowed deeply and replied in a high-pitched voice, "Your Majesty, I have checked the accounts. Last year, 15 bolts of Shu brocade and 20 Shu embroidered handkerchiefs were sent to the palace. Of the Shu brocade, only 2 bolts were given to Shou Kang Palace, 2 to Jing Ren Palace, and 2 to Yi Kun Palace. The other palaces did not receive any rewards. The Shu embroidered handkerchiefs were all sent to Jing Ren Palace as instructed. The Empress will decide whether to distribute them to the ladies of the palace or to reward me. The Imperial Household Department has not kept any further records on this matter."

After Huang Guiquan finished speaking, Jianqiu replied seriously, "Your Majesty, I have checked the accounts. There are 20 Shu embroidered handkerchiefs in total. They were given to Consort Shen, Consort Wan, Consort Chun, Consort An, and the former Consort Fucha and Consort Xia when the concubines entered the palace, totaling 6. Later, one was given to Consort Miaoyin and Consort Qi, totaling 8 to the concubines. There are 12 left in the storeroom. I also counted them in the storeroom when I first arrived, and the numbers match up."

The Emperor nodded. "Jianqiu is very thorough in her work. Go and serve the Empress."

Upon hearing this, Jianqiu carefully performed the proper greetings and then returned to stand behind the Empress.

The emperor said, "Looking at it this way, there seems to be no problem with the handkerchief."

Consort Duan still had a faint smile on her face, but after talking too much, she coughed a few times before catching her breath and said, "Your Majesty, do you think someone might have tampered with the handkerchief? For example, is the pattern on the handkerchief different? Perhaps Consort Li recognizes the pattern on the handkerchief?"

The Empress nodded and said, "Indeed, as Consort Duan said, the embroidery on the handkerchiefs presented this time is quite thoughtful. The handkerchiefs presented this time are double-sided embroidered, with completely different patterns on each side. No matter which side is on, it is a complete embroidery picture, and the craftsmanship is very exquisite."

As she spoke, the Empress seemed to remember something and turned to ask Jianqiu, "Jianqiu, do you remember what pattern was embroidered on the brocade handkerchief that was given to Lady Miaoyin?"

After pondering for a while, Jianqiu replied, "This servant seems to remember that the front of the handkerchief has an embroidery pattern of autumn water and begonia, while the back has an embroidery pattern of apricot blossoms in the rain."

"Yes, that's it. I remember it was the same. The patterns on both sides are completely different, but the stitches are perfectly aligned, and the embroidered patterns on both sides are lifelike," the Empress said thoughtfully.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged a brief glance. Zhen Huan's brows twitched almost imperceptibly, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

But then Consort Duan slowly said, "Perhaps it is related to this pattern, who knows?" After saying that, she turned to the Emperor and said softly, "I wonder if any of the ladies in the palace present today have brought a handkerchief with a similar pattern? I would like to ask Your Majesty to borrow one for me to try."

The emperor nodded slightly and said, "Whoever has this pattern on their handkerchief, please bring it out."

The moment the emperor spoke, the hall fell silent. Even Consort Jing, who had remained silent until now, showed surprise.

It wasn't because the concubines were unwilling to lend their handkerchiefs to avoid suspicion; it was simply that the pattern of the begonia flower was extremely rare in the imperial harem.

The autumn water begonia, also known as the love-longing red, is often used in poetry, literature and painting to symbolize homesickness. Women often use begonia flowers as embroidery patterns to express their longing for their loved ones.

In common parlance, if a man were to receive a handkerchief embroidered with the pattern of autumn water and begonia by a woman, it could be considered a romantic tale. However, in the imperial harem, where concubines longed for the emperor's favor every day, they mostly chose auspicious patterns, and it was rare to find one with the autumn water and begonia design.

The emperor looked around and saw the concubines exchanging glances, while he unconsciously tapped the string of beads in his hand twice.

An Lingrong looked up and saw Zhen Huan's eyes filled with a faint smile, her brows showing a hint of relief. An Lingrong understood; this was indeed something the two of them had discussed beforehand, but she hadn't expected the Emperor to bring it up so easily at this moment. An Lingrong nodded slightly in response.

Seeing that everyone was silent, the emperor grew slightly impatient and was about to speak when he saw a concubine, whose face he didn't recognize, slowly rise from the very end and walk into the hall.

The Empress noticed the Emperor's expression and said softly, "Your Majesty, this is Consort An, who has moved to Suiyu Pavilion. She used to be in poor health, but after moving to Suiyu Pavilion to recuperate, she has seen some improvement in her complexion."

Upon hearing this, the emperor remained silent, only giving An Lingrong a once-over.

In her past life, An Lingrong was presented to the emperor several times, each time with meticulous planning. She was always presented with captivating beauty, whether it was ice skating, dancing, or singing on a boat. Even when she used her singing to attract the emperor's attention in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, she was carefully dressed up. This light makeup, like it is now, is a first for her.

However, because I am not in a hurry to flatter anyone today, I am able to relax and be at ease, which adds to my graceful demeanor.

An Lingrong lowered her head and bowed gracefully to the Emperor and Empress, politely greeting them: "Your Majesty, I have promised to pay my respects to the Emperor and Empress. The handkerchief I am wearing today is embroidered with the pattern of autumn water and begonia."

"Your Majesty, my needlework is clumsy and cannot compare with the Shu embroidery presented as tribute. However, I dare not conceal this, and I humbly request Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress to take a look." With that, An Lingrong stepped forward and handed the handkerchief to Su Peisheng, who then passed it on to the Emperor.

The emperor took the handkerchief and examined it closely.

This is a plain brocade handkerchief, with a corner embroidered with a begonia flower pattern in five colors. The needlework is so smooth that it can embroider the begonia petals swaying in the wind with exquisite texture and lifelike appearance.

What the emperor found even more wonderful was that, in addition to the exquisite design, the handkerchief also had an indescribable, faint fragrance that gently warmed his heart.

The aroma also stirred something within the emperor.

After pondering for a long time, the emperor handed the handkerchief in his hand to the empress, "Do you think the pattern of this handkerchief is similar to the one given to Lady Yuan?"

The Empress took it, and after examining it with Jianqiu, she slowly replied, "The embroidery techniques are naturally different, but the patterns are indeed somewhat similar."

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong lowered her head even further, seemingly ashamed and embarrassed because her needlework skills were inferior to others.

The emperor glanced at An Lingrong with a seemingly casual look and said indifferently, "The tribute items must have been carefully selected, and the needlework made by ordinary girls is naturally incomparable. Since the patterns are similar, let's show them to Consort Li."