An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

Broken Yuxuan.

A light rain fell in the afternoon. After the midday business was over, Xiao Yunzi had just led a few eunuchs to loosen the soil in the flower beds throughout Suiyuxuan. The fresh rain fell on the fresh mud, and the air was filled with the scent of fresh earth.

An Lingrong sat by the window, savoring the cool fragrance of spring.

"It's not the season for new tea yet. This cup, though not new tea, is Dongling Meixiang, which was just presented as tribute at the end of the year. Are you complaining that the tea you brought isn't good enough, sister? Why are you giving me such a hard time, Huan'er?" It was Shen Meizhuang who spoke, her face rosy and charming, seemingly annoyed by Zhen Huan's absent-mindedness.

In fact, it wasn't just Zhen Huan; An Lingrong was also really not in the mood today.

"Don't mention it," Zhen Huan sighed softly, "Sister just loves to tease Huan'er."

Zhen Huan's slender, fair fingers traced the rim of the cup a few times. Although she had a smile on her face, her expression was somewhat disappointed.

Shen Meizhuang looked at Zhen Huan's appearance, then turned to look at An Lingrong. Seeing that both of them were forcing smiles, she understood what was going on.

Since the incident at Jingren Palace that day, the emperor has rarely entered the inner palace for nearly half a month. Apart from a few days ago on the first day of the lunar month when he went to Jingren Palace to have dinner with the empress, he has not summoned any other concubines.

Because of this, Zhen Huan was always filled with apprehension.

Since gaining the emperor's favor, Zhen Huan has enjoyed immense privilege, receiving not only the imperial gift of the Hot Spring Palace but also the privilege of the Empress's quarters. Because of this, Zhen Huan felt slightly different from the other concubines and unconsciously developed the desire to stand with the emperor through thick and thin.

Looking back, it was only because of concern that I made a mistake. The emperor hasn't entered the inner palace recently, so there's really no chance to make amends.

An Lingrong was also worried, not about the emperor's favor, but about the fact that this matter was just like before, a large stone falling into the water, only causing a few drops of water to splash.

Shen Meizhuang sighed softly and said gently, "I know even if you don't tell me, such a big thing has gone around in circles and in the end it's all been forgotten."

Seeing that Zhen Huan and An Lingrong's expressions remained cold, he continued, "Don't think I'm being long-winded. Although the Empress is in charge of the harem, it is still the Emperor's harem. Even if some things are out in the open, if the Emperor is unwilling to reveal his true intentions, they will eventually have to be suppressed."

Throughout history, how many scandalous affairs have occurred within the imperial harem? Yet, how many have truly been revealed in depth? It seems the emperor isn't entirely unaware of these matters, but simply chooses not to expose them. If that's the case, why should we entangle ourselves in them? It's better to simply avoid the limelight.

An Lingrong knew that Shen Meizhuang was indeed thinking of her, but she was still unwilling and couldn't help but say, "Sister Meizhuang is right, and I have listened to her. However, with one trap after another, I have been tricked by people time and time again, but I don't know where the people who are plotting this are or what they are up to. It is really unsettling."

Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang felt a pang of heartache and took An Lingrong's hand, saying softly, "The three of us entered the palace on the same day. Although we didn't grow up together, we've looked after each other like sisters since entering the palace. How could I not know the suffering you've endured? However, I'm also worried that we are all alone and powerless..."

Zhen Huan smiled faintly and said, "Sister Mei, you have always been much more composed than Ling Rong and me. You always think things through more thoroughly than us. You are saying these things for our own good, and Ling Rong and I naturally know that."

However, it was not our intention to get involved. There is too much intrigue and backstabbing in the harem, and it seems that simply hiding is not a long-term solution.

Look at Consort Duan, she never competes or fights for anything. That day, the Emperor did indeed respect her. But even so, Consort Duan's life in the harem was extremely dull, and she was occasionally bullied by the servants.

We didn't want to get involved, but Sister Mei must know the story of "possessing a treasure invites trouble." Since we can't escape it now, why not fight back?

Shen Meizhuang sighed heavily, her eyes slightly red. "I was aware of these plans, but if I hadn't actually gotten involved, how could I have known how dangerous they were? I suppose you didn't want to implicate me, which is why you didn't tell me the details of what happened to Consort Li that day. But after hearing what happened in Jingren Palace, I know that the person behind this is truly vicious. It's not just a matter of plotting; they've really gone after the intention to kill me and destroy my spirit. The three of us haven't been in the palace for very long. If we keep a low profile, we can probably just live out our days in peace."

"Sister, do you know that after the Emperor left that day, he first went to Shou Kang Palace and had dinner before leaving? The next day, he summoned the Empress to Yangxin Hall for half a day of discussion?" An Lingrong put down her teacup and said softly.

Shen Meizhuang nodded, "I've heard about it too. It's said that when Her Majesty the Empress came out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she looked somber, as if she had been punished."

After nodding, An Lingrong continued, "Being in the inner palace, what we hear is only what the Emperor allows us to know. Although it is a matter of the inner palace, it is usually the Empress who makes the decisions, only consulting with the Emperor when necessary. But this time is different. The Emperor not only consulted the Empress Dowager first, but also specially summoned the Empress to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to discuss it. This is probably because the matter is of great importance, and he wants to prevent more rumors from spreading. The people serving in the Hall of Mental Cultivation are tight-lipped, so some things are more appropriate to be said inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang's expression changed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Zhen Huan shook her head slightly and continued, "Sister Mei, don't be anxious. The other day, I sent Xiao Yunzi out to inquire. He said that someone from Consort Li's palace had revealed some important matters, but we couldn't find out the specifics. However, there is one thing that is truly alarming. I heard that one of Consort Li's close attendants was 'promoted' from the laundry department."

Shen Meizhuang's expression changed. "How could this be? The palace servants are always clearly registered. Those who serve closely and those who do menial tasks are always selected and assigned in batches. How could there be an arrangement for a menial servant to be promoted to a close palace maid?"

Zhen Huan nodded. "This is the suspicious part. I heard that this palace maid's household registration was replaced. When the Imperial Household Department arranged the personnel, this palace maid's register was mixed in. The people in the Imperial Household Department were not careful and just picked it up and sent it to Consort Li's palace."

Shen Meizhuang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Don't the people in Consort Li's palace ever check people carefully before letting them in?"

Zhen Huan shook her head and said, "Firstly, the household registration books of these palace maids are very detailed; secondly, Consort Li has always been favored since her time as a prince and was promoted to the rank of consort, and she is on good terms with Consort Hua, so she naturally felt that no one would dare to plot against her easily, and thus she relaxed a bit. Otherwise, think about it, she also accepted Kang Luhai, who came from my palace, very readily."

"Ah, that's true. But since she's serving me so closely, how could she be so careless?" This was truly astonishing, and Shen Meizhuang was still puzzled.

"Being close to them only means being able to enter the inner palace; it doesn't mean they're truly serving you personally. But even so, they still have many more opportunities than others." Zhen Huan said, taking a cup of fresh tea from Liu Zhu and taking a small sip, but her eyes betrayed her melancholy.