in2ebook Chapter 273: The Secret of Jingsi Temple
Chapter 273: The Secret of Jingsi Temple
Zhen Huan paced back and forth in the palace, anxiously saying, "I wonder if Lingrong's journey to Jingsi Temple will be smooth sailing. I hope nothing goes wrong along the way!"
Concubine Hua sat on the chair, trying to remain calm, but she couldn't hide the worry in her eyes: "Hmph! If those people dare to touch Lingrong, I will make sure they die miserably!"
Zhen Huan gently rubbed her temples: "Sister, now we can only wait and hope that Ling Rong can discover something and uncover the conspiracy behind this."
By this time, An Lingrong had arrived near Jingsi Nunnery. She gazed out the car window at the tranquil nunnery, her mind awash with thoughts. After getting out of the car, she took a deep breath and, accompanied by her personal maid, slowly walked into the nunnery.
The nun in the nunnery saw them and clasped her hands together in greeting, "Lady donor, may I know what brings you here?"
An Lingrong said softly, "Master, I heard there have been some unusual things going on in this nunnery recently, so I've come to investigate. I have some connections with the royal family, so I hope Master will be kind enough to help me."
The nun frowned slightly: "Female donor, this nunnery is a quiet place, what could possibly happen?"
An Lingrong's eyes were determined. "Master, I've received news that someone might be hiding some contraband in the nunnery. If we don't discover it soon, it could bring disaster to the nunnery."
The nun thought for a moment and said, "Since the female donor said so, then let's go with me to have a look around."
As An Lingrong walked, she kept an eye on the movements in the nunnery. Suddenly, she heard a slight cough coming from a side room. She looked at the nun: "Nun, is there a patient in that room?"
The nun's expression changed slightly. "That's a female guest who's staying here temporarily. She's feeling a little unwell and is recuperating."
An Lingrong was suspicious: "I know a little bit about medicine, could you let me go and take a look? Perhaps I can help."
The nun hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded: "Madam, please do as you wish."
An Lingrong walked into the room and saw a woman lying on the bed. Her face was haggard and her eyes were filled with fear. An Lingrong asked softly, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The woman's lips trembled: "Who are you? Leave me alone, leave now!"
An Lingrong took a step closer. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help you. Is someone holding you captive here?"
A hint of hesitation flashed across the woman's eyes, but she finally cried, "I was originally a maid in the palace. I accidentally discovered the Queen's secret and was taken here by them. They said that if I dared to tell anyone, they would kill my entire family."
An Lingrong was shocked: "The Queen's secret? Do you know what it is?"
The maid lowered her voice, "I only heard the Queen discussing with a minister that they were going to start a fire in the palace, pin the blame on Imperial Noble Consort Xi and Imperial Noble Consort An, and then use the opportunity to get rid of you."
An Lingrong clenched her fists. "What a vicious plot! Is that minister Lord Li?"
The maid nodded, "That's right. They also said that they have arranged an insider in the palace, waiting for the right time to act."
An Lingrong comforted the maid for a few words, then walked out of the room and said to the nun, "Nun, I want to take this woman away. She is a relative of an old friend of mine, and I need to take her back to take care of her."
Although the nun was a little confused, she still agreed.
An Lingrong and the maids hurried back to the palace. Zhen Huan and Concubine Hua were already waiting at the palace gate.
Zhen Huan hurried over to greet her: "Lingrong, you're finally back! How's it going? Did you find anything?"
An Lingrong told them everything: "Huan'er, the Queen is so cruel that she wants to use fire to frame us!"
Concubine Hua was furious: "This queen is absolutely crazy! I will go and fight her right now!"
Zhen Huan quickly grabbed Concubine Hua and said, "Don't worry, sister! Let's go find the emperor now and tell him about this matter. He will handle it."
The three of them arrived at the Yangxin Palace, where the emperor was attending to government affairs. Seeing their hurried expressions, he asked, "Why are you so flustered?"
Zhen Huan stepped forward and knelt. "Your Majesty, I and your concubine have just learned of a shocking conspiracy. The Empress and Lord Li are colluding to set fire to the palace and frame An Lingrong and me in an attempt to eliminate us."
The emperor's eyes widened. "Is this true? Do you have any evidence?"
An Lingrong asked the maid to tell the emperor what happened in Jingsi Temple: "Your Majesty, this maid is the witness. She heard the Queen and Lord Li's plan with her own ears."
The Emperor's face darkened. "I never thought the Empress would be so audacious while under house arrest! I will investigate this matter thoroughly. If it's true, I will show no mercy!"
Zhen Huan continued, "Your Majesty, this matter concerns the peace of the harem and the reputation of the royal family. Please act as soon as possible."
The emperor nodded: "I understand. You go back to the palace first, I will make arrangements."
After the three of them came out of the Yangxin Palace, Concubine Hua said, "This time, we must make sure the Queen falls completely!"
Zhen Huan said worriedly, "Although the Emperor has agreed to investigate, the Empress has been in the palace for many years and has a strong foundation. We don't know what changes will happen. We still need to be cautious."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er is right. When we return to the palace, we will first check everyone around us to prevent the Queen's accomplices from being around us."
So, after the three of them returned to the palace, they began to carefully check the maids and eunuchs around them. Zhen Huan said to Jin Xi, "Jin Xi, go get the rosters of the palaces. We'll check them one by one to see if there are any suspicious people."
Jin Xi took the order and left. Concubine Hua also instructed Zhou Ninghai, "Zhou Ninghai, keep an eye on those eunuchs and palace maids who gossip and whose whereabouts are erratic. If you see anything unusual, report it to me immediately."
Zhou Ninghai said, "Yes, Madam."
An Lingrong was in her own palace. She said to Baoque, "Baoque, check all the spices in my palace to see if anyone has tampered with them, in case the Queen uses the spices to do something."
Bao Que said, "Yes, my lady."
While they were busy investigating, the Queen also got the news from her confinement in the palace. Her face changed: "Humph! I didn't expect An Lingrong to be able to find the maid from Jingsi Temple. This time we are in trouble."
Jianqiu said from the side: "My Lady, what should we do?"
The Queen pondered for a moment and said, "Go and inform Lord Li to suspend his actions. I will think of a solution."
Jianqiu said, "Yes, my lady."
Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Concubine Hua were on high alert in the palace. They knew that the battle with the Queen had reached a critical moment. No matter what, they could not retreat and had to fight to protect each other and the peace of the harem.