in2ebook Chapter 265: Breaking the Dangerous Road to Sisterhood
Chapter 265: Breaking the Dangerous Road to Sisterhood
Zhen Huan returned to the palace and said solemnly to An Lingrong and Concubine Hua, "The Emperor has only given us ten days. We must seize every minute. Lingrong, first tell me about the situation in the spice shop. Is there anything unusual?"
An Lingrong frowned, and spoke worriedly, "Huan'er, my spice shop has always been strictly managed, and all spices we make follow legal recipes. Those so-called banned spices must be a malicious frame-up. I've carefully questioned the shop assistants, and they've only had people from the Imperial Household Department come to inspect our spice inventory recently, and they didn't raise any concerns."
Hua Fei's eyes widened as she shouted angrily, "The Imperial Household Department? Humph! Someone there must be colluding with the mastermind behind this to frame you."
Zhen Huan nodded slightly and calmly analyzed, "Sister, you're absolutely right. However, the Imperial Household Department is overcrowded with people and things to do, so we need to find the key person. Lingrong, do you still remember who the Imperial Household Department member who came to inspect was? What was so special about him?"
An Lingrong thought for a moment and replied, "The one who came was a eunuch named Wang Gonggong. He seemed extremely flattering and examined every spice very carefully. He also asked many questions about the spice formula. I just thought it was a routine matter and didn't think much of it."
Zhen Huan's eyes glared. "There's definitely something fishy about this eunuch Wang. I'll have Xiao Yunzi secretly investigate his background and see who he's been close to. Sister Hua Fei, please also keep an eye on the harem to see if anyone has had any contact with this eunuch Wang."
Concubine Hua replied, "Don't worry, Huan'er. I will keep an eye on things. Anyone in the harem who dares to stir up trouble under my nose will definitely not have a good end."
A few days later, Xiao Yunzi returned to report, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that this eunuch Wang has been in constant contact with a nanny who is close to the Queen. That nanny frequently visits the Imperial Household Department, and every time she goes, she brings some benefits to the eunuch Wang."
Zhen Huan understood: "It is indeed the Queen who is behind this. But how is she controlling all this now that she is confined to the palace?"
An Lingrong gritted her teeth and said, "Huan'er, no matter what means she uses, we must not sit idly by and wait for death. I want to go to the spice shop and take a closer look. Maybe we can find some clues to prove our innocence."
Zhen Huan nodded and said, "I will go with you. Sister Hua Fei, you will stay in the palace to prevent the Queen from having any more schemes."
Arriving at the spice shop, An Lingrong carefully inspected every corner. Suddenly, she found a small package in a secret compartment behind the spice cabinet. Opening it, she found some substituted spice remnants. These spices were very similar to the banned spices, but with subtle differences.
An Lingrong exclaimed in surprise, "Huan'er, look! Someone must have deliberately hidden these here to frame us. Although these spices appear to be contraband, they have actually been tampered with."
Zhen Huan took it and examined it, sneering, "The person behind this is truly vicious. However, with this evidence, we can prove our innocence before the Emperor."
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the spice shop. Zhen Huan and An Lingrong went out to see that it was a group of people making trouble, led by a burly man holding a stick.
The big man shouted, "This spice shop is selling banned spices and harming the people. Today we will seek justice for everyone!"
Zhen Huan took a step forward and said in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why are you talking nonsense here? My spice shop has always been law-abiding. How could we do such a thing?"
The big man snorted coldly: "You said you abide by the law, then what is this?" As he said that, he took out a bag of spices similar to the ones An Lingrong had just discovered.
An Lingrong's heart tightened, knowing this was another enemy plot. She calmly said, "These spices weren't made in my spice shop. Someone must have deliberately framed me. If you don't believe me, come with me to the government office and let them investigate."
The big man remained unmoved. "Government? Humph! Who knows if you're colluding with them? We're going to destroy this shop today."
Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, Concubine Hua arrived with her guards. She shouted angrily, "You bold lunatic! How dare you cause trouble in front of me? Come, capture him!"
The guards rushed forward quickly and wrestled with the troublemakers. Soon, they subdued them all.
Concubine Hua walked up to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong and said, "Fortunately, I arrived in time, otherwise you would have suffered."
Zhen Huan said gratefully, "Thank you, sister. It seems that the Queen wants to completely destroy Lingrong's spice shop and make us have no place in the harem."
An Lingrong looked at the mess left in the spice shop by the troublemakers, her heart filled with anger and unwillingness. "Huan'er, Sister Hua Fei, we can't just let this go. We must make the Queen pay."
Zhen Huan's eyes were firm: "Don't worry, Lingrong. After we return to the palace, we will present this evidence to the emperor and let him see the queen's true face. This time, she will never escape."
Back at the palace, Zhen Huan, An Lingrong, and Concubine Hua arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation with the evidence. Zhen Huan told the Emperor everything that had happened: "Your Majesty, the Empress was behind all of this. She first had false evidence planted in the spice shop, then sent people to cause trouble, intending to have us killed. Please, Your Majesty, investigate this matter."
The Emperor looked at the evidence before him, his face dark. "The Empress's evil deeds are truly beneath her virtue. I will not let her off lightly."
Afterwards, the Emperor ordered the Empress's maid and the eunuch Wang from the Imperial Household Department to be thrown into prison and severely tortured. Upon learning of this, the Empress made a scene in the palace: "Zhen Huan, An Lingrong, how dare you treat me like this! I will never coexist with you!"
But by this point, she was powerless. Zhen Huan, An Lingrong, and Concubine Hua once again emerged victorious from this crisis, their bond growing stronger through each and every ordeal. They knew the road to the imperial harem was still fraught with challenges, but as long as they worked together, nothing could stop them from ascending to the throne of the harem. Within this bottomless palace, they continued to write their own legendary stories, each step fraught with hardship, yet also filled with hope and determination.