in2ebook Chapter 264: The palace is in chaos
Chapter 264: The palace is in chaos
Zhen Huan's expression was calm, with a hint of worry in her eyes: "Although the Queen has been punished, her heart is not broken. She is definitely secretly planning even more ruthless means. We must not take it lightly."
An Lingrong bit her lower lip gently. "Huan'er, what should we do next? We can't just sit there and wait for her to make a move."
Concubine Hua frowned and said bitterly, "In my opinion, we should take the initiative and thoroughly investigate the Queen's correspondence with people outside the palace during her confinement. We will definitely find evidence against her."
Zhen Huan shook her head slightly. "Sister, this is too risky. If the Emperor knew about this, he would probably blame us. After all, although the Empress has lost her power, she still holds the title of mistress of the harem."
An Lingrong pondered for a moment. "Huan'er, Sister Hua Fei, I've heard that there seems to be some unusual activity within the court from the Queen's mother's family recently. Perhaps we can start from this aspect and indirectly explore the Queen's conspiracy."
Zhen Huan's eyes lit up: "Lingrong, this is a brilliant plan. But it's not convenient for us to directly intervene in the affairs of the court. We need to find someone we can trust to help."
Hua Fei said, "I have a thought in mind. Eunuch Su has been in the palace for many years and has a wide network of contacts. He also has some friendship with us. Perhaps we can ask him to keep a secret watch on this matter."
Zhen Huan nodded: "That's all we can do. I'll go find Eunuch Su now."
Zhen Huan arrived at Eunuch Su's residence and bowed, "Eunuch Su, it's been a long time since we last met. How have you been?"
Eunuch Su bowed hurriedly, "I am overwhelmed by the arrival of the Imperial Noble Consort Xi. What instructions do you have?"
Zhen Huan whispered, "Eunuch, you know that things have been turbulent in the harem lately. Although the Queen is under house arrest, she's still making small moves. We've heard that the Queen's mother's family is making some moves at court. Could you help us investigate this secretly?"
Eunuch Su looked embarrassed: "Your Majesty, it is not convenient for this old servant to interfere too much in the affairs of the court."
Zhen Huan pulled out a gold ingot from her sleeve and said, "Eunuch, this matter concerns the peace of the harem. If you can find out the truth, you will have done a great service. And this is just a small token of my appreciation, so please don't refuse."
Eunuch Su hesitated for a moment and accepted the gold: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best."
A few days later, Eunuch Su came to reply, "Your Majesty, I have discovered that the Empress's mother's family is very close to a minister in the court. That minister has been frequently visiting the palace to see the Emperor, seemingly pleading for the Empress, but his words also seem to carry a deeper meaning. I don't think something is right."
Zhen Huan's heart trembled: "Eunuch, do you know who that minister is?"
Eunuch Su whispered, "It's Lord Li. Lord Li is quite prestigious in the court and is a family friend of the Queen's mother."
Zhen Huan thanked Eunuch Su and returned to the palace to discuss with An Lingrong and Concubine Hua.
Concubine Hua angrily said, "This Lord Li must be the Queen's accomplice. He wants to rescue the Queen and then deal with us together."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, we must find a way to stop them. We can't let the Queen make a comeback."
Zhen Huan pondered for a long time. "I have a plan. We can hold a banquet in the palace and invite Lord Li to attend. During the banquet, we can deliberately reveal some of the Queen's misdeeds, so that Lord Li will give up."
Concubine Hua clapped her hands and laughed, "Huan'er, this is a very good plan. I want to see how Lord Li responds."
At the palace banquet, Lord Li was invited to attend. Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Concubine Hua entertained him warmly.
After three rounds of drinks, Zhen Huan casually said, "Lord Li, you have a close relationship with the Empress's mother's family. Do you know what the Empress has been doing in the palace? Not only has she secretly instructed the maids and eunuchs to commit evil, she has also attempted to use witchcraft to deceive the Emperor. If this palace and Imperial Noble Consort An had not noticed it in time, this harem would have been in chaos."
Lord Li's expression changed. "Noble Consort Xi, there may be a misunderstanding. The Empress has always been virtuous. How could she do such a thing?"
An Lingrong whispered, "Master Li, please don't be deceived by the Queen. As Imperial Noble Consorts, how could we wrongly accuse her of this matter in the harem?"
Concubine Hua added fuel to the fire: "Humph! This Queen is restless. She doesn't even take me seriously, let alone others."
Lord Li's forehead was covered in cold sweat. "Ladies, calm down. I will go back and persuade the Empress."
After the banquet, Lord Li hurriedly left the palace. Zhen Huan watched him from behind, "I hope he'll learn his lesson and stop colluding with the Queen."
However, within a few days, rumors began to spread that An Lingrong's spice shop had brought in banned spices. The rumors grew stronger and stronger, and even a minister wrote to the emperor, demanding a thorough investigation.
The Emperor summoned Zhen Huan and An Lingrong again. His expression was displeased: "Concubine An, I heard there's something wrong with your spice shop outside the palace. What's going on?"
An Lingrong knelt down hurriedly and said, "Your Majesty, I am innocent. The spice shop has always been operating in accordance with the law. Someone must have deliberately framed me."
Zhen Huan also knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, Lingrong's spice shop has provided you with many fine spices. How could there be any prohibited items here? This must be a conspiracy by someone behind the scenes, hoping to use this to bring us down."
The Emperor said, "Regardless of whether this is a conspiracy or not, this matter must be thoroughly investigated. If there are indeed prohibited spices, I will not show any mercy."
Back at the palace, An Lingrong was terribly anxious: "Huan'er, what should I do? If the spice shop is investigated, not only will my reputation be ruined, but my family might also be implicated."
Zhen Huan comforted her, "Don't worry, Lingrong. Let's first send someone to the spice shop to check if any banned spices have really entered. At the same time, we must also find the person who started this rumor."
Hua Fei said: "Is there any need to investigate? It must be the Queen behind this again."
Zhen Huan said, "Sister, we can't jump to conclusions without evidence. Let's start with the spice shop."
An Lingrong sent Baoque to the spice shop, while she continued to discuss countermeasures with Zhen Huan and Hua Fei in the palace.
After Bao Que returned, she reported, "Your Majesty, no prohibited spices were found in the spice shop. However, there have been some strangers wandering around the shop lately, seemingly spying on something."
Zhen Huan pondered, "It seems someone is deliberately plotting to frame the spice shop. We must be careful and not fall into their trap."
At this time, the Queen was confined to the palace. Upon hearing the progress of the spice shop incident, she sneered, "Zhen Huan, An Lingrong, do you think you can easily escape this disaster? This is just a small lesson from me."
In this new round of crisis, Zhen Huan, An Lingrong and Hua Fei are well aware that the road ahead is difficult, but they support each other and firmly seek survival in this harem full of conspiracies and intrigues, guarding each other's status and peace, moving forward step by step towards an unknown destiny. Every step is full of unknowns and challenges, but their beliefs have never wavered.