An Lingrong's Rebirth: The Lock of Qingqiu

An Lingrong was very moved. She once thought that after experiencing the dangers of the previous life, no one could enter her heart again, but the emperor knocked on the door of her heart again and again. She slowly and softly said: "This kind of life, although it seems dull, is the most real and precious. Only this kind of life can make people truly feel the beauty and meaning of life. Therefore, Your Majesty, I will also cherish this hard-earned happiness and cherish the days I can be with Your Majesty."

An Lingrong looked at the emperor's face and said, "Your Majesty, the medicine I gave you is actually a panacea for longevity, not an elixir of immortality as rumored. But your Majesty, there is no need to feel disappointed or regretful. As long as I am alive, I will spend every spring, summer, autumn and winter with your Majesty. Everything in the world has its destiny. Even the most magical elixir cannot break through the limit of life. It can only prolong a person's life."

The Emperor took An Lingrong's hand and said, "I know all this very well. In order to develop this medicine, Rong'er has exhausted her life's efforts, working day and night, and working tirelessly, just to allow me to live a few more years. Rong'er's efforts, I see in my eyes, and it hurts in my heart. Rong'er, just do your best, I will not force anything. The meaning of life does not lie in its length, but in how we spend every day. I believe that as long as we cherish each other and support each other, even if we cannot live forever, we will not waste our time and leave no regrets in this life!"

An Lingrong was moved and said, "Your Majesty, I wish you good health and longevity. It would be no problem to extend your life by another ten, fifteen years, or even longer. Your Majesty has a firm belief and a strong will, which will be the greatest motivation for you to overcome all difficulties and prolong your life."

The emperor nodded and said, "I am very satisfied with the current situation!"

The two chatted until the stars came out. Early the next morning, An Lingrong had to face countless trivial matters and miscellaneous affairs in the harem. Although Concubine Duan was the queen, she had not stepped out of the Cining Palace for many years. Apart from dealing with the concubines who came to see her every day, all the trivial matters and miscellaneous affairs fell on An Lingrong.

Fortunately, there are two concubines in the harem, Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, who assist in managing the six palaces. According to their status as concubines, Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang still have to obey the orders of An Lingrong. An Lingrong is not polite either. She delegates all the power that can be delegated to Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, allowing them to handle the matters freely. Any matters that they cannot handle well will be handed over to her.

As for Concubine Duan, being the queen or not was the same to her. She was born with a dull temperament and did not pursue fame, wealth and power too much. All she asked for was peace in the harem and for everyone to live in harmony. It would be best if the occasional conflicts could be resolved into small ones and not found the Cining Palace to disturb her peace.

Fortunately, Shen Meizhuang was a fair and just person. She had a clear mind and a ruler. She treated all concubines, maids and eunuchs in the palace according to the palace rules, treating them equally and without bias. Gradually, Shen Meizhuang's fairness, openness and wisdom won her many hearts. Under her management, the affairs in the harem became well organized, which relieved An Lingrong of a lot of worries.

Being serious in work and affectionate in private, An Lingrong was not worried about Shen Meizhuang's improper handling of work. Instead, she was worried that Shen Meizhuang and Doctor Wen would continue to flirt with each other for too long. In this complicated harem, Doctor Wen was introverted and guarded Shen Meizhuang silently, which unintentionally gave Shen Meizhuang too many hints. Although Doctor Wen had never expressed his feelings to Shen Meizhuang, his words and deeds were worth more than a thousand words. He came to check Shen Meizhuang's pulse every now and then, cared about her health every day, and was considerate. To outsiders, he was full of affection for Shen Meizhuang.

The relationship between Shen Meizhuang and Doctor Wen has long surpassed ordinary friendship. They know each other well, but have never broken the window paper. The affection between them is as warm and gentle as the spring breeze, dissolving in every smile. That kind of tacit understanding and mutual understanding is no longer comparable to ordinary relationships.

But An Lingrong was unable to explain to Shen Meiyu that the emperor did not want to pay attention to Shen Meiyu because he was also a reborn person. The emperor saw everything in the past and this life and allowed Shen Meiyu to be entangled with Doctor Wen. He neither asked Doctor Wen to castrate himself nor punished Shen Meiyu. The emperor turned a blind eye only because he already had a very important and unique candidate in his mind, and that was An Lingrong.

After much thought, An Lingrong decided to find Doctor Wen when no one was around. Given her current status, it was reasonable for her to warn him. An Lingrong looked at Doctor Wen directly, but Doctor Wen didn't understand and waited for An Lingrong's decision with a dull expression.

"Doctor Wen, I know that Sister Mei likes Doctor Wen, but Doctor Wen goes to Junhui Palace so diligently every day, it is inevitable that he will fall in love with me over time! But Sister Mei is the emperor's concubine after all, I am afraid that if time goes on, Sister Mei will misunderstand me. I wonder what Doctor Wen thinks?" An Lingrong brought up the topic directly, half asking questions and expecting Wen Shichu to give a definite answer.

Before Wen Shichu opened his mouth, An Lingrong had already guessed his answer. If she said that he and Shen Meiyu had a private affair, Wen Shichu would most likely not admit it. Sure enough, Wen Shichu denied the ambiguous relationship between him and Shen Meiyu: "Madam Li Fei, I am the imperial physician. Doctors are benevolent and righteous, and treat all patients equally. Over time, if patients develop a sense of dependence on doctors, it is understandable. It's just that how to avoid it makes me embarrassed. Madam, you said that this patient is sick, it's impossible for a doctor not to treat her. Madam, this makes me embarrassed."

An Lingrong raised her eyebrows and said, "I am not stopping Doctor Wen from treating Sister Mei. What I hope is that Doctor Wen can keep a distance from the patient. Is it difficult for Doctor Wen to do this?"

Wen Shichu sighed and said, "Madam Li Fei, these eyes are on the patient's body. Tell me, if she stares at me, what can I do? Besides, she didn't do anything to me. Instead, she smiled when she saw me. She smiled very happily. It is also the duty of a doctor to make the patient happy. It is really difficult for me to say and do. I will listen to your words and try my best to treat the concubines in the palace equally during the treatment process. I will not raise my eyes to look at them, but if they want to stare at me, what can I do?"