The Queen has arrived: An Lingrong does not want to fight in the palace after her rebirth

Inside the main hall of Jingren Palace, the more tense the atmosphere became, the more people wanted to witness the outcome.

Among them, Concubine Qi showed the most obvious behavior. She looked at the burnt black and thin worm. After it came into contact with Lin Lan's blood, it began to slowly change color. First it faded from black, then slowly turned gray, and then as more blood dripped into the bowl, its color gradually became brighter. Finally, after absorbing enough blood, it turned bright red and translucent. It was obvious that it had evil nature. Before An Lingrong and the others could speak, she was the first to shout:

"Your Majesty, you see, Concubine Wen can prove that what I said is true. Lin Lan really knows the art of witchcraft. Otherwise, why would the insects have no reaction to Concubine Wen's blood, but come alive when they touch her blood? Your Majesty, I suggest that you immediately interrogate Lin Lan and find out who is behind it, so that no one in the palace will be plotted against for no reason in the future."

As he said this, he glanced at Concubine Jing, and his meaning was very clear.

In fact, she didn't need to say this, as other people had the same idea, especially the emperor, whose eyes were dark and unclear. He always claimed that he was not stupid and was restrained when it came to women. His harem was also relatively clear compared to that of the previous dynasty. Even if everyone had some small thoughts, they were still within his control. But now the reality slapped him hard in the face. What he thought were just some means of jealousy before, but his tolerance and indulgence gave rise to such vicious tricks.

Killing people without being seen may be used in the fights among concubines today, but one day when their desires are insatiable, they may use this hidden and vicious method on the wrong people, such as him.

Seeing that the emperor's face was turning pale, the queen quickly glanced at Li Ying.

Concubine Jing immediately understood what the Queen meant. She wanted her to sacrifice one's own plan to save the other, but she couldn't do that. If she spoke at this moment, it would only make others question her intentions. She also had to reassure Lin Lan not to do anything extreme. After Li Ying figured out the key, she pretended not to notice the Queen's gesture and just lowered her head even more.

Seeing that Li Ying didn't say anything, and Guarjia Wenyuan was jumping up and down and demanding a thorough investigation, the results of the inspection were there and no one could forcefully refute them. The queen could only say:

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for my negligence. Such a shocking incident happened in the palace because of my negligence. I am willing to accept the punishment for this matter."

The emperor looked at the empress with a scrutinizing gaze, as she looked humble and remorseful. There were repeated disturbances in the palace, and the empress was always the first to apologize. However, after each warning, the harem would only be temporarily calm for a while, after which the concubines would continue to fight. Were these behaviors intentionally indulged by the empress?

The emperor had been restrained too much in the court in the past few years, and he could only balance many aspects in the harem. But now he has taken control of many powers, and he is full of ambition and wants to let go and make great achievements. His requirements for the harem have changed. To put it simply, he wants a quiet and non-contentious harem, instead of having a lot of lawsuits waiting for him when he returns to the harem while he is busy in the former court. Thinking of this, the emperor said coldly to the queen:

"The Queen was originally a virtuous and decent person, so I handed the harem to her. However, over the years, there have been many disturbances, which have troubled me. I hope that the Queen can fulfill her duties and share my worries."

The meaning of these words was extremely serious, and the queen was shocked. In the past, no matter what, the emperor would always take her face into consideration, but this time he openly expressed his dissatisfaction with her. The queen looked at the kind-hearted Concubine Jing, An Lingrong and others, and her heart was shocked and bitter. If she really did not fight, how could she suppress these people with different thoughts in the harem.

She was still feeling uncomfortable there, and wanted to say something to regain some dignity, but the emperor had no intention of caring about her feelings, and instead directly questioned Jingpin:

"Li, what else do you have to say now?"

After the facts were verified, Li Ying was no longer panicked. All the evidence from Concubine Qi's accusations was just this so-called evidence, but it couldn't prove that she was the one who cast the poison, so she still insisted:

"Your Majesty, I don't know what secret method Concubine Wen used to have such a shocking appearance, but I dare to swear to heaven that I have never done such a thing. As for why the blood of my maid can stimulate this so-called poisonous insect, I have no idea. If you use this specious thing to convict me, I will not accept it. Please judge for yourself, Your Majesty."

How to make the Gu worm recognize human blood? An Lingrong looked at the Queen who was sitting on the throne. She had to thank the inspiration given to her by the Queen's blood recognition ceremony in her previous life. The Queen could add alum to the water, and she could use the juice of cardamom to cover the glass bottle, using the rich smell of cardamom to temporarily suppress the fishy smell in the blood. Then, when no one was paying attention, she would quickly take out the Gu worm and throw it into another bowl. The Gu worm would go crazy when it saw blood because it was suppressed so badly.

She had prepared this little trick long ago, just to catch people by surprise today. As expected, the insect's reactions were different before and after, which intensified people's curiosity and fear. No one would discuss the mystery in the glass bottle anymore.

An Lingrong turned a deaf ear to Concubine Jing's accusations. She had already proved with her actions how terrible Li Ying and her maid were. The rest would be decided by the Emperor. She would just watch the show and step on them if necessary. Therefore, An Lingrong did not speak out to confront Concubine Jing. She just sat there quietly and watched how the Emperor would deal with her.

Seeing that Jingpin did not beg for mercy or confess her guilt, the emperor looked up to her for her resilience. However, since the emperor was already on guard against her and had already determined that she was a deep-minded, soft-hearted and vicious person, he would not easily believe her words. He said to Jingpin:

"Princess Jing, please interrogate this maid."

Concubine Jing received the order and had Lin Lan's gag removed, then asked questions one after another:

"I want to ask you, where did you get the poisonous insect from? How many people who harmed Sister Duan are still at large?"

"Also, you are good at controlling snakes. Who did you use to bring poisonous snakes into the Old Summer Palace last year to murder the Fourth Prince?"

"And how did you and the people behind you set up a scheme during the Lantern Festival to destroy Concubine Wen's innocence? Those people were involved in these three fatal crimes. If you tell me in detail, I may ask the emperor to spare your life."

Concubine Jing asked in detail, but Lin Lan, who was kneeling on the ground, just lowered her head and pretended to be confused:

"Please spare me, Madam. I have no idea what you are talking about. Please spare me, Madam!"

The master and servant had the same intention to get away with it, and Concubine Jing was unable to get any useful information out of her.

Seeing that Lin Lan was still resisting, An Lingrong could not bear it any longer:

"Lin Lan, do you have any evidence or your family was coerced by someone, so you had to do evil? Think carefully. The emperor is here, if you have any grievances, you can speak out. But if you are lucky enough to think that you can take the blame on yourself and hope to gain the mercy of the person behind the scenes and let your family go, then it is too naive. You must know that killing people to silence them is the best way to deal with it."

Unexpectedly, her words did not touch Lin Lan. Instead, Jingpin couldn't help feeling fortunate in her heart. It was she who went against everyone's opinion and let her brother take Lin Lan's sister as a concubine. The following year, Lin Mei gave birth to a child for her brother. With this blood relationship, Lin Lan would never betray her.

Otherwise, Lin Lan's family would be confiscated and she would be exiled, and her sister and nephew would also suffer. Li Ying had never told anyone about the interests involved in this, so she was so sure.

Lin Lan still insisted: "Madam Wenfei, I really don't understand what you are saying. I am alone and my family has never been in danger. Please spare my life."

After several attempts, Concubine Qi did not get what she wanted, so she spoke again: "Your Majesty, I have already said that you cannot be merciful to such a vicious person. I still suggest that she be tortured and interrogated."

The emperor gave Concubine Qi a calming look, then asked, "What does the queen think?"

The Emperor was forcing her to express her opinion. The Empress looked at Concubine Jing who remained calm and Lin Lan who looked stubborn and innocent, and finally made up her mind:

"For those who refuse to repent, I think torture may be more effective in awakening people's minds. I also agree with the use of severe torture to interrogate them."

"As for Concubine Jing, before the situation becomes clear, I suggest that you should be confined to your home first. It won't be too late to punish her after the whole matter is investigated."

The Queen's suggestion once again made the Emperor dissatisfied. She seemed to be on the same page with him, but she still had some reservations and was still thinking about retaining strength for her own camp. However, the Emperor did not show it on his face and just nodded and said:

"Let's do as the Queen says, but the interrogation will be handled by the Sticking Rod Office. We must find out all the evil things that Lin Lan has done and all the people involved. I hope that through this matter, I can restore the peace in the harem."

The queen's heart shuddered. The Sticky Rod Department was an intelligence department that received orders directly from the emperor. The criminal investigation and interrogation methods therein were beyond the reach of ordinary officials in the Ministry of Justice. The emperor had made up his mind, especially when it came to the safety of the princes and the romantic affairs in the harem. He didn't want to confuse them at all. The queen was uneasy. After such an investigation, wouldn't her hidden intentions be in danger of being exposed? How would the emperor deal with her then?

Finally, Concubine Jing became afraid. The name of the Sticking Rod Office was like a sword hanging over the heads of all the civil and military officials in the court. Not to mention the official disputes, even if it was the complicated secrets, as long as they wanted to investigate, there would be nothing they couldn't find out. Then everything she had would disappear. No, she still had the Sixth Prince. For the sake of the prince, the emperor would be more lenient with her.

As if he knew what she was thinking, the emperor shattered her reliance with one sentence: "Jingpin is not upright, so she shall be demoted to a noble lady. The sixth prince Hongzhan shall be moved out of Chuxiu Palace and first moved to the prince's residence for care. I will make a decision later."

Li Ying could no longer hold on and knelt on the ground, with a faint look of dejection on her face:

"Your Majesty, the Sixth Prince is young and needs to be taken care of. I beg you not to take the Sixth Prince away from me. I am worried that he will not be able to adapt to being away from his mother so suddenly. I beg you."

The emperor turned a deaf ear to her cries:

"There are many experienced maids and skilled doctors in the palace. If the Sixth Prince is kept by you, I am worried that you will make him have bad thoughts. It is better to correct him now."

Seeing the emperor's repeated outbursts, even An Lingrong began to feel uneasy. In order to protect herself, she had designed a plan to burn down the Miaozheng Wusheng Side Hall and used the reconnaissance method of digging graves at Nian Gan. What she had done in the past might be difficult to hide now.

And all the arrangements today were also planned by her. If the emperor really finds out anything, it will be a disaster for her.

However, she did not regret it. In today's battle, she used Concubine Qi to destroy Li Ying and caused the Queen's team to fall apart. She avenged Concubine Duan and destroyed the Queen's long-planned plan, which was very gratifying.

And according to her understanding of the Emperor and the Empress, Concubine Qi will be disliked after this incident. To the Emperor, since she knew about all the evil deeds but never said anything to stop them, and never thought of reporting them when the incident happened, she herself is one of the evildoers. The Empress hates betrayers even more. If someone is unfaithful once, she will never use him again. After this incident, the Empress has no one to use. If she wants to harm others again, she will probably have to use the people left behind by that person.

If you dare to reach out, I will chop it off, An Lingrong said hatefully in her heart. Compared with these gains, she was not so afraid of the emperor's strict investigation. The worst that could happen was that she would be fined a few years' salary or confined to her house for a period of time.

Moreover, she has already completed the staffing arrangements in the palace. She is no longer afraid of this small setback. She just needs to wait for an opportunity to facilitate Concubine Duan to adopt the Fourth Prince. The situation in the future will develop according to their expectations.

An internal conflict that had been planned for a long time was about to end. Concubine Qi was unwilling to accept it. She was the one who had made great contributions to exposing this matter, so why didn't the emperor mention her at all? And the Sixth Prince was not handed over to her for raising as she expected. When the emperor warned everyone to think twice before doing anything and was about to leave, Concubine Qi became even more anxious and spoke quickly:

"Your Majesty, I have suffered a great injustice today."

This was both seeking credit and acting like a spoiled child. The emperor felt disdainful of this, but still wanted to give her a chance, so he said:

"I have seen all your grievances. You have made a great contribution by reporting this case today. I cannot but reward you. However, I will reward you after the matter is clear."

After receiving the emperor's promise, Concubine Qi was immediately delighted, not noticing that the queen's expression suddenly turned cold. The emperor did not give her a good face in front of everyone today, all because of this traitorous idiot. But now she has been warned, it is not good to touch Concubine Qi openly.

But there are plenty of ways to punish someone in the palace. The queen suppressed her anger and politely bid farewell to the emperor.

In Yanqing Palace, Concubine Duan's body had recovered after recuperation. After listening to An Lingrong's account of everything that had happened, she said sincerely:

"It's hard for you to plan so many things in a few months, and I can't help you at all. I feel really uneasy. Now that you are in the limelight, the queen will definitely bear a grudge against you. It's better to stay out of her spotlight for the time being and let me go meet her first."

An Lingrong disagreed: "No, Sister Duan, it is precisely because Lingrong has shown her strength that we cannot retreat now. We must seize the opportunity to pursue the victory, so as to prevent the Queen from causing trouble again."

She spoke firmly, with unquestionable determination in her eyes, so Concubine Duan had no choice but to ask her about her next plan.

"Palace power." An Lingrong uttered the two words slowly.