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

Jiuzhou Banquet.

After the clan members and important ministers left, Xia Qian quietly walked out from the darkness.

The emperor asked solemnly, "During the days that I was ill, there was no trouble anywhere, right?"

Xia Jian reported what he had seen in the past few days truthfully: "The Military Affairs Office is under the care of Lord Zhang, and the royal family members Li Heng and Prince Zhuang are in charge, so it is safe. The two imperial guards are well managed by Prince Guo, and there has been no chaos."

The emperor's eyes turned cold and he said, "As you said, there is trouble in the harem. We must not hide anything and tell the truth."

Xia Qian did not dare to hide anything and told everyone how everyone behaved after the emperor fell into a coma due to high fever last night.

I thought the emperor would be furious, but he just laughed sarcastically:

"Without any prior planning, she was unable to control the imperial guards, and she was unable to make the important officials of the royal family submit to her. With only her eldest son in her hand, she dared to covet the throne. My queen really gives me surprises from time to time. I just don't know how much the Empress Dowager knows about this, and how much of the Third Prince's involvement is there?"

Xia Qian didn't dare to respond, so he said carefully:

"The Empress Dowager has not been feeling well these past few days and needs the Imperial Physician for the time being. The Third Prince has been by her side tending to her these past few days."

The mockery on the emperor's face became even stronger: "The Empress Dowager is ill at the right time. You have worked hard these past few days. Please step down."

Xia Qian bowed politely and left quietly.

Su Peisheng, who had been guarding outside, saw him leave, pushed the door open and asked respectfully:

"Your Majesty, I have had someone prepare a delicious breakfast. Would you like some?"

The emperor gave him a cold look and said, "I'm not hungry now. Bring in the memorials from the past few days."

Su Peisheng knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry that I can't obey your order. The imperial physician said that you have to take care of your body. I feel bad for you working so hard all night. I beg you to think about your own health and take a rest."

The emperor was furious at him: "How dare you be my master, you daring servant! I am much better now, stop delaying and bring the memorial to me immediately. You can't afford to delay things."

Su Peisheng didn't say anything but just kept kowtowed. The floor tiles in the house were thick, and the crisp "dong dong" sound echoed in the room. Soon his forehead became red and swollen.

The emperor looked at Su Peisheng, who wanted to bury his head in the floor tiles, and his annoyance at him for matchmaking for Zhen Huan outside the palace finally faded a little. He was just about to make things clear so that Su Peisheng would not be worried about his work during this period.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Xiazi came in at this time. He glanced at his master who was apologizing, and immediately knelt down.

The emperor saw that he looked anxious, so he had to ask first: "What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, Concubine Jing and Imperial Physician Zhou are seeking an audience outside, saying that Concubine Hui has contracted smallpox."

Smallpox? The emperor was startled. Smallpox has always been a dangerous disease. The Emperor Shizu died of smallpox. Thinking of the seriousness of the matter, the emperor hurriedly said:

"Quick announcement."

Imperial Concubine Jing came in with a worried look on her face. She first looked at the emperor's face carefully. She saw that the blush on his face had faded, but his cheeks were thin and his eyebrows were haggard. She blurted out words of self-blame:

"Your Majesty is ill. Logically, I shouldn't worry you at this time, but Sister Hui's illness came on too quickly, and I dare not hide it."

The emperor waved his hand feebly: "It's okay if you just speak frankly."

Imperial Concubine Jing said anxiously, "Sister Hui didn't get better yesterday. She felt a little pain in her body at first, and then she started to have a high fever at night. When she woke up in the morning, she had herpes. Sister Wen just went to see Doctor Zhou, and it turned out to be smallpox."

The emperor turned his gaze to Zhou Bing and asked, "If he fell ill yesterday, why did someone go to see him this morning?"

Zhou Bing complained in his heart. The imperial doctors on duty yesterday were all with the emperor, and there were two people who were dedicated to taking care of the empress dowager. Fanying Pavilion did not dare to invite imperial doctors from these two places. He had to say, "Fanying Pavilion did not report it at that time. It was also our negligence that failed to take care of it in time."

The emperor realized this time that Shen Meizhuang didn't dare to report it. He sighed:

"We have delayed her for so long. Let the Imperial Hospital do its best to treat her. In addition, all parts of the palace must do a good job of prevention and treatment. We must not let the disease spread."

Because of the incident with Emperor Taizu, the imperial court had its own isolation mechanism for smallpox patients. Imperial Concubine Jing only needed to follow the regulations. She quickly responded:

"When I came here, I had someone notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs to prepare for the prevention and treatment of each palace. I came here to ask the emperor for an order. There are imperial doctors to treat Sister Hui, and Sister Wen should not stay in Fanyin Pavilion and take risks."

The emperor was briefly stunned: "Is Concubine Wen treating Concubine Hui?"

Zhou Bing knelt down hurriedly: "Empress Wen said that she and Concubine Hui are both women, so it is easier to treat them. I am incapable of persuading Empress Wen, so please punish her, Your Majesty."

The emperor glared at Zhou Bing for a few times, then said to Concubine Jing, "This is simply nonsense. Since ancient times, doctors do not treat themselves. Concubine Jing, go and convey my order to have Concubine Wen leave Fanyin Pavilion as soon as possible and isolate herself in a nearby palace for a few days. All necessary supplies will be provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. You should also pay more attention to it. If she does not comply, she will be treated as disobeying my order."

After receiving the emperor's instructions, Concubine Jing felt relieved. She was really worried that if An Lingrong also got infected with the disease, what would happen then?

In Fanyin Pavilion, An Lingrong used Cai Yuezhi to boil medicine, and then touched Shen Meizhuang who had been pretending to sleep.

Shen Meizhuang suddenly opened her eyes, feeling anxious and flustered. According to An Lingrong's plan, she would die of illness in three days, but she still had a lot of things that she hadn't explained clearly. She had to take advantage of An Lingrong's last chance to meet her and ask her to take care of her.

But before he could even open his mouth, An Lingrong interrupted him:

"I know Sister Shen still has concerns in her heart, but Sister Shen, please think about me. If one more person knows about this beheading, there will be a greater risk of exposure. Sister Shen will have a bright future outside, but Lingrong still has to survive in the palace. This matter may become a knife to stab Lingrong one day, so Sister Shen kept it a secret from Concubine Wan and the maids."

Shen Meizhuang wanted to say that Zhen Huan would never do such a thing, but seeing An Lingrong's cold face, she had to change her words:

"I am grateful to you Your Majesty. How could I bring you any trouble? But once I leave, Huan'er will be alone in the palace. Please take care of her. Caixing and Caiyue have been with me for many years. If possible, please help take care of them."

An Lingrong replied, "The Emperor has already issued an order that the maids can return home after five years in the palace. After I have dealt with all the matters, I will report the names of Caiyue and the others. Will they return to the Shen family or have other plans? I will not interfere. As for Concubine Wan, since she has entered the palace again, I think she has made preparations. Why do you need to worry?"

Hearing An Lingrong say this, Shen Meizhuang was both happy and sad. She was happy that Caiyue and the other girl no longer had to suffer in the palace, but she was worried about Zhen Huan's situation. She said sadly, "We have been sisters for many years, and we are suddenly separated. I am really sad in my heart, and I can't help but nag a few words. My queen, please don't think I am annoying."

At the critical moment, Shen Meizhuang was still dragging her feet, which made An Lingrong very angry. In order to help Shen Meizhuang, she stayed up all night and prepared a medicine powder similar to smallpox. In order to avoid being able to conceal the pulse, she even tested the medicine herself to make sure it was correct before she dared to give it to Shen Meizhuang.

She had concealed this crime of deceiving the emperor from even her own man Zhou Bing, and only Ren Dong knew about it, in order to reduce the possibility of the secret being leaked. However, Shen Meizhuang was still struggling with it, so she could not help but speak even more harshly:

"Sister Shen, in a moment, Imperial Concubine Jing will ask the Emperor to order me to leave, but Lingrong is really worried about your current state. Since you are so worried, why not just let it go, so that Lingrong won't have to worry about it for the next few days. I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the sisterly love and let it slip in front of the maid. Lingrong can't stand this disaster."

After saying this, she didn't even look at Shen Meizhuang's reaction, and was about to leave. Shen Meizhuang was so anxious that she grabbed her and said:

"It's all my fault. Your Majesty was willing to help, but I was greedy. I apologize to Your Majesty. Please rest assured that I will never reveal this to anyone else until I die. If I break my promise, I will be a beast for the rest of my life."

Seeing that she was still eager to leave, An Lingrong felt a little relieved. She stopped arguing with her about her attitude and simply told her the whole plan:

"Since smallpox is highly contagious, after Sister Shen fakes her death, she will be taken to the Zuojia Village crematorium for cremation. After cremation, she will be taken back to the funeral palace for temporary rest. After the emperor passes away, she will be buried in the imperial mausoleum."

"So the crematorium is the key. Da Hu has already established a good relationship with the steward there. That day he will bring good wine to the crematorium to drink and gamble with the steward. The eunuchs who go with him in the palace have always liked these things. When they see the wine and gambling utensils, they will be weak in their feet. If Da Hu invites them again, they will definitely join in."

"When the staff is relaxed, Wen Shichu will steal you out. Don't worry, the one you are replaced with is a poor person from the mass grave outside the city."

"The carriage and household registration are ready. You two should follow Da Hu's caravan for a while. Once you are familiar with the situation outside, you can decide where to go."

An Lingrong spoke clearly and concisely, and Shen Meizhuang was stunned. She didn't understand how An Lingrong could come up with such a comprehensive plan in just a few days and deploy all the personnel and materials. How many people did she have available behind her?

What Shen Meizhuang didn't know was that this plan was the one that An Lingrong had prepared for herself from the beginning. She had originally wanted to escape, but she was unwilling to hide for the rest of her life. She was trapped by her identity in her previous life, and it was still the same in this life. What she wanted was to leave the Forbidden City in a dignified manner and to walk between heaven and earth with her mother in broad daylight, so she had to seek a new identity.

Seeing Shen Meizhuang in a daze, An Lingrong reminded her again: "Sister Shen, you must listen carefully. There must not be any mistakes during this period. Once you leave, you will abandon your previous identity. You must not contact your family secretly, lest you accidentally bring disaster to your family and harm Lingrong."

Shen Meizhuang finally came back to her senses and told An Lingrong her trump card:

"I would like to thank Madam Wen for her hard work again. I have already discussed with Wen Shichu that we will live in seclusion in Jiangnan for a while, and then we will find a way to sail out from Hangzhou. Only overseas can we be truly free. After ten or twenty years, when all the old people in the palace have grown old, we can come back to enjoy our old age."

She had originally intended to hide the two of them in the caravan for two years, but seeing that they already had a purpose, An Lingrong did not interfere too much: "Then I wish Sister Shen all her wishes come true. We will never meet again after this separation. Take care of yourself, Sister Shen."

Shen Meizhuang was also sad. She still didn't understand why An Lingrong helped her, but this did not affect her gratitude. She suddenly stood up from the bed and gave An Lingrong a sincere salute:

"Please accept my respect, Concubine Wen. I cannot repay your kindness in giving me a new life. I will pray for you morning and night. I wish you a peaceful and happy life."

Just as An Lingrong was about to pull Shen Meizhuang up from the ground, Concubine Jing's voice rang out from outside: "Sister Wen, the emperor has given you an oral order, asking you to leave immediately, otherwise you will be punished for disobeying his order."

Shen Meizhuang panicked and quickly stood up from the ground, looking at An Lingrong with tears in her eyes. This time it would really be a farewell forever.

An Lingrong felt mixed emotions. She had finally paid for the evil she had done to Shen Meizhuang in her previous life.

Seeing Shen Meizhuang's tears flowing more and more, An Lingrong felt very choked up. She hurriedly helped Shen Meizhuang onto the bed. Seeing Shen Meizhuang's increasingly sad appearance, she made up her mind and handed her a pill:

"Sister Shen, you are not in the right state now. Ling Rong can't relax at all. This pill can make you sleep for two days. When you wake up on the third day, you can take the fake death medicine according to the plan."

Shen Meizhuang also understood that she was in danger. If someone really saw through her, all her plans would be wasted. She obediently threw the pill into her mouth. The pill melted in her mouth, and the sweet and fragrant taste flowed into her throat along with her saliva. Soon, Shen Meizhuang fell into a deep sleep in a daze.

At this moment, Concubine Jing's voice of urging sounded again: "Sister Wen, did you hear me? If you don't come out, I will send someone to invite you in."

An Lingrong took one last look at Shen Meiyu, then left the bedroom with a heavy expression.

In the front yard of Bitong Academy, An Lingrong was arranged to be isolated nearby.

Zhen Huan was in the backyard with a burning heart:

"Jinxi, don't stop me. I have to go see Sister Mei. How come she got smallpox out of nowhere?"

Jing Xi held Zhen Huan with the same strength as before: "My Lady, the area around Fanyin Pavilion has been cleared, and the roads in and out are guarded by guards. Not to mention that you can't get in, even if you can, I won't let you go. I can't afford the risk."

Zhen Huan was so anxious that her face turned red, and tears even welled up in her eyes: "When I think of Sister Mei suffering, Jingxi, I can't calm down."

Jin Xi tried her best to persuade her, "Your Majesty, good fortune will come to those who are blessed. Although smallpox is dangerous, our great ancestor survived it, and some members of the royal family also survived it smoothly. Your Majesty, you can't be impatient now."

Zhen Huan couldn't listen any more: "No, I can't wait like this. I'm going to ask the emperor to let me go to Fanyin Pavilion to take care of Sister Mei. Even if I can only see her once, I'll feel at ease."

Jin Xi was anxious to remind her: "Madam, have you forgotten why you came back to the palace? Although you are here to preserve the sisterhood, if something happens to you, what will happen to the old lady, the second young lady, and the third young lady who stayed in Ningguta?"

"Wow." This sentence made Zhen Huan burst into tears. She felt as if a sharp knife was constantly cutting her heart. The pain made her arch her waist and half lean on Jin Xi, crying breathlessly.

This torment lasted for three days.

On the morning of the third day, the Imperial Medical Office reported that Concubine Hui had died of smallpox. In order to prevent the spread of the disease, she had to be cremated and buried according to the rules.

After the emperor learned about it, he was speechless for a long time. Finally, thinking of Shen Zishan's many years of contribution, he ordered to plan the funeral according to the title of concubine.

That night, the stars were dim and a tarpaulin carriage was speeding along a dirt road in the suburbs.

In the car was a middle-aged couple who looked very sick.

The wheels roll, raising countless dust, rushing towards an unknown future that may be bright or dark.