Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

109: The decline of the clan

(Yikun Palace)

"Lingzhi, have you heard the noises outside? Is Zhou Ninghai being tortured?" There was a hint of uneasiness and anxiety in Nian Shilan's voice.

Seeing this, Lingzhi quickly comforted her softly, "My lady, please don't scare yourself. The noises outside may just be the wind blowing the leaves, and have nothing to do with what you think."

Nian Shilan's eyes were red, and her voice was trembling slightly: "It's been two days and two nights. How can we get away easily after entering a place like the Ministry of Punishment? How can they give up easily if we don't give up some real evidence? Even if it's a dead person, they have ways to pry something out of his mouth."

Seeing this, Lingzhi became even more worried. She asked cautiously, "My queen, if...something happens to you, what should we do?" Her words were full of concern for Nian Shilan's safety.

"Everything I did was out of my heart, and I have no regrets. If Zhou Ninghai betrayed me in order to protect himself, that was his choice. I will not blame him. I will bear all the consequences." Nian Shilan's voice was choked with sobs. She took a deep breath and continued, "All I wish in my heart is that the emperor can remember our old friendship and not involve my brother again."

After she finished speaking, Nian Shilan felt that there was silence all around her. The air seemed to lack the familiar scent of joy from the past, which made her feel even more empty and uneasy.

"Has the Huan Yi Xiang run out? Go and add some more," she ordered, with unquestionable determination in her voice.

"Yes." Lingzhi heard the words and hurriedly responded and left.

May this fragrance temporarily relieve the sorrow and loneliness in the queen's heart.

"Long live the Empress Hua." Jiang Fuhai walked into the hall and bowed.

Nian Shilan narrowed her eyes slightly and asked calmly, "What are you doing here this time?"

Jiang Fuhai replied respectfully: "In reply to your Majesty, the Queen Mother sympathizes with your concern for the safety of the general, and has specially ordered me to come and inform you of the general's recent situation to comfort your Majesty."

"My brother has been demoted repeatedly, and the emperor still wants to blame him?" Nian Shilan's tone revealed deep worry and dissatisfaction.

Jiang Fuhai heard this and continued with a smile, "Your Majesty, as soon as the general arrived in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, rumors spread everywhere, saying that the general was dissatisfied with the emperor's listening to slander and treating meritorious officials harshly. What's worse, some people even made up such rebellious words as 'The emperor left Sanjiangkou and Jiahu was on the battlefield'. It was really disrespectful."

"Rumors are always groundless. How can they be used as the basis for conviction? My brother is loyal, how could he say such treasonous words? What you are doing is just to find excuses to accuse someone!" Nian Shilan retorted angrily, his words full of indignation and dissatisfaction at the false accusation against his brother.

Jiang Fuhai smiled gently, but there was no warmth in his smile. He slowly said, "Your Majesty is right. Rumors are indeed unreliable. But although rumors are spread by others, they are not done by oneself. After the general arrived in Yizheng, Jiangsu, he not only did not take any active actions, but also waited and watched. He even instructed others to reserve the position of Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi for him. This move has greatly displeased the emperor. The emperor was furious and reprimanded the general for delaying the opportunity to fight and ignoring the overall situation."

"Now, the emperor has issued an order to demote the general to the position of guard at the gate of Hangzhou as a punishment." Seeing that Nian Shilan finally showed anxiety, Jiang Fuhai smiled and continued, "Your Majesty, this order just came from the emperor, it's very fresh. The emperor attaches great importance to the general's affairs, and the order was issued very quickly."

When Nian Shilan heard this, her body shook violently, as if she was hit by a sledgehammer. She staggered a few steps and finally collapsed to the ground powerlessly.

Tears flashed in her eyes, and with endless despair and unwillingness, she murmured to herself: "Your Majesty, are you really so heartless? Your Majesty, how could you treat me like this!"

After she finished speaking, she felt dizzy, her vision went dark, and she lost consciousness.

Lingzhi, who was standing by, was horrified when she saw this, and hurried forward to support her, calling out anxiously: "My Queen! My Queen, wake up! My Queen!"

She called out and tried to wake up Nian Shilan, but Nian Shilan had fallen into a coma and did not respond at all.

Jiang Fuhai stood aside and witnessed all this, feeling secretly proud in his heart. He knew that his mission had been accomplished, so he nodded with satisfaction, turned around and left the room, leaving Lingzhi there anxiously taking care of the unconscious Nian Shilan.

-

When Yinzhen learned of what Nian Shilan had done, he was deeply saddened and disappointed, and decided to give her severe punishment.

So he ordered the deprivation of Nian Shilan's title and demoted him to a concubine as a punishment.

Songzhi continued to serve as Nian Shilan's personal maid and was imprisoned with her in Yiku Palace.

Because of her meritorious service in exposing the truth, Cao Qinmo was promoted to concubine and given the title of "Xiang".

As the dust settled on the Nian Shilan incident, a new wave of changes arrived in the harem.

Guarjia Wenyuan, with her outstanding talent and beauty, won the favor of the emperor and was named Noble Lady Yu.

Li Ying, the sister of Li Bin, the deputy commander of the Cavalry Battalion, was also granted the position of a concubine because of her family's honor and her gentle and virtuous character.

The two will enter the palace to serve the emperor soon.

(Smashed Jade Pavilion)

"What's wrong?" Shen Meizhuang asked softly.

"She was not sentenced to death, but only demoted to the status of a concubine. She still lives within the walls of the Yikun Palace." Zhen Huan replied, with a subtle hint of complex emotions in her tone.

"Is that all?" Shen Meizhuang asked with a little confusion.

"Sister, the Emperor still has feelings for Concubine Hua, so we need to be cautious in our actions to avoid acting too hastily and suffering the consequences." Zhen Huan replied meaningfully, with a look of worry and depth in her eyes.

"What about Cao Qinmo?" Shen Meizhuang continued to ask.

"She told seven parts truth and three parts lies, trying to completely deny her own evil deeds, as if she was just a helpless mother coerced by a favored concubine, in an attempt to gain sympathy and forgiveness." Zhen Huan analyzed, her words revealing her insight into and disdain for Cao Qinmo's methods.

"Cao Qinmo's wisdom is far superior to that of Concubine Hua." Shen Meizhuang commented.

"Without Cao Qinmo, her think tank, Concubine Hua is like an eagle with broken wings. She is reckless and directionless. She will only act recklessly and may even fall into someone else's trap due to a momentary impulse and find it difficult to extricate herself." Zhen Huan further elaborated.

(Hall of Mental Cultivation)

"Is the emperor still worried about Nian Gengyao?" Zhen Huan asked softly.

"I have stripped Nian Gengyao of all his official positions and ordered him to stand guard at the city gate. I wanted to give him a chance to reform. As long as he can do his job well, I will not pursue it too much. However, Nian Gengyao actually wore the yellow jacket bestowed by me and paraded through the city gate, causing rumors to spread among the people, making people all over the world mistakenly believe that I am an ungrateful and cold-blooded monarch." Yinzhen's tone revealed some anger.

"Nian Gengyao may have hoped to use the yellow jacket to remind the emperor of his past achievements, but he only cared about his own personal interests and completely disregarded the emperor's face and the dignity of the court." Zhen Huan sighed.

"Why should I consider his good points? All the civil and military officials in the court have already convicted Nian Gengyao of five counts of high treason, nine counts of deceiving the emperor, sixteen counts of violating rites, and thirteen counts of arrogance and rebellion, a total of ninety-two charges, each of which is enough to punish him by death according to the law." Yinzhen's tone was firm, revealing his unquestionable determination.

At this moment, Su Peisheng stepped into the palace and reported respectfully: "Your Majesty, Nian is now seeking an audience outside the palace."

Before he finished speaking, Nian Shilan's sad cry came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty!"

The voice was filled with despair and unwillingness, penetrating through the palace walls and striking people's hearts.

"I don't want to see her!" Yinzhen said firmly.

"But Your Majesty, this is the third time that Nian has come to seek an audience. This time, he even banged his head on the ground with blood on his forehead. He must be in unbearable pain." Su Peisheng reported in a low voice with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Tell her that even if she asks for an audience a thousand times, it will be in vain." Yinzhen said in a resolute tone, leaving no room for doubt.

At the same time, Nian Shilan knelt outside the hall for a long time, unable to get up. Her forehead hit the hard granite again and again, and the blood was dripping, like a bright ruby ​​inlaid on her forehead, which was shocking.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, each cry filled with endless pleading and despair.

"Your Majesty, no matter how you punish me, I have no regrets. I only ask that you spare my brother's life and let him stay by your side, like a loyal dog and horse, and serve you faithfully!"

Her voice was full of earnestness and helplessness. "Your Majesty, I beg you sincerely, Your Majesty!"

Tears rolled down like pearls from a broken string, hitting the ground one by one, gathering into sad and beautiful tears, reflecting her sadness and helplessness at the moment.

The crying outside the palace pierced Yinzhen's heart like a knife. He was filled with mixed emotions. Finally, he sighed and ordered, "Send the order to find the best doctor to treat her injuries and let her return to the palace to rest."

"Yes." Su Peisheng stepped back and quickly went to carry out the emperor's order.

Zhen Huan quietly sorted out the memorials. After Yinzhen pondered for a moment, he picked up his pen and drafted an imperial edict: "I remember Nian Gengyao's past contributions to Qinghai. Although he has committed a serious crime, I cannot bear to impose the death penalty on him. However, the national law cannot tolerate it. I hereby grant Nian Gengyao suicide to save his face; Nian Fu will be executed according to the law to serve as a warning to others; as for Nian Gengyao's sons, those who are over 15 years old must be sent to the extreme border to guard as a punishment."

After finishing his writing, Yinzhen slowly walked to the fire and stood side by side with Zhen Huan, enjoying this rare warmth together.

"This matter is almost over. I intend to promote your father to the rank of Minister of Personnel of the second grade, and to concurrently hold the position of Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, in recognition of his many years of loyalty to the country." His words revealed his importance and appreciation for Zhen Huan's family.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan bowed quickly, but her face was filled with worry. "Your Majesty's grace is so great, and I am grateful to you. However, my father is old and weak, and I am afraid that he will not be able to bear such a heavy responsibility and fail to live up to your high expectations."

"Although your father is old, it is a great comfort to have a smart woman like you by my side." Yinzhen looked at Zhen Huan tenderly and continued, "Therefore, this official position is not only a reward for your father, but also a reward for your hard work and talent over the years."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan felt mixed emotions. She was grateful for the emperor's favor, but also worried about her father's health and safety.

She knew very well that she could not directly reject the emperor's kindness, so she could only secretly make up her mind to act more cautiously, take more precautions for her father, and ensure that he could enjoy his old age.

"I thank Your Majesty for his grace. I will do my best to live up to your expectations." Zhen Huan replied respectfully.