Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

180 Yixiu is under house arrest

-

On this day, Xiao Yunzi looked flustered, walked into the palace empty-handed, and reported: "Your Majesty, the eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs just reported that except for the blood swallows that the emperor needs daily, all other items have been sold out."

Zhen Huan asked calmly, "It was full two days ago, how come it is empty in an instant?"

Little Yunzi replied, "Originally there was no shortage, but the Empress had ordered that the Emperor should be informed that, in view of the hardships of Concubine Yu's pregnancy and her poor health, she needed precious treasures like blood swallows for nourishment, so all the remaining food was sent to Chuxiu Palace."

Zhen Huan sighed softly, "A mere noble lady is so honored to receive such a special favor."

Xiao Yunzi continued, "That's right. When I was on my way back, I heard that many concubines had some complaints in private."

Zhen Huan smiled slightly, and then ordered: "Jinxi, go report to the emperor and tell him that I am not feeling well today."

"Yes." Jin Xi responded and turned to leave.

Zhen Huan chuckled and said, "I am also pregnant. I hope the Queen can treat me equally and impartially."

-

Not long after, Yinzhen decisively issued an edict, stating that several beauties in the palace were pregnant with the emperor's offspring, and that all rewards must be distributed strictly according to their ranks. If there was an excess, each of them would have to raise the money on their own using their own wisdom.

After this move, Empress Yixiu's complexion changed suddenly again, as if she had suffered a heavy blow.

(Yongshou Palace)

"Your Majesty is truly wise. This move will surely expose those who take advantage of their power to bully others." Xiao Yunzi exclaimed.

"She wants to pretend to be compassionate, and I also admire her. But the Queen's behavior has become more and more strange recently. She has frequently done puzzling things, which is really intriguing." Zhen Huan said slowly.

"Since the passing of the Empress Dowager, no one in the palace can check and balance the Empress, and the situation is unpredictable." Jin Xi looked worried.

"I've noticed that you've been busy in your room late at night with the lights on. What are you preparing for?" Zhen Huan asked with concern.

"No...nothing important." Jinxi's cheeks were slightly hot and she answered a little shyly.

"No matter what you are doing, remember that safety comes first. I will naturally not interfere too much in your private affairs." Zhen Huan instructed gently.

"I understand what you mean and will act with caution." Jinxi responded respectfully.

-

However, the peaceful days did not last long, and new waves arose.

That day, Empress Yixiu went to the Yangxin Palace to visit the Emperor. Unexpectedly, outside the palace, Su Peisheng accidentally took a nap at the door, apparently due to fatigue or other reasons.

When Yixiu walked in, she had a gentle smile on her face and exchanged a few simple greetings. Su Peisheng hurriedly knelt down in response, but during this hasty kneeling, the sachet that slipped off his sleeve happened to fall into Yixiu's eyes and she saw it clearly.

(Jingren Palace)

Zhen Huan walked in slowly, smiling, and bowed, saying, "I have come specially to pay my respects to the Empress. May Her Majesty be blessed with long-lasting blessings and good health." "No need to be polite. Just sit down." Yi Xiu said indifferently.

"I would like to ask, why did the Queen summon me here so urgently?" Zhen Huan was secretly worried and had a premonition that something unexpected was going to happen.

"Originally, I wanted to discuss this with you in person, but this matter is of great importance, so I specially ask you to come in person." Yixiu's tone was somewhat solemn.

"I am stupid and it is difficult for me to guess what Your Majesty is talking about. I hope Your Majesty can explain it clearly." Zhen Huan replied.

Yixiu raised her hand slightly, and Jianqiu immediately presented an object, "Does Concubine Xi recognize this object?"

Zhen Huan examined it for a moment and said in confusion, "This thing looks familiar, but I can't remember its origin."

"This belongs to your personal maid Cui Jinxi." Yixiu said bluntly.

Zhen Huan understood a little bit after hearing this, but pretended to be relaxed and said, "Jingxi is always so careless. She lost something without knowing it. When I go back, I will definitely give her a good scolding."

"I'm afraid that's no longer necessary. She has now been taken into custody at the Ministry of Punishment." Yixiu's tone was calm, yet it revealed an unquestionable strength.

"What do you mean, Queen?" Zhen Huan asked with a dark face.

"This item was found on Su Peisheng. I find it hard to believe if you say the two have nothing to do with each other." Yixiu expressed her thoughts frankly.

"Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. Jingxi and Su Peisheng are from the same hometown. It is natural for them to take care of each other. This item may just be kept temporarily. I wanted to find an opportunity to return it, but Your Majesty misunderstood it like this. It's really frustrating..." Zhen Huan's words revealed dissatisfaction and disdain.

"You don't need to say more. I have ordered a search of Jingxi's residence. The truth will come to light." Yixiu interrupted Zhen Huan.

"Jinxi is my personal maid. Your Majesty, it is inappropriate for you to search me without my consent, isn't it?" Zhen Huan argued.

"What I did was only for the sake of peace in the palace and to prevent any trouble." Yixiu responded calmly, her words revealing an authority that could not be refuted.

Just as the atmosphere was tense, Huichun stepped into the inner room and bowed to report: "Your Majesty, I have searched carefully and found nothing unusual."

Zhen Huan felt relieved when she heard this. She leaned back on her chair and said sarcastically, "Your Majesty, the search has been completed and the inquiries have been made, but the results are empty. I wonder where did you hear this rumor that made you act so hastily?"

"Noble Concubine Xi, as a concubine, how can you speak to me like this?" Yixiu's face darkened, and she was obviously very dissatisfied with Zhen Huan's attitude.

"My attitude naturally changes with the words and actions of the Empress. Your Majesty easily sent the people around me to the Ministry of Punishment without a thorough investigation. Isn't this a blatant humiliation to me?" There was a hint of anger in Zhen Huan's tone.

Seeing this, Liu Zhu hurried forward to support Zhen Huan, and advised with a worried look on her face: "My queen, you must take care of yourself, and don't disturb the fetus."

Unexpectedly, Zhen Huan suddenly closed her eyes, her body went limp, and she seemed to faint.

Liu Zhu panicked and called out repeatedly, and the hall suddenly became chaotic.

Yixiu was also nervous when she saw this, and she quickly ordered the palace maids to send Zhen Huan back to the palace and urgently summoned the imperial physician to treat her.

(Yongshou Palace)

Zhen Huan slowly opened her eyes, frowned slightly, then raised a gentle arc at the corner of her mouth and called softly: "Silang~"

The voice was so gentle and charming that it melted Yinzhen's heart.

"Hanhuan, you're finally awake. I was so worried." Yinzhen held Zhen Huan's hand tightly, his eyes full of concern and fear.

Zhen Huan pretended to be panicked and asked anxiously, "Silang, is our child okay? Is he okay?"

Yinzhen quickly comforted her: "Don't worry, the child is still alive. The imperial physician said that you fainted because you were frightened."

He paused and continued, "The Queen has told me the whole story. It was the Queen who was too hasty. I have ordered Cui Jinxi to be released and clear her name."

Zhen Huan took the opportunity to express her grievance and fear: "Silang, I have suffered this injustice for no reason, and my heart is really terrified."

Yinzhen hugged her in his arms with heartache, and gently comforted her: "It's okay, it's all over. As long as I am here, I will not let anyone hurt you and our child again."

Zhen Huan mentioned Cui Jinxi: "Jinxi has been with me for so long and has been loyal to me. This time, she has been implicated for no reason. I cannot bear it."

Yinzhen comforted her, "Don't worry, Huanhuan. I have already given her a reward and ordered the imperial physician to treat her. She is fine and only needs to rest for a few more days. Moreover, the imperial physician also told me that you are pregnant with twins, so you must take care of yourself and not get angry or sad."

Zhen Huan pretended to be surprised: "Really? I didn't know I was pregnant with twins. This is really great news!"

Yinzhen smiled and nodded: "You can rest assured about the medical skills of Doctor Wen. As for the Queen, she has behaved immorally this time. I have decided to confine her to house arrest for a month as a punishment. During this month, I will rely more on you and Concubine Jing for matters in the harem."

Zhen Huan smiled slightly and said modestly, "Sister Jing Guifei has always behaved properly. With her around, I can finally relax for a while."

Speaking of Su Peisheng, Zhen Huan pretended to be casual and asked, "Silang, why don't you see Eunuch Su waiting beside you?"

Yinzhen explained: "I saw that he was tired these days, so I let him go back and rest for a few days."

Zhen Huan naturally knew where Su Peisheng was going, but she just smiled and didn't say anything.

She knew that Su Peisheng, who had just come out of the Ministry of Punishment, really needed a good rest.

-

When Concubine Rou An Lingrong and Concubine Hui Shen Meizhuang learned that Zhen Huan had suffered an accident and was out of danger, they were extremely anxious and wanted to rush to Yongshou Palace to visit her immediately.

However, when they learned that Emperor Yinzhen was personally accompanying Zhen Huan in Yongshou Palace at this moment, the two looked at each other and stopped tacitly.

"The emperor is here, so it may be inconvenient for us to go there now." An Lingrong spoke softly, her eyes flashing with concern and understanding.

Shen Meizhuang nodded in agreement, her brows unable to hide her worry: "Yes, the emperor loves Huan'er deeply, and he certainly doesn't want anyone to disturb him at this time. Let's go back to the palace first, prepare some tonics and soothing things, and then go to visit Huan'er later when the time is right."

Therefore, the two decided to temporarily suppress their anxiety and return to the palace to prepare.

An Lingrong ordered the palace maids to collect the finest bird's nests, donkey-hide gelatin and other nourishing products, hoping that Zhen Huan could recover her strength as soon as possible; while Shen Meiyu personally selected several books on tranquility and paintings that could soothe the mind and planned to bring them to Zhen Huan, hoping to dispel the haze in her heart.

While waiting, the two of them exchanged their speculations and concerns about Zhen Huan's current situation from time to time, but more importantly, they cherished and expressed their feelings for the sisterhood between them.

They knew that no matter what difficulties they encountered, as long as the three of them worked together, there would be no obstacles that could not be overcome.

(Jingren Palace)

Queen Yixiu held the brush, concentrating on every word on the rice paper. Her expression was calm and profound, as if the troubles in the outside world had nothing to do with her.

Jianqiu stood aside, brows furrowed, anxiety and unwillingness evident in his expression.

"Your Majesty, it is really hard to accept that the Emperor has confined you to your home for such a small matter." Jianqiu's voice was filled with indignation.

Yixiu smiled lightly, with a barely perceptible hint of bitterness in her eyes.

"Empress Xi was so favored, but she had also experienced house arrest. This is just my first experience, it's nothing." Her words contained both self-consolation and her helpless acceptance of life in the palace.

Jianqiu felt even more sorry for the queen when she heard this. "But the emperor ordered her to be confined without asking any questions. It's obvious that he doesn't care about her!"

Her tone was full of dissatisfaction with the emperor and concern for the queen.

Yixiu shook her head gently, put down the brush in her hand, looked at the unfinished word "静", and sighed.

"This should be a warning to me. Acting too hastily will lead to such a fate. I need to be more calm in order to gain a foothold in this harem."

When Jianqiu heard the queen say this, although she felt unwilling, she had no choice but to nod and agree.

"Your Majesty is right. I will tell Third Prince to study in Chonghua Palace with peace of mind and not worry about your Majesty's affairs anymore."

"Well, go ahead." Yixiu waved his hand, signaling Jianqiu to leave.

She picked up the brush again, stared at the word "quiet", and said to herself: "Just think of it as quieting the mind."

At this moment, she seemed to have really put aside all the disturbances in the outside world and focused only on the tranquility and peace in this small space.