Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

188 Qingying fights and loses face

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As night fell, Zhen Huan sat leisurely in the inner room, accompanying Longyue to enjoy the music of the piano.

Longyue showed extraordinary talent in this area, and with just a little guidance from Zhen Huan, she was able to grasp the essence of it and her skills were almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Outside the window, green bamboos sway gently, and the sunset gauze filters the light softly, reflecting a newly blooming crabapple tree, adding a touch of elegance.

The drizzle continued, gently hitting the iron horses under the eaves and the banana leaves in the courtyard, making a crisp and pleasant sound, like the sound of nature.

Longyue has always preferred the sound of rain, but at this moment her mind is completely immersed in the new guqin music she has learned.

This piece of music was recently taught by a musician. Although the melody is simple, it adds a touch of sadness to this rainy night.

Seeing this, Zhen Huan couldn't help but smile: "You have a deep understanding of the state of listening to the rain halfway up the mountain. The sound of the zither is almost catching up with your mother's level."

Hearing this, Long Yue smiled as sweet as honey: "Mother's zither skills are extraordinary. Even if Long Yue studies for three lifetimes, she will never be able to compare with you."

"Your little mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter. I'm afraid you have learned a lot of witty words from that girl Liuzhu." Zhen Huan said with a smile, and then lovingly handed a piece of dried sand fruit to Longyue for her to taste. The warmth and harmony between mother and daughter were even more precious on this rainy night.

The night grew darker, Pei'er stepped in lightly, added a few more lights, and carefully lifted the wicks.

In an instant, tiny lights bloomed in the air, adding a bit of warmth and brightness.

At this time, a calm and attractive voice sounded: "The bright lights, could it be a sign that there will be a happy event in the palace soon?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan turned around with a smile as beautiful as a flower, looking at Yinzhen who had just entered the inner room, and replied gently: "The third prince's wedding day is approaching, and the emperor is about to have a beautiful daughter-in-law. This is a great happy event, how can we not be happy?"

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen smiled and said, "If I really become the father-in-law of the family, wouldn't you also be promoted to 'family aunt'? I'm afraid you will often hear this title in your ears in the future. Do you mind if you are a little 'older'?"

Zhen Huan shook her head slightly, with a sly smile on her lips: "How dare I be called 'family aunt' by the Third Prince's wife? The title of aunt is naturally reserved for the Emperor and the Empress."

After saying this, she curled her lips slightly, and her eyes moved around, revealing the demeanor of a little girl.

Seeing this, Yinzhen couldn't help laughing. He scratched her nose lovingly and said with a smile: "You are becoming more and more childish. You are not even afraid of Longyue's jokes."

Longyue, who was standing aside, couldn't help but burst out laughing when she saw how loving her father and mother were. She made a naughty face and continued to immerse herself in her own world of guqin.

The music is melodious, interweaving with the sound of rain into a harmonious melody.

Yinzhen gently squeezed Zhen Huan's hand and said in a coquettish tone, "Seeing that I'm here, you didn't even leave a seat for me. You're becoming even more overbearing."

Zhen Huan chuckled, and even though she complained, her body involuntarily gave up her seat. Yinzhen sat down, and the chaise longue suddenly became a little warmer.

"Let's get back to business," Yinzhen said solemnly, "I want to hear your opinion on some details of the Third Prince's wedding."

Zhen Huan picked up a tangerine and peeled it while speaking, her tone a bit coquettish and angry: "I am a stupid concubine, how dare I make a comment easily, but I will leave it to the emperor to make the decision."

However, her words could not conceal the tacit understanding and tenderness that she and Yinzhen shared.

Yinzhen pondered for a moment and then said, "The Queen originally wanted Qingying of the Ulanara clan and wanted to marry her to Hongshi as his principal wife. However, Hongshi came to me this afternoon and frankly said that he had no intention of getting married and only wanted to concentrate on his studies. After careful consideration, I agreed to his request."

"I have heard something about this matter. Does Your Majesty have any doubts that he would like to ask me?" Zhen Huan asked gently.

"The Queen mentioned to me later that since the position of the principal wife is temporarily vacant, it would be a good idea to take Qingying as the concubine. The candidate is still Qingying." Yinzhen said slowly.

Zhen Huan suppressed her smile and whispered softly, "A few days ago, the Queen visited many beauties, and Qingying happened to be from the Queen's family."

Yinzhen didn't care about it and said, "The tour was just a cover. In fact, it was all to pave the way for Qingying to enter the palace."

Zhen Huan gently advised: "The Third Prince has been personally raised by the Queen since he was young. The relationship between mother and son is deep, so we should naturally consider his future more."

"I also hope for a deep mother-son relationship. The Queen told me that Qingying is not only outstanding in appearance, but also gentle and docile in temperament. I think that although the Queen may have selfish motives, if Qingying is indeed a good match, she would be appropriate as a concubine." Before Yinzhen finished speaking, a clear and pleasant voice of a little girl floated into his ears.

The sound of the zither suddenly stopped, and Long Yue's clear childish voice sounded, with a bit of dissatisfaction: "What the Empress said is wrong. That princess doesn't look easy to get along with."

She stood up lightly and clung to Yinzhen like a clever little deer, "I don't like that princess. Third brother has always favored Longyue the most. If he really marries her, I'm afraid he will be cold to me."

Yinzhen was slightly stunned when he heard this, and then asked with concern: "Did she do something to displease Longyue?"

Long Yue pouted her lips and recalled, "That day, my third brother and she were admiring flowers in the Imperial Garden. I accidentally got some dirt on my hands and it splashed on her. She was not considerate but looked angry and pushed me. A lot of dirt also splashed on my third brother, but he didn't seem to be unhappy."

Yinzhen was furious and disappointed with the queen's poor judgement of people. "The queen's actions seem to be based on nepotism. She despises my princess and is disrespectful to the royal family. How can I force her to do anything?"

Seeing this, Zhen Huan hurriedly tried to comfort him softly, "Your Majesty, calm down. If you tell the Queen about this directly, it might hurt her reputation. Besides, the Queen Mother is also from the Ulanara clan. I think it's best to let the Third Prince make his own decision, which is fair."

Yinzhen snorted softly, with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "Whether Hongshi will obey the queen's wishes depends on his own choice."

He was silent for a moment, then heaved a long sigh, "Hanhuan, I feel that I am not as energetic as before recently. The Queen is eager to facilitate Hongshi's wedding, and the previous dynasty has frequently mentioned the issue of establishing a crown prince. I understand that those ministers may really feel that I am getting older, so they are eager to share my worries."

Zhen Huan's voice was soft and gentle. She whispered, "Your Majesty is in his prime, and there is no need to rush state affairs. Although the Third Prince is excellent, he still needs more experience. I think that the ministers of the previous dynasty only hope that someone can help the emperor share state affairs out of respect and love for the emperor."

"At the morning court today, Ortai and Ma Qi were arguing over this matter again. Ultimately, it was all about the issue of who should be the heir. How many eyes are staring at my throne in and outside the palace? How could I not know? If I really want to appoint a crown prince, I'm afraid it will lead to countless disputes. I need to plan carefully in case of emergency." Yinzhen said, turning his eyes gently to Zhen Huan, as if seeking her opinion, "However, when it comes to appointing a crown prince, I still look forward to our own child more."

Zhen Huan heard this, feeling mixed emotions, both happy and worried. She quickly responded, "Some officials really don't know the priorities and worry about nothing. Hong Zhou is still young, and there are Hong Yang and Hong Xian. They are all your flesh and blood. You should treat them equally and love them more."

He smiled and took Zhen Huan into his arms, saying softly, "It's human nature to be partial occasionally. Although I have many princesses, the one I care about most is always our Longyue. Of course, there's also you, Huanhuan. I've seen your hard work all along. It's not easy to manage the affairs of the six palaces. I know all this. The harem seems calm on the surface, but it's actually turbulent and filthy. Although I have the intention to clean it up, it's mostly entanglements between women, and sometimes there's no need to worry too much. Besides, Chunyuan's feelings are always in my heart. I chose to turn a blind eye to many things and pretend they never happened."

"However, if the affairs of the harem are colluding with the previous dynasty and attempting to plot against me, then I will have to be vigilant and respond with caution. Do you understand the complexity and danger involved?"

Zhen Huan nodded meekly, and snuggled quietly into Yinzhen's chest, feeling each other's heartbeats.

Outside the window, the rain was drizzling and rustling, as if even the heaven and earth, which were originally out of reach, were closely connected and inseparable because of the rain.

This situation is just like the fate between people. Sometimes, just a casual touch can lead to a marriage; and sometimes, just a slight break can make everything return to dust and become difficult to recover.

-

Qingying failed to become Hongshi's concubine as she wished. This turn of events not only made Qingying herself deeply disappointed and angry, but also made Hongshi's decision seem quite unexpected and irresponsible.

Hongshi took the initiative to tell Empress Yixiu that he did not want to marry Qingying as his concubine. This move undoubtedly caused great emotional harm to Qingying, and also revealed his recklessness and selfishness in the matter of marriage.

When Qingying learned the news, she rushed out from behind the screen angrily and beat Hongshi, but Hongshi chose to endure it silently without fighting back.

This scene not only reflects Qingying's firmness and indomitable spirit, but also reflects Hongshi's guilt and helplessness towards Qingying.

However, now that things have come to this, no amount of regret or self-blame can make up for the damage done to Qingying.

Yixiu was also troubled after learning about this.

She was well aware of the complexity and sensitivity of the matter, which not only concerned the reputation of the two families, but might also cause unnecessary disputes between the harem and the former dynasty.

Therefore, she chose to claim that she was feeling unwell, announced that she had a headache, closed her door to visitors, and even skipped the daily morning and evening visits, as a way to avoid and buffer this matter.