Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

192 The Moon is Not Full

At this moment, Empress Yixiu walked in slowly. She patted the back of Concubine Mei's hand to comfort her. Her eyes moved around Zhen Huan for a few times, and she said softly, "Concubine Xi's outfit today is quite unique."

Zhen Huan lowered her head to examine the scarlet dress she was wearing; it was just an ordinary color, nothing special.

She responded calmly: "I was in a hurry and didn't have time to change my clothes. Please don't blame me, Queen."

Yixiu sneered and pointed to the scroll beside her: "This painting must have been created by Concubine Xi, right?"

Zhen Huan glanced at the scroll and replied calmly, "It was indeed given by me."

"Oh, Imperial Concubine Xi's clever mind and ruthless methods are truly astonishing!" Her words revealed a hint of chill and pride, "The miscarriage of Imperial Concubine Mei was all due to the musk, but after thorough investigation, it was found that she did not use musk in her daily life. She only had a special liking for the painting given by Imperial Concubine Xi, and prayed for blessings every day, but unexpectedly..."

Mei Yue received the Queen's hint, covered her face and cried, leaning against Yinzhen's chest, her shoulders trembling like leaves in the wind: "I am grateful to the Concubine Shu for giving me the "Avalokitesvara Blessing Picture". I have been praying day and night for a child, but who would have thought..."

With trembling hands, she suddenly pulled open the rosewood scrolls at both ends of the scroll, only to see a large amount of brown musk rolling out from inside. The fragrance was so strong that Zhen Huan couldn't help but frown and turned her face away.

"This painting came from the Imperial Concubine, and no one has touched it since it was hung. If it wasn't done by the Imperial Concubine, who could have done it?" Mei Yue was filled with hatred, her eyes reddened, and she almost cried blood. "I respect you like a god, and have never offended you in the slightest. Why do you not even let go of your own flesh and blood? Do I have to be ostracized just because I was born in a humble family?"

She raised her head suddenly, her eyes full of bloodshot, as if she wanted to pour out her anger on Zhen Huan: "Noble Concubine Xi, if you hate me, I am willing to retreat, but I beg you to let my child go, it is innocent!"

Zhen Huan retreated slightly, trying to avoid this almost crazy attack caused by the pain of losing her child.

Chun Yi, who was standing by, saw the situation and was worried about Zhen Huan's safety, so he hurried forward to support her.

Yinzhen's voice sounded at the right time, slightly deep and hoarse: "Noble Concubine Xi, are you involved in this matter?"

"Absolutely impossible! How could the imperial concubine act like this!" Chunyi stepped forward and gently consoled, "Has the emperor forgotten? My sister was repeatedly framed in the past. How can we know that in this situation, she was framed by a villain again?"

"Concubine Zhen, the emperor is asking about Concubine Xi, why are you talking so much?" Yixiu looked displeased.

Chunyi was speechless when she heard this, and could only repeat: "In short, sister would never do such a thing."

Yinzhen looked a little tired, his eyes were gentle but somewhat helpless: "Chun'er, the world is full of troubles and complications, so it is not appropriate to make rash judgments."

After hearing this, Chunyi looked sad and whispered with a hint of bitterness: "Is this how Your Majesty views me?"

She smiled bitterly for a moment, and finally fell silent. "Although I am not familiar with the dangers of the world, I firmly believe that Sister Shufei has a noble character and would never do such a thing."

Yinzhen sighed softly, unwilling to believe it in his heart, so he could only ask gently again: "Imperial Concubine Xi, I just hope you can be honest with me, is this true?"

Inside the palace, there was silence, except for the tireless chirping of cicadas from the distant willows, which pierced the stillness of the night.

The breeze blew gently, the moonlight flickered, and the candles on the copper candlesticks swayed gracefully. The melted red wax fell silently like teardrops, adding a bit of desolation.

Zhen Huan stood tall and straight with a firm gaze. She looked at Yinzhen and said softly but firmly, "How much will the emperor believe what I say? Is my answer important to the situation? The emperor's attitude today shows that he has doubts about me."

Yinzhen looked at Zhen Huan with mixed feelings in his heart, and his tone softened a little: "Huan Huan, you...didn't have it?"

"I don't." Zhen Huan's answer was clear and firm.

The room suddenly fell into silence, and even the air seemed to freeze.

Mei Yue sat on the edge of the bed, looking dazed, as if she was shocked and at a loss as to what to do by the sudden change. It was not until Yi Xiu's voice rang out that she woke up from her dream.

"Your Majesty, this matter is of no trivial importance. It must be investigated in detail to ensure that no one slips through the net." Yixiu's words were filled with unquestionable determination.

Mei Yue could not suppress her anxiety and quickly added: "Your Majesty, you can't be soft-hearted! My child unfortunately miscarried because of the painting given by Concubine Xi!" Her voice was full of anger and unwillingness.

Zhen Huan glanced at Mei Yue calmly, her tone calm but with unquestionable power: "This painting was indeed delivered to you by Jin Xi personally half a month ago, which I instructed her to do. This matter can be checked."

Mei Yue heard this and her tears fell like beads from a broken string. She stared at Zhen Huan and choked up, "If I hadn't faced this painting every day, how could my child have ended up like this!"

Zhen Huan shook her head slightly and explained, "This painting was given to me by Yuchan several months ago. After I received it, I felt that the painting had auspicious meanings, so I hung it in the palace for several months in the hope that it would bring good luck. After I successfully gave birth to twins, I was filled with joy, and I thought that this joy could also be passed on to Concubine Mei, so I gave it to you. Please tell me, how could I harm my unborn child?"

Yixiu sneered and interrupted, "Noble Concubine Xi's words are exaggerated, but facts speak louder than words. Noble Concubine Mei had a miscarriage, and you are to blame."

Zhen Huan smiled and asked, "Your Majesty, you are wrong. I was pregnant a few months ago. How could I knowingly place the scroll containing musk in the palace? Moreover, Yuchan is my sister. If she wants to harm me, wouldn't that be destroying her own life? Does Your Majesty think that there is no one else in the palace who can do it except me?"

Mei Yue was very emotional and retorted: "If it wasn't you, who else could it be? The painting was sent by your maid Jin Xi. Maybe she secretly tampered with it after you gave birth!"

Zhen Huan's face turned stern, and she said sternly, "Lady Mei, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. Since you are accusing Jin Xi, do you have solid evidence? If there is no evidence, it is just groundless slander. How can we allow such a trend to prevail in this harem!"

Zhen Huan turned to a gentle manner and slowly walked to Yinzhen's side, her eyes slightly red and tears flashing, "Your Majesty, I am innocent and wronged. I only wanted to share the blessing of giving birth to Hongmian and Lingxi with Concubine Mei, but I didn't expect that this good intention would become an excuse for others to frame me. I am really in great pain."

Yinzhen felt pity for her when he saw her, and comforted her gently: "Huanhuan, I know you have been wronged. I will investigate this matter thoroughly and clear your name."

Mei Yue was unwilling to accept this and wanted to say more but was interrupted by Yinzhen: "This matter has not been fully clarified yet, so we cannot jump to conclusions. Moreover, this painting has been hanging in your place for more than two months. Whether someone has sneaked into your bedroom and secretly acted on it during this period is unknown."

Mei Yue wanted to say something, but Yinzhen didn't allow her to say more. He said sternly: "If you continue to pester me, I will confine you to house arrest for a month to reflect on your mistakes. Queen, you also need to strengthen the discipline of the harem."

Yixiu quickly agreed: "I will obey your order and do my best."

Zhen Huan noticed something strange about the scroll and reminded him softly, "Your Majesty, I took a closer look and found that the scroll seemed to have been pried open, and the color of the seal was different, as if it had been recently sealed."

Upon hearing this, Su Peisheng stepped forward to check carefully and confirmed, "Your Majesty, what Concubine Xi said is true. This scroll was indeed pried open and resealed by someone. It is difficult for Concubine Mei to complete it alone."

Yinzhen's face was gloomy, and he had something in mind. "Su Peisheng, go and find out the truth quickly and see who is so bold as to stir up trouble and harm innocent people right under my nose."

"I will obey your command and do my best." Su Peisheng took the order and left.

Zhen Huan bowed and said softly, "I will take my leave first."

Yinzhen nodded in agreement, and then Zhen Huan and Chunyi left Qingmingtang together. Although there were waves in their hearts, their faces had returned to their usual calm and composed self.

(Yongshou Palace)

Not long after Zhen Huan entered Yongshou Palace, Jingxi hurried over and brought a piece of news with a serious look on her face: "Madam, I just heard that a maid in Meiyue Palace was dissatisfied with the strict discipline of Concubine Mei for a long time, and even wanted to harm her."

Zhen Huan frowned slightly when she heard this. Although she had expected this, she still felt a chill when she actually heard it.

"Has this maid provided any evidence? Or has she admitted that she was the one who moved the painting?" Zhen Huan asked, with a hint of caution in her tone.

Jin Xi replied, "It is said that the maid has admitted during interrogation that she secretly pried open the scroll and hid the musk powder inside when Mei Guiren was not paying attention. She claimed that she just wanted to make Mei Guiren suffer, but she never thought that it would cause her to have a miscarriage."

Zhen Huan sighed softly, feeling mixed emotions.

"In the harem, people's hearts are complicated, and often a single thought can lead to disaster." She pondered for a moment and continued, "Now that the truth is known, let the emperor know, but also remind the emperor that although this matter was done by a maid, it also reflects the omissions in the management of the harem, which needs to be rectified."

Jin Xi nodded in agreement, then turned around to arrange the delivery of the message.

Zhen Huan sat at the desk, looking at the swaying bamboo leaves outside the window, with a myriad of thoughts in her mind.

"How come Your Majesty is still so worried even though the real culprit has been found?" Liu Zhu asked in confusion, her eyes full of concern.

Zhen Huan shook her head gently, her eyes deep, "Do you think this so-called truth is really the whole truth?" There was a hint of doubt in her tone.

Liu Zhu heard this, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, "Your Majesty, are you saying that this palace maid may have just taken the blame for someone else, and the real murderer is someone else?"

Zhen Huan did not answer directly, but said calmly: "In this harem, many things are not as simple as they seem on the surface. As for the truth, sometimes it is not as clear as we wish. But since this matter has involved us, even if the truth is not perfect, as long as it has no direct connection with us, that is enough."

Liu Zhu nodded, as if she understood what Zhen Huan meant. "Your Majesty is right. Anyway, as long as the Emperor believes in your innocence, that is the best outcome."

Zhen Huan sighed softly, but she was also thinking about another question in her heart - when did Yinzhen, this emperor, start to believe in herself so unconditionally?

But no matter what, this trust is both an honor and a responsibility for her, allowing her to always remain sober and cautious in the struggle in the harem.