Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

193 The palace rules are strict, Mei Guiren should not speak nonsense

On this day, Yinzhen held a banquet in Yuqing Palace. Zhen Huan was in a very good mood and accidentally drank too much fine wine. She suddenly felt stuffy in the room, so she got up and went outside to find some fresh air.

"Your Highness, look at the bright moonlight, it's like a flowing spring, so beautiful that it's almost not like the moon on earth." Liu Zhu said softly.

"In a blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching. Miss Yuchan and Miss Yurao will then reunite in the palace. Remember to prepare their favorite meals in advance. When I first met Yuan Che, my heart was filled with anticipation and joy." Zhen Huan said slowly.

"I feel the same way. I only imagined what the prince looked like based on the description in the letters. Now that I'm about to see him with my own eyes, I can't hide my excitement." Liu Zhu echoed.

"Where is Doctor Wen? Didn't he go to prepare something to sober him up? Why hasn't he come back yet?" Zhen Huan asked with a little confusion.

"Perhaps something happened on the way and delayed him. I will go and check it out now. Please wait for a moment, Your Majesty." Liu Zhu replied.

Soon, a sound of light footsteps came closer and closer. Zhen Huan initially thought it was Liu Zhu returning, but she saw Wen Shichu was already in front of her.

"Your humble servant Wen Shichu comes to see the Imperial Concubine. Due to the busy affairs of the Imperial Hospital, I have been delayed. Please forgive my impoliteness." Wen Shichu bowed respectfully and apologized.

Zhen Huan smiled and replied, "Lord Wen is diligent and responsible. The Imperial Hospital has a heavy workload. I can understand that."

Wen Shichu then presented the carefully prepared hangover soup and said with concern: "Please take this soup, your Majesty, it may relieve the discomfort and headache after drinking."

Zhen Huan thanked him and said, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Wen."

After saying this, she took the bowl of soup and drank it all without hesitation.

At this time, Liu Zhu's slightly nervous voice came from a distance: "Who is it? Who is hiding there?"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan immediately became alert and asked for details.

Liu Zhu hurried over and reported nervously, "My lady, I just saw a figure behind a pillar. When I approached, the person fled in a hurry. His whereabouts were sneaky. I don't know what he meant."

Zhen Huan thought for a moment and sighed, "Forget it, let's put this matter aside for now. We shouldn't stay here for long. The Emperor might be looking for us."

She turned to Liu Zhu and said, "Liu Zhu, help me back to the table."

"Yes, I obey your command." Liu Zhu responded, then stepped forward and carefully supported Zhen Huan.

Wen Shichu saw this and resigned at the right time: "In this case, I will also take my leave first and will not disturb your Majesty's rest."

Zhen Huan nodded, watched Wen Shichu leave, and then slowly walked back to the banquet accompanied by Liu Zhu.

-

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon was as bright as a silver thread, and the palace was decorated with lights and colorful lanterns inside and outside. Lanterns were hung high, and sky lanterns rose slowly into the sky, adding a bit of festivity and prosperity compared to the past.

By the Taiye Lake, the palace maids and eunuchs were busy and happy. They were busy releasing sky lanterns, expressing their beautiful wishes for the future.

On the other side, there is a warm scene where princesses, princes and beauties from the harem gather together.

"Sister, look, that little rabbit-shaped lantern was made by Yilan and I together. What do you think of it? Does it look good?" Princess Chunyi smiled, with pride and anticipation in her eyes.

"It's truly a masterpiece. Your skills have become more and more sophisticated. Yilan has also made an indelible contribution. She is very thoughtful and meticulous. You two really complement each other." Empress Zhen Huan praised, her eyes full of tenderness and admiration.

"I also made a few specially for my sisters' little princesses. I hope they will like them too." Chunyi continued, her words revealing her love for the children.

"Your thoughtfulness is truly precious. Making so many lanterns must have taken a lot of time and energy, right?" Empress Zhen Huan gently stroked Chunyi's shoulder, speaking with concern.

"As long as the children are happy, all my efforts are worth it." Princess Chunyi smiled even more brightly, and her innocence and kindness infected everyone around her.

At this time, An Lingrong joked, "Chun'er also said that she would take out all her favorite snacks for Wen Ti and the others to enjoy. She stood aside, watching eagerly. Her greedy look was really hilarious."

"Haha, wouldn't Chun'er's saliva be gathered into a river, flowing all over the Taiye Lake?" Empress Shen Meizhuang took over the conversation, laughing so hard that her body shook, adding a bit of fun and color to this joyful night.

Jianqiu suddenly appeared, with hurried steps and a heavy look on her face. Her arrival was like a sudden cold wind that instantly blew away the laughter and joy around them.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. The Emperor has specially hosted a banquet in Jingren Palace. Please go there and spend time with him." Jianqiu reported respectfully, with a barely perceptible hint of gloating in her voice.

Upon hearing this, Imperial Concubine Feng Ruozhao frowned slightly and thought to herself, "Shouldn't we be preparing to go to Yuqing Palace for dinner now? Why did we suddenly change to Jingren Palace?"

"At this time, we should have been tidying up and preparing to go to Yuqing Palace for dinner. Why did the emperor summon us to Jingren Palace again?" Zhen Huan said with a smile.

Jian Qiu lowered her head, and her tone was emotionless: "Your Highness, I am only following orders, and I don't know the specific reasons. But since the emperor has spoken, I hope you can understand and go to Jingren Palace first."

Zhen Huan nodded gently, and glanced at all the sisters. Seeing that everyone looked puzzled but did not dare to ask more questions, she said, "Since the emperor has arranged this, we should obey. Sisters, let's follow his orders and go to Jingren Palace."

After saying this, she stood up first, followed by the other ladies. With full of questions and curiosity, they set out on the journey to Jingren Palace.

(Jingren Palace)

The atmosphere in Jingren Palace was solemn at this moment. Empress Yixiu and Yinzhen sat high in the hall. Noble Lady Mei Mei Yue and Concubine Fan Ruowan had already sat in their chairs. Even Noble Consort Duan Qi Yuebin, who pretended to be reluctant to go out, was present. This scene showed how urgent and serious the situation was.

Zhen Huan and the others bowed in turn and slowly sat down. Before Zhen Huan's body was completely stable, a clear female voice broke the silence in the hall.

Zhen Huan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Mei Yue's personal maid Xia He, kneeling in the center of the hall with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, I have important matters to report to you immediately." Xia He lowered her head and said respectfully.

Yinzhen gently shook the beads in his hand to show his agreement, "Go ahead."

"I happened to see Concubine Xi meeting privately with the imperial physician Wen Shichu a few days ago." Although Xia He's voice was soft, every word was clear.

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen was furious and slammed his palm on the table beside him, "How dare you!"

"Everything I said is true. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can ask the palace maid on duty that day." Xia He insisted.

"Pass it on." Yinzhen gave a brief order.

Soon, two palace maids and eunuchs with unfamiliar faces were brought into the palace.

"Your servant/servant pays homage to His Majesty." Everyone saluted in unison.

Then, a palace maid boldly raised her head and reported: "I happened to be delivering bird's nest supplements to Concubine Tian that day, but I unexpectedly ran into Concubine Xi and Imperial Doctor Wen behaving intimately in a side hall of Yuqing Palace. They were very intimate."

"I also witnessed it with my own eyes. I was on duty at the palace gate that night. It was hard to believe what I saw." The eunuch also echoed.

Yinzhen's face turned pale, but his eyes revealed a bit of doubt and disbelief.

"Noble Concubine Xi, please tell me." Yinzhen asked in a deep voice.

Zhen Huan stood up and bowed slightly. "I did go to the side hall that night. I drank too much and got drunk, so I sent Liu Zhu to get something to sober me up. Doctor Wen happened to make a sobering soup for me. That's all."

Yinzhen nodded slightly without making any comment.

Seeing this, Mei Yue was eager to take advantage of the situation and suddenly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have the audacity to expose Concubine Xi's adultery and disturb the peace of the harem. I deserve death for my crime!"

"The palace rules are strict, Concubine Mei, please do not speak nonsense." Yixiu interrupted at the right time, pretending to be surprised.

Yinzhen was so angry that he threw the beads in his hand towards Concubine Mei's face, instantly making her hair messy.

Mei Guiren immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowed three times, raised her right hand high, and swore: "If what I said is not true, I am willing to be struck by lightning and fall into hell after death, and never be freed."

Upon hearing this, Ye Lanyi couldn't help but chuckle, which seemed particularly abrupt in this depressing palace: "I thought it was such a vicious oath, but it turns out to be just some empty words. Who can predict what happens after death? Swearing on such an empty oath shows that Concubine Mei is not sincere enough."

Then she stood up, with a sneer on her face: "Forget it, Your Majesty, why do you have to listen to Concubine Mei's jokes here? Why don't you move to my place? The new opera in the opera garden is waiting for Your Majesty to appreciate it."

Yinzhen naturally didn't believe it, and had no intention of staying for long. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mei Yue glaring at Ye Lanyi fiercely, biting her lower lip hard, and said resolutely: "I swear in the name of my family, if even one word of mine is false, I wish my family's bloodline will be cut off and never continue!"

Each word she said was powerful, as if she had exhausted all her strength. After she finished speaking, her body swayed slightly, and she could only sneer at Zhen Huan, as if she was mocking her endlessly.

Yixiu intervened at the right time and whispered to Yinzhen, "Lady Mei swore so solemnly, maybe she really has some hidden reasons. It's worth listening. If there is really a misunderstanding, it is best to resolve it in time. Otherwise, the public's gossip may affect the reputation of Concubine Xi."

Ye Lanyi didn't care and interrupted, "Your Majesty, I dare to say that before becoming a concubine, Concubine Mei was just a gardener in the Plum Garden. Her family must have been in ruins long ago. What is there to be afraid of when swearing this?"

As soon as these words came out, Mei Yue's eyes were as sharp as torches, fixed on Ye Lan Yi.

"Forget it. I believe that Concubine Xi is innocent. Let's just leave it at that. You all can leave." Yinzhen finally said, ending the storm.

"Your Majesty, I believe that a thorough investigation is necessary for the sake of justice and Concubine Xi's innocence." Yixiu suggested gently, with a hint of determination in her eyes.

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen's gaze lingered on Zhen Huan for a moment. Zhen Huan looked back at him with a faint but thorny smile on her lips, as if everything was under her control.

"If Your Majesty still has doubts, you should naturally find out the truth to avoid wrongly accusing an innocent person and give me the opportunity to clear up this unjustifiable wrong." There was a hint of sarcasm in Zhen Huan's words, and it was obvious that she disagreed with Mei Yue's accusation.

Although Mei Yue was puzzled as to why Zhen Huan could remain so calm, the hatred in her heart quickly overwhelmed her doubts, leaving her no time to think about anything else.

Seeing this, Yixiu further asked: "Since you are accusing Concubine Xi of having an affair, who exactly is this adulterer?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the hall focused their eyes on Mei Yue. Yinzhen also looked at her involuntarily, his throat moving slightly.

Mei Yue smiled slightly, as if she was confident: "It is the imperial physician Wen Shichu!"

Zhen Huan couldn't help but laugh when she heard this, and shook her head gently: "You are just talking nonsense, what evidence do you have to support such a ridiculous statement?"

Concubine Tian Liying interrupted at the right time, saying with deep meaning: "During the long nights in the palace, if there is no emperor to accompany them, the imperial physician is indeed the person the concubines are most likely to contact."

Mei Yue followed up with a sneer, "Doctor Wen is Concubine Xi's confidant, and he is the only one who can treat patients. Such partiality makes people suspicious."

"I remember that Imperial Doctor Wen has been frequently going in and out of Suiyuxuan since Imperial Concubine Xi entered the palace." Li Ying added, with a hint of guidance in her tone.

Hearing this, Xinpin Lu Yingfeng chuckled: "If we follow this logic, shouldn't we, the concubines who occasionally get sick, stay away from the imperial physician?"

Mei Yue responded sharply: "Sister Xinpin, you are too kind. It's just that the situation of Concubine Xi seems to be quite special."

Shen Meizhuang stepped forward to defend Zhen Huan: "Your Majesty, Concubine Mei is wrong. My pregnancy was also taken care of by Doctor Wen. Why don't people say that I have any connection with Doctor Wen?"

An Lingrong was even more indignant: "That's right! The pregnancy of Chun'er and I, as well as the body of Concubine Ping, were all carefully taken care of by Doctor Wen. If what Concubine Mei said is true, then doesn't that mean we all have an affair with Doctor Wen? Such absurd words are really unbearable to hear!"