Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

098 First Encounter with "Wild Child" Hongli

【Old Summer Palace】

"I have arranged all matters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in accordance with your order. Everything is proceeding according to the usual practice of previous years. The Emperor will still stay at Jiuzhou Qingyan, the Empress will live in Taohuawu, and you, Your Majesty, will continue to enjoy the quietness in Bitong Academy." The old eunuch reported the details of the arrangements to everyone in a steady voice, and his words revealed his familiarity and respect for the rules of the palace.

An Lingrong was leading everyone to another residence. Seeing this, Zhen Huan couldn't help but feel a little puzzled, so she asked softly, "Hasn't Concubine Rou always lived in Fanying Pavilion? Why did she change her route and go somewhere else today?"

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch bowed and replied, "To answer your Majesty's question, this is the emperor's special favor to Concubine Rou. Because Concubine Rou gave birth to the Sixth Prince, the emperor sympathized with her need for a more spacious and quiet environment to recuperate after giving birth, so he specially moved her to Xiangwu Pavilion. This pavilion is not only more spacious, but also close to your Majesty's residence, so it is convenient for them to take care of each other."

After hearing this, Zhen Huan suddenly understood and smiled, saying, "So that's how it is. Your Majesty is very thoughtful. You can leave now. I will go to visit Concubine Rou later."

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch quickly responded, "Yes, I obey your command and will take my leave now."

After saying this, he bowed and stepped aside, not disturbing anyone anymore.

-

Zhen Huan was about to return to Bitong Academy to seek a moment of peace and quiet, when unexpectedly a clear child's voice broke the silence around her: "Empress Xi, Empress Xi."

She looked in the direction of the voice and was surprised to find that the Fourth Prince Hongli was standing on a rockery not far away, waving and calling at her excitedly.

Zhen Huan couldn't help feeling a little confused. Logically speaking, she had never had any interaction with Hongli in this life. How did he know her identity and call her so intimately?

This sudden sense of familiarity made Zhen Huan fall into deep thought.

Hongli jumped down from the rockery lightly, walked steadily to Zhen Huan, bowed respectfully, and a clear child's voice rang out: "Your son greets the Empress Xi, and I wish the Empress Xi good luck."

His behavior revealed a maturity and stability that was beyond his age.

Zhen Huan pretended not to know him, frowned slightly, and asked softly, "Are you... the Fourth Prince?"

There was a hint of inquiry and curiosity in her tone.

Upon hearing this, Hongli smiled slightly and replied, "Empress Xi, you have good eyesight. This son is Hongli."

His voice was full of confidence and joy, as if it was a great honor to meet Zhen Huan.

"How did Fourth Prince recognize me?" Zhen Huan asked curiously, with a gentle light in her eyes.

Hongli looked up at Zhen Huan, his eyes sparkling with admiration and intimacy. He replied, "Although I have never seen Empress Xi up close, I have often heard in the palace that the Emperor dotes on her and that she is as beautiful as a fairy. Seeing her from a distance today, I can see that she is indeed as beautiful as the saying goes. This makes me feel inexplicably close to her."

Zhen Huan smiled softly upon hearing this, and then noticed the dust on Hongli's body, so she gently brushed it off for him, and said with concern: "Fourth Brother, you are too kind, but how did you climb up such a high rockery? What if you accidentally fall down? What will happen then?"

When Hongli heard this, a trace of grievance flashed in his eyes, and he whispered: "Except for Madam, no one else has ever cared about me so much."

Zhen Huan looked at Hongli's slightly aggrieved and expectant eyes, and her heart softened a lot. She sighed softly, her tone full of pity: "You silly child."

Hearing this, Hongli seemed to have found someone to confide in. He continued, "I heard that the emperor had come to the Old Summer Palace, and I missed him very much. I wanted to come and pay my respects to him, but I was afraid that he would be busy with government affairs and would not want to see me. So I thought of this idea, climbing up this rockery to see if I could see him from afar. But I didn't expect to meet Empress Xi first."

Zhen Huan thought to herself that although Hongli's words seemed sensible and considerate, the maturity and sophistication revealed in them were far beyond what he should have at his age.

She couldn't help but secretly wonder, were these words a genuine grievance, or was there some other deeper meaning behind them?

Zhen Huan knows very well that people’s hearts are complicated in the palace, especially in the vortex of the struggle for imperial power, every action and every word may contain hidden secrets.

At this moment, Zhen Huan has become a mother, and she has endless worries and desire to protect her children.

She knew very well that in such an environment full of calculations and struggles, if she wanted to protect her children, she must always be vigilant and make plans early.

Although Zhen Huan had many doubts in her heart, she still maintained a gentle smile on her face. She calmly reached out her hand and gently touched Hongli's head, her tone soft and caring: "Fourth Prince, I understand your desire to see the Emperor, but today, your Emperor is busy discussing state affairs with several adults from the previous dynasty, and I'm afraid he won't be able to get away for a while. Why don't you go back first and wait patiently for a while. When the Emperor is free, I will definitely ask you to go and pay my respects together. How do you do?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I just want to see the Emperor." Hongli replied gratefully, with anticipation gleaming in his eyes.

Zhen Huan smiled and nodded, saying softly, "Go ahead."

Before he finished speaking, Hongli ran a few steps like a rabbit, but then stopped, as if he remembered something important.

He turned around, ran to Zhen Huan, and shyly handed her a grass ring, saying, "By the way, madam, this is for you."

Zhen Huan took the grass ring and saw that although it was simple and plain, it was woven very delicately, revealing Hongli's love.

She looked up at Hongli's innocent smile, then looked at his gradually receding back, with a myriad of thoughts in her mind.

(Qingliang Hall)

The sky seemed to be lightly painted with ink and gradually darkened. In front of the Qingliang Palace, palace lanterns were lit one by one. The dim halo swayed in the night, adding a bit of warmth to this quiet palace.

However, this warmth did not seem to dispel the anxiety and anticipation in Nian Shilan's heart.

She was wearing a gorgeous palace dress, standing on the threshold of Qingliang Palace, her eyes looking through the layers of palace walls, as if she wanted to penetrate the vast night and find the figure she had been thinking about.

Around her, there were several palace maids and eunuchs. Some of them stood with their heads bowed, while others whispered softly. But all of them could sense the anxiety and uneasiness in their master's heart.

"Why hasn't the emperor arrived yet?" Nian Shilan finally couldn't help but ask. Although her voice was soft, it carried unquestionable majesty.

Upon hearing this, the palace maids lowered their heads hurriedly, not daring to look her in the eye, and could only respond in a low voice to indicate that they also knew nothing.

When Nian Shilan heard Su Peisheng's words, the light in her eyes dimmed instantly, as if swallowed by the night.

She bit her lip lightly, trying not to let her disappointment show, but it was hard to hide her deep disappointment.

"Where is the emperor?" she confirmed again, her voice unconsciously trembling a little.

Su Peisheng bowed his head and answered respectfully: "The emperor said that he cannot come to dine with the queen today, so please make yourself at your own convenience."

He paused, as if he noticed Nian Shilan's change of mood, and added: "Also, the emperor said that he is very busy with state affairs these two days, so I'm afraid he won't be able to accompany the queen."

Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan just said "Oh" softly, the sound was as thin as a mosquito, as if even she herself did not notice it.

She glanced disappointedly in the direction of the palace gate. There was nothing there except the night and the occasional passing breeze.

She turned slowly and walked into Qingliang Palace with heavy steps. Songzhi wanted to go forward to support her, but saw that she had already walked on her own. Her resolute back made people feel pity.

"I'll take my leave." Upon seeing this, Su Peisheng quickly bowed and quietly retreated, not daring to disturb the lost empress any further.

The lights in Qingliang Palace were bright, but they seemed unable to illuminate the gloom in Nian Shilan's heart.

She sat at the table, facing a table full of delicious food, but she had no appetite.

Everything around me seemed so unreal, as if the whole world had lost its color.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the waves in her heart, but the loss and loneliness came like a tide and she could not resist.

-

The next morning, the sunlight shone through the window lattice, casting patches of light into the house, but it failed to dispel the gloom in Nian Shilan's heart.

She endured the discomfort in her body, supported her heavy head with both hands, and barely sat on the carved wooden chair, her face filled with undisguised irritation and fatigue.

Sometimes her eyes looked out the window with emptiness, as if she was looking for a ray of light that could comfort her soul; sometimes she frowned, as if her heart was entangled in endless worries and troubles.

The tossing and turning at night and the constant troubles in her dreams made this usually proud and confident woman seem particularly fragile and helpless.

"I have tried my best to inquire from many sources, and finally learned the truth from the emperor's close associates. It turns out that all of this was done by Zhen Yuandao and others. They dared to impeach my brother and his subordinates. The emperor was furious and ordered the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation. They actually found hundreds of thousands of taels of ill-gotten gains in Wei Zhiyao's mansion, accusing him of taking advantage of his master's wealth and behaving badly. What's worse, they also falsely accused my brother of relying on his position as governor to make private payments and allow his subordinates to enrich themselves. They really can find any excuse to accuse him of a crime!"

Nian Shilan's tone was full of reluctance and indignation when she said this. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her inner anger, but in the end she couldn't help but sigh and continued, "The emperor has always hated corruption. How could they be so careless and act so unconcealed? Not only did they harm themselves, but they also implicated my Nian family. I am really heartbroken. Why would there be such a foolish person who would do such a self-destructive thing!"

"It's all because Zhen Yuandao is too nosy and speaks carelessly." Zhou Ninghai said.

"Zhen Yuandao is only trying to protect his daughter, so he is against me everywhere. It is hard to predict whether the emperor will vent his anger on my brother because of this." Nian Shilan expressed worriedly.

"After all, these are just trivial matters among the servants. They will never affect the dignity of General Nian. In the past, there were also fools who were ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and dared to impeach the general. In the end, weren't they severely reprimanded by the emperor?" Zhou Ninghai comforted him.

"But because the emperor always supported my brother and severely punished those who made slanderous accusations, now he sent someone to ask my brother whether he knew about Wei Zhiyao's corruption. Doesn't it mean that the emperor has doubts about my brother?" Nian Shilan's words were full of worry.

"Your Majesty, it's normal for the Emperor to ask about your situation. You don't need to worry too much." Zhou Ninghai tried to calm her down.

Nian Shilan shook her head slightly and sighed, "My brother's men are trying to cover up for Wei Zhiyao. How can such behavior be concealed from the world? The emperor must have noticed that they are shielding each other and forming a faction, so he sent an envoy to verify it with my brother."

Nian Shilan's eyes were red, and she continued, "No wonder... No wonder the emperor has rarely come to my place recently. I'm afraid he blames me as well."

"Don't be sad, Your Majesty. It is extremely difficult to see the Emperor nowadays. We need to be more cautious in the future and should not make excuses for the general anymore." Zhou Ninghai consoled in a low voice.

"Then what should I do now? I dare not even mention what others say. This feeling..." Nian Shilan choked with sobs, feeling helpless and aggrieved.

"Your Majesty, I think the most urgent thing is to ensure that the emperor no longer bears any resentment towards you." Zhou Ninghai made a cautious suggestion.

"Then...should we ask Concubine Cao to plead on my behalf?" Nian Shilan asked hesitantly.

"This plan may not work. Although Concubine Cao gave birth to a princess, she is not the emperor's favorite. Her words may not touch his heart, so she may not be able to take on this important task." Zhou Ninghai analyzed, with a hint of worry in his tone.

“There are things that I cannot say directly, so I need to find someone to stay by the emperor’s side and speak for me.” While Nian Shilan was deep in thought, she suddenly felt the intensity of the massage on her legs increase. She couldn’t help but let out a soft cry and frowned slightly.

She gently lifted Songzhi's chin and examined her carefully, already having a plan in mind.