An Lingrong after rebirth

"We have been in the palace for many years now, and our identities cannot be changed at all. Ordinary outsiders should not even meet him once. Prince Guo is the emperor's brother. When you see him, you should avoid him three times. How can you talk to him so passionately?"

"Eager? What are you talking about, sister? If others heard it, they would think I did something to exterminate my entire clan!"

Zhen Huan's voice became more anxious.

Shen Meizhuang still had a calm expression on her face.

"I just said that, and you thought it was a matter of exterminating the nine clans, but have you ever thought that if the way you talked that day was seen by others, would you still be able to sit firmly on the position of Concubine Wan like you are now?"

"It is precisely because Prince Guo is the emperor's biological brother, and they are brothers from the same family, why should we be so cautious?"

"Brothers from the same family? Who are you from the same family as?"

Shen Meizhuang sat up straight immediately. "Prince Guo is the emperor's younger brother. To put it bluntly, among all the women in the harem, only the queen has the right to say that we are brothers from the same family."

"How can you and I, as concubines, say such things?"

"After hearing this, Zhen Huan showed disapproval, but she did not look at Shen Meizhuang. Instead, she lowered her head and looked at her nails that she had just dyed with Impatiens this morning."

"Sister, it's true that you and I are concubines, and it's true that Prince Guo is the emperor's younger brother, but who said that you and I can't call each other younger brother?"

Zhen Huan's words made Shen Meizhuang look shocked.

After a long time, he finally reacted and pursed his dry lips. "You...what did you say..."

"Zhen Huan didn't want to continue. She had already figured out what she wanted to know during her trip today."

Without saying anything else, he stood up and continued, "I used to think that you and I had the same thoughts, but today I know that you and I have never had the same thoughts. There is no point in talking any more. Today, just pretend that I have never been here."

"Besides, I only exchanged a few words with Prince Guo, so there is no need for you to investigate privately. If you really think I have done anything wrong, please go to the Yangxin Palace. It will save you a lot of trouble."

After saying that, Zhen Huan strode away, leaving Shen Meizhuang alone, staring at the other person's quickly disappearing back in astonishment, speechless for a long time.

After leaving the main hall, Zhen Huan glanced around the Yonghe Palace.

"I don't know what he saw, but his eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately glanced at Xiao Laizi beside him, and then helped Cui Jinxi leave."

In the palace.

Shen Meizhuang's face flushed slightly, but she didn't know whether it was out of anger or anxiety.

"She has always been very secretive, but today she is so angry. I think she must have known what I was thinking, which is why she is so angry."

Caiyue was also furious. She threw her handkerchief in anger after hearing this. "The queen took so much trouble to advise her, but she didn't appreciate the kindness. I'm afraid she just thought that others were deliberately trying to pry into her privacy and she didn't want to listen!"

"That's fine. After all, we don't have any concrete evidence. She just said a few words to Prince Guo. If I tell others about this, I'm afraid others will think that I can't stand her being favored."

"So be it. Life or death is her own choice."

Shen Meizhuang suppressed her annoyance, motioned Caiyue to pour a cup of tea, and then said, "Tell the people below not to investigate anymore, and withdraw them all."

"Yes, Madam, please don't worry about it. I see that you look a little unwell these past two days."

Shen Meizhuang was annoyed. "Take all these things away."

Caiyue responded, packed up the snacks that Zhen Huan brought, turned around and was about to go out when Xiao Shi hurried in.

"Mother, something happened."

Shen Meizhuang frowned and asked, "What's the matter? Is it Brother's?"

Xiao Shi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the person I sent to watch over the Yanxi Palace is gone..."

"Gone?" Shen Meizhuang sat up straight. "What do you mean by gone?"

"Originally, the eunuch should have come back to report today, but I waited and waited but didn't see him. I asked someone to search for him and finally found him in a rare dry well in the Imperial Garden. However, the eunuch had already died. I checked and found that he was strangled to death."

Shen Meizhuang took a breath of cold air, and Caiyue waved her handkerchief, "Don't you know how to be cautious when you say something like this?"

Xiao Shi smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me." Shen Meizhuang raised her hand to stop Caiyue from speaking again.

He let out a long sigh, "Was it done by Wan Fei's people?"

"Your Highness, we can't find out. The person must have died last night. However, this eunuch has never made enemies with others, let alone taken someone's life so cruelly. I think it must have been done by the Yanxi Palace."

Shen Meizhuang frowned, "She took the life of a servant just like that. She is really not the same person as before."

"Your Majesty, two days ago, I found out that some things were sent to the Yanxi Palace from outside the palace. The place they came from was probably the Qingliang Terrace. In this case, do we still need to send people to keep an eye on it?"

"A person has already died. She will definitely not have any scruples in her actions. If someone keeps watching her, she will just be sending someone's life away for nothing. That's it. There's no need to watch her anymore. Just pretend you don't know anything about this."

Shen Meizhuang recalled Zhen Huan's performance today and felt a little scared, even a little afraid.

After today's test, she must have discovered that the people who were keeping an eye on the Yanxi Palace were arranged by herself.

If this is true, will she be even more cruel and want to do something to the children?

After all, this has happened before, and when I think of this, I can no longer suppress the thought.

“Cai Yue, help me dress up. I need to go to Chengqian Palace.” But as soon as she stood up, she felt a black screen in front of her eyes and her body went limp.

……

Shoukang Palace.

Zhuying followed Zhuxi and walked slowly into the room. The empress dowager was holding a Buddhist scripture and muttering something in a low voice.

"Queen Mother, Zhuying is here."

The sound of the bamboo's breathing drew the empress dowager's attention away from the Buddhist scriptures.

Looking up, the Queen Mother's expression remained unchanged. "How is it? Are you sure? Queen Mother, I have personally examined Concubine Wen's pulse and asked several imperial physicians who have examined Concubine Wen. Concubine Wen is probably pregnant with a princess."

"However, we can only roughly diagnose whether the child is a boy or a girl. If we really want to be sure, Concubine Wen has just been pregnant for four months, so we can't really be sure now."

"No matter what happens, there should be a result. If we delay any further, it will be bad."

The Queen Mother's eyes fell on the Buddhist scriptures again, but her tone was very cold. Zhuying returned to Shoukang Palace today to ask the Queen Mother's opinion on how to deal with the matter of Concubine Wen.

When I heard this, I was unable to understand it for a moment.

He glanced at Zhuxi with a hidden look, then turned around and poured a cup of tea and placed it on the table beside the empress dowager.

"Empress Dowager, I heard from Zhuying that Concubine Wen has been feeling very unwell recently, and more than once, she has discussed this privately with the palace maids around her without Zhuying's knowledge."

"I feel like, could it be that Concubine Wen discovered something?"

The Queen Mother looked slightly stern, and raised her head to look at Zhu Ying, "What? You were careless and she found out?"

Zhuying knelt down quickly with her knees bent. "Please forgive me, Queen Mother. Since I went to Chuxiu Palace, I have not done anything except taking some medicine that makes people feel unwell. But I have noticed that Concubine Wen has already started to be suspicious of me since the day I entered Chuxiu Palace."

"Everyone in the Imperial Hospital has the same tongue. Even if she suspects you, so what? As long as you don't expose yourself, what can she do?"

Zhu Ying looked at the ground in front of her, not daring to raise her head. "The Queen Mother is right, but we are still not sure whether the baby in your belly is a boy or a girl. The Queen Mother also said that if we delay any further, it will be bad for your health. I am stupid and don't know what to do next. Please forgive me, Queen Mother."

The Queen Mother closed the Buddhist scripture in her hand, and a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.

A concubine and a child whose gender was unknown were naturally nothing in her eyes.

I'm just worried that things might be too obvious, and it would be bad if Concubine Wen got hold of the evidence.

If those words that shouldn't be spread were spread to the grassland, that would be...

After a moment of silence, the Queen Mother spoke again, "If we really want to determine the gender of the fetus, when can we get a result?"

"To reply to the Queen Mother, I'm afraid it will take at least five months to be completely sure."

"Five months is not much time left. If that's the case, then just wait a little longer. By then you will know what to do."

Zhuying let out a sigh of relief, and a huge weight was lifted off her heart.

"Yes, thank you for your advice, Your Majesty. I understand."

"Even so, you still have to be careful. If the words you shouldn't say get out of Chuxiu Palace, don't blame me for not considering the relationship between master and servant in the past."

Ever since she became the empress dowager, she rarely spoke so harshly to her servants.

Zhuying also understood the meaning.

She kowtowed to the Queen Mother and said, "Please rest assured, Queen Mother, I will definitely take good care of everything in Chuxiu Palace."

"Go."

After the Queen Mother finished speaking, she opened the Buddhist scriptures again, lowered her head and recited silently.

Zhuxi and Zhuying left the main hall together, and the hall fell silent for a moment. "Ah, I am really scared to do a job like this where I could lose my life at any time."

Zhu Ying sighed softly, and then said, "It reminds me of the past, when Concubine Shu was pregnant."

"Both are pregnant concubines, but one is full of achievements, while the other is uncertain about life and death. They are really the same person with different fates."

Seeing the bitter smile on Zhuying's face, Zhuxi also shook his head, "As slaves, don't we have to do whatever the master tells us to do?"

"The Concubine Shu is kind and favored. Serving her is naturally different from serving others."

"But don't worry. If the Queen Mother has any instructions, I will have someone tell you. You must also keep an eye on Chuxiu Palace. If you are unable to do so, have someone report to the Queen Mother as soon as possible. Don't let anything go wrong.

Zhu Ying nodded and said, "Yes, I know the truth. I just complained a few words. Concubine Wen is waiting for me to go back and prepare lunch. I will leave now."

"Okay, go ahead."

Zhuxi watched Zhuying's back disappear outside the gate of Shoukang Palace before he turned around and entered the hall.

……

Yonghe Palace.

When Shen Meizhuang was about to go out, she suddenly felt dizzy, and Caiyue was so scared that her face turned pale.

"He hurriedly asked Xiao Shi to call the imperial physician, and told Cai Xing to look after Shen Meizhuang. He then hurried out to Chengqian Palace."

"At this time, An Lingrong's head was about to explode because of the noise of the two children. Seeing Caiyue coming in with an anxious look on her face, she hurriedly asked the wet nurse to take the children downstairs."

"What's wrong, Caiyue? But Sister Mei wants Hongsheng and the others to go over there?"

Caiyue hurriedly shook her head and said, "Madam Shufei, my madam is not feeling well and almost fell down just now. If you have time, please go and take a look!"

An Lingrong stood up suddenly after hearing Caiyue's words, and without caring about anything else, she pulled Caiyue and walked out.

As he walked, he opened his mouth and asked, "What happened? Why did you faint? You looked unwell this morning. Have you asked the imperial physician to see you?"

Caiyue couldn't figure it out either. "My Lady Shufei, Concubine Wan came to Yonghe Palace early this morning. My Lady said a few words to her, and she got very angry. She said a few harsh words and then left on her own..."