An Lingrong's Rebirth: The Lock of Qingqiu

The good weather suddenly changed and it started to rain heavily. An Lingrong stood alone in the rain, letting the heavy rain wash over her body mercilessly. Her tears mixed with the rain, slid down her cheeks and fell into the mud. Those who abused her and tortured her to death in the previous life finally got their retribution. She stood in the rain and cried for as long as the rain lasted.

The servants in Yining Palace were confused and when they saw their master standing in the rain crying, they ran into the rain one by one and cried loudly for no apparent reason. The emotions that An Lingrong had suppressed for a lifetime seemed to be released in that instant.

Finally, An Lingrong ran out of energy. She felt dizzy and then lost consciousness. When she woke up again, she was lying on the bed. She was exhausted and fell ill. It seemed that even breathing had become difficult.

Her heart was filled with confusion and emptiness, and although she finally avenged those who framed her, she felt even more lonely and helpless.

In the next three days, An Lingrong lay in bed, weak and listless. She was sometimes drowsy and sometimes awake, but no matter when, her heart was full of pleasure and conflicting pain. She often thought of Honghui's clear eyes.

Honghui is innocent, an unstoppable voice deep in her heart shouted silently, and on the other end, another voice was defending herself, saying that she did not kill Honghui, nor did she kill the queen. She had no reason to feel guilty, as she did not kill anyone.

The poisons in Yining Palace were no longer needed. She had been developing poisons day and night to fight poison with poison, but they were no longer needed.

An Lingrong stood alone in a remote corner of the palace, with no one around her. Only the breeze blew gently, causing her skirt to flutter. In her hands, she held an exquisite box, which contained the poisons she had painstakingly prepared. At this moment, her face was free of the worries and calculations of the past, only calmness and determination.

She looked around and confirmed that Concubine Hua and the Queen were not there. She was the only one in the palace. She took a deep breath, as if she wanted to suck all the past into her lungs and then exhale it all at once. She no longer needed these poisons. All the previous struggles, entrapments, and calculations disappeared with the disappearance of these poisons.

She opened the box, took out the poisons one by one, and put them in her palm. She looked at these poisons that once made her feel fearful and full of expectations, and a complex emotion surged in her heart. These poisons, once the weapons she used to protect herself, have now become a symbol of her getting rid of the past.

She walked to the corner of the palace, where there was a brazier. She carefully put the poison into the brazier and watched them burn in the flames and turn into ashes. The flames jumped and devoured the poison, as if they were also devouring the shadow of her past.

She turned around and saw the piece of cloth again. It was the cloth she used to record the method of making poison and the amount to be used. It was covered with dense words. She walked over, picked up the cloth, and looked at the words on it. A faint sadness surged in her heart. These words recorded her fear and anxiety in the past, but now they have become a witness to her farewell to the past.

Without hesitation, she threw the floral cloth into the brazier and watched it burn in the flames. The flames devoured the floral cloth and also devoured her past memories. She stood quietly beside the brazier, watching the flames jump until the floral cloth was completely reduced to ashes.

At that moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief and ease. She had finally gotten rid of the shadow of the past and could start her life again. She took a deep breath, as if to inhale this new life into her lungs and remember it forever.

An Lingrong's life in the Imperial Pharmacy was originally dull. Due to her unique talent in pharmacology, the emperor put the entire Imperial Pharmacy under the management of An Lingrong. The emperor often summoned her to discuss medicine together. An Lingrong was also happy to share her knowledge and insights, and had a great conversation with the emperor. She was good at listening, and could accurately capture the deep meaning of the emperor's words and give appropriate responses. The emperor was surprised by her intelligence and agility, and his favor for her grew day by day.

Gradually, the conversations between the emperor and An Lingrong were no longer limited to pharmacology. They began to talk about state affairs, poetry, and even shared each other's joys and sorrows. An Lingrong's gentleness, thoughtfulness, and understanding made the emperor feel unprecedentedly relaxed and happy, and the emperor's wisdom, wisdom, generosity, and kindness also deeply touched An Lingrong's heart.

As time went by, the relationship between the emperor and An Lingrong became closer. They became close friends who could talk about anything. No matter what difficulties or troubles they encountered, they would confide in each other and support each other. In each other's company, they spent many happy times.

Until one day, the emperor said to her in person: "Li Ronghua, you are no longer my ally. In my heart, you are my real lover. The beautiful days we spent together, admiring flowers, drinking tea, and reciting poems together, made me increasingly dependent on you."

An Lingrong was very relieved, and suddenly she thought, "Your Majesty, the palace is now more peaceful than before. You might as well bring all the children of the prince back to the palace and let the concubines in the harem raise them themselves. With more children in the palace, there will be more laughter and joy, and Your Majesty can enjoy the happiness of family life."

The emperor followed An Lingrong's advice and gave an order. The children in the prince's residence flew back to the magnificent palace like swallows in spring. They held hands, sometimes talked and laughed loudly, sometimes chased and played. The emperor looked at them with love and satisfaction in his eyes, as if he saw the shadow of his own childhood and felt the long-lost family happiness.

As night fell, the lights of the palace were brilliant, illuminating the happy faces of the children. The palace gates of each household were not closed, but opened wide to welcome this rare reunion moment. The adults sat together, drinking tea and discussing philosophy or talking about family and national affairs, while the children chased and played in the courtyard, with laughter and joy.

The moon was high in the sky, shining brightly on the earth. Every corner of the palace was filled with a warm and joyful atmosphere. The emperor strolled along the corridor, admiring this harmonious and beautiful scene, and his heart was full of emotion. He thought of his youth, and watched these children grow up happily in the palace, and a strong sense of pride surged in his heart.

That night, the palace seemed to have turned into a big family, and everyone was immersed in this joy. The emperor knew that this joy was hard-won and required everyone's joint efforts and cherishment. He hoped that this harmony could continue and make the palace a cradle for children to grow up.