An Lingrong's Rebirth: The Lock of Qingqiu

According to Concubine Duan, the emperor's feelings for Empress Chunyuan can be said to be extremely complicated. They once had a deep relationship, but with the struggle for imperial power and the disputes in the palace, this relationship was gradually eroded by the cruelty of reality. Empress Chunyuan was once the white moonlight in his heart and the most beautiful dream of his youth. However, as the years passed, the emperor gradually became obsessed with the struggle for power, and his love for Chunyuan gradually decreased.

The good times recorded by Queen Chunyuan in her diary may be a kind of spiritual sustenance for her, and a nostalgia for the good memories of the past. However, for the emperor, those good times are more like Queen Chunyuan's fantasy. He clearly knows that those warm times are gone forever, and the relationship between him and Chunyuan has become alienated and unfamiliar.

Whenever the emperor read Chunyuan's diary, he would always feel an indescribable guilt. He felt guilty for his indifference and neglect towards Chunyuan, and for not being able to give her the happiness and love she deserved. However, he also knew that all this was irreversible, and the rift between him and Chunyuan could not be repaired.

Queen Chunyuan's diary may be the biggest irony of her life. She once dreamed of spending her life with the emperor, but the reality made her taste the bitterness and pain of the harem. The emperor's guilt towards Chunyuan has become an unbridgeable gap between them. This guilt has become an eternal pain in the emperor's heart, and a regret that can never be erased between the two of them.

An Lingrong sat in front of the mirror, letting Qiaoyu help her comb her long hair gently, and her heart was very light. In her previous life, she had many prejudices against the emperor, thinking that he was cold and ruthless and only cared about his own interests. However, after a period of close contact, she finally realized that these prejudices were just obstacles to her self-righteousness, preventing her from truly understanding the real emperor.

Recalling the past interactions with the emperor, although there had been misunderstandings and disputes, there had also been warmth and care. The emperor was not as ruthless as she had imagined, he also had his own troubles and worries, but as an emperor, he had to bear more responsibilities and pressures.

An Lingrong decided to put aside her prejudice and try to get along well with the emperor. She no longer looked at him with prejudice, but wanted to accept him with an open and understanding heart. She wanted to try to get into the emperor's heart, no, to be more precise, she wanted the emperor to step into her heart step by step, and share her joy and sorrow with him.

In the past, An Lingrong always had a barrier in her heart, and the emperor could not get over that hurdle in her heart. Once he was away from this barrier, An Lingrong would make a move to win over the emperor, so that the distance between the emperor and herself would always be maintained at a distance that was neither too far nor too close. However, ever since An Lingrong wanted to open her heart to the emperor, visible changes have taken place in An Lingrong. She has become more sincere, and bit by bit eliminated the barriers between the emperor and herself, replacing them with a deeper emotion.

The relationship between An Lingrong and the emperor has undergone subtle changes. She and the emperor are no longer just a monarch and subject relationship, but more like friends and confidants.

The Queen Mother, who lived in Shoukang Palace, was in a very bad mood these days. She originally thought that Longkodo would be her support, but this was not the case. Longkodo just cleverly used the Queen Mother, and did not sincerely ally with her. Longkodo just regarded the Queen Mother as a chess piece. Longkodo, who resigned from his official position, actually spent a huge amount of money to build a magnificent mansion outside, named "Fuwei Mansion". This Fuwei Mansion was built magnificently, comparable to the palace of the inner palace. On the surface, it was a luxurious place for enjoyment, but in fact, it was a place for filth and dirt. The mansion was dotted with women, who were either beautiful or charming. Each of them was born with a unique temperament, beautiful enough to overwhelm the country, comparable to the emperor's harem, and there were more than three thousand beauties. Longkodo was drunk all day long, hugging left and right, enjoying day and night.

Longkodo was not stingy with these women. He would buy any of them with money and make them his playthings. Under the temptation of money, these women threw themselves into his arms and were willing to become Longkodo's playthings, providing him with pleasure and happiness.

But when the Queen Mother learned all this, she was filled with anger and disappointment. She had thought that Longkodo was an ambitious and wise man who could work with her to create brilliance. However, she was wrong. Longkodo was just a man who indulged in sensual pleasures and was greedy for pleasure. He was not worthy of her trust and reliance at all.

At this point, the Queen Mother truly saw Longkodo's true face and realized that she had become a pawn in Longkodo's hands. She was very angry, angry that Longkodo betrayed and deceived her, but she still protected Longkodo in front of the Emperor.

The empress dowager was extremely heartbroken. She found the emperor and asked him to severely punish Longkodo and that she would never interfere in Longkodo's affairs again.

When An Lingrong heard the news, she was relieved for the emperor, and the confrontation between the empress dowager and the emperor was finally eased.

Zhen Huan of Tangli Palace also welcomed back Cui Jinxi these days. Although Cui Jinxi was punished to the Ministry of Punishment, thanks to Su Peisheng's arrangement, Cui Jinxi did not suffer much. When the time came, she was released. Cui Jinxi was very grateful to Su Peisheng and was willing to live well for Su Peisheng.

When An Lingrong went to Tangli Palace to visit Cui Jinxi, she also saw Concubine Chun who had not been seen for a long time. Concubine Chun was no longer the naive little girl. She had gradually grown into a mature woman and was no longer innocent. Although she always had a silly smile on her face, she looked much more mature and sensible.

Concubine Chun was very dissatisfied with the palace's allotment. She said that in order to subsidize the household expenses of the palace servants, she had sold some of her jewelry. She said that she would rather live a tight life than let the servants suffer, which made the servants in Tangli Palace envious.

However, Concubine Chun said that her action attracted the attention of Jiang Zhongmin, the new head of the Imperial Household Department. Jiang Zhongmin was a very principled person. He was the one who was helped to the throne by the emperor. He was very ruthless and would say a few words to anyone he met. After seeing Concubine Chun selling her jewelry, he asked her angrily, "Isn't the monthly silver from the palace enough?" If the emperor knew about the sale of jewelry, he would think that they had deducted their share of the palace. Jiang Zhongmin had deducted two months of monthly silver from Concubine Chun for no reason. This made Concubine Chun angry and aggrieved. You know, she was selling her own jewelry, not something given by the emperor. What does it have to do with other people to sell her own things? She said that Jiang Zhongmin just liked to meddle in other people's business!

After An Lingrong learned about this, she immediately supported Concubine Chun. She knew Jiang Zhongmin's character very well and knew the purpose of his actions. She confronted Jiang Zhongmin fearlessly and used the emperor to suppress Jiang Zhongmin. In the end, Jiang Zhongmin was defeated by An Lingrong's determination, and Concubine Chun's monthly salary was also saved.

After this incident, Concubine Chun admired and appreciated An Lingrong even more. However, neither Concubine Chun nor An Lingrong expected that Jiang Zhongmin, who was personally assigned to the Imperial Household Department by the Emperor, was a man of great principles and bottom line, but under the surveillance of Qin Sanyue, he was tempted and bribed by Concubine Jing with money, and had already betrayed his original intention and oath.