The Empress of Zhen Huan Reborn

After An Lingrong entered the palace, she remained silent, like a silent sculpture. When Zhen Huan and the others had resolved their doubts, Nian Shilan woke up from her dream, as if she had just remembered An Lingrong's existence. She turned her head and saw An Lingrong thinking seriously, as if she was immersed in her own world. Seeing this, Nian Shilan raised the corner of her mouth slightly, revealing a playful smile, and said, "What is Rongpin thinking about? She is so obsessed."

An Lingrong came back to her senses after hearing what Nian Shilan said. She looked around and found that everyone's eyes were focused on her. She couldn't help but show a trace of apology and said softly, "I was distracted just now. I'm really ashamed... But I've been wondering if this series of events is too coincidental?"

Hearing An Lingrong's question, Huanbi's face turned pale as paper in an instant. She anxiously defended herself, "Madam Rongpin, please understand! Everything I said is true, not a single word is false!"

Seeing Huanbi almost crying, An Lingrong realized that she might have misunderstood and comforted her quickly: "I know you are not lying. The coincidence I mentioned is not directed at you personally, but is just a matter of fact. For example, why did Prince Guo choose the eunuch in the imperial kitchen instead of the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Moreover, you two only have a little contact with each other, how could it be such a coincidence that the matter of the Sixth Prince popped up at this time? Therefore, I would guess whether Prince Guo is related to this, or even... is he the mastermind behind all this?"

When Nian Shilan heard An Lingrong's words, her heart was shocked, as if a flash of inspiration flashed through her mind, but disappeared without a trace in an instant, leaving her unable to grasp the key clue. She frowned and fell into deep thought.

Shen Meizhuang frowned slightly, as if she had some reservations about this view: "Perhaps, but the current emperor has only ascended the throne after going through the chaos of nine princes competing for the throne. If Prince Guo is really not as calm and carefree as we think, I am afraid that the emperor will never easily grant him a title and allow him to enter and leave the palace freely. Just look at the fate of the emperor's other brothers and it will be clear at a glance!"

Nian Shilan pondered over the investigation she had done before, then turned her gaze to Shen Meizhuang and said firmly, "Have you forgotten the letter that the guards found when the emperor summoned me to your bedroom that day?"

When Shen Meizhuang heard this, the scene of that day immediately emerged in her mind. She nodded slightly to indicate that she remembered it, "Yes, of course I remember it. Wasn't it later proven that the letter was not written by Concubine Cao and had nothing to do with you?"

Nian Shilan said "hmm", and then continued, "Later, Concubine Cao came to my palace and said that when she was strolling in the Imperial Garden that day, she heard Fu Cha promised to tell Li Changzai that if the other princes in the palace grew up safely, the position of crown prince might not be the third prince. Fu Cha promised also mentioned that when she was a child, she was almost killed by the butterfly sugar cakes made by her stepmother. After I learned about it, I sent someone to check on Li Changzai and learned that she was close to a guard. Just when I had no clue, the news came out that Huanbi had a close relationship with the eunuchs in the imperial kitchen. I suspected that someone was deliberately misleading us."

Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan nodded in agreement after hearing what Nian Shilan said. An Lingrong, who was standing by, seemed a little hesitant and asked softly, "So what should we do now? Should we just sit back and do nothing?"

At this moment, Nian Shilan had already come up with a plan in her mind, but because this matter was related to Zhen Huan, it was inconvenient to speak rashly. However, Zhen Huan was not a dull person, she was meticulous and thoughtful. After careful consideration, she resolutely said: "No, we have to lure the snake out of its hole."

When Nian Shilan heard what Zhen Huan said, she immediately realized that she probably had the same idea as her, so she didn't say anything, but just quietly waited for what Zhen Huan would say next. Shen Meizhuang and An Lingrong looked at Zhen Huan with confusion on their faces, and asked in unison: "Luring the snake out of its hole? How to implement it specifically?" Shen Meizhuang's eyes were full of doubts.

Zhen Huan smiled slightly and explained calmly: "The so-called luring the snake out of the hole means setting up bait and letting the enemy take the bait automatically. We can make long-term plans..." Then, she told everyone her plan, and everyone listened attentively.

Zhen Huan smiled. "Since there are rumors in the harem that I harmed the Sixth Prince, Mei Jie must be very protective of her son, so she has fallen out with me and let others think that I was the one who did it. Next, we will wait until the rumors die down and then conduct a secret investigation. We can only catch the real culprit behind this if we make her believe that she is safe and let down her guard."

Upon hearing this, Shen Meizhuang looked at Zhen Huan with concern, frowned and said softly: "Huan'er, do you know how risky it is to do this? If we still can't find out the black hand hiding in the dark, I'm afraid that all your wealth and love in this life will vanish into thin air!"

After hearing Shen Meizhuang's words of worry, Zhen Huan raised her lips slightly, revealing a calm and confident smile, and replied softly: "Sister, don't worry too much. With my looks and intelligence, as long as I am not old and ugly, the emperor will definitely not abandon me. Besides, I firmly believe that all the sisters will definitely not sit idly by. If we work together, we will definitely be able to find out the truth and bring the evildoer behind the scenes to justice! Otherwise, if this person continues to stir up trouble in this deep palace, how can our children be fully protected?"

"Okay, then let's do as Huan'er says." Shen Meizhuang held Zhen Huan's hand tightly, her eyes firm, as if conveying a kind of strength and trust to her. An Lingrong, who was watching this scene, also said without hesitation: "I am also willing to fully assist Sister Huan and Sister Mei."

Nian Shilan smiled slightly and said softly: "With you here, I feel more confident. However, we must perform this play perfectly and never let the mastermind hidden in the dark detect the slightest flaw. If we are not careful, all our efforts will be wasted." Everyone knew the interests involved and nodded to show that they understood.

After careful planning, the four of them finally finalized a specific plan and decided to act according to the strategy proposed by Zhen Huan. In the following days, Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan deliberately showed signs of estrangement in front of everyone, which made the rumors about Zhen Huan intensify. However, in the face of these rumors, Zhen Huan remained calm and composed. On the surface, she seemed to be unaffected. In fact, she secretly paid attention to every move around her, quietly waiting for the mysterious "snake" to appear...

At the same time, Shen Meizhuang also cooperated tacitly and spread some negative news about Zhen Huan in the palace from time to time, further exacerbating the tense atmosphere. An Lingrong and Nian Shilan cleverly used their status and connections to collect all kinds of intelligence and keep an eye on the slightest movement inside and outside the palace.

For a time, the entire harem was in turmoil, and everyone was in danger. But in this seemingly chaotic situation, Zhen Huan and others knew clearly that all this was a trap set to lure out the real enemy. They firmly believed that as long as they persisted, the truth would be revealed sooner or later.