Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

102 Zhen Huan was punished

(Jiuzhou Qingyan)

At the banquet tonight, Nian Shilan was dressed extremely luxuriously. Her elegance and grace made Lian Songzhi look dazzling, with her clothes being extremely bright and eye-catching.

In contrast, Cao Qinmo chose a light and elegant outfit, which made her look particularly simple and elegant.

Zhen Huan watched them raise their glasses to salute Yinzhen one by one, and she felt it was difficult for her to stay out of it, so she also raised her glass to pay her respects to Yinzhen.

Then, Zhen Huan raised her glass gracefully, smiled, and said gently: "Today, all the beauties in the palace are competing for beauty. I would like to toast to the Emperor and the Empress, and pray that the Emperor and the Empress will be healthy, have a long life, and be blessed with everlasting grace."

Empress Yixiu nodded slightly with a warm smile on her face, and Yinzhen was also filled with joy.

The three of them smiled at each other, then raised their heads, drank the wine in their glasses, and celebrated the joy of the moment together.

Nian Shilan only had a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes glanced at Songzhi inadvertently, sending a subtle signal.

Song Zhi understood and nodded gently. Then she stood up, holding a plate of crystal clear grapes in her hands, and walked forward slowly. "Your Majesty, may you live a long and healthy life. Although wine is good, it can easily harm your health. I have specially selected a plate of delicious fruits for your Majesty. I hope your Majesty can taste a few to help you sober up."

Yinzhen nodded slightly. Upon seeing this, Su Peisheng hurried forward to take the fruit plate and placed it respectfully in front of Yinzhen.

Yinzhen gently picked up a juicy green grape and put it in his mouth. He felt it was sweet and refreshing, and it was refreshing.

Then he commented calmly: "The taste is okay."

Zhen Huan glanced at Song Zhi, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and she said leisurely: "Sister Song Zhi, is this really a thoughtful gesture for you to carefully select fruits for His Majesty? It seems that His Majesty did not praise it much. Perhaps you need to be more careful to understand His Majesty's preferences."

Songzhi was slightly startled when she heard this, and then turned her gaze to Nian Shilan, only to see that Nian Shilan looked unhappy and gave her a reproachful glance.

Songzhi stood up quickly and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty is right. I have only been serving the Emperor for a short time, and there are many shortcomings that need to be improved. I beg Your Majesty to give me some advice. Although I cannot be as understanding as Your Majesty, I do care about everything about the Emperor, and I am concerned about it day and night. I hope Your Majesty will understand my heart."

Upon hearing this, Yinzhen nodded gently and said in a gentle voice: "I know what's in my heart. With me here, no one dares to criticize you."

"The emperor has always loved his sister Concubine Xi very much. Today, he rarely speaks up for others. This shows that the emperor also truly loves his sister Songzhi." Lu Yingfeng's eyes lightly swept over Songzhi, and he spoke with some deep meaning.

"Sister Songzhi is right. The emperor's intentions need our careful understanding, not just enthusiasm." Zhen Huan paused for a moment and continued, "However, sister, you still need to work harder. It's already July, and the emperor will return to the throne in early August soon. Then, the three-yearly selection of concubines will begin. By then, the palace will welcome many new faces. You can imagine how busy sister will be."

Song Zhi smiled and said, "No matter how busy I am, I can't be as busy as you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is older and deeply favored by the Emperor. You can easily lead the new sisters into the palace and help them quickly integrate into the life of the palace."

"I've often heard that time is hard to come by for those who work hard. Sister, you are not only diligent, but also good at guessing the emperor's mind and maneuvering between various parties. Only then were you able to win the favor of Concubine Hua and be summoned by the emperor. Such ability and thoughtfulness are really beyond my reach." There was a hint of cold smile in Zhen Huan's words, and there was a barely perceptible edge in her words.

The hall suddenly fell into silence. Only the melodious sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras echoed in the empty hall, which seemed particularly clear.

There seems to be some tension hidden in this tranquility that is about to explode.

Hearing this, Nian Shilan sneered. She glanced at Zhen Huan with contempt, then turned to Yinzhen, with a tone of provocation and dissatisfaction: "What Concubine Xi said is too rude. Does the emperor want to let her be so presumptuous?"

There were complex emotions flashing in her eyes, including dissatisfaction with Zhen Huan and expectation of Yinzhen's attitude.

Yinzhen turned his head slightly, his eyes fell gently on Yixiu, and asked softly, "What does the queen think?"

Yixiu was a little surprised when she heard this. She quickly examined the current atmosphere, but found it difficult to grasp the subtle changes immediately.

So, she responded in her usual gentle manner: "There are many women in the palace, and it is inevitable that there will be some verbal disputes occasionally. Today, everyone is gathered together. Perhaps because of the wine, some careless words were spoken. It was not intentional. After the banquet is over, I will talk to them privately to resolve the misunderstanding and ensure harmony in the palace."

Yinzhen narrowed his eyes slightly, examined the beads in his hand deeply, and nodded slightly, as if thinking about something.

He spoke slowly, with a barely perceptible dignity in his tone: "Empress, is this how you usually manage my harem?"

As soon as these words came out, the smile on Yixiu's lips froze instantly, and a feeling of uneasiness surged in her heart.

Yinzhen turned his gaze to Yixiu and continued, "No wonder there are always disturbances and unrest in the harem."

After he finished speaking, he slammed the table, and the beads in his hand made a crisp sound. The sounds of stringed instruments in the entire hall also stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere instantly became solemn.

Upon seeing this, Yixiu quickly stood up, walked hurriedly to the bottom of the stairs, and bowed to show her respect and fear.

Seeing this, the other concubines also stood up and knelt in the hall, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

The entire harem seemed to be intimidated by Yinzhen's majesty at this moment. It was so quiet that only the sound of each other's rapid breathing could be heard.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I know I am wrong." Yixiu's voice was trembling a little. She lowered her head deeply to show her humility and self-blame.

"I failed to properly manage the harem, which led to frequent verbal disputes. This is really my fault. I am fully aware of my shortcomings, but please forgive my mistakes for my concern for the peace of the harem."

Yinzhen's expression did not ease at all when he heard this. He said in a deep voice, "Do you know where you are wrong? As the queen, you not only have to manage the daily affairs of the harem, but also maintain the harmony and stability of the harem. Now there are constant quarrels in the harem, and not only can you not calm the disputes, but you let the situation develop. Doesn't this show that you are incompetent as a queen?"

Yixiu was even more terrified when she heard this. She kowtowed again and said, "I am guilty. I will learn from my mistakes and work hard to improve myself, so as to live up to the emperor's trust and bring peace to the harem."

Yinzhen's eyes were wide open, as if he could see into people's hearts. He suddenly shouted, "Xi Fei!" There was unquestionable majesty in his voice.

Zhen Huan responded quickly and respectfully said, "Your Highness is here."

Yinzhen said briefly and forcefully: "Go!"

These two words, like an order, made Zhen Huan look up at Yinzhen, with a hint of doubt and confusion in her eyes.

"emperor?"

Seeing this, Feng Ruozhao on the side quickly spoke up, trying to ease the tense atmosphere: "The emperor means..."

Her words were not yet finished, but they were enough to make her intention clear - she hoped Yinzhen could give more specific instructions.

However, Nian Shilan did not wait for Yinzhen to speak, and said first: "The emperor has always been fair and strict, and naturally he will not be partial."

There was a hint of pride and provocation in her tone, as if she had seen through Yinzhen's intentions and was using it to show off her own intelligence and sharpness.

However, such actions also made the entire atmosphere more subtle and complex.

Yinzhen's voice echoed in the palace, with unquestionable majesty: "Xi Fei has been disrespectful in front of the emperor and has spoken rudely. Tomorrow she will be sent to Penglai Island to reflect on her mistakes. She is not allowed to leave without the emperor's order!"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the palace was shocked and looked at Zhen Huan. She looked pale but still maintained her dignity.

Seeing this, An Lingrong was extremely anxious. She quickly knelt before Yinzhen and spoke in a voice that was earnest and anxious: "Your Majesty, Penglai Island is far away in the back lake. The surrounding environment is remote and has been in disrepair for a long time. It is rarely visited by people. It is really not suitable for Sister Huan to reflect on her mistakes. I dare to ask Your Majesty to forgive Sister this time for her contribution in giving birth to the Seventh Prince and that this is her first offense. I believe that Sister will be able to reflect deeply and will be more cautious in her words and deeds in the future to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

An Lingrong's words were full of concern and worry for Zhen Huan, and also revealed her expectation that Yinzhen would use both kindness and power.

However, Yinzhen's expression did not change at all. He still looked at Zhen Huan coldly, as if waiting for her reaction.

Zhen Huan's voice was trembling and pleading. She looked up at Yinzhen, her eyes full of reluctance and pleading: "Your Majesty, I have served you for three years. Although I have been rude occasionally, you should know my loyalty and prudence. Today, I did something wrong, but please forgive me for our friendship. I will be more cautious in my words and deeds in the future and will never slack off again."

However, Yinzhen's expression did not ease at all because of Zhen Huan's pleading. Instead, he showed impatience and angrily scolded: "Weren't you arrogant when you spoke to Songzhi just now? Now you dare to be jealous in front of me. I really don't know how cunning and mean you are behind my back."

"Empress Xi, you really disappoint me!"

Yinzhen's words were like an icy blade, deeply hurting Zhen Huan's heart.

She knelt on the ground, her body trembling slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I didn't mean it." Zhen Huan's voice was thin and trembling. She tried to explain her unintentional mistake, but her tone could not hide her panic.

Yinzhen's expression did not ease when he heard this. He stared at Zhen Huan coldly, his eyes full of unquestionable determination.

"I have been doting on Songzhi these days, but you have made things difficult for her many times and even said frivolous things behind her back. How can I tolerate you?" Yinzhen's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting Zhen Huan's heart with every word.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at Yinzhen, with a flash of disbelief in her eyes, but then she lowered her head again and said in a lower voice: "I didn't, I really didn't mean to slander Songzhi."

"Your Majesty, you know that I have always been outspoken." Zhen Huan's defense seemed so weak at this moment.

Feng Ruozhao was anxious when he saw this, but he had to bite the bullet and plead for Zhen Huan: "Your Majesty, considering that this is Concubine Xi's first offense and she has always been loyal to Your Majesty, I dare to ask Your Majesty to be lenient with her. Penglai Island is remote and desolate, and it is not a place for human habitation. Please think twice."

Nian Shilan heard this and sneered. She interrupted Feng Ruozhao coldly: "The emperor has already issued an order. How can you change it at will? Concubine Jing, you really don't take the emperor's majesty seriously."

Yinzhen ignored Nian Shilan's cold words. He turned to look at Feng Ruozhao and said calmly, "Although Penglai Island is remote, it is spacious and quiet, suitable for quiet reflection. Concubine Jing, are you willing to accompany Concubine Xi?"

"Ah?" Feng Ruozhao was stunned when he heard this, obviously not expecting Yinzhen to make such a request.

Nian Shilan watched this scene from the side, with a meaningful smile on her lips: "It's really unfair for Zhi to agree."

Yinzhen glanced at Nian Shilan lightly and said calmly: "I know my limits. If Zhi agrees to go there, I will comfort her."

"Su Peisheng!" Yinzhen's voice rang out in the empty hall, carrying with it unquestionable majesty.

Su Peisheng heard the voice and hurriedly stepped out from the side, bowed and replied, "Yes."

Then he quickly walked down the stairs and came in front of Zhen Huan.

"Empress Xi, please stand up." Su Peisheng's voice was gentle and respectful.

He said softly, "I will take care of everything and send Your Majesty to Penglai Island for a short stay."

When Zhen Huan heard this, a trace of disbelief flashed across her face, but it was immediately replaced by deep helplessness.

She slowly stood up, looked at Yinzhen firmly, and said softly: "Please allow me to let the Seventh Prince be taken care of by Concubine Rou. When I am not in the palace, he is the one I miss the most."

Yinzhen nodded slightly, agreeing to Zhen Huan's request.

Seeing this, Zhen Huan felt a little relieved. She slowly squatted down again and bowed deeply: "I will take my leave."

"Goodbye, Concubine Xi." Nian Shilan's voice sounded at the right time, with a bit of pride and provocation.

Seeing this, Songzhi also quickly agreed, "I am incompetent, but I will definitely take good care of the emperor on behalf of Concubine Xi. Have a safe journey, Your Majesty."

Zhen Huan ignored what Nian Shilan and Song Zhi said and walked straight towards the palace gate.

As she passed by An Lingrong, she shook her head gently, signaling An Lingrong not to plead or argue for her anymore.

An Lingrong understood what he meant and could only nod silently in response, her eyes full of worry and reluctance towards Zhen Huan.

As Zhen Huan's figure gradually disappeared outside the palace gate, the hall returned to peace again, but ripples were rising in everyone's hearts. This sudden change would undoubtedly cause quite a stir in the harem.