Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Your Highness, please stop crying.”

Nanny Jiang knelt before her and begged for punishment. “It was this servant’s fault. This servant failed to protect Your Highness and the little princess. Please punish this servant.”

“And this servant too.”

Song Zhi knelt to the side and kowtowed. “Your Highness, it’s all because this servant was useless. This servant didn’t notice that vile maid Le’er, with her evil intentions. It’s all this servant’s fault.”

“The ones at fault aren’t just you.”

Tears kept spilling from Consort Hua’s eyes. “I was the one who made the biggest mistake. I let that poisonous woman the Empress plant her spy in Yi Kun Palace, and I even let that spy serve me at my side. I was blind.

I handed them the chance to strike. Every fault, every mistake – it’s all my fault.”

“Your Highness, how could it be your fault?”

Nanny Jiang slapped herself hard, her voice full of guilt. “It’s all because this servant was useless. Your Highness and the Grand General trusted this servant so much, yet this servant still let Your Highness and the Grand General down. This servant deserves to die.

Please punish this servant.”

“Your Highness, please punish this servant.” Song Zhi sobbed. “This servant didn’t take good care of Your Highness. This servant truly deserves to die!”

“Enough. Get up.”

Consort Hua wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You’re all at my side. Of course I trust you. This time, you were indeed negligent.

I’ll dock you six months’ pay.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” “This servant thanks Your Highness for your great mercy!” Only after they kowtowed three loud times did the two of them rise.

Consort Hua closed her eyes, forcing her emotions down. She did not want to cry again. After a while, she opened her eyes again, her voice turning icy. “His Majesty can forget about me letting this go.

Forget about me not taking revenge. In this harem, if Ula Nara·Yi Xiu is here, then there won’t be a Nian Shi Lan. If Nian Shi Lan is here, Ula Nara·Yi Xiu can forget about sitting as Empress. I will make sure Ula Nara·Yi Xiu dies a miserable death!”… Jing Ren Palace.

“Consort Hua was promoted to Noble Consort?” The Empress’s expression shifted again and again as she snapped, “That bitch Consort Hua – what right does she have to become a Noble Consort!” “Your Majesty, His Majesty has already issued the decree.” Jian Qiu answered softly.

“Even if she’s a Noble Consort, so what? She still has to come pay her respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty doesn’t need to mind what’s happening outside right now. You should focus on nursing your body first.”

“It’s not that I refuse to recuperate…” Her Majesty the Empress looked worn out, so thin she hardly looked like herself. She rubbed her aching, foggy head. “Now, the moment I close my eyes, I dream of Hong Hui.”

At the thought of what she saw in those dreams, hatred and fury filled the Empress’s face. Compared to her earlier madness, she could face it calmly now, but she still could not stop herself from blaming others. “How did the Ula Nara Clan handle things? I told them to pray for Hong Hui and hold rites for him.

How could there be no effect at all?”

“Your Majesty, the Ula Nara Clan likely wouldn’t dare to be perfunctory.” Jian Qiu could only follow her mistress’s thinking. “It may be that there weren’t enough masters praying for Prince Hong Hui. We can have them seek out more temples to pray for Prince Hong Hui.”

“Right. That must be it.”

The Empress agreed at once. “Jian Qiu, send someone to the Ula Nara Residence immediately. Tell them to find more temples and Daoist monasteries, and have all those masters and Daoist priests pray for my Hong Hui.” “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jian Qiu helped her lie down. “This servant will send someone to the Ula Nara Residence at once. Your Majesty, rest well.”

“Good. Go quickly.” The Empress had little strength. She soon fell asleep again.

No matter how long she slept each day, she woke up exhausted. The more she wanted to rest, the more nightmares she had, without realizing she had fallen into a vicious cycle. Even with the Imperial Physicians prescribing medicine, nothing worked. The Empress could only keep having nightmares….

The harem became quiet! No – the harem became lively! Second Attendant Yu moved into Chu Xiu Palace and didn’t take Noble Lady Xin or the First Princess seriously at all. In public, she ran her mouth, saying Noble Lady Xin wasn’t of concubine rank and had no right to be the mistress of Chu Xiu Palace.

Noble Lady Xin was so humiliated she nearly choked with anger. From then on, she completely ignored Second Attendant Yu. Before the turmoil in Chu Xiu Palace even settled, Second Attendant Yu ran off excitedly to Jing Ren Palace to pay her respects. Unfortunately, the Empress had shut her doors to recuperate, so she couldn’t see the Empress.

Not seeing the Empress didn’t bother Yu Ying Er at all. She ran all over the harem, offending this one today and that one tomorrow. Any consort she could find, she had more or less offended. Especially Zhen Huan… Yu Ying Er treated her as an enemy.

The moment she saw her, she picked a fight. Just like now, when the two groups ran into each other in the Imperial Garden. “So you really do love putting on a show, acting all fake and high-minded.” Yu Ying Er folded her arms and sized Zhen Huan up without the slightest courtesy.

“Didn’t you say you were sick? Then how do you still have the face to stroll around the Imperial Garden? You even dared to refuse His Majesty’s summons. Who do you think you are?

Do you want His Majesty to go to Sui Yu Pavilion and coax you, just to prove that you, Noble Lady Wan, are different from everyone else?”

“Second Attendant Yu, you’re being far too rude.”

Shen Mei Zhuang could not listen anymore and spoke up. “Noble Lady Wan outranks you. How can you speak to Noble Lady Wan like that? This is insubordination.”

“Noble Lady Hui, am I wrong?”

Yu Ying Er was not afraid in the least and immediately fired back at Shen Mei Zhuang. “It’s obviously Zhen Huan who didn’t take His Majesty seriously. Look at her – her complexion is perfectly fine. She doesn’t look sick at all.

Daring to use illness as an excuse to refuse His Majesty’s summons – that’s deceiving the Emperor. Don’t tell me you, Noble Lady Hui, don’t know that.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Shen Mei Zhuang jumped in fright and hurried to explain. “Noble Lady Wan truly wasn’t feeling well these past few days. She only just felt a little better, so this one urged her to come out for a walk. Second Attendant Yu may not know the details, but you can’t just say things like that.”

“Hmph. Whether it’s nonsense or not, you know it in your hearts.”

Yu Ying Er looked thoroughly displeased as she swept a contemptuous glance at Zhen Huan. “Don’t forget you’re a consort. Serving His Majesty in bed is what you’re supposed to do. We’re all concubines, yet you still dare to put on airs.

Bah! What a joke!” With that arrogant attitude, she threw out those words and turned to leave. Zhen Huan and Shen Mei Zhuang were so angry they could not speak.

But Huan Bi was not someone to swallow it. She strode forward, blocked Yu Ying Er’s path, and loudly scolded, “Second Attendant Yu, you’ve gone too far. Apologize to Noble Lady Wan and Noble Lady Hui at once!” “What are you, exactly?”

Yu Ying Er’s anger exploded. Without a second thought, she swung her hand and slapped her. “Even your mistress doesn’t dare provoke me, yet a vile maid like you dares to ask for a beating!” Smack!

A sharp sound rang out. Five clear finger marks appeared on Huan Bi’s face immediately. That slap stunned Huan Bi. Zhen Huan and Shen Mei Zhuang were stunned as well.

“You dare hit me?” Deep down, Huan Bi had never truly seen herself as a servant. Being struck like this instantly set off her pride. She did not care about Yu Ying Er’s status at all.

She lunged forward and started fighting her. “You dare hit me? Who do you think you are? You dare bully me – I’ll show you how I deal with you!”

“Ah! You vile maid, you dare hit this one!” Yu Ying Er went mad with rage. She never would have dreamed that Huan Bi, just a palace maid, would dare lay hands on her, a mistress.

They moved too fast. In no time, they were tangled together in a messy brawl. “Someone, hurry, someone!” Zhen Huan finally snapped out of it and shouted anxiously, “Pull them apart!

Hurry and stop Huan Bi!” Compared to Huan Bi’s reckless nature, Zhen Huan was far more rational. She knew very well that if this was not handled properly, it could ruin Huan Bi’s entire life.

“Sister Mei, what do we do?” Zhen Huan lowered her voice and urgently asked the person beside her for help.