An Lingrong's Rebirth: I will not offend others unless they offend me

Chapter 542 Undercurrent

Fubao saw that his master had started drinking the second pot of tea, but there was still no movement at the door.

She couldn't help but look outside, her heart full of worry.

Bai Zhi had already sent someone to inform Concubine Zhen, but she didn't want to see anyone, so that's why she was hiding?

Baizhi keenly caught the worry on Fubao's face, and also noticed the unconcealable restlessness on Huanbi's face.

But she didn't say anything to comfort him, she just asked someone to bring a plate of cakes from the kitchen.

Huanbi looked at the yam and date paste cake presented by the little palace maid and pursed her lips.

She remembered that this was the pastry that Huipin ate most often, and it was one of the most commonly prepared pastries in Sui Yuxuan in the past.

Concubine Zhen and Concubine Hui have been friends since childhood, but she is not bad either.

Ever since I can remember, I have been by my eldest sister's side.

This plate of yam and jujube paste cake made Huanbi wonder if she shouldn't stay and wait for someone?

Huanbi was just about to tell Fubao that she was not feeling well and wanted to go back and rest.

But before she could speak, there was a noise outside.

Huanbi looked up and quickly stood up with Fubao's help.

Her elder sister, whom she had not seen for more than four years, walked slowly towards her in a light purple palace dress. Her whole demeanor was something she could never achieve no matter how she dressed.

No wonder my father always favors my eldest sister.

Just as she was feeling uneasy and didn't know what to say, Zhen Huan walked up to her with a smile on her face.

"Huanbi, you are a mother now. Thank you for your hard work."

"This concubine pays her respects to Sister Chang... Zhen."

Huanbi didn't expect that when the two met, her elder sister not only did not question her why she didn't lend her a helping hand, but also understood the pain in her heart.

Zhen Huan walked forward, took Huanbi's hand, and walked towards the main hall.

"You are already pregnant, why are you still coming out at this time?"

"I also said that my period is young, and I will come to visit you after the Zhongcui Palace is tidied up."

"I...how could I possibly deserve my sister to come visit me?"

Huanbi, who hadn't enjoyed the feeling of being cared for for more than half a year, had tears in her eyes in an instant.

Seeing her like this, Zhen Huan waved to the others who followed in.

"I'm going to talk to Noble He for a while. You all should wait outside."

Fubao waited eagerly for her master's signal, but she saw Huanbi was so immersed in deep emotion that she didn't notice her at all.

She had no choice but to follow Cui Jinxi out of the main hall.

Baizhi was quick-witted and walked forward with a smile, pulling Fubao aside.

"Sister Fubao, the two masters haven't seen each other for more than four years, so they must have a lot to talk about. I've prepared tea in the small room, why don't you go and rest for a while?"

Under Cui Jinxi's persuasion, Fubao moved away from the main hall entrance.

Zhen Huan in the main hall noticed from the corner of her eye that Fubao had disappeared, and she felt even more satisfied with Baizhi.

Fortunately, I did not listen to Jinxi's advice and married Baizhi off.

Ever since Zhen Huan met Huanbi, the smile on her face has never left her face.

"Huanbi, the emperor has sent people to Ningguta to bring my father back. They will arrive in the capital soon."

"The Emperor sympathized with their hardships along the way and decided to return the original Zhen Mansion to them."

"My eldest sister will find a way to clear our father's name. Then we two sisters will no longer be the descendants of criminals who are bullied by others."

After Zhen Huan finished speaking, she explained to Huanbi's puzzled gaze.

"Father feels guilty towards you and your daughter, but if the Emperor knew about Concubine He's existence, it would definitely affect the prince in your womb."

"My eldest sister has this plan. When the Zhen family is well and truly established, I'll have my father adopt you as his adopted daughter."

"From now on, you are the legitimate second daughter of the Zhen family. Huanbi, do you think this is a good idea?"

Huanbi was conflicted. She had previously intended to make the Zhen family suffer, or even pay with their lives.

But now her elder sister is so considerate of her despite past grudges...

After witnessing Huanbi's struggle, Zhen Huan added fuel to the fire.

"Huanbi, I have already discussed with my mother that there will be no place for Aunt He in the Zhen family ancestral hall."

As for where it would be placed, Zhen Huan couldn't guarantee it.

She knew Huanbi's heart knot very well, and as long as she gave her what she desired most, Huanbi would be at her service in a short time.

Even in the future, it would be normal to obey her for Aunt He's sake.

Huanbi was so moved that she didn't think too much about it. Her long-cherished wish had come true, and she was so happy that she didn't know what to do.

I can only keep repeating it.

"Thank you, ma'am, thank you, elder sister..."

"It was all my fault before. I misunderstood..."

Zhen Huan gently interrupted, "Huanbi, let the past be the past. You and I will start anew as sisters. I promise I won't let anyone bully you again."

"Thank you, elder sister. If there is anything I can help you with, please feel free to ask."

Huanbi then remembered the purpose of her visit and handed a small purse to Zhen Huan.

"Eldest sister, this is a little gift from me, please accept it."

Zhen Huan took the purse, opened it in front of her, and found a silver note worth one hundred taels inside.

She was slightly startled.

"Huanbi, your annual salary is only one hundred taels, and you still need to take care of things. This hundred taels must have been something you've saved for a long time, so I can't take your money."

"Eldest sister, if you don't think about yourself, you should think about the master and the mistress. Although the emperor has returned the Zhen Mansion, the confiscated property will not be returned."

Huanbi pushed the banknote back.

"Sister, you know this silver is not much, so you can send it out first so that your family can use it for emergency. When you receive the reward from the emperor, you can send something back."

The person my mother was most concerned about before she died was my father. She even dreamed that her mother's tablet could be placed in the Zhen family ancestral hall.

Now that she has such an opportunity, why doesn't she seize it?

To be honest, she served the emperor for more than five years, and it was when her elder sister was around that she was more favored by the emperor.

Even for the sake of her unborn child, she wanted to be closer to the woman in front of her.

"Well, you are worthy of being the daughter of the Zhen family. We are all family, so I won't be shy with you."

"I will definitely return it to you when I have more money in the future."

Zhen Huan took her hand affectionately and led her to sit on the couch beside her.

"The chair is hard, the couch is more comfortable."

"Sister, you've been away from the palace for many years and don't know much about many things in the palace. Could you please explain it to me?"

Huanbi simply thought that she wanted to understand the situation in the harem to gain a firm foothold, and told her everything she knew without hiding anything.

"Okay, sister, I will tell you everything I know."

"Ever since you left the palace, the Empress somehow angered the Emperor and was demoted to Consort Li... Consort Hua gave birth to Princess Anle... The two Consorts would often compete with each other... The Emperor assigned Consort Hua's palace duties to Consort Shu, and they started fighting again... Consort Qi willingly lowered herself to imitate the alluring dancing courtesans, bewitching the Emperor to his core. If it weren't for my sister's good fortune and pregnancy with the dragon fetus, who knows how long she would have been bullied by her."

When Zhen Huan heard her talk about Concubine Qi, a flash of hostility flashed across her eyes.

"I feel so bad for you, my sister, as you suffer alone in the palace. Don't worry, I will avenge anyone who bullies you."

Not only did Concubine Qi and her daughter frame the Zhen family in Beijing, they also sent people to Ninggu with the intention of taking their lives.

Yunli sent several groups of people there, but they were attacked by the minions of the Guwalja clan when there was no news.

Zhen Huan privately thought that her father's leg injury on the way back must have been related to the malicious father and daughter.

The father and daughter of the Guwalgiya family are really going too far!

They, their father and daughter, and the family behind them must die!

Zhen Huan concealed the deep hatred in her heart and subtly changed the topic elsewhere.

"Huanbi, the most important thing now is that we give birth to the baby safely."

"Look, whether it was Concubine Qi before or Concubine Shu who entered the palace with her sister, both of them were doted on because of their children."

What made Huanbi most upset was that An Lingrong, whom she once looked down upon, actually rose to the position of noble concubine.

"Eldest sister is right. But An Lingrong is just..."

Zhen Huan interrupted hurriedly.

"Sister, be careful with your words. You shouldn't criticize others casually in the palace."

"She now holds the position of Imperial Concubine, and has taken over most of the palace power held by Imperial Concubine Hua. You'd better be cautious."

Zhen Huan lowered her voice and reminded, "Shu Guifei was able to rise from a concubine in less than ten years. She must have some extraordinary qualities."

Huanbi retorted softly.

"Eldest sister, you're too cautious. I think An Lingrong is just lucky."

"If she hadn't been so lucky as to give birth to the Sixth Prince and twins, I don't think the Emperor would even look at her."

"Now there are four pregnant concubines in the harem. Once they give birth to their children, the emperor's harem will be bustling with activity."

"When there are more children, the Emperor won't value the Sixth and Eighth Princes as much. I think that with the Emperor's love for his eldest sister, he will naturally pay more attention to the children you give birth to."

Zhen Huan couldn't openly tell the story of the deposed queen's cruelty and the former queen mother's fickle attitude.

Her mind turned and she thought of something that puzzled her.

"Huanbi, the Imperial Concubine Shu was promoted to the Bordered Yellow Banner by the Emperor and given the surname Fucha. She is no longer the same as she was before. Do you know why the Emperor promoted her to the Bordered Yellow Banner and gave her the surname Fucha?"

"Eldest sister, I remember when the Sixth Prince accidentally fell into the water, An Lingrong, who was accompanying him, jumped in to save him. He subsequently developed a high fever and was in a coma for many days."

Huanbi was very angry.

"The Emperor seemed to be concerned about her young children and couldn't bear to see them lose their mother, so he offered them a royal title and a surname to bring good luck."

"Eldest sister, you don't know how lucky An Lingrong is. Not long after the imperial decree was issued, she woke up."

The emperor also tolerated An Lingrong's mischief and quietly deceived her into believing she had a noble birth.

After hearing this, Huanbi suddenly remembered.

It seems that this is how An Lingrong became a concubine.

"Eldest sister, do you think it's possible that An Lingrong is plotting against the Emperor?"

Huanbi's face looked eager, as if she was about to run to the Yangxin Palace to expose her.

Zhen Huan shook her head slowly.

"I don't think that's possible. The imperial doctors in the palace are not vegetarians. Concubine Shu can't hide anything from the emperor."

She knew everything that happened before and after An Lingrong was made a concubine, and she had no ability to bribe multiple imperial doctors.

Wen Shichu, who went to take An Lingrong's pulse, also said that she was indeed in a coma and there was no possibility of fakery.

All we can say is that An Lingrong is destined to be rich and noble.

"Eldest sister is right. It's my younger sister who is not thoughtful enough."

Huanbi caught a glimpse of Fubao out of the corner of her eye and then remembered what she had reminded her of.

"Sister, you've come all the way back and paid your respects to the Emperor at the Yangxin Palace. You must be exhausted. I won't bother you today."

"After elder sister has rested, I will come over to talk to you."

Zhen Huan had a basic understanding of the past in the palace and no longer needed to have long conversations with Huanbi.

She nodded slightly.

"Okay, go back and rest first."

"Jinxi, please escort Consort He out for me."

She watched Huanbi walk away with a smile, and threw the banknotes on the small table.

Yunli was afraid that she would suffer in the palace, so he forced a silver note of 10,000 taels into Cui Jinxi's pocket.

She only found out about this after she returned to Zhongcui Palace.

Yunli always thought about others, but in the end she still betrayed him.

Zhen Huan picked up a piece of yam and jujube paste cake and put it in her mouth. The light sweetness could not cover up the bitterness in her heart at all.

She forced herself to bury Yunli deep in her heart and silently digest the news she got from Huanbi.

Huanbi, who had already left Zhongcui Palace, looked at the red palace walls with her bulging belly, feeling annoyed.

"Fubao, we've been staying in the house for so long, why don't we go to the garden and relax?"

"Yes, slaves obey."

Fubao carefully helped her master turn the car around.

"I heard there's a raccoon hiding in the Imperial Garden. Please be careful where you step, Master."

"This noble lady knows that Huipin's previous child was killed by the cat slave."

Huanbi held Fubao's hand tightly.

"If any raccoon dares to approach, you will kill him immediately."

An elderly nanny said that her skin became much rougher after she became pregnant and she also liked sour foods.

This baby should be a prince.

She would never allow anything to happen to the baby in her belly.

"Yes, the servant understands."

After Fubao agreed, he became more alert to his surroundings.

The two of them had been wandering around the Imperial Garden for less than a quarter of an hour when they came across three raccoons hiding in a tree.

When Huanbi thought of Shen Meizhuang's miserable condition at that time, her heart tightened and she quickly turned around and walked back.

On the way back, I met a large group of palace servants, some of whom were carrying boxes, some holding trays, and some holding brocade boxes, and were rushing to Zhongcui Palace.

When Fubao saw her master looking in that direction, she grabbed a young eunuch holding a brocade box.

"Excuse me, sir, which master gave these to Concubine Zhen?"

"Sister, I am serving you in the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

After hearing the eunuch's reply, Huanbi understood what was going on.

Concubine Hua couldn't stand her elder sister's closeness to the emperor, and would never let the Imperial Household Department send these good things over.

Concubine Shu was cautious and would not rashly ask someone to send anything.

These things were obviously ordered by the person in the Yangxin Palace himself.

Huanbi stroked her bulging belly, which was more than eight months old, and said silently in her heart: My little brother, you have to fight for me.

Everything she enjoys now is brought by the baby in her belly.

When passing by the front hall of the Yanx Palace, Huanbi stared at the main hall with a nervous look on her face, fearing that the mad dog-like Concubine Qi would jump out and bite her.

Fubao obviously had the same idea, and the master and servant felt relieved only after returning to the backyard.

Huanbi had rarely been attacked by harsh words from Concubine Qi today. She suddenly became furious and remembered what was hidden in the box - the pearl flowers wrapped around Concubine Qi's hair.

If this thing is given to my eldest sister, it should be able to play a greater role, right?