boyutpedia Chapter 239 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 52
Chapter 239 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 52
Zhen Huan closed her eyes tightly, her mind racing as she considered a solution. The surrounding concubines chattered amongst themselves, but very few truly stood by her side. Only Consort Duan firmly supported her, while Shen Meizhuang remained at Suiyu Pavilion, resting during her pregnancy, and did not appear.
"This matter is indeed suspicious. Why did they choose this time to report it? There must be someone behind this palace maid. Your Majesty the Empress must investigate this carefully." Consort Jing said calmly and unhurriedly.
"Strange? I don't think so. This Lizhi only came forward to tell the truth to save her own life. This shows that Consort Xuan is ruthless in her daily life. After all, if Consort Xuan kills someone to silence them, no one in the harem will know the secrets." Consort Zhen looked gloating, as if she wanted to stir up trouble.
An Lingrong glanced at Zhen Huan and, seeing that she seemed completely unconcerned, said softly, "I have heard that those who believe in Buddhism are all compassionate. Consort Xuan once prayed for the country at Ganlu Temple and was blessed by the Bodhisattva to give birth to twins. How could she possibly do such a filthy thing?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yuan glanced at An Lingrong. She knew in her heart that An Lingrong's words, on the surface, were to exonerate Zhen Huan, but in reality, every word she uttered was pushing Zhen Huan into a disadvantageous position.
“Buddhist temples are pure places. Consort Xuan is promiscuous by nature. She actually did such a shameful thing while practicing at Ganlu Temple. Otherwise, how do you think she got pregnant?” Consort Yue retorted loudly without any restraint.
Wen Yuan glanced at Consort Yue, thinking to herself, "This Consort Yue is truly audacious. Even if Zhen Huan did indeed commit adultery, the Emperor is still culpable. Consort Yue's open accusation is surely an insinuation against the Emperor. It seems that no matter how this matter unfolds, Consort Yue's life is in danger."
“Consort Yue, Ganlu Temple is a sacred temple of the Qing Dynasty. Aren’t you afraid of being punished by the Emperor for spouting such nonsense?” Fu Jia, unaware of the true situation of Zhen Huan back then, hurriedly spoke up to defend Zhen Huan.
"How dare you! Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that!" Yue Changzai roared angrily, her eyes wide with fury.
Consort Yue was about to continue her outburst when Xia Zhongyi's loud announcement came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived! Prince Guo has arrived!"
Wen Yuan quickly stood up and bowed with the surrounding concubines, saying in unison, "May Your Majesty enjoy ten thousand years of good fortune and peace."
The Emperor walked into Jingren Palace with a solemn expression and said in a deep voice, "The harem is never at peace, so how can I be at ease?"
He had just been reviewing memorials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation when Jiang Fuhai suddenly came to report. Then Yunli entered the palace with a blank look on his face, and he guessed that something had happened in the inner palace again.
As expected, upon hearing Jiang Fuhai's truthful account, it turned out that Consort Yue had accused Zhen Huan, claiming that her lover was Prince Guo. Regardless of the truth of the matter, it had become a royal scandal known throughout the harem, and he truly couldn't understand how the Empress managed the harem.
"Your Majesty, we have disturbed your peace. We beg Your Majesty's forgiveness." Yixiu hurriedly stepped forward to apologize.
"Speak, what exactly happened that caused such a mess?" the Emperor asked impatiently.
At this moment, Yue Chang should have stepped forward to explain the situation, but as soon as the Emperor arrived, she was so frightened that she trembled all over, knelt on the spot, and dared not breathe.
Yi Xiu rolled her eyes inwardly, cursing the idiot in her heart. She had actually backed down from the carefully prepared act.
Left with no other choice, Yixiu could only say, "It is Consort Yue who insists on accusing Consort Xuan of committing adultery in the harem. I saw that her words were sincere, so perhaps there is another reason behind it. If there is a misunderstanding, it will be good to clear it up; but if it is spread as a rumor, it will damage Consort Xuan's reputation."
The Emperor looked down at Consort Yue, his expression unreadable. The matter had escalated to such a degree that a simple resolution seemed impossible. But the Emperor knew in his heart that even if Zhen Huan had indeed committed adultery within the harem, he couldn't expose her on the spot.
"Very well, I will listen to you this time. If there is even the slightest falsehood, I will not let you off lightly," the Emperor said sternly.
Wen Yuan had wanted to stay and watch the show, but she didn't want to get involved in this mess. After the concubines got up and sat down, she immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I've heard so much gossip and I'm really tired of all this turmoil in the harem. I'm feeling a bit sleepy and would like to take my leave now."
Wen Yuan's words immediately sent a shiver down the spines of the concubines present. The Emperor stared intently at Wen Yuan, who then flashed a charming smile.
A brief silence fell over the area. The Emperor, finding Wen Yuan quite sensible, said, "Since you are tired, you should return to Chuxiu Palace. I will visit you there tomorrow."
Wen Yuan and Jing Fu rose to express their gratitude and left without hesitation. Not long after Wen Yuan left, Consort Jing and Consort Xin also apologized, saying they were feeling unwell and wished to take their leave.
The concubines in the harem understood that the Emperor didn't want the royal scandal to be exposed further in front of them. But how could Yixiu let Zhen Huan off so easily? She was determined to make Zhen Huan's shameful deeds known to the world.
Yixiu said, "This matter is of great importance. Sisters, let's wait until the matter is clarified before we go out. If rumors spread, wouldn't that damage the royal family's reputation?"
The Emperor looked at Yixiu impatiently and said, "Since that's the case, you will all stay here and we'll talk about it after we find out the truth."
At this inopportune moment, Consort Zhen spoke up: "Consort Jin has just returned to Chuxiu Palace. If rumors spread, wouldn't that be..."
"Shut up, how dare you!" The Emperor was furious.
Consort Zhen was too frightened to speak further; unlike Consort Jin, she did not have two princes to rely on.
"Alright, I trust Consort Jin's character. She will never spread this." Yi Xiu was seething with hatred for Wen Yuan for ruining her plans, but she could only grit her teeth and continue the charade. If she could use this to bring down Zhen Huan, it would be worth it.
Consort Jing and Consort Xin were unable to leave; they stood with their heads down, lost in thought. An Lingrong clutched her handkerchief, while Zhen Huan's eyes darted around as she considered her options. Each concubine wore a different expression, each harboring their own thoughts.
……
Wen Yuan left Jingren Palace, boarded a sedan chair, and returned to Chuxiu Palace. As soon as she entered, Jingfu couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, why did you leave so suddenly?"
“Jingfu, you still don’t understand. This is a royal scandal. No matter what the outcome is today, on the surface, Consort Xuan and Prince Guo are definitely innocent. As for private matters, His Majesty has become suspicious and will definitely investigate thoroughly himself.” Wen Yuan explained with a light laugh.
“Besides, even if the truth is found, the Emperor won’t punish them immediately. Otherwise, wouldn’t that confirm their ambiguous relationship? To cover this up, the Emperor will definitely hold off before taking action.” A meaningful look flashed in Wen Yuan’s eyes as she continued, “Therefore, it’s best if we don’t get involved.”
After a while, Wen Yuan saw that Jing Fu still looked puzzled and couldn't help but sigh. Jing Fu ultimately didn't understand the mind of the Emperor, a man of such a cold and heartless nature.
"Oh, right, Jingfu, go and call Xiao Lengzi over," Wen Yuan instructed.
Not long after, Xiao Lengzi entered the hall, while Jingfu went out to guard the door.
"Greetings to Your Majesty." Xiao Lengzi bowed respectfully.
"Rise, no need for formalities. Xiao Lengzi, we can wrap things up now. If the Emperor wants to investigate, let him find out. Make sure all the evidence is presented to the Emperor. The power struggle in the harem should be resolved in less than a year. It's already the tenth year of Yongzheng's reign; time really flies." Wen Yuan looked out the window and sighed.
"Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will go through fire and water for Your Majesty without hesitation." Xiao Lengzi naturally understood Wen Yuan's plan.
After Xiao Lengzi went out to run errands, Wen Yuan sat quietly alone on the couch, her eyebrows radiating confidence and her eyes filled with joy, murmuring, "It really came without any effort at all."