flstandardbreds Chapter 185 Ling Huan bravely breaks the rumor of forming a clique
Chapter 185 Ling Huan bravely breaks the rumor of forming a clique
When Zhen Huan heard the rumors, her face turned pale and she anxiously grabbed An Lingrong's hand, "Lingrong, what should we do? My father has always been law-abiding. He must have been framed!"
An Lingrong frowned and said calmly, "Huan'er, don't panic. We need to first find out where this rumor came from and who is behind it."
Zhen Huan tried to calm down, and after thinking for a moment, she said, "Could it be that someone who had a grudge against us before wants to use this incident to bring me down and then attack us?"
An Lingrong nodded. "Very likely. Do you remember if you've had any conflicts with anyone recently, or if any unusual people have appeared?"
Zhen Huan shook her head: "I really can't think of it. The people in this palace may appear kind on the surface, but their intentions behind the scenes are truly unpredictable."
At this time, Huanbi beside Zhen Huan said, "My lady, the eunuch who came to deliver something to the Imperial Household Department a few days ago always had a sneaky look in his eyes. Could it be related to him?"
An Lingrong's eyes lit up: "This is a clue. We might as well start with this little eunuch."
So, they secretly sent someone to keep an eye on the young eunuch. A few days later, the person they sent came back with a report: "Your Majesty, Young Master, the young eunuch secretly met with Concubine Kang's maid, and seemed to be passing on some information."
Zhen Huan was surprised and said, "Concubine Kang? She and I don't have much interaction on a daily basis. Why would she frame me?"
An Lingrong said, "Perhaps she wants to use you to ascend to the throne and gain more favor from the Emperor. The women in this palace will resort to any means to win favor."
Zhen Huan gritted her teeth and said, "I'm going to find her and argue with her!"
An Lingrong stopped her, "Huan'er, don't be impulsive. We don't have any solid evidence. If she denies it outright, it will only alert the enemy."
Zhen Huan said angrily, "Are we just going to watch her frame my father?"
An Lingrong pondered for a moment and said, "We can set up a trap to lure her out of her shell."
Zhen Huan looked at her suspiciously: "What game?"
An Lingrong approached Zhen Huan and whispered, "We can deliberately spread the news and say that your father has noticed someone has framed you and is secretly investigating. He has also obtained some key evidence. Let's see how she reacts."
Zhen Huan was a little worried: "Will this work?"
An Lingrong said confidently, "Believe me, Huan'er. If she feels guilty, she will definitely take action."
Sure enough, after the news broke, Consort Kang couldn't sit still. She paced back and forth in her palace, anxiously saying to the palace maids, "How could this be? How could her father already have evidence? No, I have to find a way."
The maid advised, "My lady, don't panic. Perhaps it's just a bluff."
Kang Changzai said, "What if it's not true? If it's really found out, I'll be finished."
She thought about it and decided to go to her brother to discuss countermeasures. All of this was seen by the people arranged by Zhen Huan and An Lingrong.
After they got the news, they took the initiative to set up an ambush on the road that Kang Changzai's brother had to take to enter the palace. When Kang Changzai's brother appeared, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong appeared with their guards.
Zhen Huan glared at him: "How dare you frame my father!"
Kang Changzai's brother was startled, but he still pretended to be calm: "Zhen Huan, please don't slander me. I don't understand what you are saying."
An Lingrong sneered, "Really? Then why did you sneak into the palace? Were you discussing with Consort Kang how to deal with my father's 'counterattack'?"
Brother Kang Changzai's face changed and he stammered, unable to speak.
Zhen Huan said, "If you tell the truth now, I can plead for mercy in front of the Emperor and give you a lighter sentence. If you persist in your wrongdoing, once the Emperor finds out, you and your sister will be doomed."
Kang Changzai hesitated for a moment before finally revealing the truth: "My sister wanted to gain more favor in the palace and was jealous of your favor, so she came up with this plan. She falsely accused your father of forming a clique for personal gain and bribed some young eunuchs and palace maids to spread rumors in the palace."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong brought Kang Changzai's brother to the emperor and told him the whole story.
Zhen Huan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, my father has always been loyal and has never formed a clique for personal gain. It was Concubine Kang and her sister who deliberately framed him in order to win favor. Please investigate carefully."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's face darkened. "What I hate most is this kind of slander against loyal and honest people! Consort Kang is malicious and will be demoted to a concubine and imprisoned in the palace from this very day. Her brother will be dismissed from his official position and will never be employed again!"
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong thanked the emperor and left the palace. Zhen Huan breathed a sigh of relief: "Lingrong, this time it's all thanks to you. If you hadn't come up with this plan, I really don't know what to do."
An Lingrong smiled and said, "Huan'er, we are sisters. It's only natural for us to support each other. However, I'm afraid the fighting in the harem will never stop."
Zhen Huan nodded: "That's right, but as long as we are together, we are not afraid of any difficulties. However, after this incident, we must be more cautious and not give the enemy any opportunity to take advantage."
However, before they could fully recover from the turmoil, they heard that the Queen Mother wanted to choose a new imperial concubine for the Emperor. This undoubtedly brought new challenges and pressures to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong. How should they protect each other and defend their status in this new round of court disputes?