flstandardbreds Chapter 184 Ling Huan's dilemma and the resolution of the grievances
Chapter 184 Ling Huan's dilemma and the resolution of the grievances
Zhen Huan was shocked and furious when she heard the maid's slander: "This is simply slander! We have reached a settlement with the princess, how could they do such a vicious thing!"
An Lingrong also said angrily: "Huan'er, this maid must be suspicious. She is murderous. We cannot just sit there and wait for death."
At this moment, the Emperor rushed over upon hearing this, his face stern: "Hanhuan, Lingrong, I trust you, but now that the princess is in a coma, you need to give me an explanation."
Zhen Huan hurriedly bowed and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, there is absolutely no such thing between me and Lingrong. Someone must have deliberately framed us. Please investigate carefully."
An Lingrong followed suit, saying, "Your Majesty, we are upright and honest people and would never do such an unjust act. We beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate the truth."
The Emperor stared at the two of them for a moment and said, "I will investigate this myself. Please do not leave your residence until I have the results."
After the Emperor left, An Lingrong said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, we have to find a solution ourselves. We can't just wait for the Emperor. I think that maid is behaving strangely. Let's start with her."
Zhen Huan nodded. "That makes sense. I also think this woman is extraordinary. But she's with the princess. How can we get close to her?"
An Lingrong thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up: "We can find someone familiar with her, such as the eunuchs around the princess. Perhaps we can get some information out of them."
So, the two of them quietly found the young eunuch beside the princess, and An Lingrong asked softly, "Little eunuch, do you know if there's anything unusual about that maid recently?"
The young eunuch hesitated for a moment, looked around, and whispered, "My two young ladies, I dare not speak. That maid is very fierce, and I am afraid of her revenge."
Zhen Huan pulled out a silver ingot from her sleeve and put it into the young eunuch's hand: "Little eunuch, just tell me what you want. If you can really help us, you will be rewarded handsomely, and we will also protect you."
The young eunuch then said, "My two young ladies, the maid met with a mysterious person in a remote corner of the Imperial Garden a few days ago. I happened to see him. The mysterious person gave her a packet of something that looked like medicinal powder."
An Lingrong pressed on, "What does that mysterious man look like? Can you see him clearly?"
The young eunuch tried to recall, "I only saw a man in dark clothes, but I couldn't see his face clearly."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong exchanged a glance, and Zhen Huan said, "This must be the key clue. We must find a way to find that mysterious man."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, there are many guards in the palace. We can ask guards who are familiar with us to help keep an eye on us."
Soon, the guards came to report that they saw a suspicious man wandering around the cold palace, as if he was waiting for someone.
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong hurried to the cold palace and saw a man in dark clothes. Zhen Huan shouted, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Seeing the situation was not good, the man turned around and tried to flee, but was stopped by the guards. He knelt down and begged for mercy: "My two ladies, please spare my life. It was the maid who asked me to give her some medicine powder. I was just following orders and didn't know its purpose."
An Lingrong asked, "What is that medicinal powder? Where did you get it?"
The man trembled and said, "It's a drug. I bought it from the black market outside the palace. The maid said she just wanted to play a prank on someone, but she didn't say she wanted to harm the princess."
Zhen Huan said angrily, "Don't try to quibble. You and that maid conspired to frame us. I will not let you off easily."
An Lingrong said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, let's take him to see the Emperor and confront him in court."
The two brought the man before the Emperor. Zhen Huan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Lingrong and I have investigated the truth. It was the princess's maid who conspired with this man. The maid obtained drugs from the man and put them in the princess's food. She then slandered me and Lingrong with the intention of framing her."
After hearing this, the emperor's face darkened: "Send the maid over!"
When the maid was brought in, she collapsed to the ground, realizing that the truth had been revealed. "Your Majesty, please spare my life. Someone ordered me to do this, and I dared not disobey."
The emperor asked sternly, "Who ordered this?"
The maid trembled and said, "It was...it was Concubine Li. She was jealous of the two young ladies' favor and had a grudge against the princess, so she came up with this plan and had me frame the two young ladies. She also said that if I succeeded, I would be guaranteed a life of wealth and glory."
The emperor was furious: "How dare Concubine Li be so bold!"
An Lingrong presented evidence: "Your Majesty, this is the remaining powder we found on that man, along with the young eunuch's testimony, which proves my and Huan'er's innocence."
The Emperor reviewed the evidence and declared, "Lipin has deliberately framed a concubine and disturbed the harem. Effective immediately, she will be banished to the cold palace. The maid and this man will also be severely punished."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong thanked the Emperor and left the palace. Zhen Huan breathed a sigh of relief: "Lingrong, you've narrowly escaped another disaster this time. When will this harem struggle end?"
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, as long as we don't give up and stick to our original intentions, we will definitely be able to gain a foothold in this harem."
But the two of them did not expect that before one problem was solved, another problem would arise. There were rumors in the palace that Zhen Huan's father was forming a clique for personal gain. If this rumor reached the ears of the emperor, Zhen Huan's family would suffer a great disaster. How would they deal with this new crisis?