flstandardbreds Chapter 183 Ling Huan's Wisdom for the Princess
Chapter 183 Ling Huan's Wisdom for the Princess
Zhen Huan looked at the foreign princess's departing figure and said to An Lingrong worriedly, "Lingrong, this princess has captured everyone's attention since her arrival. The Emperor seems quite interested in her too. What should we do?"
An Lingrong bit her lip slightly. "Huan'er, don't be impatient. Let's wait and see what the princess does next."
A few days later, a banquet was held in the palace. The foreign princess danced at the banquet. Her graceful figure and flowing ribbons captivated everyone. The emperor was so fascinated by her performance that he praised her, saying, "The princess's dance is truly unique."
Zhen Huan whispered to An Lingrong, "Looking at this situation, I'm afraid the Emperor will be bewitched by her."
An Lingrong responded softly, "Huan'er, we both have our own strengths. You are exceptionally talented, and I am skilled in making spices. We will surely find an opportunity to earn the Emperor's favor again."
After the banquet, the foreign princess took the initiative to come forward to pay her respects to Zhen Huan and An Lingrong. She smiled sweetly and said, "Sister Huanhuan, Sister Lingrong, I have long heard of your great names. It is truly a privilege to meet you today."
Zhen Huan smiled and returned the greeting: "Princess, you are too polite. Your dancing is truly amazing."
An Lingrong also bowed and said, "The princess's grace adds a lot of color to this harem."
The princess changed the subject: "I just heard that my sisters have experienced many troubles in this harem. I am new here and don't want to get involved in it."
Zhen Huan's heart moved, and she replied, "Don't worry, Princess. Sister Lingrong and I only wish for peace in the harem, and have no intention of fighting."
After the princess left, An Lingrong frowned and said, "Huan'er, this princess may seem kind, but her words seem to have a deeper meaning. I'm afraid she has ill intentions."
Zhen Huan nodded: "I also think she is not that simple. We must deal with it carefully and not let her catch us."
A few days later, Zhen Huan's personal maid, Huanbi, came running in angrily, "My lady, that foreign princess has gone too far! She deliberately made things difficult for the kitchen staff in the Imperial Garden, saying that the snacks they made were not to her liking. She also put the blame on you, my lady, for mismanaging the harem."
Zhen Huan angrily said, "How can she talk nonsense like this!"
An Lingrong hurriedly said, "Huan'er, don't be angry yet. Let's go and talk to her and see what she has to say."
The two of them arrived at the Imperial Garden. Zhen Huan suppressed her anger and said, "Princess, I heard that you were dissatisfied with the small kitchen in the Imperial Garden. Why did you involve me?"
The princess feigned innocence: "Sister Huanhuan, I'm just stating the truth. The snacks in this small kitchen are indeed hard to swallow. Isn't that something you should take care of?"
An Lingrong said, "Princess, the kitchen has always been dedicated and hardworking. If there are any shortcomings, you can communicate properly. Why make such a fuss and slander Sister Zhen Huan?"
The princess sneered, "Hmph! I think you're feeling guilty. This harem should be well-organized, but now it's in chaos."
Zhen Huan said, "The princess has just arrived and may not understand the palace rules and circumstances. Please don't blame her easily."
When the two sides were at a stalemate, the emperor happened to pass by and asked, "What are you arguing about?"
Zhen Huan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the princess is dissatisfied with me because of the small kitchen snacks and has slandered me."
The princess quickly said aggrievedly: "Your Majesty, I just want to make the harem better, but Sister Zhen Huan doesn't seem happy."
The Emperor looked at them and said in a deep voice, "Stop arguing. I will investigate this matter myself."
After leaving the Emperor, An Lingrong said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, this princess will definitely continue to plot against us in front of the Emperor. We must find a way to deal with it."
Zhen Huan thought for a moment: "I think we can start with her preferences. Since she is from a foreign country, she must miss things from her hometown. If we can cater to her preferences, perhaps we can resolve the conflict."
An Lingrong's eyes lit up. "Huan'er, this is a great idea. I'll go find out what the princess loves most in this foreign country."
After much inquiry, An Lingrong learned that the princess had a special fondness for a particular flower that only grew in her homeland. So, drawing on her own research into spices, An Lingrong blended a similar floral scent and made sachets out of it.
An Lingrong held the sachet and said to Zhen Huan, "Huan'er, this sachet has the fragrance of that flower. We can give it to the princess as a gift as a gesture of friendship."
Zhen Huan nodded: "I hope this will make the princess change her attitude towards us."
The two of them brought the sachet to see the princess. Zhen Huan smiled and said, "Princess, there were many misunderstandings a few days ago. Today we specially brought this sachet with us. It has a unique fragrance. I hope you like it."
The princess took the sachet, sniffed it, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "This fragrance... is like the flowers of my hometown."
An Lingrong said, "The princess has come from far away to marry, so she must be missing her hometown. Although we cannot allow her to return home immediately, we hope this sachet can alleviate her homesickness a little."
The hostility on the princess's face gradually dissipated. "So you are such thoughtful people. I misunderstood my sisters before."
Zhen Huan smiled and said, "As long as the princess doesn't misunderstand me anymore, it'll be fine. From now on, we can call each other sisters and work together to maintain harmony in the harem."
The princess nodded: "Okay, Sister Huanhuan, Sister Lingrong, we must get along well from now on."
However, just when Zhen Huan and An Lingrong thought they had made peace with the princess, the princess's maid secretly put drugs in the princess's food, causing her to fall into a coma. The maid then slandered Zhen Huan and An Lingrong as the culprit, which dragged them into a new crisis. They must find out the truth and clear their grievances as soon as possible, otherwise they will fall into an irretrievable situation in the harem.