flstandardbreds Chapter 168 Lingrong Huan'er vs. Qin Mou
Chapter 168 Lingrong Huan'er vs. Qin Mou
An Lingrong frowned, her expression worried. "Huan'er, this musician is coming with such force, I feel uneasy."
Zhen Huan gently patted her hand and said, "Lingrong, don't panic. When an enemy comes, we will fight him with our troops; when a flood comes, we will block it with earth. Let's first see what his intentions are."
A few days later, the palace held a flower viewing banquet, and the zither player was invited to come and play. The mellow music of the zither captivated everyone.
Zhen Huan whispered to An Lingrong, "Although the music is beautiful, it seems to be hiding something. Lingrong, do you hear anything unusual?"
An Lingrong listened carefully, and after a moment she said, "Huan'er, this music seems to have the power to bewitch people. It's definitely not just a simple performance."
When the zither player finished playing, the concubines praised him profusely. Zhen Huan, however, smiled faintly and said, "This zither player's skill is extraordinary. I've heard that the music can both reach the heart and disturb the mind. I wonder if there is any deeper meaning behind this piece of music?"
The zither player bowed respectfully, "Empress Xi, I am merely expressing my admiration for this magnificent palace scene through my zither music. I have no other intention."
An Lingrong continued, "Oh? But I feel there's a faint sense of sorrow and resentment in the music. Could it be that the musician is feeling resentful?"
The zither player was slightly startled, then smiled and said, "My Lady An, you're joking. It's my great honor to be able to play for all the ladies in the palace. How could I be upset?"
At this time, Chun Changzai asked innocently, "Master, where did you get this zither? It sounds so beautiful!"
The zither player replied, "Hui Chun Changzai, this zither is an heirloom from my ancestors and has been with me for many years."
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong looked at each other, both feeling that the musician's words were flawless.
After the flower viewing banquet, Zhen Huan and An Lingrong were on their way back to the palace. Zhen Huan said, "Lingrong, this zither player is no ordinary person. His zither and the sound of his zither must have something special."
An Lingrong nodded: "Huan'er, I feel the same way. We must find a way to delve deeper."
A few days later, An Lingrong sent Bao Que to deliver a note to the zither master, inviting him to a secluded palace for a chat, saying that he had many questions about the art of playing the zither and wanted to ask him questions. The zither master accepted the invitation and came.
An Lingrong bowed when she saw the zither player. "Zinthologist, I invited you here today to inquire about the fingering technique for the piece you played at the flower viewing banquet the other day. I found it quite unique."
The musician smiled and explained the fingering. An Lingrong then asked, "Master, your music seems to have the aroma of spices. Do you have any secret recipe for spices hidden in your instrument?"
The zither player's expression changed slightly: "Master An, I was only focused on my zither skills and did not hide any spices in the zither."
Zhen Huan then emerged from the inner chamber. "Master Luteur, please don't panic. This lady and I are simply curious and harbor no ill intentions. It's just that many of your actions since entering the palace have been truly suspicious."
The zither player hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am truly wronged. I simply wish to gain a foothold in the palace and serve you all with my zither skills."
An Lingrong sneered, "Then why does your music sound so alluring? Are you trying to harm the ladies?"
The musician hastily defended himself, "My dear An, that was an accident while I was playing. I meant absolutely no harm!"
Zhen Huan stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "Master Luteur, if you have any hidden secrets, you'd better confess them truthfully. Otherwise, if I and Lady An discover you have any ill intentions, we will not let you off lightly!"
The zither player was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Your Majesty, I have nothing to hide. I was originally an ordinary zither player outside the palace. A master bribed me with a large sum of money to enter the palace to get close to the two majesties and find a way to make them fall out of favor. However, I have no intention of actually harming them. I simply want to make a living in the palace."
Zhen Huan angrily said, "Which sir is it? Tell me quickly!"
The zither player hesitated for a moment. "Yes...it's Concubine Jing's brother. He said that Concubine Jing was being oppressed by the other concubines in the palace, and he wanted me to avenge her."
An Lingrong gnashed her teeth, "The ghost of Concubine Jing is still lingering around! She's actually come up with another trick like this."
Zhen Huan said to the zither player, "Please leave. If you tell even a single lie about what happened today, I will not forgive you."
After the zither player hurriedly left, Zhen Huan said to An Lingrong, "Lingrong, Concubine Jing has been plotting against us time and again. We can no longer tolerate her."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, we must come up with a comprehensive plan to overthrow Concubine Jing in one fell swoop, otherwise she will always do evil things in the dark."
After a long discussion, the two decided to start with Concubine Jing's brother. They secretly sent people to investigate Concubine Jing's brother's business dealings and interpersonal relationships outside the palace, trying to find evidence that he had bribed the zither player or other possible evidence.
After some twists and turns, they discovered that Concubine Jing's brother had done many illegal things in business and had colluded with some underworld forces.
Zhen Huan and An Lingrong came before the Emperor with the evidence. After bowing, Zhen Huan said, "Your Majesty, Lingrong and I recently discovered that Concubine Jing's brother was committing crimes outside the palace. He even bribed the zither player to frame me and Lingrong, disturbing the peace of the harem."
The emperor frowned. "Is this true? Do you have any evidence?"
An Lingrong presented the evidence: "Your Majesty, this is the evidence. The evil deeds of Concubine Jing's brother not only undermine the dignity of the royal family, but Concubine Jing has also repeatedly plotted against me and others in the palace. The harem is in turmoil because of the conspiracy and deception of Concubine Jing and her brother."
The emperor's face was gloomy. "I will handle it myself. If the situation is true, I will not show mercy."
Coming out of the Emperor's palace, Zhen Huan breathed a sigh of relief: "Lingrong, it will be difficult for Concubine Jing to recover this time."
An Lingrong said, "Huan'er, I hope so. But I wonder how many eyes are watching us from the dark in this harem."
Soon after, Concubine Jing was demoted by the Emperor and confined to the palace. But Zhen Huan and An Lingrong knew they still had a long way to go and more challenges awaited them. They could only continue to work together and walk steadfastly through this harem full of calculations and conspiracies.