noffsinger Chapter 224 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 37
Chapter 224 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 37
Zhen Huan returned to Yongshou Palace, her heart filled with unease. She knew in her heart that this grand drama was far from simple, and she instructed Xiao Lengzi to keep an eye on the situation in the harem. Sure enough, before the next day had even arrived, rumors were already spreading both inside and outside the palace.
Empress Yixiu was meticulous and deliberately let the rumors spread outside the palace first. She understood that once the rumors spread outside the palace, they would spread rapidly, and when they reached the palace, the emperor would not suspect her.
Wen Yuan secretly helped, fanning the flames and escalating the situation. By the time the Emperor found out, these vile rumors had spread throughout the capital.
The Emperor was suspicious by nature and valued the royal family's reputation above all else. If Zhen Huan hadn't been pregnant, he would have ordered her to be beaten to death long ago to quell the storm.
Zhen Huan knew in her heart that she was standing on the edge of life and death. In order to dispel the emperor's suspicion, she had to come up with a solution as soon as possible, otherwise both she and Yunli would be in danger.
Zhen Huan sat in the chair, her right hand unconsciously stroking her swollen belly, her eyes vacant. These past few months back in the palace had been filled with misfortune; she knew it was all the Empress's doing.
Just after noon, an even more shocking rumor spread that the child in Zhen Huan's belly was not the Emperor's, but Prince Guo's.
Rumors spread like wildfire, causing widespread panic throughout the palace. The emperor was furious and executed several people who spread the rumors, but the rumors were only temporarily suppressed, and the emperor's suspicions remained.
"My lady, there are rumors outside that you are not carrying the Emperor's child, but Prince Guo's." Huanbi walked in anxiously, her voice trembling.
She and Zhen Huan had been mistress and servant for many years, so she naturally knew the truth, but now rumors were flying everywhere, and if they were confirmed, they would both die.
"Now we can only try to distance ourselves from him as soon as possible. If the Emperor becomes suspicious..." Zhen Huan didn't finish her sentence, but Huan Bi understood what she meant. The consequences would be unimaginable.
Zhen Huan looked at Huan Bi and suddenly realized that she bore a resemblance to herself. She knew that Huan Bi was her half-sister, and the two usually shared a slight similarity, though she had always been reluctant to admit it. At that moment, a bold idea popped into her mind.
"Think again, think of other ways..." Zhen Huan said this, but she already had an idea in her mind.
By evening, the rumors had become even more outrageous. Although no one dared to speak openly, everyone was secretly gossiping about it. The Emperor was troubled by this matter and didn't know how to resolve it when Xia Zi came in to report that Consort Xuan requested an audience.
"Let her in." The Emperor frowned, looking impatient. He was annoyed by these rumors, and even killing several people hadn't stopped them from spreading.
Zhen Huan led Huan Bi into the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Huan Bi was dressed in a plain palace dress, looking exceptionally elegant, quite different from her usual preference for brightly colored clothes.
"Greetings to Your Majesty, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." Zhen Huan and Huan Bi quickly bowed.
"Get up." The Emperor glanced at them, his eyes full of impatience.
After Huanbi helped Zhen Huan sit down, Zhen Huan glanced at the Emperor's expression and said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I have heard the rumors circulating inside and outside the palace, and I have come here to apologize." After saying this, she knelt down again, and Huanbi knelt down as well.
The Emperor looked at them, and after a while, probably thinking that Zhen Huan was pregnant, he waved his hand and said, "Get up. What crime have you committed? Tell me."
Zhen Huan glanced at Huan Bi and mustered her courage to say, "Before, because Prince Guo lost his memory, there were some things that were difficult to say. In fact, Prince Guo is in love with Huan Bi, who is by my side. They have had feelings for each other since the third year of Yongzheng's reign."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow and looked at the nervous Huanbi. Huanbi, who had changed into plain clothes, actually had a unique charm.
"When I lost favor after my miscarriage, those butterflies were obtained by Huanbi from Prince Guo when I regained favor in the Plum Garden. They had long been in love, but I went to Ganlu Temple to practice Buddhism, which delayed their relationship." Zhen Huan said, lowering her head to wipe away her tears, looking pitiful.
The emperor's heart softened slightly upon hearing this, but his long-standing suspicious nature prevented him from fully believing it.
Upon seeing this, Huanbi quickly knelt down and said, "This servant knows that I am a palace maid and has always followed the rules, as has Your Highness. We planned to ask the Emperor for favor after I left the palace at the age of twenty-five. Unexpectedly, Your Highness has lost your memory. This servant dares not presume to presume and wanted to keep this matter to myself. I never expected such a rumor to have arisen."
“The little elephant in that purse is an old item. The prince hasn’t worn it since he lost his memory, but it’s appeared at the banquet now. Someone must have deliberately framed it to harm the empress and the prince.” Huanbi emphasized the word “framed”.
The Emperor's suspicions subsided considerably, but he was still somewhat uneasy, his gaze shifting back and forth between Huanbi and Zhen Huan.
Zhen Huan continued, "They say that people who spend a lot of time together will start to resemble each other. I grew up with Huanbi for almost twenty years, and now she looks about 50% like me, which is why this misunderstanding happened. It's just that Prince Guo has lost his memory, so I don't know if he still remembers Huanbi."
The Emperor nodded and said, "I understand. Considering your honesty, I will not punish you this time. I will summon Yunli to the palace to inquire about it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Highness." Huanbi was overjoyed. Being able to get rid of her status as a palace maid and become the mistress of the Prince's mansion was a great thing for her.
A smile appeared on Zhen Huan's face, but it didn't reach her eyes; only she knew the pain in her heart.
"Alright, I'll have dinner with you at Yongshou Palace tonight." After saying this, the Emperor began reviewing memorials and signaled that they could leave.
When Zhen Huan and Huan Bi returned to Yongshou Palace, Huan Bi was so excited that she knelt down and said, "Your Highness, this servant..."
"Alright, this is what you deserve. You are my half-sister, and it is only right that I find you a good home." Zhen Huan pulled Huan Bi up and said softly.
Although she was in pain, she had no choice but to do this in order to quell the rumors and protect everyone.
"Don't worry, even if the Emperor decides to marry you off to the prince because of the rumors, you should still prepare well for the marriage during this time," Zhen Huan instructed.
The following day, the Emperor summoned Prince Guo to the palace and told him about Huanbi's situation. Prince Guo, suffering from amnesia, had no recollection of these events and could only follow the Emperor's instructions.
Out of respect for Zhen Huan, the Emperor bestowed upon Huan Bi the status of a princess, and after the primary consort entered the palace, Huan Bi would then be allowed to enter the Prince Guo's palace.
Huanbi was somewhat dissatisfied with this arrangement, but dared not say anything. The Emperor also instructed her to take good care of Zhen Huan and to enter the palace after Zhen Huan gave birth.
After all this commotion, the fact that Prince Guo had a crush on Huanbi, a maidservant of Consort Xuan, before his amnesia, and that the Emperor had granted Huanbi the privilege of entering the Prince's residence as a princess, thus clearing up the previous rumors, was finally confirmed. No one dared to mention the matter again, fearing it would cause further trouble.
Although Zhen Huan had temporarily weathered the crisis, she knew in her heart that her relationship with Yunli was completely over. Having lost her lover, seen Jinxi off, and now with Huanbi about to leave her, she felt increasingly lonely.
In the stillness of the night, Zhen Huan sat alone by the window of Yongshou Palace, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, her heart filled with mixed emotions.