Chapter 198 Zhen Huan Learns of the Conspiracy

When Ling'er walked to the gate of Yongshou Palace, she began to feel uneasy again. She didn't know how the people inside would treat her, nor did she know whether they would believe what she said.

Just when she was hesitating whether to take this step, Liu Zhu, who happened to be playing with Lingxi in the yard, saw the figure hanging around at the gate of their palace. However, it was far away, so she couldn't see clearly who the other person was.

"Who's there?"

Hearing the sound from inside the palace gate, Ling'er finally made up her mind and walked in firmly.

"Aunt Liuzhu, I am Ling'er, the maid promised by Chuxiu Palace Rou. I, I, I want to..."

Liuzhu has been with Zhen Huan for so many years and her aura has improved a lot. She is much better than other maids. What's more, she has always been favored by Zhen Huan. Which maid in the palace does not envy Liuzhu, the personal maid of Concubine Xi?

"Ling'er? What's wrong with you?"

Chuxiu Palace?

Isn't Rou the only one living in Chuxiu Palace now? Wasn't she ordered by the Emperor to never leave the palace? Then why is her maid here?

Facing Liu Zhu, Ling'er always felt a little envious. As a maid, why could others live so freely and unrestrainedly, and even be cared for by their masters, while she, besides being beaten and scolded, had endless work to do.

Liu Zhu waved to another maid beside her to bring Lingxi into the house first, and then walked to Ling'er. Only then did she notice the scars on Ling'er's face as she lowered her head.

"Hey, what happened to you? Why is your face injured like this?"

When this was mentioned, Ling'er just shook her head, not knowing how to express the pain she suffered every day.

After a moment of silence, Ling'er calmed down and raised her head firmly to face Liu Zhu.

"Aunt Liuzhu, can I see Concubine Xi? I have something important to tell you."

Um?

Liu Zhu stared at Ling'er for a long time, so long that Ling'er thought she would return empty-handed today.

"Wait here, I'll go report to the Queen."

After saying that, Liu Zhu turned around and walked into the house, but before leaving, she secretly winked at another maid standing in the corner, asking her to pay attention to Ling'er's actions.

"The maid from Chuxiu Palace? She wants to see me?"

Zhen Huan felt very strange after hearing what Liu Zhu said. Even when Rou was favored before, Yongshou Palace did not have much interaction with them, let alone at this time.

"From what I can see, she didn't seem to be under orders from Rou Ying. From what I can see from her expression, she doesn't seem to have any guilty conscience at all."

Liu Zhu told Zhen Huan in detail what she had just discovered, including the injuries on Ling'er's face and her red and swollen eyes.

"That's interesting. Bring her here, and I'll see what she has to say to me."

Zhen Huan has nothing to do now, and she is also very curious about why this girl named Ling'er came to her palace.

"Your servant Ling'er pays respects to the Empress Xi."

Soon, Ling'er appeared in front of Zhen Huan behind Liuzhu.

"Are you the unicorn Ling'er? I heard you wanted to see me, is there something wrong?"

Zhen Huan looked at the very thin body in front of her. The redness and swelling on the face were even more serious than Liu Zhu's description.

She had long known that Rou was not a good person. After falling out of favor, she only had this maid by her side. She thought that Ling'er's life would not be easy on a daily basis.

"Replying to Her Majesty, I, your servant, have something to report to Her Majesty."

Ling'er had heard before that Concubine Xi was very favored by the emperor, but she never took advantage of her favor and was very gentle to those around her.

Now that she saw him, it was indeed true. She couldn't even remember how long it had been since someone had spoken to her so gently.

"Wait a moment. If you don't apply medicine on your face in time, you will be left with scars in the future. You should protect your face as a young girl."

Then Zhen Huan asked Jin Xi to quickly get a bottle of ointment for Ling'er to apply.

"Thank you, Empress Xifei, and thank you, Auntie."

Ling'er was very touched by Zhen Huan's actions. At this moment, she was even more glad that her choice was correct. However, it was precisely because she bravely took this step today that she was able to save her life in the near future.

"My Lady, I came here today to tell you something important."

After applying the ointment, Ling'er explained her purpose without any delay. She would not stay here for too long, otherwise Rou Ying would become suspicious after returning to Chuxiu Palace.

"What's up?"

"Last night, Aunt Jianqiu from Jingren Palace came to Chuxiu Palace..."

As Ling'er said this, Zhen Huan's face froze. Jin Xi, who was standing next to her, immediately waved to the other people in the room and led them to leave.

"Ling'er, do you know what you are going to say? Have you thought it through?"

After everyone left the room, Zhen Huan looked at Ling'er again.

After Ling'er said that Jianqiu appeared in Chuxiu Palace, she knew that what Ling'er was going to say was definitely not simple, and it might even bring her an unexpected surprise.

Ling'er didn't say anything. She just quietly pulled open the collar in front of her, revealing one of her shoulders.

Zhen Huan found her behavior a little strange, but she soon understood the purpose of Ling'er's actions.

All she could see were scars everywhere, and some of her eyes had begun to turn dark brown, perhaps because they had not received timely treatment for a long time.

"My Lady, Rou has never treated me as a human being. I am just a tool for her to vent her anger. Many times I thought I would die at her hands."

When talking about her past experiences, Ling'er's face was full of pain. In fact, she didn't ask for much, she really just wanted to survive.

"I know that coming here today might be seen as a betrayal by others, but my master has already treated me this way. I really don't want to continue like this. I just want to seek peace and stability."

Zhen Huan waited until she calmed down before continuing to ask, "So, what did you want to tell me today?"

Ling'er told Zhen Huan everything she overheard last night, and also told Zhen Huan that Rou promised her that she still had a packet of very toxic powder in her hand, but she was not sure what kind of powder it was.

Hearing this, Zhen Huan's seemingly calm eyes were filled with waves. She knew that this Rou Ying was not a person who would settle down peacefully, but she didn't expect that she still hadn't given up at this point. It seemed that she was going to risk everything.

And this Jianqiu, I was worried before that I wouldn't have the chance to find anything to hold against her, but now it's immediately provided to me.

"Ling'er, I know what you said today. You've been out for quite some time now, so you should go back first, lest Rou Yingcheng become suspicious. Of course, if I can verify that you haven't concealed anything, I can promise you that your life will be safe in the future."

Although she now knows the news, she still needs to discuss with Nian Shilan what to do next.

"Thank you for your grace, Concubine Xi. If you need me in the future, I will definitely repay you."

Ling'er knew that she had not told any lies, so she was not worried about being investigated by Zhen Huan. Now that she had Zhen Huan's promise, the stone in her heart finally fell.

After Ling'er left, Zhen Huan sat alone in the room for a while, carefully thinking about everything Ling'er had just said.

Soon, she stood up suddenly.

"Liu Zhu, accompany me to Yikun Palace."