"Your Highness, Consort Chen, this servant truly..." Pei Ran said boldly.
When she was about to politely decline, Hailanzhu gestured to Qingluan to place the jade pendant from that day in front of the two of them.
"Your Majesty, how did you come to have this..." Pei Ran asked in surprise, recognizing at a glance that it belonged to her father and mother.
"Don't worry, your mother is not in Yanzha's residence right now. I have arranged for your parents to stay in a safe place temporarily. After I have dealt with Yanzha Qiurong, your family will be reunited," Hailanzhu said.
"Really?" The two sisters' eyes lit up with hope, and Qingluan beside them also showed an excited expression.
These past few years have been extremely painful for them. They were abused by Yan Zha Qiurong every day, going hungry and cold, and frequently subjected to torture. Their bodies were covered in wounds. They were able to endure it all because of their mothers in Yan Zha's household. Now that their mothers have been rescued, they will certainly no longer serve this evil master, Yan Zha Qiurong.
"As Consort Chen, my rank is only lower than that of the Empress. I will naturally keep my word," Hailanzhu said firmly.
Then she added, "Or is it that Yan Zha Qiurong has done you such a great favor that you are so devoted to following her?" The sarcasm in Hailanzhu's words was obvious.
Pei Xin, being naive, immediately replied, "How could that be? She treats us like this, we wish we could transfer our pain onto her, how could we wholeheartedly follow her?"
Hailanzhu nodded in satisfaction, "In that case, tell me what you know."
“Yes,” the two replied, and then began to recount everything they knew.
It turns out that the one who was originally supposed to enter the palace to marry Huang Taiji was not Yan Zhaqiurong, but her cousin Yan Zhaqiuyi.
The reason for choosing Yan Zha Qiuyi is simple: her appearance far surpasses that of Yan Zha Qiurong.
During a hunt, Yan Zhaqiu Rong saw Huang Taiji's handsome face and couldn't help but be attracted to him. Unfortunately, Huang Taiji had no interest in her whatsoever and didn't even glance at her once.
However, she lacked self-awareness and constantly flaunted her charms in front of Huang Taiji, making herself a laughingstock to many. Despite this, she never gave up.
Finally, an opportunity arose when Huang Taiji, in order to ascend the throne, married many women from the Eight Banners, including the Yanzha clan.
In terms of talent, Lun Deyan Zha Qiuyi was the best candidate, so the Yan Zha clan intended to present Yan Zha Qiuyi to Huang Taiji.
Yan Zhaqiu Rong recommended herself multiple times, but was flatly rejected by her clansmen.
"Then why did you ultimately choose Yan Zha Qiurong?" Hailanzhu couldn't help but wonder.
Pei Xin replied, "She was very lucky. A few days before she was to enter the palace, the eldest princess (Yan Zha Qiuyi) eloped with a guard. The other girls in the clan were only seven or eight years old, so she was the most suitable candidate left."
“No.” Upon hearing this, Hailanzhu quickly shook her head. “Yan Zha Qiuyi is a lady from a respectable family. Presumably, from the time she was old enough to understand, the Yan Zha clan would have instilled in her the concept that everything is interconnected. Moreover, the Emperor is of noble status and has the power of life and death. How could he abandon his family for a guard who is not of equal social standing?”
"Your Majesty, do you also feel something is amiss?" Pei Ran suddenly asked.
Hailanzhu glanced at her and asked gently, "Do you know something?"
Pei Ran nodded and said, "I once overheard a conversation between the concubine and Wen Yuan. It seems that the eldest princess did not elope, but was pushed off a cliff by her. Then she killed a handsome guard and pushed him off the cliff as well, thus creating the illusion of an elopement."
Upon hearing this, Hailanzhu's face immediately darkened. "Killing someone and ruining their future, Yan Zhaqiurong, you are truly ruthless!"
“This servant also heard their last conversation…” Pei Ran said, her voice lowering slightly, “Because she was afraid that the eldest princess would not be able to be reincarnated after death and that her wronged soul would remain here, the concubine would send people to that cliff every year to perform a ritual to help her soul pass on.”
This sentence gave Hailanzhu a great inspiration: "You mean she goes to perform a ritual to help the dead every year?"
"Yes, this servant dares not speak presumptuously." Pei Ran thought for a moment, "By the way, the day after tomorrow is the 25th of July, which is the tenth anniversary of the death of the eldest princess, and the last year of her passing."
"Excellent!" A cold glint flashed in Hailanzhu's eyes. "How could we miss such a good opportunity?"
Qingluan was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Has Your Highness thought of something?"
Hailanzhu nodded, "I have some ideas, but we still need to delve into the details."
"That's wonderful!" Qingluan walked happily to Peixin's side and said, "Hurry up and thank Her Highness."
Upon hearing this, the two knelt down again, saying, "Thank you, Consort Chen."
"Rise. To complete this plan, I will need your cooperation." Hailanzhu looked at the three people in front of her, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"We will do our utmost," the two sisters said in unison.
The two then stood up, while Peixin kept staring at Peiran.
Pei Ran asked in confusion, "Why are you staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Pei Xin frowned deeply. "Why didn't you tell me about something so important?"
Pei Ran gave a bitter smile. "What good would it do to tell you? Without Consort Chen, do you think we could bring down the concubine with this matter?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Xin nodded thoughtfully, "You're right. If we were to speak out rashly, we would only be accused of slander."
Hailanzhu remained silent, listening to their conversation. She discovered that although Peiran was her younger sister, she was far more cunning and thoughtful than Peixin. Fortunately, Peiran inherited her parents' kindness; otherwise, she might have been a threat in the future.
"It's getting late, you should all go back and get some rest. I will have Qingluan inform you of the specific plans," Hailanzhu said.
"Yes..." The two bowed and left.
The night grew even deeper, but Hailanzhu was not sleepy at all.
"Your Majesty, is there anything else you require?" Qingluan asked.
Hailanzhu's eyes darkened. "Tomorrow, secretly pick some mushrooms for me. Remember, the brighter the color, the better."
"Why does Your Highness want mushrooms? There are plenty in the small kitchen," Qingluan asked, puzzled.
"I have my own use for it, just do as I say," Hailanzhu said.
Qingluan nodded, said no more, and after serving Hailanzhu until she fell asleep, she bowed and withdrew.
What Hailanzhu didn't know was that before she even started dealing with Yan Zhaqiurong, Yan Zhaqiurong was already prepared and about to make her move.
The next day at dawn, the sky was terrifyingly dark, with thick clouds and thunder and lightning, as if it were about to split the sky in two. The whole world was filled with a heavy and oppressive atmosphere, as if it were about to press people to the ground and make it hard to breathe.
When Hailanzhu opened her eyes, she thought it was still dark and drifted back to sleep.
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