The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 112 Torturing Hanlu
Yinzhen was helpless.

"From what Shilan said, you actually thought that I had planted a spy around you?"

Nian Shilan blinked and said innocently.

"To be honest with you, my master, I was very sad when I first found out. My master didn't believe me and had spies around me. Later, it was Xiao Linzi who was smart enough to find out that there seemed to be someone behind Han Lu. Now I don't blame my master anymore."

Yinzhen couldn't help but laugh.

"In your heart, I am such a despicable person?"

Nian Shilan looked into Yinzhen's eyes and said seriously.

"Master, you worry too much. How dare I speculate like that? But today, Master, you only listened to a few words from me and dealt with Han Lu. This means that you have wanted to deal with her for a long time, but you just need a reason. I will show you something."

As he spoke, Nian Shilan unfolded what he was holding in his hand. It was the note that said "internal strife has begun".

"This is the note on the pigeon that Xiao Linzi cut off last night. I wonder how many such notes Han Lu has sent out before. So today, when Fu Jin asked Xiao Hezi to identify Han Lu, I was willing to admit that I was not strict enough in my rule and I had to deal with her. I have been thinking today, who is this internal conflict referring to? There are only a few female relatives of mine in this mansion. Can the master guess it?"

Yinzhen looked at the note for a while and said.

"I understand. You should go back to Cheng'en Garden first and don't let this matter leak out."

Nian Shilan said goodbye and left the house. She knew that she had planted the seeds of doubt in Yinzhen's heart.

Ulanara sat in the hall, slowly coming to her senses and realizing that she had not kept her composure today and had been tricked by Nian.

Yinzhen was a very suspicious person. Although he dealt with Hanlu and ended the matter, he probably thought in his heart that he was eager to frame Nian and staged a drama of the thief crying "stop thief". The theory of sleepwalking was too untenable.

But the master actually believed such an untenable reason.

This means that from the very beginning, the master's suspicion was directed at her, Ulanara.

Fell into a trap.

But she had no evidence, so she could only swallow her anger and accept the result.

Before Nian entered the mansion, his people had investigated and they all said that Nian was a young lady who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun in the Nian mansion. It seemed that he had underestimated Nian Shilan.

Why didn't Shilan protect the people in his courtyard that year? He held his nose and accepted the blame for not governing his subordinates strictly.

Ulanara sat for a long time but could not come up with a result.

The palace was quiet and peaceful at night, but in the hidden dungeon of the palace, Han Lu was tied up and had whip marks all over her body.

Yinzhen held the tea and sat on the chair.

In this dungeon, there is a team of ruthless men. They are Yinzhen’s real secret guards, his own secret guards.

These secret guards only take orders from Yinzhen. Apart from carrying out their missions, they stay in this dark dungeon every day.

"You are so lucky, my servant, to have the honor of being personally entertained by my secret guards."

Yinzhen took a sip of the fine Pu'er fragrant tea and placed the teacup in Su Peisheng's hand.

Hanlu barely raised her head and looked at Yinzhen. When she opened her mouth, blood flowed from the corners of her mouth. She spoke with great effort.

"Your Highness is wise. I am innocent. I really did not damage the relics."

Yinzhen sneered.

"Do you think that I am here for the relic? Su Peisheng, show it to her."

Su Peisheng walked closer to Hanlu, fanned the thick smell of blood in the air with disgust, and held the note in front of Hanlu.

Hanlu was shocked. She originally thought that the note had been passed on and she was still waiting for the prince's people to rescue her, but she didn't expect that the note actually fell into Yinzhen's hands.

Yinzhen did not miss Hanlu's surprised expression. He smiled slightly and spoke.

"You're still not going to tell me? Dong Keyu, are you the eldest brother's man or the second brother's man?"

Hanlu, or Dong Keyu, was shocked again. Prince Yong even knew such a secret?!
Dong Keyu was the name given to her by the prince, but she also had another name, Zhou Hong.

In the Prince of Zhi's mansion, a man in black knelt in front of the Prince of Zhi. "Master, Zhou Hong sent a note back to the Prince's mansion last night. I didn't have time to see it, so His Royal Highness the Prince burned the note."

Prince Zhi pondered for a while and gave the order.

"Contact Zhou Hong alone tonight. If she can't get any useful information from Prince Yong's mansion, she will be useless."

"Yes. I understand!" The man in black retreated quietly, and Prince Yinzhen of Zhi stared at the place where he disappeared.

Nian Shilan hadn't slept at night. Tomorrow, the accountant and the people that Yinzhen found for her would be in place. She was wondering whether she should reveal the problems in the accounts now, or pretend she didn't know and expose them next time?
After thinking about it for a long time, Nian Shilan fell into a deep sleep.

In her dream, she was trapped in the palace garden, unable to get out. When she was getting anxious, she saw Ulanara walking out of the garden, followed by Qiu Mei.

"Master, you are like this every day, crying at night and forcing yourself to serve the wife during the day. It is really too hard. I feel sorry for you. If the eldest prince knew about this in heaven, he would definitely feel sorry for his mother."

Qiu Mei whispered.

Nian Shilan looked at Ulanara who was walking past her but couldn't see her. She saw that her face was gloomy and her eyes were red and swollen, which was obviously swollen from crying.

Ulanara walked absent-mindedly, muttering to herself.

"My Honghui, he is only three years old. Why did God take him away? Why didn't he take my life? As long as my Honghui can come back, I am willing to do anything!"

Qiu Mei sighed, not knowing what to say anymore. She could only silently accompany Ulanara through the garden.

It was very strange that Nian Shilan, who had been unable to leave the garden just now, actually followed Ulanara out.

Judging from the direction Ulanara was heading, it seemed that she was heading to the front yard.

But as they walked, Nian Shilan discovered that Ulanara had arrived at Qiong Yuyuan next to the front yard.

The gate of Qiongyu Garden was open, and Yunxi was lying on a couch in the corridor, with a group of maids and nannies standing beside her.

Yixiu looked inside the yard from outside, stopped, took a deep breath, and put on a forced smile.

"Sister, I'm late today. Are you feeling unwell?"

Yixiu stood in the yard and greeted Yunxi.

Yunxi, with her pregnant belly that looked like she was about to give birth at any moment, sat up with the help of her nanny and looked at Yixiu.

"Why are your eyes red again? Get up."

Yixiu almost couldn't keep the smile on her face, but she still tried to smile.

"You scared me by your sister's condition. It's my fault. Please forgive me."

Yunxi waved her hand and stood up.

"It's okay. Honghui is gone. As the mistress, I'm also very sad. But I'm pregnant now. You cry every day and it affects my mood. Go and make me a bowl of almond tea. You've been sad for a while and I can't get used to the almond tea made by others."

Yixiu smiled.

"Yes, sister is about to give birth, please don't let me affect you. I will make almond tea for you right now."

Nian Shilan followed Yixiu to the small kitchen in the yard and saw her take out two paper packages from her sleeves when no one was paying attention.

One of the paper bags probably contained something that tasted similar to almond powder, because Nian Shilan saw Yixiu pour the almond powder prepared in the kitchenette into the fire, and then put the contents of the paper bag into a small pot to boil.

As for the other package, Yixiu was silent for a long time before he made up his mind and put it into the brewed almond tea.

After she brought the almond tea out and served it to Yunxi, Yunxi started to cry out for stomachache after just a moment.

The midwife who had been accompanying Yunxi all the time helped her into the delivery room which had been prepared long ago. She reached in with her hand and asked the servants to boil water and prepare the things for delivery.

One eunuch got the order and ran out to look for Yinzhen who had not yet returned home.

Nian Shilan wanted to look again but was awakened by Songzhi.

"Master, it's the morning hour, time to get up. The people the master has arranged will be here soon."

(End of this chapter)