Qin Yining returned to the Prince’s mansion. The gatekeeper removed the threshold and opened the gate, allowing the carriage to proceed unobstructed straight to the inner quarters.
In the carriage, Qin Yining quietly explained the situation in the mansion to Bingtang and Ji Yun, instructing: “You must be careful about this matter and not let it leak out.”
“Yes. Princess Consort, rest assured. We understand the gravity of the situation. We will definitely act carefully and won’t ruin things.”
Qin Yining smiled: “I naturally trust you. You suffered last night—the night wind on the mountain was cold. Don’t catch cold. I’ve had them prepare ginger soup and also slowly simmered a pot of ginseng chicken soup over low heat. You must eat some.”
Both Ji Yun and Bingtang felt warmth in their hearts and nodded with smiles.
Bingtang smiled: “Princess Consort always worries so much. How could we possibly get cold?”
Qin Yining joked: “Of course you couldn’t get cold. With Huzi on the mountain, how could he bear to let you be cold?”
Bingtang’s face turned completely red, and she glared at Qin Yining with flushed face and ears: “Princess Consort is getting more and more wicked! Completely wicked!”
Seeing her shy appearance, Qin Yining thought of how Pang Xiao had been rescued. Even if their future was full of hardships, as long as everyone was alive and well, she wasn’t afraid of anything. Thinking of this, Qin Yining was in excellent spirits and barely restrained herself from laughing out loud.
Returning to Siqing Garden, Qin Yining sent Bingtang and Ji Yun to bathe, change clothes, and rest properly.
She then called Jian Yun over and asked quietly: “Where is the Prince?”
Jian Yun looked outside the door, confirmed no one was eavesdropping, then lowered her voice: “Several people just came, saying they were your good friends. Guard Cao from the Old Master’s side had someone invite the Prince to go out together.”
Qin Yining immediately understood—Pang Xiao had gone out to meet with people from the Azure Sky Alliance.
Though the people of the Azure Sky Alliance weren’t exactly righteous gentlemen and might not have any talent for governing the country and managing families, there were quite a few capable and extraordinary people among them. This time, her and Pang Xiao’s plan required help from the capable and extraordinary people in the Azure Sky Alliance.
Qin Yining knew that Pang Xiao would definitely be very careful to conceal himself when going out, not even visiting Yao Shi and Yao Chenggu, so she completely set her mind at ease.
These days of hiding would soon pass. They just had to endure a little longer.
Qin Yining then had someone send a note to the palace.
“Say that the Prince is still in the underground palace, and His Majesty is the same. This subject’s wife specially requests an audience with the Empress and Empress Dowager to pay respects to both.”
The Empress Dowager and Li Helan were eating grapes. The newly tribute grapes had plump, full grains with abundant, sweet juice. Li Helan ate happily, but the Empress Dowager only had two and then stopped.
“We’re eating well here, but your imperial brother in the underground palace is… My heart is truly being tortured beyond recognition.”
Li Helan slowly lowered her hand, tossing the grape into the dish, and slowly took a handkerchief to wipe her fingers.
“Mother, please don’t grieve. Imperial brother will definitely be safe and sound.”
When Li Helan said these words, she actually had no confidence in her own heart.
During this period, Ji Zeyu had persisted on the mountain continuously excavating, only coming down once, which showed that the situation on the mountain was not optimistic.
Li Helan didn’t know what Great Zhou would become if Li Qitian really was gone. But having her own legitimate brother sitting in that position versus a cousin sitting there could never be the same for her.
“Mother, why don’t we think of ways to arrange more manpower and rescue imperial brother as quickly as possible?”
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled bitterly: “Easier said than done. It’s already been twenty days—twenty days! Your imperial brother inside is probably eighty percent… Mother doesn’t dare think about these details. Even if we arrange people to go now, I’m afraid it’s also…”
Li Helan couldn’t help but frown: “Then why didn’t Mother arrange more people when it first happened?”
Li Helan had been pampered since childhood. When speaking with the Empress Dowager, it was only mother-daughter conversation. She always said whatever came to mind, truly not realizing that this sentence really stabbed the Empress Dowager’s heart.
The Empress Dowager inevitably darkened her expression: “What was I doing then? I was busy consolidating the position of our Li imperial dynasty! Do you think if I hadn’t promptly arranged for Prince Li to act as regent and grasped the military authority of the Huben Army in your uncle’s hands, would those several factions in the court continue to submit? They were already dissatisfied when your imperial brother was there! Just relying on us women, without finding ways to grasp power, sooner or later we’d be dead!”
Li Helan was frightened by the Empress Dowager’s man-eating gaze. She blinked and swallowed, then said somewhat timidly: “Mother, please don’t be angry. Your daughter also knows your difficulties. Not to mention anything else, just these past days when your daughter entered the palace, there were two additional inspections. Those dead eunuchs ate the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard—they even wanted to search my person! Fortunately, your daughter has some dignity. They didn’t dare be presumptuous.”
“There’s such a thing?” The Empress Dowager was very surprised and couldn’t help but sit up straight to ask: “When did this happen? Why haven’t I heard you mention it before?”
“Just these past two days. Since they didn’t dare actually search your daughter’s person, I didn’t take it seriously.”
Li Helan saw that the Empress Dowager’s expression didn’t look good and asked hesitantly: “Mother, what’s wrong with you?”
The Empress Dowager shook her head, her lips pressed into a line.
Could it be that Prince Li had developed rebellious intentions?
The Empress Dowager recalled everything and always felt that Prince Li’s demeanor was somewhat off.
The Empress Dowager knew her daughter’s temperament well—impulsive in her actions and very spoiled. If she told her about these things, she might very well reveal something outside. If it reached Prince Li’s ears through gossip, that would be bad instead.
Thinking of this, the Empress Dowager only said: “It’s nothing.”
At this time, a palace servant came to report from the entrance: “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, Prince Zhongshun’s consort has sent a note.”
Both the Empress Dowager and Li Helan raised their eyebrows to look toward the palace entrance.
Li Helan frowned with displeasure all over her face.
The palace servant came forward holding the note with both hands.
The Empress Dowager took it, glanced at it, and said: “Lady Qin requests permission to enter the palace later to pay respects to me. She’s quite thoughtful.”
“She’s just being hypocritical.” Li Helan raised her voice with dissatisfaction. “That seductive fox is no easy lamp to deal with. She’s used to being a smooth talker. Mother must not fall for her tricks.”
The Empress Dowager knew that Li Helan and Qin Yining had never gotten along. Li Helan might even still be thinking about Pang Xiao in her heart. Not wanting to expose this directly, she only said: “Forget it. Since you don’t like her, just leave the palace early.”
This meant the Empress Dowager had decided to see Qin Yining.
Li Helan was dissatisfied in her heart and stood up abruptly: “Mother only knows how to side with outsiders, telling me to leave? Fine, I’ll leave!”
Throwing down this sentence, Li Helan angrily left the palace with her people.
The Empress Dowager watched Li Helan’s retreating figure and sighed helplessly. With her daughter being so spoiled, at this critical juncture she could only let her be. She didn’t have the extra energy to teach her now.
Qin Yining didn’t know the situation in the palace. After receiving permission, she immediately changed clothes and prepared to enter the palace.
Pang Xiao helped her into the carriage and instructed quietly at the carriage door: “Remember my words—your safety is most important. Everything else is secondary. If things don’t work out, come back quickly.”