She lacked the ability to immediately excavate the imperial tomb’s underground palace.
She lacked the ability to deliver the news ahead of time.
She couldn’t even help with anything at all, only able to sit there staring helplessly.
And now, even a eunuch dared to bully her?
Qin Yining gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, “It seems Eunuch Li doesn’t understand proper etiquette very well. Ji Yun.”
Ji Yun had been restraining herself for quite some time. Upon hearing the command, she immediately responded and stepped forward to slap Li Weiliang across the face.
A crisp “smack” rang out. The surrounding people who witnessed this scene paused in their movements of digging and moving rocks and dirt.
Li Weiliang clutched his face, staring at Qin Yining in disbelief. “You, how dare you order someone to…”
“As someone who serves beside the Empress Dowager, you should be the most understanding of proper rules and know your place. Why do you behave so disgracefully? The Empress Dowager is worried about the Emperor’s and ministers’ safety and sent you here to rescue people. Instead of properly helping, you have the leisure to show off your authority here? No matter how low my status might be, I am still a First-Class Lady of the highest rank. Is it your place to lecture me?”
“You, you… Princess Zhongshun truly has such grand airs! This servant will certainly report this to the Empress Dowager when I return to the palace!”
“If you don’t go, I will go myself! At the time when the Empress Dowager is most anxious about the Emperor’s safety, not only do you fail to rescue people, but you also have the mind to waste time on such useless matters. I must certainly inform the Empress Dowager about this and see how she deals with you!”
Li Weiliang felt somewhat afraid in his heart.
He had originally intended to curry favor with the Empress Dowager and act according to her wishes, which was why he had spoken sarcastically upon seeing Qin Yining. He hadn’t expected that this woman, even while pregnant, would still act so fiercely, actually dragging him into the mud with her.
Li Weiliang pressed his lips together. If he kept quiet now, the matter would naturally end, but his dignity would be completely lost.
If he continued to make a fuss, he feared that the Qin woman would order her people to rough him up!
Qin Yining observed Li Weiliang’s expression coldly. Seeing that his face showed signs of wavering, but not for the sake of the Emperor whose life or death was unknown in the underground palace, but for his own sake, she couldn’t help but feel disgusted.
The Empress Dowager truly “knew how to employ people well.” At such a critical moment, she sent such a temperamental eunuch to the scene. What was this but adding to the chaos?
Just as Qin Yining was mentally criticizing this situation, cheers suddenly came from the entrance to the underground palace, along with the sound of soldiers calling out work chants.
“One, two, heave!”
A large stone was moved aside, revealing a narrow opening.
Everyone worked together to dig out an opening large enough for one person to pass through. After exchanging a few words with the people inside, they suddenly burst into cheers.
Qin Yining was startled and immediately walked toward that direction, praying in her heart that the person being rescued would be Pang Xiao.
Who would have thought that when she arrived, among the several dust-covered people crawling out of the opening, two were familiar faces, but Pang Xiao was nowhere to be seen.
Ji Zeyu casually brushed the dust from his head. Upon seeing Qin Yining approach, he merely nodded.
Lu Heng took a large gulp from a water pouch handed to him by a soldier. After spitting out the water he used to rinse his mouth, he saw Qin Yining and immediately froze.
Qin Yining said, “It’s truly wonderful that you’re all safe.”
Ji Zeyu silently accepted a wet cloth handed to him by a nearby Capital Guards member and wiped his face.
Lu Heng, on the other hand, was somewhat excited. Even knowing that Qin Yining had come for Pang Xiao’s sake, his mood was still elated. Seeing Qin Yining at this moment filled his heart with nothing but joy.
“This place is too dangerous. It’s not suitable for you to be here.”
In Qin Yining’s mind, her relationship with Lu Heng was one of shared hardships and life-and-death bonds. Although they hadn’t had the opportunity to meet after Lu Heng was enfeoffed as an earl, they were truly trustworthy to each other.
Qin Yining then asked, “What’s the situation inside? Did you see the Emperor and the Prince?”
Even though Qin Yining’s question placed the Emperor first, Lu Heng could still hear that what she really wanted to ask about was only Pang Xiao.
The eagerness in his eyes gradually faded. Lu Heng concealed his disappointment and dejection well.
“At that time, the Emperor was pulling the Prince and walking at the very front. The two were speaking in low voices, so naturally we didn’t dare to get close. The closest to the Emperor was only Chief Steward Li. The explosion suddenly occurred. I first saw a flash of fire, followed immediately by the earth shaking and mountains collapsing. Before I could react, I had fallen to the ground. Thanks to Prince Consort Ji’s assistance, I avoided a large falling stone. When I looked up again, both the Emperor and the Prince had disappeared. The entrance they had passed through was already piled full of fallen rocks, and fire could still be faintly seen inside.”
Qin Yining listened with a face as pale as death. Explosions, fire, falling rocks – was there any hope of rescue?
Even if they weren’t burned, blown up, or crushed, what if the air inside was thin…
Qin Yining’s heart was full of worry, and she was already beginning to think the worst. Her complexion grew increasingly grim.
Lu Heng actually didn’t know what kind of mentality drove him. What he had said was indeed the truth, but originally he hadn’t planned to tell Qin Yining, not wanting to make her too sad and anxious. However, seeing how worried Qin Yining was about Pang Xiao, he couldn’t help but speak. It seemed that this would make him feel somewhat better inside.
But seeing Qin Yining so worried and frightened, besides feeling bitter, he felt more heartache and regret.
“I shouldn’t have told you these things.”
Qin Yining shook her head and said, “It’s fine. You were right to tell me the truth. Knowing which direction they’re in makes rescue more convenient.”
Qin Huaiyuan also consoled, “Sister Yi, don’t worry. Knowing the direction, we know how to rescue them.”
He took out the rough map of the underground palace’s interior that had been drawn earlier and asked Lu Heng, “Lord Zhongyi, do you know roughly which direction the Emperor went?”
Lu Heng pointed to a direction on the map. “Approximately here. Are you thinking of digging through this area first?”
Ji Zeyu threw down his cloth, leaned in to look at the map, and said, “Much of the underground palace consists of natural stone walls. I’m afraid if we dig in the wrong place, we’ll do useless work. And I fear there might be other passages inside, and they didn’t go in this direction.”
Li Weiliang saw several people discussing and completely excluding him. Covering his face, he stepped forward. “Why not first ask the Empress Dowager’s opinion before making a decision?”
Lu Heng frowned but didn’t express an opinion.
Qin Yining felt indignant in her heart and was about to continue lecturing him when Ji Zeyu beat her to it.
She heard Ji Zeyu’s low voice say coldly, “And who might you be?”
Upon hearing this, Li Weiliang was immediately infuriated beyond measure. However, since the person before him was the Empress Dowager’s son-in-law, and the Empress Dowager cherished Princess Anyang most of all, he could only smile obsequiously and bow. “Greetings, Prince Consort Ji. This servant is Li Weiliang, the head eunuch in the Empress Dowager’s palace.”
“Since you’re a palace servant, return to the inner palace. This is not a place for you to be.”
After speaking, Ji Zeyu picked up the map again and discussed with Qin Huaiyuan, Lu Heng, and Qin Yining nearby.
Li Weiliang’s face flushed deep red. Discovering that many people around were watching him made him even more ashamed and annoyed.
“Prince Consort Ji, it was the Empress Dowager who ordered this servant to oversee the entire scene. You cannot…”
“Someone come.”
“Your subordinate is here.”
“Escort this eunuch back.”
“Yes!”
With Ji Zeyu’s single command, two trusted subordinates immediately stepped forward to cover the man’s mouth and directly carried him away. Their decisive action surprised even Qin Yining.
Ji Zeyu didn’t feel he had done anything shocking at all. Pointing at the map, he said, “When the explosion occurred, I happened to be looking in His Majesty’s direction and roughly know that they were not in immediate life-threatening danger at that time.” He glanced at Qin Yining and awkwardly comforted her: “So you need not worry for now. Both the Emperor and the Prince will be fine.”