Li Helan’s expression froze after being scolded, and she felt wronged with a sour nose and hot eyes, nearly shedding tears.

Since the palace coup incident, the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward her had changed completely, as if she always harbored anger in her heart. Gone was her former gentle affection and patient guidance.

Now, if she did anything that didn’t suit the Empress Dowager’s wishes, she would be scolded.

She knew that although her uncle had been enfeoffed as Duke Qing after this palace coup, he had truly earned Emperor’s resentment. The Zhou family’s future prospects were worrying, which was the fundamental reason the Empress Dowager couldn’t control her emotions.

But when the Zhou family got into trouble, it was because the Empress Dowager and her uncle made errors in judgment, mistakenly trusting Prince Li, which led to the current predicament. What did that have to do with her?

Was it wrong for her to kindly help the Empress Dowager, who couldn’t freely leave the palace, to gather information?

The Empress Dowager saw Li Helan’s grievances, but it only fueled her rage further.

She wasn’t a fool either – how could she have raised such a daughter? With the court situation already so tense, Li Helan still couldn’t distinguish what words could be spoken and what couldn’t.

The Zhou family had already earned Li Qitian’s resentment. If Li Qitian knew what Li Helan had just said, wouldn’t it suggest the Zhou family was dissatisfied with His Majesty’s intentions? Wouldn’t that add another charge against the Zhou family?

How could she have raised such a foolish daughter!

The Empress Dowager had been in poor spirits recently. Ever since being overly frightened during her imprisonment by Prince Li, she had developed problems with palpitations and chest tightness. Now, the slightest anger left her feeling short of breath and unable to catch her breath.

The Empress Dowager leaned against the large pillow, gasping for air while repeatedly stroking her chest to calm herself.

Seeing the Empress Dowager like this, Li Helan not only showed no urgent concern but felt even more stifled.

“Mother, do as you see fit. After all, your daughter was helping you gather information, and I did everything I could. If you don’t like hearing it, your daughter won’t bother going there anymore. To tell you the truth, I can’t even sort out my own affairs with the Prince Consort clearly – I can’t be bothered to put my mind to it.”

“You, you!”

The Empress Dowager nearly fainted from anger.

Seeing the Empress Dowager’s state, Li Helan became somewhat worried about making her truly ill, and suppressed her frustration: “Alright, Mother, don’t be angry anymore. Isn’t Imperial Brother having some farewell banquet later? Why don’t your daughter help you change clothes?”

For Li Helan, this was the greatest extent of reconciliation and compromise.

But the Empress Dowager still harbored anger. She only hated herself for spoiling Li Helan too much, ruining her into someone who couldn’t read situations and was willful and selfish.

The side hall of Ci’an Palace was now bustling with activity. The head eunuch, following imperial orders, led palace servants in cleaning the palace and arranging the banquet. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

When the Empress Dowager was helped by Li Helan to the side hall, everything had been properly arranged, and the palace servants had all filed out.

Looking at the spotless interior, with precious fresh flowers brought from the greenhouse to decorate even in winter – flowers more precious than those she usually enjoyed – the Empress Dowager felt a wave of displeasure and suffocation.

The Empress Dowager felt that since Li Qitian’s return, he had completely lost his former closeness and filial piety toward her. Even his daily visits to pay respects were merely going through the motions. With both her son and daughter treating her this way, the Empress Dowager momentarily felt life held no meaning.

When Qin Yining and Pang Xiao entered the palace with their family, they encountered Ji Zeyu head-on.

Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu exchanged a glance, and with perfect understanding, both simultaneously turned cold.

Ji Zeyu had originally maintained an icy demeanor, appearing too lazy to speak with anyone. Now he displayed his coldness toward Pang Xiao to the fullest, as if Pang Xiao were not a living person but an eyesore obstacle.

Qin Yining, watching from the side, nearly couldn’t suppress her laughter, only managing to press down her upturned lips by lowering her gaze to look at her belly.

If she hadn’t experienced this ordeal and seen Ji Zeyu’s steadfast guarding at the imperial mausoleum, Qin Yining might truly have been deceived by this performance.

But that made sense. Ever since the assassination attempt she encountered halfway to Great Zhou, her impression of Ji Zeyu had never been good. She had always judged him based on preconceived notions, treating Ji Zeyu as an adversarial figure.

It was only through true hardship that she could see who was truly close or distant.

It seemed the understanding between Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu wasn’t new – for self-preservation, they had to perform their roles convincingly.

Lost in thought, the group entered the Empress Dowager’s palace one after another.

Li Qitian had already arrived with the Empress and was sitting beside the Empress Dowager, talking. Hearing voices, Li Qitian immediately smiled and looked toward the entrance.

Seeing Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu maintaining clear distinctions, both with cold faces that only improved slightly after entering, Li Qitian’s smile became more genuine.

Pang Xiao led the entire family in paying respects to the Empress Dowager and the imperial couple.

The Empress Dowager sat in the place of honor, her smile never reaching her eyes, clearly in poor spirits.

Li Qitian and the Empress, however, both wore bright smiles, warmly excusing the Pang family from their bows and seating them according to their positions.

Li Qitian smiled first: “Today there are no outsiders – this is just an ordinary family banquet. Everyone please be at ease.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Everyone respectfully responded in unison.

Li Qitian looked at Pang Xiao with a smile and continued: “Zhixi’s journey to the south will truly be arduous. After experiencing this great disaster, I too have seen through many things.”

Lifting his wine cup, Li Qitian swirled the wine, gently agitating the liquid as he sighed: “Originally, it was just we three brothers who conquered the empire. After sitting securely on the throne for five years, I nearly forgot the sense of crisis from the battlefield. This recent upheaval has instead brought us three brothers together again. No wonder people say brothers fight wars together – these words do not deceive me.”

“Your Majesty speaks too highly.” Pang Xiao smiled: “As Your Majesty said, we’re all family brothers – why speak of such things? When this subject goes south, I’ll still need Your Majesty’s care for my family.”

“You can rest assured. Aren’t your family members the same as my family members?” Li Qitian smiled. “Just focus on handling southern affairs for me and maintaining stability in the south.” He looked toward Ji Zeyu. “The Tatar matter still requires Alan’s efforts. You two are truly my right and left arms – I cannot bear to lose either.”

Li Qitian spoke very emotionally, and both Pang Xiao and Ji Zeyu appeared deeply moved.

The Empress now sat close to Qin Yining. Both women were pregnant, so sitting together gave them topics to discuss.

Yao Chenggu, Meng Shi, Yao Shi, and Sun Shi all expressed loyalty and closeness to Li Qitian with Qin Huaiyuan’s few guiding words, making the atmosphere very lively.

The Empress stroked her belly, looking at Qin Yining’s belly, which was several sizes larger than her own. Thinking of how it was Qin Yining, a pregnant woman, who had risked entering the palace to deliver news during the crisis, while the Empress Dowager had performed worse than this outsider, she felt even more gratitude and admiration for Qin Yining.

The Empress smiled: “His Majesty is also very worried about this journey, but with urgent state affairs, His Majesty truly faces a dilemma. I have prepared some things you can use, found two reliable nannies, and a hundred-year-old ginseng root – take them all with you. I’ll wait in the palace for your good news.”