Chapter 378 With someone backing her up, the Empress Dowager carries Luo'er in a sedan chair!

Princess Xiyue led a large entourage and walked quickly over.

He immediately helped Madam Pei to her feet.

"General, you've been wronged. Please get up."

Princess Xiyue respectfully comforted Old Madam Pei, then turned to Pei Zixuan and sneered, "Consort Jing, you are only a minor consort now, yet you dare to insult and disrespect a meritorious official like General Pei!"

"Your Pei family has truly opened my eyes once again!"

Pei Zixuan's expression changed.

Although she was a concubine in the harem, she was nominally a generation above Princess Xiyue.

But in fact, in front of Xi Yue, the eldest legitimate princess, even Pei Zixuan, the daughter of the Pei family, who is now a noble lady, still has a lower aura.

This Princess Xiyue doesn't even give the Empress much face.

How could someone as important as myself possibly earn even a shred of respect from her?

However, when the Pei family was mentioned, Pei Zixuan still couldn't help but turn pale.

"I am, after all, one of His Majesty's concubines. They were the ones who insulted my family first..."

"Don't I even have the right to seek justice for my family?"

Princess Xiyue: "Fairness?"

"To determine who is right and who is wrong, why don't I take the lead and summon the Duke and Duchess to a meeting today to get to the bottom of things?"

Pei Liuniang: "No..."

Her soft exclamation startled Pei Zixuan, who immediately looked down and glared at her.

Could there really be some hidden story behind this?

However, Pei Liu Niang and Pei Shiniang did not dare to look Pei Zixuan in the eye at this moment.

What they said before was naturally biased and exaggerated; they would never have really said that they provoked others first.

Moreover, the eldest uncle and elder brother are now very friendly towards Li Qingluo and his grandson.

If they found out that the two of them had instigated this whole thing and even got Fourth Sister to stand up for the family, they'd probably be the ones...

Seeing her two cousins' expressions, Pei Zixuan understood everything perfectly.

She suppressed her anger and could only continue to endure Princess Xiyue's constant ridicule.

"Consort Jing, you abused your power for personal gain today, made a fuss over nothing, and even led people to make a scene outside the Empress Dowager's palace."

"As a concubine of the Emperor, you have disturbed the peace of the Empress Dowager. What kind of behavior is this? What crime should you be punished for?!"

"I never imagined that the respectful, gentle, virtuous, and obedient demeanor she always showed in front of the Emperor and Empress Dowager would reveal such a sinister and vicious true nature in private."

"You're really good at putting on a show!"

Pei Zixuan's face turned pale.

Who is making such a scene right now?

However, if Xi Yue were to go and make up stories about this to His Majesty and the Empress Dowager, wouldn't everything she had done since entering the palace be in vain?

Pei Zixuan: "Your Highness has misunderstood me. I only acted impulsively because of my family. If Li Qingluo hadn't been so aggressive, I wouldn't have..."

Princess Xiyue rolled her eyes with a cold laugh: "Alright!"

"I am neither blind nor deaf."

"It was you who went too far by taking advantage of your status as a noble lady. Miss Li is a person of flesh and blood, can't you even say a few words in your defense?"

“We are members of the royal family, not unreasonable madmen. If everyone uses their power to oppress others and prevents people from even speaking out, is there any justice in this world?”

"Also, stop pretending in front of the Empress Dowager."

"You don't even respect your own great-aunt, who shares the same bloodline. I don't believe you can truly respect my imperial grandmother!"

After saying that, Princess Xiyue ignored Pei Zixuan, whose face was extremely ugly.

He helped Old Madam Pei and Li Qingluo, who had just gotten up, and left.

"Come, I'll go back with you."

"Today I will see who dares to bully others by abusing their power!"

Pei Zixuan clenched her fists, and waited until they were far away before she was about to leave as well.

Another familiar voice came from behind: "Noble Lady Jing, please wait."

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Pei Zixuan forced a smile: "Aunt Fang, what brings you out?"

"But did I just... disturb Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?"

With red eyes, Pei Zixuan took all the grievances and responsibilities she had suffered that day upon herself.

Aunt Fang just smiled and said, "The Empress Dowager did hear the noise and asked this old servant to come out and see."

"As you know, Consort Jing, the Empress Dowager has been accustomed to quietude for many years and does not particularly like lively people and things."

"If it weren't for wanting to accompany His Majesty to the sacrificial ceremony and pray for blessings, I wouldn't easily step out of the Palace of Tranquil Longevity."

“Your Highness Jing has many sisters. If you offend the Empress Dowager again, even this old servant will not be able to plead for you.”

"For the next two days, Consort Jing need not come to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager."

After saying that, Aunt Fang bowed slightly, leaving Pei Zixuan and the Pei sisters stunned, and turned to leave.

"How could she be someone close to the Empress Dowager..."

Pei Liuniang's face turned deathly pale; she was terrified.

Pei Zixuan looked at her in disbelief again.

Knowing that it was related to Pei Liuniang again, he felt a surge of intense anger rising in his heart.

But this was, after all, the Empress Dowager's palace, so Pei Zixuan could only suppress her barely contained rage and mutter under her breath, "How could I not have known you were such a stupid thing!"

"What good deed have you done for me this time?"

The three Pei sisters hurriedly left with their palace servants in a disheveled state.

After everyone had left, the Empress Dowager shook her head wearily and sighed, "The women of the Pei family are truly getting worse with each generation."

Aunt Fang: "Your Majesty, this old servant thinks that the Li family's daughter really has some of the spirit of the handsome old general when he was young."

"Whether it's her appearance or her calm and unrestrained personality, she's far superior to the women in the Pei family."

"Perhaps, it really is a good one."

Empress Dowager: "So what?"

"snort."

"If it weren't for that wretched little Wu taking advantage of my weakness, why would I need to leave the palace to carry this young lady's sedan chair?"

"Even if she is Pei Xiuzhen's own granddaughter, how could her family background be worthy of a prince of such high status?"

Aunt Fang wiped the fine sweat from her forehead.

"Empress Dowager, isn't this what His Majesty asked of you?"

"His Highness Prince Su is in love with Miss Li. He wishes to request an imperial decree to grant them marriage, but Miss Li's family background and social standing... are indeed a matter of great difficulty for His Majesty."

"Isn't this the idea I just came up with? To use Xia Miao's situation to have you elevate that girl's status?"

The Empress Dowager gets angry whenever this is mentioned.

He slammed his fist on the table in anger and cursed, "The emperor is muddle-headed!"

"If we had nipped the weeds in the bud back then, we would have found and burned this empty imperial edict long ago. Would Xiao Wu be so arrogant and disregard the dignity of the royal family today?"

"This Li Qingluo has been living among the common people since childhood, what kind of good upbringing could she possibly have?"

"Her biological mother poisoned her illegitimate children and then killed her own mother. She is now in prison and awaiting execution in the autumn."

"My biological father went insane and committed the heinous crime of confiscation of property and extermination of his family years ago due to his greed for credit and misappropriation of funds."

"My older brother is a notorious cripple!"

"Only Pei Xiuzhen left the Li family relatively unscathed."

"Although she has left her clan and is no longer implicated by her maternal family, won't Xiao Wu be ridiculed by the world for marrying such a princess?"

Aunt Fang dared not answer.

After the Empress Dowager calmed down a bit, she served her a cup of lukewarm tea.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Grandchildren have their own blessings, and besides, didn't Her Highness the Eldest Princess already present His Majesty with evidence yesterday that General Li was wronged by the Jiang family?"

"Perhaps General Li truly has some injustice to be done?"

Empress Dowager: "Even if we didn't have one, we have no choice but to have one now."

"Even the emperor has to consider Xiao Wu's reputation to some extent."

Why her of all people?

"I don't understand."

Aunt Fang: "Your Majesty, if you take a closer look at Miss Li tomorrow, perhaps you will understand."

Princess Xiyue kept her word and personally escorted Li Qingluo and her grandson back.

After Madam Pei thanked her repeatedly and went inside, Princess Xiyue called Li Qingluo aside.

"I knew from the beginning that Xiao Wu had his eye on you!"

"Sure enough, look how much effort he's put into you!"

"Even if you suffer some grievances these past two days, it's all worth it for Xiao Wu."

Li Qingluo asked in confusion, "Your Highness is referring to what happened back then..."

Princess Xiyue snorted: "Did you really think I wanted to hold a winter banquet last year?"

"It was all because someone forced me to do it!"

Li Qingluo's face turned bright red in an instant.

Xi Yue: "Also, Xia Miao is also involved in this matter."

That was all she had to say; she couldn't say any more.

But she saw that Li Qingluo's face was flushed as if a rouge box had been spilled, and her eyes were blinking, shining as if she was thinking of someone.

Her face, like a peach blossom in full bloom, shone brightly in the mirror; her eyes, like spring water, seemed to chill one to the bone.

With such an exquisite beauty, it's no wonder that Xiao Wu was so captivated by her that he forced his father to issue an imperial edict.

Princess Xiyue covered her mouth and chuckled.

Sure enough, with Xiao Wu's skills, he could even break a stone.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore."

"I am well aware of the Jiang family's affairs."

"However, the Qu family might secretly retaliate and help the Jiang family this time, so I can only guarantee that I can protect the lives of your entire Li family."

"As for the rest..."

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness has done your best, and we are already extremely grateful."

"I have another matter to ask Your Highness for help."

Xi Yue: "You're quite impolite. Tell me, let this princess hear what it is all about first?"

Night fell.

The front hall was still bustling with singing and dancing.

Madam Pei made an excuse that she had already drunk wine with the Empress Dowager, so she did not bring Li Qingluo to the banquet.

Although Li Qingluo only took a small sip today, she actually collapsed as soon as she returned after saying goodbye to Princess Xiyue.

Madam Pei visited her several times, but there was no sign that she would wake up.

He couldn't help but sigh, "This girl really can't drink a drop of alcohol. But her drunken state is really strange."

"Next time she gets drunk, we should let Luo Fan take a look at her."

"No one stays asleep forever."