Chapter 667 Reunion of Friends, Goodbye Pan Li!

He wanted to make her rightful.

Although the ceremony was simple, it was not rushed.

Moreover, the news of her being crowned empress was announced to the entire world without hesitation!

Almost all the proper etiquette and procedures were followed.

Even the phoenix coronet, phoenix robe, and the empress's golden book and phoenix seal were all urgently delivered from the Great Chu region overnight.

Every stitch on the phoenix robe was meticulously crafted.

However, due to the ongoing war on the border, both of them are now frugal and do not use anything extravagant.

After being crowned empress, Duan Rongshi only took charge of military affairs.

He instructed Li Qingluo to learn how to cook for all matters of state.

She really didn't understand, so she went to ask him.

One was eager to learn, and the other was patient in teaching.

She quickly got the hang of it, and gradually became able to sort out and process all the memorials and national policies sent to the border.

In any case, there aren't many government affairs documents that can be sent to the border.

This gave Li Qingluo a learning opportunity.

Even Po Feng took the opportunity to hand over everything in the city to Empress Li Qingluo to handle, and he went on the western expedition. Zhui Yu and Leng Dian followed him without hesitation.

Therefore, not a single one of Duan Rongshi's personal guards remains.

Duan Rongshi entrusted the entire rear area to Empress Li Qingluo with complete peace of mind.

Even if she becomes a queen or a tyrant, he will trust her completely.

How could Li Qingluo disappoint him?

Everything is still in good order.

Moreover, all the provisions and military pay were sent out in a timely and continuous manner.

The person in charge of this matter was none other than Qingyangzi.

He also disappeared from Duan Rongshi's side for quite some time.

When he reappeared, it was to bring Pan Li's family to the border on Li Qingluo's behalf.

When Li Qingluo heard that Duan Rongjue had gone mad and slaughtered the princess's entire family, and then, in a fit of rage, arrested the prince consort's entire clan, she was extremely worried about Pan Li.

After all, she is now the grand prince consort's niece!

Even though she quickly sent people back to Jinling to rescue Pan Li, she only received the news that Pan Li's family had disappeared without a trace.

Li Qingluo was naturally very anxious.

Fortunately, they quickly replied from Jinling, saying that Pan Li's family had already been quietly taken away.

Someone must have sensed the danger beforehand, which is why they secretly rescued Pan Li's family.

Not only Pan Li's parents, but also Pan Li's husband's family.

As for the Pei family, they escaped the purge because they were not implicated, and Twelfth Sister's father was an upright and incorruptible man who neither sided with the princess nor the crown prince.

With Jinling in chaos and the court in dire need of capable officials, the Pei family has become particularly prominent.

When Qingyangzi arrived, Li Qingluo's joy upon seeing Pan Li was beyond words.

Qingyangzi: "I was on my way back to Jinling to do some business for Your Highness. I knew about the relationship between the Empress and Lady Pan, so I took the opportunity to rescue her."

Li Qingluo knew that Pan Li's body contained the soul of Twelve Sister, but Qingyangzi did not.

So after her exciting reunion with Pan Li, when they were alone, she whispered, "Did he notice anything amiss?"

Pan Li shook her head: "No."

"It's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."

"Oh right, Luo'er, no... from now on you'll be Her Majesty."

"Seeing that you are doing so well, I can finally rest assured."

"You have no idea how worried I've been these past two years, wondering where you went and if you were safe..."

"I never expected that when we meet again, you would be the Empress of the Great Chu. Indeed, Luo'er, you were destined to be a phoenix."

"It was the Li family that overshadowed your brilliance. They were blind to favor that pig back then, causing you, Luo'er, to suffer a lot of injustice."

"Fortunately, Luo'er, you've made it this far by living up to your potential. If your mother and brother knew this from beyond the grave, they would be so angry they'd vomit blood."

Pan Li felt a sense of satisfaction whenever she thought about it.

Li Qinglu smiled.

She hadn't thought about them for a long time.

So they don't care what the other person would think if they knew.

"If you stop talking about me, how about you?"

"After you got married, how good was your husband to you? And your mother-in-law and your sister-in-law, were they all easy to get along with?"

"You're my confidante, and they'll have to treat you with even more respect from now on."

Pan Li was deeply moved when she heard her say that.

"Don't worry, my husband treats me very well."

"Although my mother-in-law was a country woman, she was able to support her husband's education as a widow, so she was literate and knew some principles."

"Besides, if my mother-in-law can raise my husband to be such a gentleman, how bad could I be?"

"Although we had some trouble adjusting in the first year, we now consider each other family."

"My sister-in-law is also very good. She is simple, kind, and has also read some books with her husband."

"And Luo'er, have you seen the little baby that your husband is holding in his arms?"

“It’s my child, he’s two years old.”

Although Li Qingluo had guessed the doll's identity, she was still pleasantly surprised when she heard it.

"Nan Jia, I'm relieved to know you're doing so well."

Both of them looked at each other with tears in their eyes, and then embraced tightly again.

Finally, when the conversation turned to their husbands, Pan Li exclaimed, "As expected, it's His Highness."

"I didn't believe it when I heard he died on the battlefield. How could someone as capable as him die so easily?"

“My husband forbids me from discussing politics at home, saying that if others hear it, the whole family will suffer.”

"Sometimes he's just too conservative and not bold enough."

“This time, we were taken away by Qingyangzi. My husband originally refused to leave even if it meant death. But after he heard that General Wan had taken control of the government and sent troops to the Western Regions, he stopped resisting and said he wanted to go back.”

"Otherwise, he might risk his life to go back and fight."

Li Qinglu blinked: "So, whose side did your husband support back then?"

Pan Li put her hands on her hips and said, "With me here, I naturally don't support anyone! Now, I support you all."

Pan Li blinked, and Li Qingluo poked her forehead: "You are not allowed to discuss state affairs!"

The two talked for a long time before Li Qingluo took Pan Li to see Nanping.

Nanping is now much better thanks to Luo Fan's treatment.

I still can't remember most of the things.

I had no recollection of Pan Li when I saw her.

"Who are you?"

"She's good-looking, and somehow she looks a bit like me?"

"However, she's still not as pretty as the Empress!"

"Sister Empress, may I go and play with Fangfang?"

Lanting is now Nanping's best friend.

He immediately stepped forward and pulled Nanping away, saying, "Nanping, be good."

"If you behave, Her Majesty the Empress will let you play with the princess."

Nanping immediately raised a finger and shushed himself.

Then, with a look of pure innocence, she said, "Nanping, be good, play with Fangfang."

Upon seeing this scene, Pan Li burst into tears.

She couldn't believe the truth before her eyes: "Why is this happening?"

"Nanping didn't deserve to end up like this!"

Will she recover?

"Nanping...were all those things that happened to Nanping real?"

"She should still be that charming and innocent princess!"

Li Qingluo could only sigh wistfully.

He didn't say much else, only that "things have improved a lot now."

“My grandfather said that perhaps one day, when she herself is willing to remember, she will be completely restored.”

"The reason it is like this now is because the trauma from the past was too deep."

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with being like a child."

"I will arrange for someone I trust to take care of her for the rest of her life."

Although Pan Li did not know what had happened in Nanping, she could imagine that Li Qingluo had rescued Nanping from the Western Regions and was now raising her in Mantuo City. The hardships involved could not be summed up in just a few words.

She herself was rescued from Jinling and escaped the massacre of her entire family because of her.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she realized that having made a friend like Luo'er was truly the greatest blessing for her and Nanping in this life.

Moreover, Nanping's fate in the Western Regions was deliberately orchestrated by the Western Regions imperial court to send him to Daliang.

It was all to humiliate the Great Liang and the Central Plains.

Now, the whole Central Plains knows that Princess Nanping, who was sent to marry a foreign ruler, was imprisoned and humiliated in a sheep pen.

However, no one in the world knows that the foolish girl in the Mantuo City Lord's Mansion is actually the pitiful princess sent for a political marriage.

Pan Li said sadly, "It's better if I don't remember anything."

"In that case, we will never know the fate of her mother, father, and two younger brothers..."

Thinking of this, Pan Li felt an overwhelming sadness again.

The Grand Prince Consort is Pan Li's biological uncle.

He loved Pan Li just as much as he loved Nan Ping.

She was reborn into Pan Li's body and enjoyed a lot of his care.

Now, though he has managed to survive, he cannot rescue him and his two cousins ​​from the princess's residence...

Because of that coup, this uncle died tragically under Duan Rongjue's sword in a fit of rage... wasn't that a human tragedy?

Pan Li's family then settled down temporarily at the border.

Now that Li Qingluo is handling state affairs, Pan Li's husband, Shen Anyu, has been assisting her quite a bit.

But in fact, when this top scholar first learned that the Empress of Great Chu was going to handle state affairs on behalf of Prince Su, he was not only shocked, but also had a lot of incomprehension.

He was reading the classics.

He studied at a Confucian university.

Therefore, it is unacceptable for women to be involved in politics.

The emergence of a princess in the Great Liang Dynasty caused chaos in the court, which led to the tragic palace coup.

Will this empress never harbor ambitions in the future?

But he quickly realized that this was the Empress of the Great Chu!

And yet, he himself was still a subject of the Great Liang.

Although he is now living a life of hardship in Mantuo City, he still wants to return to Jinling as soon as possible.

But after only a month in Mantuo City, Shen Anyu's heart underwent a tremendous change.

Manto City is by no means just a small border town!

It was thriving, and despite the chaos of war, the people lived in peace and contentment!

Moreover, every household was able to eat their fill and wear clothes, and there were even schools for girls!

Moreover, everything here is well-organized, with light taxes, a focus on agriculture and commerce, and continuous urban expansion.

Shen Anyu could imagine that one day, Mantuo City would be just as prosperous as Jinling!

And this was actually the result of the Empress's governance.

Despite being a woman raised in the countryside, she was no less capable than princes and princesses who had studied the art of rulership and how to govern a country from a young age.

Only those who are truly devoted to the people and have the world in their hearts, regardless of gender, can bring prosperity and peace to the country.

From then on, Shen Anyu stayed at home with peace of mind, which can be considered as submitting to Prince Su, and sincerely assisting Li Qingluo in handling political affairs.

Upon receiving Duan Rongshi's letter, Li Qingluo immediately opened and read it.

After reading it carefully twice, she burst into hearty laughter.