The Pan family residence was located within the capital city. When an imperial envoy arrived, conveying the emperor's decree to summon Pan Jinhua, the household was thrown into chaos.
For such an important occasion, one should bathe, burn incense, and wear the most solemn clothes.
However, Pan Jinhua was not in a good mood. In her mind, the palace was just like those palace dramas she had watched. She would rather stay away from it, because she might be punished for taking the wrong step.
The emperor summoned her urgently, so there was no time to discuss anything else. All these procedures were omitted. She was given a more formal outfit and some emergency training in court etiquette before entering the palace.
Pan Jinhua was no stranger to palaces and such. In her previous life, she had traveled to various gardens and parks. She had no interest in appreciating them at the moment. All she could think about was how to respond later and whether she had remembered the etiquette she had just learned.
Also, walking was really tiring!
Once inside the palace gates, there were no more carriages to ride in. She had no official rank and no sedan chair to take her seat, so she had to rely entirely on her two old legs. The more she walked, the more tired she became, and the slower she slowed down. The two young eunuchs beside her were so anxious they wished they could carry her on their backs.
When they finally arrived at the Hall of Diligent Governance, Pan Jinhua was covered in sweat and panting heavily.
The eunuch at the door went in to report, and Pan Jinhua took the opportunity to catch her breath.
"Announce that Lady Li Pan is to come to court."
Not long after, a servant's voice came from inside, and the servant who had been leading Pan Jinhua earlier whispered a reminder.
"Madam, please don't be nervous, please come with me."
"Thank you, Eunuch."
Pan Jinhua straightened her clothes and followed closely behind, stepping into the Hall of Diligent Governance.
"This humble woman, Pan, greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
Only court officials were exempt from performing the full salute to the emperor. Pan Jinhua, being a commoner with no rank or status, naturally had to perform the salute, not just the salute, but the full salute of kneeling.
Power is still the best.
Pan Jinhua bowed and sighed.
"Get up."
"yes."
Pan Jinhua stood up, remembering the eunuch's earlier words that she should not look directly at the emperor's face, so she kept her head down and used her peripheral vision to explore the scene inside the hall.
The voice wasn't young; it was very authoritative. Perhaps because I was intimidated by this person, I always felt there was an air of authority in the voice.
After a moment, the person at the head of the table chuckled, “Madam, there’s no need to be so reserved. Please raise your head.”
Upon hearing this, Pan Jinhua quickly raised her head. Sitting at the head of the table was a man dressed in black casual clothes. He didn't look like the noble and gorgeous man in the TV series, but his demeanor was indeed very intimidating.
"I've known for a long time that the old lady was the one who made tofu, grew regenerated rice, and produced soap. This is the first time I've seen her like this. She has made great contributions to our dynasty."
Pan Jinhua only glanced at it briefly before lowering her eyes. She was not surprised to hear the emperor's words. Firstly, the Li family had not tried to hide anything, and secondly, the emperor was the ruler of the world, so it would be too easy for him to investigate the Li family.
"Your Majesty is too kind. It is all just a coincidence. It is all thanks to the protection of Heaven. Your Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune."
"Is it really a coincidence?"
No matter how modest Pan Jinhua was, she could not escape the emperor's scrutiny.
Although he had never met Pan Jinhua, Ying Hao had just thought about it carefully while waiting for someone to arrive. Since he ascended the throne, the Li family had been active and had even helped him at different stages.
From tofu and rice cultivation techniques to soap and smallpox vaccination, isn't the Li family a bit too incredible? Ying Hao believed that an old lady, plus the Li family, a small aristocratic clan, had old things passed down from their ancestors.
However, there are too many.
You must know, the royal family is the most powerful clan in the world. Could they possibly have more secrets than the royal family? Ying Hao couldn't help but wonder, this old lady Pan really does have some secrets.
"Your Majesty flatters me."
Pan Jinhua's response was to neither admit nor deny it.
Denying it now is useless. There are plenty of smart people in the world, and she does have many flaws. No matter how she tries to cover it up, she can't escape the scrutiny of those in power.
Since that's the case, she's not afraid of anything. Anyway, she has no intention of changing the dynasty. She just wants herself to live a better life, the Li family to live a better life, and most importantly, the people of this era to live a better life. That's enough for her.
She's quite old, and a woman, so the emperor isn't particularly wary of her. She's presented him with everything she made, except for the soap. But time will tell, and I believe the emperor will understand her position.
What Pan Jinhua didn't know was that the soap was actually presented to the emperor; if she had known, she would have felt more at ease.
"I've invited you here today for no other reason than to ask if you can guarantee that smallpox vaccination will work."
"Your Majesty, I believe Lord Ouyang has already presented all the information. My descendants in the Li family have personally verified it, so it cannot be wrong."
Pan Jinhua's words were resounding; after all, it was an experiment that the Li family had risked their lives for, so she had nothing to be afraid to say.
"With the old lady's words, I feel a little more at ease. In urgent matters, we must act expediently. We cannot wait for slow verification, nor can we wait for Wang Jiao to fully recover."
"I will have the Empress and the Crown Prince vaccinated today. If successful, all will be well, and the Li family will receive their due reward. But if something goes wrong..."
Pan Jinhua held her breath, her heart skipped a beat, and finally spoke.
"If we cannot save him, we will leave it to His Majesty to decide his fate."
"good!"
Ying Hao glanced deeply at the old lady below, feeling much more at ease. For some reason, he just wanted to hear Pan Jinhua give a definite answer.
The emperor gave the order, and the entire Eastern Palace was mobilized.
By this time, the Empress and the Crown Prince had long been separated and isolated. The sick ox was also safely sent into the palace, along with the syringe that Pan Jinhua had made.
The Li family was more panicked because when the palace came to collect the items, they also informed the Li family that Pan Jinhua would need to stay in the palace for the next few days, but they did not mention when she could return.
"I hope Mother is alright?"
Li Xushi was very uneasy. Was his mother being held captive by the palace?
"Don't panic. Didn't Mother send a message through an official in the palace? Just listen to him and stay home."
Mo Qiaoniang comforted her, saying that her mother-in-law was the backbone of the family, and she herself was a little unsure of herself. She assured her that everyone was alright, and Li Xushi was fine.
The worst part is that it's useless against the Crown Prince and his group...
Mo Qiaoniang and Li Qingzhi kept the mansion gates tightly shut, and the servants inside were also strictly controlled.
Yan Min and Li Qingyao were focused on Wang Jiao's condition. Since his fever subsided, his spirits had improved day by day, and with the addition of some herbal medicine, he was clearly recovering his health.
The condition of Wang Jiao and the other two gave the Li family a boost of confidence.
The Crown Prince and the Empress were injected with smallpox pus as soon as everything was prepared.
In the days that followed, the eyes of the emperor, the Ouyang family, Pan Jinhua, and even the entire palace were focused on the Eastern Palace.
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