Chapter 198 The Empress Summons Her, the Fake Heiress Appears
Li Qinglu thought to herself: She knows a lot more than that.
However, she only wanted to scare the Qu family today.
"If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. Mother, what you have done will be exposed to the world one day."
Madam Qu's face turned completely pale: "You, you're talking nonsense! Your mother only did it for Zhu'er's sake..."
Li Qingluo: "Really? Liu Qingzhu is really bold. She made you swallow such a huge pile of shit without daring to utter a sound."
Li Qingluo's words made Madam Qu's eyes turn red with anger: "I am still your mother, why do you have to treat me like this?!"
Li Qingluo closed her eyes, too lazy to look at her: "Isn't that how you treat me?"
Before Madam Qu could say anything more, Old Madam Pei impatiently shouted again, "Shut up! If you open your mouth again, I'll make sure you can't enter the palace today! Get out of here!"
Madam Pei didn't want to look at Qu Shi any longer and kicked her off the carriage.
Qu Shi, disheveled and with tears in her eyes, got off the general's carriage and quickly got into the carriage where Que'er and the others were sitting.
Even after the argument had ended, Madam He's kind face still wore a gentle smile.
She held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand and murmured, "It seems that the Pei family really does regard this woman as the apple of their eye, just as the rumors say."
"But this Qu family is really useless. She was kicked off the carriage by her mother-in-law. It's really pathetic."
Even with a face as compassionate as a Bodhisattva, a hint of disdain couldn't be ignored when the Qu family was mentioned.
The granddaughter asked, "Grandmother, since Old Madam Pei values Li Qingluo so much, if she really refuses to agree to this marriage, won't Xun-ge'er be disappointed?"
Another granddaughter chimed in, "Yes, just now I saw that Fourth Brother seemed quite pleased with Li Qingluo's appearance. Although she grew up in the mountains, she has been raised in a wealthy family and has indeed become quite a beauty."
"She's lucky to have married our Xun-ge!"
Madam He: "She's just an old woman, meddling in her granddaughter's marriage. Does she think she can just do whatever she wants?"
"If she doesn't agree, then just make sure she can't speak."
As she spoke, Madam He slowly closed her eyes.
“Traditionally, a woman’s marriage is arranged by her parents and a matchmaker. If Madam Pei insists on her own way and delays her granddaughter’s happiness, then whatever fate befalls her, she deserves it.”
The carriage slowly entered the first palace gate.
At the Second Palace Gate, all carriages must stop outside and cannot proceed any further.
The officials' wives and concubines disembarked from their carriages one by one, served by their own servants. After a brief search by palace attendants, they boarded palace carriages or sedan chairs and headed towards the inner palace.
Li Qingluo and Madam Pei were still riding in the same carriage. After traveling for some time, Madam Pei's back started to ache.
“People get old and become useless! My grandmother suffered some injuries on the battlefield when she was young. At first, she didn’t feel anything, but now that she’s older, she can’t withstand anything when the weather changes.”
Li Qingluo tenderly massaged her grandmother's waist.
"Grandmother, will this make you feel better?"
Madam Pei squinted her eyes happily: "So comfortable. Now that Grandmother has you, I'm truly starting to enjoy life."
She paused for a moment, then said, "Luo'er, don't be afraid of your mother's thoughts today. With your grandmother here, no matter how much she tries to cause trouble, it won't work!"
Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, Luo'er believes you. However, what exactly does the Qu family mean? It seems that more than ten years ago, the Qu family's hand has been stirring up trouble in the inner quarters of the Li family... Grandmother, what exactly are they plotting?"
Madam Pei had a suspicion in her mind.
But how could she tell Luo'er such filthy things?
"Don't worry about the adults' affairs for now. Stay with me today and don't get separated from me, understand?"
Li Qinglu nodded, knowing that her grandmother didn't want to talk about the Qu family, so she didn't bring it up again.
But then Old Madam Pei muttered and cursed Qu Shi: "What an idiot. Minister Qu is indeed a high-ranking official, but Xun'er's father is just a minor county magistrate. Why doesn't she mention that?"
"How could Xun-ge'er, looking like that, be worthy of you?"
Li Qinglu smiled helplessly. In her grandmother's eyes, what kind of man would she feel was worthy of being her granddaughter's husband?
As they were talking, Madam Pei suddenly realized something was wrong.
"Wait! Why aren't we here yet?"
The palace where tonight's banquet will be held is Zhaohua Palace.
Madam Pei, who had visited the palace countless times, remembered that it only took half an hour to get from the second gate to Zhaohua Hall. Why had she walked for so long today and still hadn't arrived?
She lifted the curtain and saw that this road did not lead to Zhaohua Palace at all!
Moreover, apart from her and Luo'er's carriage, only Qu Shi's sedan chair was still following behind, and even Zhang Mama, Deng Mama, and Que'er had disappeared.
But this is the imperial palace...
Madam Pei lowered the curtain and looked at Li Qingluo: "It seems we have an important person to invite us today."
Li Qingluo looked at her grandmother in confusion: "Someone took us away alone? My mother was with us too?"
Madam Pei nodded: "Luo'er, why don't you guess who wants to meet with our family in private?"
Li Qinglu was silent for a moment before answering, "Your Majesty the Empress."
In her previous life, she had just come from the mountains and was indeed quite ignorant.
But after her rebirth, she became incredibly cunning and shrewd.
Some things that I was confused about in my previous life are now becoming clearer as I continue to learn.
For example, why did Prince Yun still take Liu Qingzhu into his harem even though she had already returned to the Liu family and become an ordinary commoner with such a bad reputation?
The Li Qingluo of her previous life would never have been able to understand this.
But in this life, she gradually glimpsed the truth by cutting through the fog.
Despite what Prince Yun and Liu Qingzhu did, and even though Liu Qingzhu caused him to lose a child, he did not abandon Liu Qingzhu. Was he truly so infatuated with her that he could not let her go?
If one truly loves someone to the extreme, the eldest daughter of a general's family is not worthy of a concubine, let alone the title of principal wife.
Ultimately, from the moment he learned of Li Qingzhu's true identity, he had always regarded her as nothing more than a pawn to be manipulated or a plaything.
Therefore, Li Qingluo is even more convinced that Prince Yun had ulterior motives from the very beginning.
Moreover, Li Qingluo's tragic death in her previous life was also related to Prince Yun.
If it weren't for the fake self-immolation he and Liu Qingzhu plotted, Li Qingluo wouldn't have met such a tragic end so quickly.
In this life, he still conspired with Liu Qingzhu to frame him.
They wanted to kill two birds with one stone, but unfortunately, they didn't fall into the cage they had drawn.
Moreover, he had completely disrupted their plans in this lifetime, so they were naturally unwilling to accept it.
Li Qinglu sneered inwardly: She spared Liu Qingzhu's life not only because she wanted to see how badly she fell, but also because Prince Yun had to fall into the abyss of hell with her!
Li Qingluo guessed correctly; the three of them did indeed stop outside the Empress's Phoenix Palace.
The head palace maid walked out with her chin held high, looking at the three women with indifference and saying, "Madam Pei, General's wife, and Miss Li. Her Majesty the Empress has been waiting for a long time. Please enter the hall."
The other palace servants immediately came forward and, without waiting for Li Qingluo and the others to react, led them inside.
Madam Qu trembled with fear, while Li Qingluo, supporting Madam Pei, remained relatively calm.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she was stunned by everything she saw.
Even in winter, the garden is a beautiful sight at every turn, filled with flowers. You can smell their fragrance when you look down and see butterflies fluttering when you look up.
Every scene was exquisitely beautiful, a sight Li Qingluo had never seen in his two lifetimes.
Upon entering the hall, one is greeted by sandalwood beams, crystal and jade lamps, beaded curtains, and gilded column bases.
The curtains were embroidered with golden crabapple blossoms, and the floor was paved with white jade bricks.
Everywhere was extremely extravagant and lavish, with exquisite craftsmanship that left people speechless with amazement.
In this world, there are people who can't even afford a bowl of white rice or white flour; they live simply to survive.
The most powerful woman in the land, who lives in this palace, is probably someone that even the poorest people in the land have never seen.
On the highest seat in the main hall of Phoenix Palace sat a woman of great elegance and flawless beauty. She was none other than Empress Gao, the most esteemed woman in the world.
Li Qingluo and the other two immediately knelt down.
"Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years..."
Li Qinglu lowered her eyes.
Since returning to Jinling in this life, this is the first time she has referred to herself as a subject.
She was unwilling from the bottom of her heart to live by clinging to Li Chaojing's glory, so she stubbornly referred to herself as a "commoner".
But now that they've entered the palace, they have no choice but to be pragmatic and lower their heads.
In a corner of the palace, there stood another person, none other than Liu Qingzhu, whom Li Qingluo was not surprised to meet today.
Liu Qingzhu was looking at Madam Qu with red eyes.
Qu naturally saw her as well.
“Pearl…”
She almost blurted it out.
But when she thought of what Liu Qingzhu had done, she forced herself to endure it.
This was, after all, the Empress's palace, so she dared not make a loud noise.
"Please rise, Madam Pei."
The Empress raised her hand in a gesture of support: "I witnessed your splendor when I was young, and seeing you again today, you are indeed as majestic and imposing as ever. Very well!"
"It's a pity that you retired from the court so early. Otherwise, with you as the only female general in our Great Liang, it would surely be even more glorious than before."
Madam Pei: "Your Majesty flatters me. I am unworthy of such praise!"
The Empress smiled, neither confirming nor denying: "Guards, quickly prepare a seat for Old Madam Pei!"
The palace servants brought a stool for Madam Pei, and after thanking them, Madam Pei sat down on the side, only half of her bottom touching the ground.
The Empress's gaze shifted slightly and landed on Li Qingluo.
"So you are the General's daughter? Raise your head and let me see you."
Li Qingluo dared not hesitate and slowly raised her head, but still kept her eyes down, unable to look directly at Feng Yan.
The Empress nodded in approval when she saw that she behaved very well.
"As expected of Madam Pei, who comes from the Duke's family, it is truly remarkable that she has taught you to be so well-mannered in such a short time."
Madam Pei smiled, but the warmth in her eyes gradually faded.
After all, everyone in Jinling knew that she had long been turned away from the Duke Pei's mansion, and that she hadn't even returned to her maternal family for decades.
"Your Majesty flatters me. Luo'er is still far from being good enough."
Empress Gao waved her hand dismissively.
She stopped being polite and got straight to the point about why she had invited them today.
"I have already heard Xiao Si tell you the story of the real and fake heiresses in your General's Mansion."
"Although this matter is indeed unbelievable, the twists and turns involved, besides being orchestrated by humans, are also a matter of fate."
"The misunderstandings and entanglements between your General's Mansion and Xiao Si are indeed inseparable from this matter."
"Liu, why aren't you coming forward?"
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