Chapter 380 Pan Li Admires Prince Su? A Sudden Appearance!
"Suppressing bandits?"
"When did His Highness Prince Su go to suppress the bandits?"
"Yes, how come we haven't heard a single sound?"
"Where are the bandits from? In the past few years, only the Lotus Sect has been causing trouble within a few hundred miles outside Jinling City. How come we haven't heard of any other bandits?"
"Of course there are. There have been river bandits along the upper reaches of the Changhe River for the past few months, and I've heard they've already robbed a lot of merchants' goods."
"We dare not harass the government's goods, but some merchants have suffered as a result, and quite a few cases have been reported."
"The Prince of Su wiped out the river bandits without a sound. He is truly swift and decisive, and should not be underestimated."
"After all, the title of Yama, the God of Slaughter, is not given lightly. I used to think he was good at solving cases, but I never knew he was also a god of war when it came to leading troops."
"Is Prince Su about to regain favor?"
"Of course! Last time, we captured a group of Lotus Sect members who were trying to break into the prison at the West Gate. This time, we also made a contribution by suppressing the river bandits. I'm afraid that, like His Highness the Crown Prince, we will be able to return to our positions."
Amidst the lively discussion, Emperor Yan's face also showed a hint of joy.
"good!"
"He truly is my good son."
"Give the order to have Prince Su station his troops where he is and summon him to see me immediately!"
Emperor Yan's spirits have improved considerably.
Others came forward to congratulate Emperor Yan.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
"His Highness Prince Su has successfully quelled the bandits again, and His Highness the Crown Prince has also dealt a blow to the Lotus Sect. It is truly a blessing for the Great Liang Dynasty to have princes like Prince Su and the Crown Prince!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, with these outstanding princes, our Great Liang Dynasty will be able to completely eliminate the remnants of the Lotus Sect and return to a peaceful and prosperous world in no time."
"May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand years!"
The Empress Dowager was also very pleased.
He invited Madam Pei over to chat and laugh together.
Only the Empress, though smiling, did not smile into her eyes.
Li Qingluo's expression was also not very good.
So he went to suppress bandits?
What exactly did he and Emperor Yan trade that night in the palace?
Despite being biological father and son, Li Qingluo once again felt that Duan Rongshi was nothing more than a knife in the hands of Emperor Yan.
Regarding the Pei family's affairs, Emperor Yan clearly felt that this knife was too sharp and wanted to discard it.
Now, however, Duan Rongshi is being used again.
Li Qingluo couldn't help but look at the Crown Princess, Lady Su, who was not far from her.
She is the eldest daughter of Grand Tutor Su, and also the most outstanding daughter of the Su family.
Dignified and virtuous, gentle and kind.
She was the epitome of all noble ladies in Jinling City, and the virtuous wife whom the Crown Prince respected and loved above all else.
Two days before Li Qingluo fell asleep, he read a word that came to mind: checks and balances.
The Crown Prince returned to the Eastern Palace, Prince Yun fell from grace, and Duan Rongshi rose to power.
Were they all merely pawns in Emperor Yan's game of checks and balances?
Crown Princess Su Miaoyu seemed to sense something and turned to look at the crowd.
She didn't catch those eyes, and only slightly furrowed her brow.
"Your Highness, are you really going? Why don't we go back? The forest is too dangerous..."
Su Miaoyu's voice was soft: "It's alright. I promised my elder sister that I would accompany her to the forest for horseback riding, how could I go back on my word?"
"Don't worry, my archery and horsemanship skills were quite good back in the day."
Princess Xiyue was at the head of the table.
Dressed in her riding attire, she exuded an air of grandeur and laughed loudly, "My fifth brother has performed another great feat! To celebrate with Father Emperor, I, the princess, will hunt a bear today and present it to Father Emperor and Grandmother!"
As the bugle sounded.
The women then entered the forest farm one by one.
The women leading the charge were determined to achieve some success today, and they all rushed out instantly.
The woman who wins the hunt will receive a hairpin from the Empress.
Who wouldn't want such an honor?
However, Princess Nanping had other plans; she wanted to see the handsome Cui Qilang.
As soon as they entered the woods, they disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Li Qingluo and Pan Li strolled leisurely at the back. Once the crowd had mostly dispersed, they turned a corner and led their people in the direction with the fewest people.
Li Qingluo: "Did you make the appointment with the person I asked you to yesterday?"
Once everyone was out of sight, Li Qingluo asked Pan Li.
Pan Li: "It's just ahead."
The two men, each with their own men, rode to the agreed-upon place and, sure enough, saw Cui Shiyi Niang in the distance.
However, Li Qingluo and Pan Li did not appear immediately.
They quietly dismounted and then had Que'er and the others lead the horses away to hide them in a more distant place.
The two of them patiently hid behind the dense bushes.
As Cui Shiyi Niang grew impatient and was about to mount her horse and leave, another group of people happened to come from the other side.
"Cui Shiyi Niang, didn't you say that Pan Li had arranged to meet you here?"
"Why hasn't anyone arrived yet?"
Li Qingluo and Pan Li exchanged a glance.
The visitor was indeed Consort Jing—Pei Zixuan.
Cui Shiyi Niang: "How would I know why she stood me up?"
"This Pan Li was never a good person; she really is a liar!"
"She's definitely playing me. I'll settle the score with her!"
Cui Shiyi Niang was a fiery-tempered woman; how could she tolerate such humiliation?
They immediately spurred their horses and rode away.
Pei Zixuan's face darkened: "Go, follow her."
After the two figures left, the old woman beside Pei Zixuan asked, "My lady, why are you fixated on such an insignificant person as Pan Li?"
"Is someone as lowly as her worth all this trouble?"
Pei Zixuan: "Pan Li's personality has changed drastically lately."
“I tested her, and she seems to have no memory of what happened in the palace back then.”
"But no matter how abnormal she is, it's impossible for her to be on the same side as Li Qingluo."
“They weren’t exactly on good terms before, and Pan Li and Liu Qingzhu were clearly closer.”
"But didn't you see Pan Li and Li Qingluo chatting and laughing all the way yesterday?"
"That's really bizarre."
"I suspect that Pan Li has remembered something. Or perhaps she remembers everything, but is just pretending to have amnesia because she is afraid of trouble."
"And will she use that incident to curry favor with Princess Nanping and Li Qingluo?"
The old woman didn't understand: "But why would she do that?"
"They used to be at odds, so why are they now forced to work together for some benefit?"
Pei Zixuan: "I do have this suspicion."
"Some time ago, I overheard the Empress and His Majesty talking."
"They said they planned to take Pan Li into the Eastern Palace as the Crown Prince's concubine."
"This Pan Li used to be a good-for-nothing, but after that near-death experience, he has indeed become much more composed and reserved."
"But with her father being only a fifth-rank Palace Attendant, it's an honor for her to be made a concubine of the Crown Prince!"
At this point, Pei Zixuan's voice was filled with jealousy and resentment.
"It's only natural that she and Nanping are close."
"But she shouldn't have gotten so close to Li Qingluo!"
"I have personally witnessed that Li Qingluo and Prince Su had an ambiguous relationship and could not be considered innocent."
"As for Pan Li's past feelings for Prince Su, others may not know, but I certainly do."
"That night by the lake, she even brought it up herself, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince is not even worth a finger of His Highness Prince Su."
"Therefore, I suspect that Pan Li doesn't want to be the Crown Prince's concubine, but rather wants to be a member of Prince Su's household!"
Upon hearing this, Li Qingluo was still pondering while stroking her chin when Pan Li excitedly grabbed Li Qingluo's arm.
Her eyes were filled with grievance.
It was as if it were saying: I didn't! I didn't! Luo'er, let me explain!
Li Qingluo: ……
After Pei Zixuan left, Pan Li could no longer hold back: "Pah! Who wants to be the Crown Prince's concubine?"
"Luo'er, you must not believe that nonsense. The Pan Li of the past is not the Pan Li of today."
"I have absolutely no improper thoughts about your Prince Su!"
Pan Li almost wanted to raise her hand and swear an oath.
Li Qingluo was both amused and exasperated, and with a smile, she pulled her arm, saying, "I know. I know."
"This Pan Li is not that Pan Li. Others may not know, but do you think I don't?"
She playfully flicked Pan Li's nose.
"Wait, why is it... my Prince Su?"
She narrowed her eyes.
Pan Li covered her mouth in surprise: "You wouldn't... not understand His Highness Prince Su's feelings for you yet, would you?"
Li Qingluo was surprised: "You even knew that?"
Her heart was pounding wildly.
The last time Twelfth Sister saw Prince Su was in the Pei family dungeon.
Was his intention already clear at that time?
Even Twelve Sisters could see it clearly at a glance, yet I had been oblivious to it for so long.
It was something she dared not think about.
How could someone like me deserve such a sincere relationship?
But he still charged straight at him fiercely...
He never hesitated, and he never gave up on her.
Li Qingluo felt as if something in her heart was slowly expanding, like a lotus flower blooming in the rain.
The vibrant energy of youth can no longer be concealed.
She clenched her fists, recalling Duan Rongshi's every smile and frown, his eyebrows and lips, and the eyes he always looked into when he looked at her.
She is profound and serene, and she can always become deeply immersed in it and unable to extricate herself.
She seemed to realize then that his desperate attempt to keep her by his side was truly driven by his sincere heart.
But I... was passively like a cowardly deserter.
Pan Li: "Luo'er?"
"Luo'er, what are you thinking about?"
"What’s wrong with you?"
Li Qingluo: "I'm fine. Does the Pan family really intend to send you to the Eastern Palace as the Crown Prince's concubine?"
Pan Li: "Pah! Dream on."
“My current father did mention this matter in a veiled way, but I was unwilling, so he said he would only listen to me.”
"Even if I truly offend the Crown Prince, he will never force me to do what I want."
Li Qingluo: "With the Princess backing up and mediating for the Pan family, this matter should not be difficult."
She stood up and said, "Let's go. There are still people waiting for us."
Li Qingluo quickly led Pan Li to meet up with Que'er and Granny Zheng.
The two women were not particularly eye-catching; they were just ordinary people wandering around in the woods.
Pan Li saw a rabbit.
Li Qingluo picked up the longbow, but before he could nock an arrow and shoot, someone else beat him to it.
They turned their heads and saw that it was none other than Zhong Liulang, whom they had seen yesterday.
He was accompanied by the Fourth Prince and his wife.
The Fourth Prince—formerly Prince Yun—lost the Emperor and Empress's favor completely after behaving improperly and losing his composure in the palace on his birthday.
Although it was later found that he had nothing to do with the assassination, he was still stripped of his title of Prince Yun on the spot because his negligence led to the emperor and empress being in danger of being assassinated.
Because he had already lost one eye, Emperor Yan still showed him some mercy, and apart from confining him to his room for a month to reflect on his mistakes, he did not punish him in any other way.
But Duan Rongxuan, who was once in the limelight, has fallen from grace and is now living a life worse than death.
After a long period of decline and silence in the Fourth Prince's residence, this was the first time he had reappeared in front of everyone.
Compared to the once glamorous and spirited Prince Yun, the current Fourth Prince is like a stone that has lost its luster.
He was wearing an eye patch, and his eyes, tinged with excitement, were fixed on Li Qingluo and Pan Li.
Zhong Liulang arrogantly raised his chin: "How dare you! Don't you know that this is prey that His Highness the Fourth Prince has taken a fancy to and wants to give to the Fourth Prince's Consort? You two think you can snatch it?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
