Chapter 138 What Audacity!

Pan Yueqing saw that Grandma Pan really didn't want to talk any more, and Liu Yingwei opened her mouth but finally closed it.

Pan Yingqian forced a smile and then slowly said, "Concubine Li is heavily pregnant now. It's not appropriate to trouble her any more. Father would surely be reluctant if he knew about it."

"What's your opinion, Eldest Sister?" Pan Yueqing was too lazy to beat around the bush and asked with a faint smile.

Grandma Pan frowned and said in a rather indifferent tone, "Li Rou is really not in a convenient situation. The child is the top priority, and this is no trivial matter. I'm old and lazy, and I don't want to take care of these things anymore. Your Eldest Sister is currently living at home. Since she has managed the Earl's residence before, let her take charge of the household affairs for a while."

Li Rou's eyes trembled slightly. "I'm used to being clumsy, and also..."

"You are clumsy indeed!" Grandma Pan said impatiently. "But the child in your belly isn't clumsy!"

With just one sentence, she roughly interrupted all of Li Rou's words. Li Rou stopped speaking awkwardly. Pan Yueqing, however, chuckled and said, "Eldest Sister hasn't managed the Earl's residence for a long time. Our family is different from those with noble titles. If Eldest Sister gets used to the ways of the Earl's residence, won't it cause trouble for Father? What's more, it's only been half a month since Eldest Sister had a miscarriage. She should take good care of herself so as not to affect her future ability to have children."

"Sister, I'm grateful for your love and concern for our family. But we absolutely can't ask you to take on these tasks now. If it gets out that our Pan family doesn't know how to raise daughters and has to make a married daughter who has just had a miscarriage take care of her natal family's affairs, it will be a stain on our reputation."

Without waiting for them to say more, Pan Yueqing continued, "Although I still need to attend to Grandma's illness, I'm still an unmarried daughter of the family. Let Fourth Sister and me do the rough work of running around. There's no need to trouble Concubine Li."

Liu Yingwei said anxiously, "This will make Second Miss work too hard."

"Although it's tiring, it's for the sake of our Pan family," Pan Yueqing smiled gently, and her words were flawless. "Fortunately, Grandma's residence isn't far away. It doesn't matter if I'm a bit tired for the family."

Seeing Pan Yueqing's sincere words, Grandma Pan didn't say anything more. After pondering for a moment, she agreed.

Soon, Li Rou and Pan Yueqing got up and took their leave. After leaving the courtyard, Li Rou thanked Pan Yueqing. She was extremely afraid of losing the power in her hands. In the past, because she had no power at all, she had been repeatedly made to have miscarriages by that vicious woman Liu Yingwei. One could imagine how much she had endured during the month when Pan Yueqing and Pan Haiyun were away to make it through to this day.

"Concubine Li, you shouldn't be so passive," Pan Yueqing didn't accept the invitation to go to Li Rou's courtyard. Instead, she pointed at the small pavilion beside the covered corridor, dismissed everyone, and looked at the tranquil rockery. Three or five sparrows were chirping on it. Her gaze was calm as she said, "Since you are in charge of the household affairs, you shouldn't be so afraid."

Li Rou's face showed a bitter expression. "Miss, you know that Liu Shi dominates this household. I have no one else to rely on, so I can only be cautious in my words and deeds."

Pan Yueqing let out a soft sigh. "How can you say you have no one to rely on?"

Hearing Pan Yueqing's words, Li Rou suddenly raised her eyes, and a glimmer of hope appeared in them. "Miss..."

Pan Yueqing glanced at Li Rou's expression. She knew that Li Rou must have mistakenly thought that she was officially joining her camp. She smiled and said, "It's not me you should rely on. What virtue and ability do I have? In this household, Concubine Li, you should know that Father is the master. You don't need to worry about Grandma and Liu Shi. All you need to do is gain Father's recognition."

"Alright, I have to go. Grandma can't be left unattended," Pan Yueqing stood up. "If there's anything, you can directly use the waist token to find me at the Dingyuan Marquis's residence."

After Li Zhe entered the Dingyuan Marquis's residence, he was led by Huitan, who served beside Grandma, to Grandma's side. Besides a few personal maids serving closely, there was no one else in the room. Li Zhe's expression was calm as he said, "I'll take Grandma's pulse."

"That Doctor Li is so handsome!"

"He doesn't seem to be very old, yet he was actually recommended by Miss Yue?"

"I hope Miss Yue is reliable. I heard from Miss Zhao that it was Miss Yue who made Grandma this ill." When Pan Yueqing arrived, she happened to hear two little maids chatting and gossiping while carrying tea under the corridor. Judging from their clothes, they were third-class maids. She cleared her throat lightly, and the two little maids stood up in a hurry. Wan'er, who originally came from the Dingyuan Marquis's residence, glared at them when she saw their behavior and scolded, "What are you gossiping about? Which slut's nonsense did you hear? With such strong opinions, I think the Marquis's residence can't accommodate you two anymore!"

The two of them didn't seem to be afraid. The one named Bai Guan, who had a green headband tied, sneered at Wan'er. "Sister Wan'er has already gone to that residence. Why are you still meddling here every day?"

Upon hearing this, Wan'er raised her hand to slap Bai Guan, but the little maid grabbed her hand. "We're all servants. Mind your own business. What does it matter what we say? If you want to show off your power as a first-class maid, go to Prime Minister Pan's residence. What are you showing off in our Marquis's residence? No matter how mediocre I am, the waist token I wear has the words 'Dingyuan Marquis's Residence' on it! It represents the face of the Dingyuan Marquis's Residence!"

Pan Yueqing looked at her arrogant appearance. Although she was now wearing a woman's long gown and robe, there was still a short whip tied around her waist. She took out the whip from her waist and lashed it at the maid. Her gaze was cold as she said, "Since when did the face of the Dingyuan Marquis's Residence depend on you?"

"You..." Bai Guan winced in pain and turned around to look at Pan Yueqing. At first, seeing Wan'er following behind this bright-eyed and charming girl, she vaguely guessed that this might be Miss Yue. She had always heard that Pan Yueqing was cowardly, so she was trying to use Wan'er to intimidate Pan Yueqing.

"Who sent you?" Pan Yueqing had already noticed that it was this maid who first said that she had made Grandma ill. Seeing that the maid didn't say a word, she immediately gave an order to the people behind her. "Give the order. No one from the Zhao family is allowed to enter the door."

"Who do you think you are!" Just as Pan Yueqing finished speaking, a girl in an apricot-yellow dress rushed out from the corridor. It was Zhao Pinxuan.

"Grandma needs to rest quietly. You're being too noisy," Pan Yueqing looked at Zhao Pinxuan's furious expression, but her tone was very calm.

"Grand-aunt dotes on my eldest brother the most. Now everyone knows that Uncle has made great achievements. If Grand-aunt asks the Emperor for mercy in the status of a first-rank imperial consort, the Emperor will surely forgive my brother!" Zhao Pinxuan lifted her skirt and stepped forward. "Why are you stopping me from seeing Grand-aunt?"

Pan Yueqing was too lazy to talk to her and just waved her hand.

Zhao Pinxuan stepped forward and grabbed Pan Yueqing's sleeve. "I'm not leaving!" Then she started wailing. "We're all relatives, but you want to see my Zhao family have no descendants! You have such a cruel heart!"

"You really have a lot of nerve," Pan Yueqing said impatiently. She took out the embroidered handkerchief from her waist and stuffed it into Zhao Pinxuan's mouth. "Uncle risked his life in the northern border, and his merits haven't even benefited his descendants yet. Why should they be attributed to your good-for-nothing brother? You talk about being relatives now? If it weren't for Uncle and the Emperor growing up together and the Emperor's trust, just for the crime of embezzling palace maids, your Zhao family would have dragged the Su family along and been executed along with the whole family!"

"You have the nerve to talk about being relatives when you're in trouble?"