Chapter 142 Something Happened to His Highness

"Aunt Yang." Pan Yueqing raised her eyes to look at the person who came and slowly stood up, curtsying slightly towards her.

This Aunt Yang was also someone beside the Empress Dowager. However, it was not the Grand Empress Dowager Su Shi, whom they usually referred to as the "Great Empress Dowager", but the biological mother of the current Emperor, the noble consort Hui in the past and now the Holy Mother Empress Dowager Yang Shi. However, Yang Shi had always been reticent and did not take the initiative to meddle in court affairs. To all parties, she was more like a kind old lady and usually kept a low profile and rarely went out.

Aunt Shen subdued her arrogance and greeted Aunt Yang politely: "Aunt Yang, you're being too serious. It's just that this servant doesn't know her place and spoke a bit too harshly. I just couldn't stand seeing some people being arrogant because of the Emperor's favor. Just because the Emperor took a few extra glances at her, she doesn't know her left from her right and even forgets the most basic etiquette."

Aunt Yang glanced at Aunt Shen: "Please be careful with your words. This young lady has also said that she is not a concubine newly taken in by the Emperor. What you said is inappropriate. If this young lady wants to get married in the future, can you bear the consequences?"

"Also, do you really think this is just an ordinary girl?" Aunt Yang said in a calm tone: "This is the legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Pan."

Aunt Yang emphasized the words "legitimate daughter". Aunt Shen then roughly understood the situation. She forced a smile and was about to bow her head to Pan Yueqing, but Pan Yueqing spoke first and stopped Aunt Shen. She just heard Pan Yueqing say to Aunt Yang: "Is there any instruction from the Empress Dowager?"

In the red sandalwood box that Aunt Yang was holding, there was a very delicate gold-inlaid bracelet lying inside: "The Empress Dowager said that this bracelet was presented by Sogdiana many years ago. But the style is too youthful. Now that you are here as a guest, we have been a bit neglectful. This pair of bracelets is just right for you. Firstly, it's to apologize, and secondly, the Empress Dowager really feels a connection with you and is happy to see you."

Pan Yueqing somewhat understood the underlying meaning of these words. The Emperor's biological mother probably knew that she was trapped here now. And as the Empress Dowager, Yang Shi also didn't want her to become the Emperor's concubine. So today, she sent Aunt Yang to say these words, which was hinting to herself that she could pack up and prepare to leave.

After all, she had never met Empress Dowager Yang Shi before.

She took a look at the pair of bracelets, closed the box, reached out to take the bracelets, and nodded slightly at Aunt Yang with a smile: "I will definitely thank the Empress Dowager in person for her kindness if I have the opportunity."

After hearing this, Aunt Yang also understood that Pan Yueqing had understood. She smiled affectionately at the moment: "It's better to choose a day than to seize the moment. Miss, come with this servant now."

Pan Yueqing didn't expect that she would meet all the people she hadn't had the chance to see before in this trip. She followed Aunt Yang. The moment she stepped out of the closed red-lacquered door, she realized that she had been locked in the most remote corner of the Three Palaces and Six Courtyards. There were even weeds growing on the blue stone bricks outside. Therefore, she felt even colder in her heart. For a moment, she thought that Qi Tai wanted to hide her away. And just as Eunuch Wei said, if the Emperor lost interest in her one day, she would be forgotten here.

No one would care about her birth, aging, illness, or death.

Aunt Yang bent down to signal Pan Yueqing to get on the sedan chair. Unexpectedly, they met Qi Tai, who had a whim to come looking for her, at the corner. The moment Pan Yueqing, who was standing beside the sedan chair, saw Qi Tai, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She calmly curtsied towards the Emperor and greeted him with "Long live the Emperor". There were servants kneeling all over the ground around her, and even Aunt Yang prostrated herself on the ground.

Qi Tai's tone didn't show any difference. Instead, he sounded amiable: "Where are you going?"

"The Empress Dowager invited Miss to have tea." Aunt Yang said with a brave face. She knew the Emperor well. Although he seemed amiable, he was actually already angry in his heart.

The Emperor glanced at Pan Yueqing indifferently, nodded, and didn't stop them: "Then go."

Pan Yueqing thought it was really strange. But following the principle of not talking too much, she thanked the Emperor and then got on the sedan chair and went to the Changping Palace of Empress Dowager Yang.

"Miss Pan is here." Aunt Yang curtsied properly again. The moment she lifted the curtain, the harmonious atmosphere in the room froze when they saw Pan Yueqing stooping in. Pan Yueqing raised her eyes and saw that the lingering smile on the faces of Empress Dowager Su and Empress Dowager Yang, who had been holding hands and chatting just now, hadn't faded away. Empress Dowager Yang coughed lightly, and the two of them sat up straight. "Paying my respects to the two Empresses Dowager!" Pan Yueqing slowly curtsied, clasped her hands respectfully on her forehead, and bowed deeply.

"There are not just two Empresses Dowager here. Look at who that is?" Empress Dowager Su raised her eyes and pointed to the right. A beautiful woman was wearing palace clothes, with a plum blossom sticker between her eyebrows. She was waving a beauty fan and looking at the somewhat dazed Pan Yueqing. Her voice was gentle, and she didn't blame Pan Yueqing for not greeting her. She just smiled at Empress Dowager Su: "The Great Empress Dowager is teasing the child again. How could she recognize me?"

She got up and helped Pan Yueqing up: "I'm the Consort Shu, your mother's cousin. You should call me Aunt."

"Greetings, Aunt." Pan Yueqing followed suit. She looked at her carefully. At first glance, she felt that this aunt was somewhat familiar. But if she was asked to say where she was familiar, she couldn't quite tell. It was just that when Consort Shu came forward to help her up and smiled with her head lowered, she suddenly remembered that this expression was very similar to that of her mother, Su Lan.

Suddenly, fear welled up in her heart. She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and forced a smile: "I wonder why the Empresses Dowager and the Consort have summoned me today..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell silent. Pan Yueqing bit her lower lip and instinctively thought that she might have said something wrong.

"You can leave the palace." Empress Dowager Yang spoke first. When she said this, she didn't have the amiable expression at the beginning. Instead, she was a bit impatient and even showed some fear.

Looking at Empress Dowager Yang's expression, Pan Yueqing took a deep breath: "I can't leave."

"What? Do you also want to climb up the social ladder?" Empress Dowager Su suddenly spoke, and her words were not very pleasant.

Pan Yueqing shook her head: "I don't want to climb up any social ladder. I have a maid beside me who risked her life to save me several times. Now I don't know her whereabouts. For both emotional and rational reasons, I can't leave her behind and escape. If I escape, she won't be able to survive. Moreover, this is the Northern Qi Dynasty. With my whole family here, how can I escape the Emperor's grasp?"

Empress Dowager Su sneered: "Then you should submit to him."

Empress Dowager Yang was a bit scared and reached out to hold Empress Dowager Su. Empress Dowager Su patted her hand twice and looked at Pan Yueqing with a very stern gaze: "You told me before that you have someone you like. What did I tell you?"

Pan Yueqing said calmly: "The Great Empress Dowager told me to make a decision as soon as possible."

Empress Dowager Su's gaze seemed to want to devour the submissive young girl in front of her alive: "I thought I made it clear enough!"

Pan Yueqing raised her eyes to meet Empress Dowager Su's gaze. She opened her mouth but didn't know where to start. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead involuntarily. Just as she was considering how to speak, a little eunuch outside the door stumbled in: "Something's wrong! His Highness, the Prince of Xiangyang! Something has happened!!!"