activa-t Chapter 457
Chapter 457
Upon hearing this, Lady Yao looked at her daughter with concern.It was only today that she learned that the so-called Third Prince had come to their doorstep the day before.
Thinking back to how her daughter had almost been taken away, Lady Yao was terrified.
But now, with the Empress summoning her, even though Lady Yao didn’t understand the intrigues of the noble ladies in the capital, she still felt that the Empress’s summons must be inextricably linked to the Third Prince.
With this thought, Lady Yao grew deeply worried.
Could it be that the Empress wanted her daughter to marry the Third Prince?
Her heart pounding with unease, she turned to look at Li Zhiwei beside her.
“Nanny, does Her Majesty have some business with me?” Li Zhiwei asked cautiously after some hesitation.
A hint of helplessness crept into her heart. Was she simply being singled out by misfortune?
“Her Majesty said she hasn’t seen Miss Li for a long time and misses her. She specially sent this old servant to invite Miss Li to the palace to keep her company and chat. Miss Li, please freshen up quickly and follow this old servant into the palace—don’t keep Her Majesty waiting too long.” Nanny Chang’s smile remained warm, but her words left Li Zhiwei no room to refuse.
“Please wait a moment, Nanny Chang. This subject’s daughter will go change her clothes.” Li Zhiwei sighed, knowing that today, she could not avoid the palace.
Nanny Chang nodded with a smile.
Li Zhiwei hurried back to the Banyue Pavilion.
“Miss, for the Empress to summon you at this time, she must have ulterior motives,” Qinghua said worriedly from the side.
“I know, but when the Empress orders a summons, how can a mere subject’s daughter like me refuse?” Li Zhiwei smiled bitterly. She truly had no choice in this matter.
“Miss, could it be that Her Majesty wants you to marry that Third Prince of the Qinling Kingdom?” Qingyue asked anxiously.
“I don’t know.” Li Zhiwei shook her head. Without seeing the Empress, she couldn’t jump to conclusions.
Qinghua and Qingyue exchanged glances, both filled with urgency. The Empress summoning their mistress at this moment was definitely not good news.
If the Empress truly wanted her to marry that Third Prince of Qinling, what could be done?
After all, there were only a few days left before the grand wedding of the prince and their mistress.
Did the prince know about this?
Or had the Emperor and Empress deliberately sent the prince away to force Miss Li to marry that Shangguan Mu?
At this thought, both of them grew anxious.
But Xu Heming was not in the capital. Even if they were worried, they had no way to stop this from happening.
“Qingyue, come with me to the palace. Qinghua, go find someone.” Li Zhiwei quickly changed her clothes and then gave her instructions.
“Miss, let me go with you!” Cuiguo said eagerly from the side.
She feared the Empress would bully her mistress.
If she went, at the very least, if the Empress wanted to punish her mistress, she could take the punishment in her place.
“Stay in the mansion with my mother. Don’t worry—the Empress won’t do anything to me,” Li Zhiwei sighed.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to bring Cuiguo into the palace, but this trip was fraught with danger.
She could barely protect herself, let alone guarantee Cuiguo’s safety.
Qingyue, after all, had been trained as a shadow guard. If something went wrong, she could find a way to escape and summon help.
Hearing this, Cuiguo could only look at Li Zhiwei with tear-filled eyes. She knew that if she insisted on going, she would only become a burden to her mistress.
Li Zhiwei quickly returned to the main hall with Qingyue.
Lady Yao looked at her daughter with deep concern.
Li Zhiwei gently patted her mother’s hand, silently reassuring her.
“Nanny, let’s go,” Li Zhiwei said with a light smile to Nanny Chang.
Nanny Chang looked at Li Zhiwei and nodded with a smile.
The carriage slowly made its way toward the palace.
Standing at the entrance of the Li residence, Lady Yao watched the carriage disappear into the distance, her heart in turmoil.
“Madam, the young mistress is blessed with good fortune. She will be fine,” Chun Tao whispered in comfort.
Lady Yao’s heart ached. Thinking of her son still in Lucheng, she wondered—did everyone think the Li family had no male heir and could be easily pushed around?
At the thought that Li Zhiwei might be married off to the Qinling Kingdom, Lady Yao felt a sharp pain in her chest.
“Madam, please return to the mansion. This servant still has a task to carry out for the young mistress,” Qinghua said, bowing to Lady Yao before speaking urgently.
“Go then. Don’t delay Weiwei’s important matters,” Lady Yao said, though she didn’t know what her daughter’s urgent business was.
Qinghua nodded and quickly left.
Chun Tao and Cui Guo supported Lady Yao as she returned to the mansion.
Kunning Palace
“This subject’s daughter pays her respects to Her Majesty the Empress!” Li Zhiwei nervously performed the ceremonial bow before the Empress.
“Rise. I haven’t seen Miss Li for a long time, so I specially sent Nanny Li to invite you to the palace to keep me company. I hope you don’t mind?” The Empress looked at Li Zhiwei with great warmth.
“This is this subject’s daughter’s honor,” Li Zhiwei replied, knowing full well the Empress’s words were merely polite. She didn’t believe the Empress would summon her for no reason.
If it were about the Jinhua Hall, that seemed unlikely, as the shop had not yet opened.
Besides, if the Empress truly had matters concerning the Jinhua Hall, asking Cheng Qingli would be far more convenient than asking her.
With this thought, Li Zhiwei became even more uncertain about the Empress’s purpose.
Could it really just be about the progress of the Jinhua Hall?
“Someone, bring a seat for Miss Li!” The Empress quickly gestured for a palace maid to bring a chair for Li Zhiwei.
“I heard Lady Yao is in poor health. If needed, I can send an imperial physician to examine her,” the Empress asked with feigned concern.
“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. My mother is much better now, and there is no need to trouble the imperial physician,” Li Zhiwei quickly replied.
“Not at all. If Lady Yao needs anything, just let me know. The Li family is a meritorious house of the Lannuo Kingdom. We must not let the hearts of our loyal subjects grow cold,” the Empress said with an affectionate tone.
Li Zhiwei felt that the Empress’s words carried hidden meaning, but since the Empress hadn’t said anything directly, she could only pretend not to notice.
In her heart, she prayed that the Empress was not about to persuade her to marry that Shangguan Mu.
But as the saying goes, fear invites what one dreads most.
“I heard you met the Third Prince and the Ninth Princess of the Qinling Kingdom yesterday. Word has it that the princes and princesses of Qinling are exceptionally handsome and beautiful. I am terribly curious, so I asked you to come to the palace to satisfy my curiosity. Tell me, does the reputation hold true after seeing them in person?”
The Empress looked at Li Zhiwei with keen interest.
Li Zhiwei’s breath caught in her throat.
She knew it—the Empress summoning her could never be for anything good.
“Your Majesty is too kind. As a subject’s daughter soon to be wed, how could I dare to look freely upon other men? However, I did catch a glimpse of the Ninth Princess. She is indeed a beauty,” Li Zhiwei said, lowering her head in reply.
She deliberately emphasized that she was about to be married.
She hoped the Empress would abandon any thought of persuading her to marry Shangguan Mu.