Li Qitian had actually entered the hall without being notified. Who knew how long he had been here and how much he had heard!
The Empress was a bit flustered. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and respectfully bowed to Li Qitian: "Chenqie greets Your Majesty."
Then she angrily said: "These people are really too much. Your Majesty came, but they didn't even send a greeting. It's chenqie's fault for neglecting to control the palace servants and making Your Majesty laugh. Chenqie only cared about chatting with Family Qin and didn't greet Your Majesty. It's really too disrespectful. "
Li Qitian waved his hand, lifted his robe, and sat down on the Empress' seat. He smiled and said: "Zhen wanted to hear what you were talking about, so zhen didn't let them speak."
He actually said it so bluntly?
Qin Yining stood to the side with his head bowed. He was still holding an embroidery pattern in his hand. Seeing this, he put the pattern on the black lacquered paulownia wood table and bowed to Li Qitian: "Greetings to Your Majesty."
"En, you can stand up." Li Qitian casually took the teacup that the Empress held with both hands.
"Thank you for Your Majesty." Qin Yining stood up and stood to the side.
Li Qitian put down the teacup, picked up the embroidery pattern on the table and looked at it. He casually threw it aside and said with a smile: "Tell me, what were you talking about?"
The Empress felt as if her entire body was soaked in ice water. Her panic spread like a cold poisonous snake winding up her legs and tightly entangled her.
At this moment, she felt even more clearly that her husband was no longer the simple man from before. He was the ruler of a country. It was impossible for his heart to only have their small family. They were no longer an ordinary couple.
Suppressing the bitterness and fear in her heart, the Empress calmly said: "Replying to Your Majesty, chenqie wants to make two pairs of shoes for the Empress Dowager, but I don't know what style and pattern to choose. Sister Qin's family has an old lord, and she is smart and quick-witted. She is very liked by the Empress Dowager and often serves the Empress Dowager. She should have some understanding of the Empress Dowager's preferences. So I wanted to ask Sister Qin to come and give me some advice."
"Oh? Li Qitian raised his eyebrows and looked at Qin Yining.
Qin Yining smiled and nodded. "Yes. Thanks to Her Highness the Empress' favor, this subject's wife is thanking you for this matter. "
Li Qitian looked at the Empress and Qin Yining suspiciously. He pursed his lips and frowned slightly. Obviously, he didn't believe their words.
However, even if he didn't believe it, he didn't have any concrete evidence. She couldn't do anything to the Empress in front of an extramarital woman.
"Forget it. I still have to go back and approve the reports. " Li Qitian stood up and casually glanced at Qin Yining. "Teach Consort Shun well. When Consort Shun has learned enough, zhen will permit you to return to the Prince's Mansion."
Qin Yining smiled and replied, "Yes, this subject obeys."
Li Qitian glanced at the Empress again and then quickly left with the palace servants.
The Empress and Qin Yining hurried to the palace gates to see them off.
Seeing Li Qitian and the others leave, the Empress let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that Li Qitian hadn't discovered anything and that it was just a coincidence.
Qin Yining's heart sank even more.
Li Qitian had come, but he hadn't revealed that Qin Huaiyuan had gone to the border to reward the army.
What was so shameful about rewarding the army? Even if it wasn't appropriate for Qin Huaiyuan to reward the army, it was the Son of Heaven's order, so it was perfectly justifiable for him to go. Moreover, it was Your Majesty's decree, which was even more glorious and gracious.
Li Qitian had given the favor, so there was no reason for him to not mention it in front of her. It was as if nothing had happened.
She lived in the Imperial Palace and had already cut off contact with the Prince's Mansion. She was still being kept in the dark about this matter. What was Li Qitian afraid of? Why didn't he want her to know?
Was he afraid of the Qingtian Alliance in her hands? After all, she was different from ordinary noblewomen who didn't have the power to fight back.
Qin Yining couldn't figure it out, but just like when she entered the Imperial Palace, she felt a chill in her heart.
In front of the Empress, she couldn't show her uneasiness.
She smiled and said, "I don't know when Consort Shun will finish learning etiquette. This subject's two younger sisters are about to get married. Wang Ye is in the south right now, and this subject's wife is in the Imperial Palace. My father is also far away. If I can't send my two younger sisters off and add to their dowries, I'll always feel a bit regretful."
The Empress saw that Qin Yining didn't have any strange reaction after learning that Qin Huaiyuan had gone to reward the army, so she felt a lot more relieved. When she heard her mention this kind of family matter, she felt a bit closer and more sympathetic.
"How about this? Don't be impatient. This consort will find an opportunity to talk to Your Majesty about it. I think Your Majesty will be flexible in these matters. "
"Then many thanks, Niangniang." Qin Yining smiled and thanked her.
The two quickly discussed and decided to make the flower pattern for the Empress Dowager's shoes. Qin Yining stood up and bid farewell.
The Empress also had to take the initiative to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. Even if the Empress Dowager forgave the Empress from fainting, the Empress couldn't not take the initiative to pay respects. Even if she was stopped outside Ci 'an Palace, it was better than being the subject of gossip.
Qin Yining returned to the side hall of Chuxiu Palace where she was temporarily staying. She let Ji Yun and Bing Tang go and do her own things. She sat alone on the edge of the bed in the inner hall, her hand unconsciously playing with the tassels hanging down from the curtain.
Why did Li Qitian arrange for her father to reward the army without any rhyme or reason?
If he wanted to reward the army, wouldn't it be more appropriate to arrange for Duke Ding to go?
Moreover, all of this was too much of a coincidence.
Pang Xiao was left in the south. There must be a lot of trouble in the old capital. At this time, he must have been tripped up. Pang Xiao also obeyed orders to get rid of the Yuchi Yan. She didn't know what Pang Xiao decided and what arrangements Li Qitian and the Qiu Family made.
That wasn't all. Now, she was left behind by Li Qitian in the name of teaching Princess Tana etiquette and Da Zhou dialect. She was kept in the palace and didn't know anything about the outside world. She also had to pay attention to any movements in the palace. She couldn't do anything else.
In the prince's mansion, only Qin Huaiyuan was left to guard the two families.
But Qin Huaiyuan was ordered to reward the army.
If it was a big prince's mansion, the remaining people were all uncertain. And the three people in their family who could make decisions were separated. They were in different places and were fighting for themselves.
It was hard for Qin Yining not to think that this was deliberately done by Li Qitian.
He separated them, detained her in the palace, and sent Qin Huaiyuan and Pang Xiao to the north and south respectively. What was his purpose?
Qin Yining's fingers twirled the tassel. Her mind was spinning a thousand times, but she couldn't figure it out.
She never thought that she was smart enough to make decisions for certain things.
The things she encountered in the past were forced to the present. She could only choose the most appropriate way to do things. Fortunately, she was lucky. She walked through a mountain of swords and a sea of fire time and time again.
What about this time?
Qin Yining's mind was in a mess. She couldn't help but think of the two children who were taken to Nanyan by the Sun Clan and Madam Ma.
A light suddenly flashed through Qin Yining's mind.
In Li Qitian's mind, who was the enemy?
It wasn't her, Qin Yining, who was a woman, or Qin Huaiyuan, who was weak and scholarly. It was Pang Xiao, who had a high prestige in the army and was predicted by Tian Jizi to be the Ziwei Emperor Star.
Therefore, Li Qitian did all this to achieve a certain goal with Pang Xiao.
Now, Pang Xiao was in the south and was held back by the Yuchi Yan. However, he gradually gained control of the 100,000 soldiers in his hands.
In this battle between the Dragon Stallion Army and the Tiger Army, although the Tatan soldiers were all under Ji Zeyu's command and believed in Ji Zeyu's ability and talent, the 100,000 Tiger Army was a hardcore force that had followed Pang Xiao to the north and south in the past. Pang Xiao, who had a high prestige in the army, had now gained a firm foothold in the army.
For Li Qitian, who had always suspected that Pang Xiao had disloyal intentions, this should be one disaster after another, right?
Li Qitian probably wanted to get rid of Pang Xiao.
However, Li Qitian was the ruler. Da Zhou had only been established for six years and had entered the seventh year. This country was still very young, and Li Qitian's position was not stable yet. Even if he wanted to get rid of Pang Xiao, he definitely wouldn't let the world think that he was afraid of the meritorious officials.
If he left behind the infamy of being afraid of the meritorious officials, how could Li Qitian rule the world and win people over with virtue in the future?
Therefore, in order to get rid of Pang Xiao, Li Qitian would definitely give himself a legitimate reason, just like when he ordered people to list out Pang Xiao's crimes and accused him of the 'ten major crimes' in the imperial court.
Pang Xiao's actions were originally watertight.
However, now, Pang Xiao's greatest weakness had been exposed in front of everyone. Just based on the fact that Pang Xiao had resisted 33 imperial edicts for her, and just based on the fact that she was trapped in Jianchuan, Pang Xiao could lead troops and almost flatten Jianchuan City …
Therefore, Li Qitian was certain that if he got rid of her, Pang Xiao would definitely rebel!
Qin Yining suddenly stood up and almost pulled the tassels off the curtain.
She understood why her father was sent to reward the army!
She also understood why she had been living peacefully in the palace all this time!
If Li Qitian wanted to touch her, without considering anything else, Qin Huaiyuan would definitely be able to protect her.
Therefore, Li Qitian sent Qin Huaiyuan away.
As for the rest of the Family Qin, they were all people who couldn't handle big matters, so there was nothing to be afraid of.
From the moment she returned to the capital, entered the palace, and was sent away from Qin Huaiyuan, the next step was probably to make a move on her and force Pang Xiao to rebel!
Once Pang Xiao had the slightest intention of rebelling and was caught, the Tiger Army stationed near the capital and the Dragon Stallion Army in the south would probably immediately listen to Ji Zeyu's orders.
Ji Zeyu now had two trump cards in his hands, but Pang Xiao only had a measly 100,000 soldiers who didn't even have enough food and provisions. Moreover, Ji Zeyu would still have the right to do so. Wouldn't Pang Xiao's reputation be ruined, and his family would be ruined!
Qin Yining stood in front of the bed in a daze. Her face gradually turned pale, and her eyes gradually revealed a frightened expression.
Bing Tang and Ji Yun had already noticed that Qin Yining's situation wasn't right, but when they saw her staring at a certain spot, as if she was thinking about something, they didn't dare to disturb her. They could only stand there silently and anxiously.
After waiting for a long time, Qin Yining finally came back to her senses. Bing Tang immediately helped Qin Yining sit down and massaged her shoulders and arms, "Wangfei, what's wrong? Did you think of something?"
Ji Yun also said, "Wangfei, don't scare us. If there's anything, just say it and we can discuss it together."
A layer of cold sweat appeared on Qin Yining's forehead and nose, and her palms were soaked with cold sweat.
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