71

  Chapter 71: The Empress Returns to the Imperial Court

  Pan Yu Yang's face lit up with joy upon receiving the news, Xue Qing accompanied him closely as they quickly headed in the direction pointed out by the guard.

  "General." The young commander saluted respectfully.

  "What's going on?" Pan Yu Yang anxiously looked around, her hand still covering her chest.

  "Just now someone injured a soldier. Look at that move, it's man-made and the martial arts are not weak." The young commander pointed to the injured soldier.

  "I'll go take a look." Xue Qing patted Pan Yu Yang's hand and walked over to the little soldier to examine his wound.

  "Continue to search, this generation look for any tree holes, cave-like places, must be carefully searched!" Pan Yuanyang has been on expeditions outside for many years and has encountered many dangers. As for the wilderness, he naturally knows that if there are signs of human life, they should have a hiding place, such as caves or tree holes, which can allow people to survive. At this time of severe winter, the trees are bare, making it even easier to find them.

  Her face was blankly staring at the entrance: "Really gone?" Thought Guan Canghai was intentionally scaring herself, didn't expect to wait for half a day and still not see Guan Canghai come back, Yan's heart was somewhat disordered.

  Stumbling and staggering, he ran towards the entrance of the cave. The airflow outside was slightly stronger than inside, and the bitterly cold winter wind hit him squarely in the face. Yan's mouth was covered, his body chilled by the draft from the entrance, he closed his mouth tightly, feeling a bit warmer. A flash of red appeared as he plucked up the courage to look outside the cave entrance.

  "Even if you don't come back, I'll still have to pick up some branches." Yan'er muttered as she walked to the entrance of the cave. Before she knew it, snowflakes had started falling outside, and delicate snow petals were fluttering in mid-air. Yan'er hugged her shoulders tightly.

  "General! It seems like someone is there!" A sharp-eyed soldier pointed to a small red dot on the mountain slope, and that red dot was still moving.

  Pan Yu Yang turned her gaze in the direction the soldier was pointing and looked into the distance. Indeed, there was a small red dot moving, and it seemed to be a woman's figure: "Go take a look!" Pan Yu Yang covered her chest and, with Xue Qing's support, rushed towards the red dot first.

  "Ah!" Her face strained as she pulled on the branches of the cave entrance, which were still hard even in the cold winter. Her hands had long since gone numb from the cold, and now she was pulling on the branches with obvious weakness.

  "Yan'er!" Pan Yu Yang looked at that figure and thought it was even more like Yan'er, so she loudly called out.

  As expected, her face stiffened for a moment, who was calling out her name? She hastily put down the tree branch she had been struggling with and looked around, could it be that Yu Yang had found her? All she saw was a large group of people and horses moving towards her from afar, and her face lit up with joy, they were here to find her!

  "Brother Moon! I'm over here!" Yan'er waved her hand vigorously, afraid that Pan Yueyang wouldn't see her.

  Pan Yu Yang's face turned black with excitement as he quickened his pace, silly girl, not knowing she was half-naked, still waving her arms so hard, afraid that so many men couldn't see her.

  Her face forgot the cold, and she rushed in the direction of Pan Yueyang. She ran two steps, panting heavily, and continued to run.

  "Brother Yang!" Yan's face rushed into Pan Yueyang's arms, causing Pan Yueyang to secretly feel a pang of pain.

  A surge of bloody energy churned in her chest, unstoppable and turbulent. Plop... Pan Yu Yang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

  "Good heavens!" exclaimed both Yan'er and Xue Qing at the same time.

  "It's nothing." Pan Yu Yang waved his hand, and he had been holding back this breath of blood all along because he was worried about Yan Er. Now that Yan Er had found him, he couldn't suppress the turmoil in his internal energy anymore, and spitting out a mouthful of blood actually made him feel much better.

  Pan Yu Yang took off his cloak and wrapped it around Yan Er's body: "Go in and see if there are any other people inside the cave." Although Pan Yu Yang didn't mention a name, everyone present, including Yan Er, knew that he was referring to Guan Canghai.

  "No need to go, he's already run away." Yan's face smiled awkwardly.

  "Let's go back."

  A group of people returned to the camp in a mighty manner, Yan'er got on a horse-drawn carriage with Pan Yueyang and Xue Qing, which was specially prepared for Pan Yueyang by Xue Qing. Yan'er sat inside the carriage, Pan Yueyang hesitated for a moment before getting on, Xue Qing followed and pulled down the curtain of the carriage, the three people were in the small space inside the carriage.

  "Yueyang, are you okay?" Xueqing handed Pan Yueyang a handkerchief, fearing that Pan Yueyang would vomit blood again due to internal energy disorder.

  "Hmm." Pan Yu Yang closed her eyes and regulated her breathing.

  "Yuer, I heard that the Empress has returned to the palace from Cini Temple. Let's go in directly, be careful." Xueqing looked at Pan Yueyang and Yuer with concern.

  "Empress?" Yan'er recalled that there was indeed an empress in the Panlong Kingdom, but she had been living a reclusive life for many years and had never appeared in public.

  "Hmm, the Queen Mother has been in retreat at Ci'ni Temple for many years. The last time she returned to the palace was six years ago. I don't know why she suddenly returned this time, but it's still best for you to be careful." Xue Qing reminded him with good intentions, not saying anything more.

  Xue Qing's words are not unreasonable. Rong Huang Hou is a strict person who always distinguishes between public and private matters. Pan Yueyang also furrowed her brow.

  The horse carriage arrived at the palace with some guards, Yan'er got off the carriage with Pan Yueyang and Xue Qing, and got into a sedan chair. The three small sedan chairs walked slowly on the stone floor of the palace. Yan'er lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and looked at the two sedan chairs in front, her small hands were a bit nervous and grabbed her own tattered clothes, looking at Pan Yueyang and Xue Qing's serious expressions, she knew that Empress Rong was not easy to get along with, and there was no time for her to change into new clothes and tidy up, so she didn't know how Empress Rong would look at her.

  Ou Ruolan leaned on Empress Rong's arm: "Empress Dowager, you've been gone for six years, don't you miss Lan'er?"

  "The empress dowager has gone to pray for blessings for my Orchid, wishing that all her heart's desires come true." Empress Rong stroked Roulan's hair with affection, remembering when she left the palace at just twelve years old, now suddenly married.

  "Nalan's getting married and you didn't even tell me to come see her off." Ouluan leaned against her mother, pouting.

  "That's why the Empress Dowager knew that our Lan'er would definitely have a bright and prosperous marriage, no need for the Empress Dowager to worry, your father the Emperor will take care of everything." The Empress looked at Xuan Emperor beside her, and they exchanged a smile.

  "Orchid thought of her mother, but Orchid was not happy." Oulan felt a bit wronged and suddenly remembered the words of that immortal family member from that day. Could it be that she had misunderstood, and it wasn't the great chaos in the world? This wasn't Mother's closed-door meditation for many years and then suddenly returning, which exactly fulfilled the prophecy of that immortal's words about the phoenix emerging? It seemed that she must have overthought it, Oulan comforted herself.

  "Lan'er is thinking of something, tell Mother." Empress Rong patted the dazed Ouluan.

  Ou Ruolan was just about to mention the strange encounter of that day to Empress Rong, when a eunuch who had been sent to report entered the palace: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress, and the Princess, General Pan is outside the palace seeking an audience."

  "See you soon." Empress Rong spoke first.

  The little eunuch looked at Emperor Xuan and saw him nodding, then immediately got up and ran out quickly.

  "I have seen the Emperor and Empress Dowager." Pan Yu Yang bowed respectfully, followed by Xue Qing and Yan Er, who also bowed with Pan Yu Yang, adding only the word "Princess". Pan Yu Yang could dispense with the courtesy of kneeling to Ou Ruo Lan, but that didn't mean they two could.

  "Lift your head." Empress Rong had heard of this woman named Yan'er as soon as she returned to the palace. She looked at the two women kneeling in the great hall and knew that the one in tattered red clothes must be Yan'er.

  Her face slowly lifted to meet the three people on the steps, Emperor Jing stood on the right side, Ou Ruolan was on the left side, and this Empress Rong actually stood between them! In her heart, she felt a sense of awe. This Empress Rong was indeed a legendary figure, always leaving the palace for cultivation, but her identity was beyond doubt. Even Emperor Jing obediently stood beside her, letting her take the main position. It seemed that Xue Qing and Yue Yang's concerns were not unfounded.

  "Someone come and bring a cloak." Empress Rong smiled elegantly as she looked at Yan'er, but it was unknown what she was thinking in her heart.

  A palace maid brought over a cloak embroidered with peony flowers in gold thread. Empress Rong smiled as she took the cloak and walked down the steps: "It's cold outside, don't catch a chill." After saying that, she draped the cloak over Yan'er's body, then bent down to tie the sash for her before standing up straight and looking at Yan'er.

  "I dare not accept such kindness from Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager." Yan'er was a bit at a loss, her eyes fixed on the golden silk embroidered shoes of the Empress Dowager, the phoenix pattern on the toe caps seemed to be alive and dazzling.

  "Alright, you're quite perceptive and know your manners. Lift up your head, the Empress Dowager hasn't taken a good look at you yet." The Empress Dowager remained still, standing steadily in front of her.

  She had no choice but to obey and lifted up her dirty little face.

  "Hehe, this silly child must have suffered a lot. Look at that little face, originally a stunning beauty, now like a small flower cat." Empress Rong wiped her face with a handkerchief.

  Her face turned pale and she took a cold breath: "Your Majesty the Empress, I'll come myself, don't soil your hands."

  "It doesn't matter, I've been outside the palace for a long time and don't mind those tedious formalities." Empress Rong said, still handing the handkerchief to Yan'er.

  Pan Yu Yang and Xue Qing both lowered their heads, exchanging a glance with each other, their hearts racing with anxiety, unsure what kind of trick Empress Rong had up her sleeve.

  "After I returned to the palace, I heard rumors about you. A beautiful woman like you will inevitably stir up controversy in this mundane world." Empress Rong's tone suddenly turned stern, abandoning her previous gentle and loving demeanor.

  Her face stopped wiping her face, originally had a good impression on Rong Huanghou. When she heard Rong Huanghou's words, she was extremely nervous, it seemed that she didn't know how Rong Huanghou would deal with herself again. No wonder, having seen Ouluan's arrogance and city government, her mother wouldn't be much better either.

  "This palace can't tolerate even a speck of dust, women are often the precursors to great chaos in the world. You were born with a seductive bone, I spare your life only because I fear that you will bring ruin to the people of Panlong Kingdom and become a beauty who brings calamity!" Empress Rong's voice was forceful, her tone brooking no argument.

  "The slave knows she was wrong." Yan'er didn't know what else to do, so she could only knock her head and admit her mistake.

  Ou Rou Lan sneered inwardly, her expression unchanged on the surface. Humph, let's see how you get out of this one, Yan.

  "Yan'er, a name that suits her indeed. She has bewitched the good generals of our dynasty and even plotted to secretly collaborate with the treacherous Tianfeng bandits. She is truly a wicked woman. To ensure the safety of the people of Pandong Nation, this palace orders Yan'er to be branded with the character 'nu' on her cheek, ruining her appearance, and to be enslaved for life. She will be exiled to the border regions and will not be allowed to enter or leave the jurisdiction at will. She will depart immediately!"

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