The Daily Life of a Concubine's Daughter After Transmigrating

Li Anqi probably understood what Li Miao meant.

She slowly frowned.

"Qi'er, go to the palace immediately to meet the Emperor. Father, please bear with it until noon tomorrow."

Li Miao nodded repeatedly, a glimmer of hope for a desperate situation shining in his eyes as he looked at Li Anqi.

"The Jingguo Mansion is counting on you, Qi'er..."

Tears streamed down Li Miao's face.

As soon as Li Anqi left the prison, he saw Xiao Shunzi leading his entourage and carriages to the palace, waiting for him outside the prison.

When Xiao Shunzi saw Li Anqi come out, he said hurriedly.

"Your Majesty! This servant just went to the Jingguo Mansion, and Lord Zhang said that Your Majesty is here, so this servant immediately brought men here!"

"Enter the palace immediately!"

"Yes!"

When Li Anqi arrived at Donghua Gate, it was already dawn.

She quickly dismounted from the carriage and hurried to the Qianqing Palace where the Emperor was.

Li Anqi brought Xiao Shunzi to the outside of Qianqing Palace.

The emperor's personal eunuch, Eunuch Zhou, was carrying a whisk when he came out of the Qianqing Palace.

"Oh, Chess Queen."

Zhou Qinchuan didn't seem surprised by Li Anqi's arrival.

"Greetings, Eunuch Zhou."

Li Anqi bowed to Eunuch Zhou and then continued.

"Please trouble Eunuch Zhou to convey my message: I wish to see the Emperor!"

"hiss……"

Zhou Qinchuan slowly looked up at the sky.

He then spoke with Li Anqi.

"...The Emperor is still not awake at this hour. It seems Lady Qi will have made a wasted trip."

Li Anqi frowned.

"The situation is urgent, please help me, Your Excellency! I will definitely remember your kindness."

Zhou Qinchuan looked troubled.

"It's not that this servant is unwilling to help Your Highness, but this servant is of lowly status and truly dares not disturb His Majesty!"

As he spoke, he closed his right hand with his left.

"The confiscation of the Jingguo Mansion is a foregone conclusion. Even if Her Majesty were to possess extraordinary powers and reconcile the heavens and earth, His Majesty would not retract his decree!"

Li Anqi looked at Zhou Qinchuan's tightly clasped hands and remained silent for a while.

"...Thank you, Eunuch Zhou. I will repay your kindness in the future."

Zhou Qinchuan nodded with a smile, a shrewd look of restraint and appreciation flashing in his eyes.

"Your Majesty is too kind."

Li Anqi turned around and immediately went to the Cining Palace, where the Empress Dowager resided.

Outside the Cining Palace, Li Anqi was stopped again by the two eunuchs guarding the gate.

"Please inform the Empress Dowager that Consort Li Anqi of Prince Xiao's residence requests an audience with the Empress Dowager."

The two eunuchs looked at each other, seemingly in a dilemma.

"I know that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is still asleep. But if it weren't for the urgency of the situation, I wouldn't be here at this hour to request an audience with her. Please inform her. If Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is displeased, I will take full responsibility; it has nothing to do with you two eunuchs!"

Upon hearing this, the two eunuchs bowed to Li Anqi.

"Please wait a moment, Madam."

After saying this, a eunuch hurriedly entered the palace.

Not long after, the eunuch returned to the palace gate.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager invites Lady Chess in."

With Xiao Shunzi's help, Li Anqi hurriedly stepped over the threshold and entered the Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager was sitting or lying on the bed, wearing only an outer garment.

"Your Highness pays respects to the Empress Dowager!"

Li Anqi knelt before the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked tired, coughed lightly twice, then took the tea brought by Granny Sun, rinsed her mouth, glanced at Li Anqi, and said.

"Why are you in such a hurry to see me at this hour? Has the sky fallen?"

Despite the pain, Li Anqi slowly gripped her dress with both hands.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the Jingguo Mansion has been raided."

"what?!"

The Empress Dowager's expression was slightly solemn as she forcefully handed the teacup in her hand to Granny Sun.

Li Anqi lowered his head and said.

"I saw it with my own eyes! My father is to be executed at noon today! Except for my elder brother, everyone else in the Jingguo Mansion will be sold into slavery!"

The Empress Dowager paused, then frowned.

"You get up and talk first."

"Yes."

Li Anqi slowly stood up and continued.

"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager and the Old Madam were born of the same mother and were very close. Now that the Old Madam has passed away, only my father remains as her son. I hope that Your Majesty the Empress Dowager will consider the Old Madam's sake and save my father, your own nephew!"

Upon hearing Li Anqi mention the old lady, a trace of sorrow and tenderness flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes.

"What exactly happened?" the Empress Dowager asked, leaning forward.

Li Anqi lowered his eyes and frowned as he spoke.

"The Left Chancellor accused the father of instigating the eldest prince to embezzle treasury funds, win people's hearts, and form cliques for personal gain."

Li Anqi raised his eyes and looked at the Empress Dowager.

"But apart from the Left Prime Minister's identification, there is no other evidence. The truth remains to be investigated."

"..."

The Empress Dowager sighed helplessly and said slowly.

"Although I reside in the inner palace, I still hear about some affairs of the court. A few years ago, Li Miao served as the governor of Jiangnan and accepted flattery from local officials, which led to someone submitting a memorial against him. Since then, the emperor has gradually become dissatisfied with him. I'm afraid this matter is not so simple..."

Li Anqi said, "What the old lady cared about most during her lifetime was the Jingguo Mansion. Before she passed away, she specially handed over the gold token of immunity from death that the late emperor had bestowed upon the great-grandfather of the Jingguo Mansion to me."

The Empress Dowager's eyes widened, her face filled with shock, and she pointed at Li Anqi.

"She actually gave this to you!"

Li Anqi knelt down again, holding the gold medal in both hands, raising it above his head, and bowing his head.

"But this item was given by the late Emperor to my great-grandfather of the Jingguo Mansion. I am not sure if it can save my father. If the Empress Dowager helps, perhaps the Emperor can change his mind."