Chapter 641: This palace, too, has long since rotted through

Pei Lao Furen's eyes lit up instantly, she immediately clapped and said, "Great. Let's set off right away, how about that?"

Luo Fan smiled, and he knew.

After waiting so long, she must be missing Luo'er terribly.

Then let's make a trip, go to Mantuo City and make plans there.

Watching Pei Xiuzhen bustling about, already starting to pack her luggage, Luo Fan also rose and walked out.

He should still make some pills to leave for Li Jingchuan, just in case he needs them.

Here, after Li Qingluo asked Nan Gongdi, seeing his face still deathly pale, her unease grew deeper.

Nan Gongdi comforted her: "The master is fine, let's go."

He said, glancing at Ana'er, but Ana'er didn't even look at him, lifted her leg and got onto the carriage first.

Li Qingluo followed and slipped into the carriage, Ana'er personally pulled the carriage curtain shut tight.

Then she turned to her and asked softly, "You don't ask either, where am I taking you?"

Li Qingluo: "It's only two places at most. The imperial palace, or the prince's mansion where Kuerte is."

"All along the way, you've been more anxious than anyone, just wanting to settle this quickly and rescue the real Kuerte."

"So, I won't waste time on useless places."

"Have I guessed correctly?"

Ana'er snorted: "Not bad, you're not stupid."

"I really intend to take you into the palace."

"But remember, no matter when, you must never take off your veil."

"Now I hear that Great Chu is about to attack the Western Regions, and it's a suddenly emerged King Yue leading the army."

Saying this, Ana'er glanced at Li Qingluo, because this King Yue, last time in Loulan Palace, Li Qingluo's subordinates had mentioned him in passing.

Li Qingluo had a blank expression, as if she didn't care: "So what?"

Ana'er thought to herself: "Could it really be that subordinate bragging last time?"

But no matter what the relationship, I won't expose her Li Qingluo, after all I still need to use her to have a chance to rescue my son.

"Nothing."

"It's just that everyone in the imperial court now surely despises people from the Central Plains."

"So, for your safety, don't expose yourself."

Ana'er was giving good advice, and she also didn't want the appearance of those Central Plains people to cause her trouble.

But Li Qingluo slowly pulled out a human skin mask from her sleeve, then, under Ana'er's shocked gaze, she smoothly placed it on her face.

In no time, a genuine Western Regions woman appeared before Ana'er.

Ana'er was so shocked her mouth hung open, "You... what method is this?"

Li Qingluo: "Disguise technique."

Ana'er: "Your Central Plains culture is truly vast and profound."

"No wonder, back then he never wanted to stay..."

Li Qingluo heard Ana'er mention the master again, and without hesitation she asked: "All these years, have you still kept the master in your heart?"

Ana'er glared at her: "Young person, you definitely shouldn't ask about that."

Not denying it outright means it's true, right?

And the master seems to still have lingering feelings for Ana'er.

It's just a shame that their reunion would be like this.

Ana'er saw her lost in thought, pursed her lips and said: "What feelings, feelings, it's long been unimportant."

"Familial love, romantic love, even friendship—all will suffer betrayal."

"Now my eyes hold only Kuerte, only power, and the entirety of Wusun."

"So, if the one who wrongs me is a member of the imperial court, even if they're my kin, I will make them pay blood for blood!"

Li Qingluo slowly put on her veil.

As for Ana'er's idea, she wholeheartedly agreed from the bottom of her heart.

"I will pose as your maid."

"These days I've also learned a bit of the Western Regions language, so you don't have to worry that I won't understand at all."

"But for important places, you still need to give me a heads-up."

"As for the rest, we'll act as the situation demands."

Ana'er nodded.

Li Qingluo then slipped out and pulled Nan Gongdi inside.

She also put a human skin mask on Nan Gongdi.

A handsome, suave Western Regions middle-aged man appeared before Ana'er.

Li Qingluo dropped Nan Gongdi and summoned Kill One and Kill Four over.

This time entering the palace, we're only bringing those two.

The others are all on standby at the mansion.

She ordered the two to find a chance to change their faces, which Qin Ling had done opportunistically on the way here.

Just before leaving, there wasn't time to change, so Li Qingluo also specifically instructed them to carry them on their person.

Before entering the palace gate, finding an opportunity, Kill One and Kill Four completely became Western Regions attendants.

With Ana'er's status, they easily followed her into the imperial palace.

Upon hearing that Princess Anar had returned, the current court's Chanyu, who was none other than Princess Anar's paternal half-brother, Lüdi·Gudu Hou, immediately summoned his younger sister.

The palaces of the imperial court are not as luxurious and exquisite as those of Loulan.

But they are more than ten times larger than Loulan's imperial palace.

Li Qingluo followed Anar into the palace.

However, the rule of the imperial court is that to enter any palace, one must first take off one's shoes.

For a Han Chinese woman, this is simply an unbearable shame.

Fortunately, Li Qingluo is a martial practitioner, and having grown up in the mountains and wilderness since childhood, she has often gone barefoot into the river to catch fish.

So she only struggled half-heartedly in her mind, then naturally followed suit, taking off her shoes and stepping inside the hall.

The floor of the hall was covered with carpets, and the carpets were actually warm.

Even barefoot, she did not feel cold.

The extravagance of the imperial court, Li Qingluo has also experienced it today.

Li Qingluo, as a maid, followed Anar forward to pay respects to the Gudu Marquis, Chanyu of the Western Regions' imperial court.

"Anar pays respects to Elder Brother Chanyu."

"I wonder how Elder Brother has been these past few years."

"Anar has not come to see Elder Brother for a long time; this is Anar's fault."

Li Qingluo understood these simple Western Regions words.

And the Gudu Marquis quickly rose and personally helped Anar up.

"When did Anar become so distant?"

"But you really ought to come back often."

"Kuerte has been at the imperial court for so long, yet you haven't come to bring back this rebellious son—what kind of conduct is this?"

"I asked him, but you two quarreled."

"He says you still cannot bear to let go of your power, which is why you have driven him to the point of being unable to breathe."

"Anar, Elder Brother knows these years have not been easy for you; you sacrificed your freedom for the stability of the imperial court long ago. But the child has grown; he is of Wusun blood, and also an eagle that flies freely in the sky."

"You must not keep binding his wings, depriving him of the joy a true eagle ought to feel."

"Do you understand what Elder Brother means?"

"Tonight we will hold a banquet in the palace; I have already summoned Kuerte, and you mother and son should meet and have a good talk."

Anar thanked him without changing expression: "Yes, Anar will obey Elder Brother."

The Gudu Marquis Chanyu still had affairs; he let Anar wander the palace on her own, and said she need not pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Consort if she did not wish to.

Having said that, he hurried away first.

He didn't even glance to see who the maids and guards Anar brought into the palace today were.

Anyway, he simply didn't care.

The other slaves in the hall all knelt on the ground, waiting for Anar's orders.

Anar, perhaps feeling bored, rose and took Li Qingluo to the garden again.

"Don't be fooled by the garden's splendid scenery; in fact, this palace has long been rotten to the core—like a pit of filth!"

Anar thought of her birth mother.

Back then, her birth mother was personally killed by her father the king, yet the blame was placed on another consort, merely so that Anar could marry into the Wusun and freely dispose of that consort.

Only later did Anar realize that not everything her father said was necessarily true!

Perhaps he himself was the real murderer!

Thus, when her father fell gravely ill, Anar also took the opportunity to slip poison into his medicine amid the confusion.

Within a month, her father had completely passed away.

Yet, did anyone really notice Anar's act of poisoning?

From then on, the Senior Consort's gaze toward her always carried a chill and disgust.

And the new Consort of Elder Brother Chanyu always guarded against Anar.

Even the Gudu Marquis, who had been her best older brother in childhood, always stared at Anar with a scrutinizing gaze.

If they truly knew the truth of her poisoning, they would both enjoy the fruits of their waiting yet despise her as the murderer.

Why not simply expose her then?

Perhaps because they themselves are not clean either.

From then on, Anar saw the imperial court clearly.

Now she no longer cares about face; is it really that Anar herself simply does not wish to see these two ladies of the inner court?

Perhaps it is they who are even more unwilling to see her.

"There's something fishy."

Anar said while breaking the branch in her hand, "After all, I am now the Empress Dowager of Wusun; even if they despise me, they could hardly go to such lengths."

"Unless, they dare not see me!"

Anar reacted extremely quickly, yet her spies within the imperial court, both overt and covert, had long been completely eradicated.

Later, those she had cultivated, after Kuerte came to Hala City, these past months have also had no movement at all.

Perhaps they are all gone.

Thus she cannot gather any useful information.

Now, she can only rely on Li Qingluo, this foreigner, and her subordinates; perhaps they can still bring her a surprise.

Li Qingluo: "Please stay calm and do not act rashly."

"Upon entering the city today, I have already sent five individuals bearing the character for 'kill' to mingle among the crowd to gather information."

"No matter what, we should be able to obtain at least some clues."

Anaer: "The imperial court has sealed off all news now; I don't know anything."

"However, sitting and waiting for death is absolutely not my nature, Anaer."

"Come on, I just thought of someone; maybe she could bring me a surprise."

Anaer took Li Qingluo wandering around the inner palace.

As it turned out, they ended up outside the courtyard of a princess.

Anaer: "Climb up…… wait a moment."

Anaer glanced at Li Qingluo, then dismissed the idea.

"Wait for me to climb in, then I'll come open the door for you."

Li Qingluo smiled: "Why go through all this trouble? Kill!"