Half an hour later.
Inside the imperial palace hall.
In the short span of fifteen minutes, many people arrived intermittently.
Gathered together, it was truly lively.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye were granted seats upon arrival. Although the emperor believed Zhan Tianye was Prince Jin, they were nominally envoys from Dongning Kingdom, hence the seats.
The two savored their tea at a leisurely pace,
watching as everyone arrived.
Once everyone was present, the emperor finally turned his gaze to Zhan Tianye. The gloom from three days prior had vanished from his expression, replaced by the same peace as before.
There was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
As he had said three days ago, Zhan Tianye would bow before him today.
Everything was as he had envisioned.
Upon entering, Li De glanced at Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye before looking away.
Princess Ningde arrived and stood quietly to the side, showing no particular emotion, as if she had merely come to pay her respects to the emperor and happened to encounter these individuals.
However, only Princess Ningde knew her true feelings at that moment.
Seeing Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye seated together, their eyes only for each other, was a stark realization. Especially Zhan Tianye, whose gaze was usually cold and indifferent to everyone else, but filled with tenderness and deep affection only when looking at Yun Shu. It was evident that Yun Shu was the only one in his eyes.
She now understood more clearly why her brother had tried to stop her.
And urged her to settle down. xxs12
But...
She subtly clenched her fist.
"We are here today to see Your Majesty because my wife and I suddenly have matters that require us to depart. In a few days, at Your Majesty's birthday banquet, another envoy from Dongning Kingdom, Young Master Xie Jin, will be in attendance. We ask for Your Majesty's understanding."
Zhan Tianye broke the peculiar silence.
Upon hearing Zhan Tianye's words, everyone's expressions shifted.
The emperor's eyes sharply fixed on Zhan Tianye, his hands gripping the dragon throne, "What did you say?"
Not a plea?
Not begging him to return to the court?
Leave?
"Your Highness Prince Jin, your true identity is now known to the world. You are a prince of Xixia Kingdom. How can you simply leave as you please?" Li De immediately questioned sternly.
Princess Ningde also stared intently at Zhan Tianye.
His visit to the palace today was not to return, nor to request the emperor's permission for Yun Shu to stay. He truly intended to abandon everything and leave!
Yun Shu lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea, as if oblivious to the tense atmosphere.
"Since when have I been a prince of Xixia Kingdom?" Zhan Tianye's cold gaze swept over Li De first, then the emperor.
His expression was impassive, his aura arrogant.
As if the notion of being a prince of Xixia Kingdom was an insult to him.
Li De's anger flared, "That is a fact!"
The emperor stared intently at Zhan Tianye. He too had been on the verge of anger but quickly restrained himself. He had waited for days, and a moment's delay was of no consequence. "You still have a chance to turn back. Once the news from Dongning Kingdom arrives, you will have no opportunity. Even if you are my own son, I can no longer indulge you."
Yun Shu slowly raised her eyes, watching as each person insisted Zhan Tianye was a prince of Xixia Kingdom, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"My identity is unquestionable. Your Majesty and General Li, you have consistently tried to alter my identity. What is your intention? Do you wish to wage war against our Dongning Kingdom?" Zhan Tianye suddenly retorted sharply.
His cold, raised dark eyes held a terrifying glint.
"You!" The emperor stood abruptly, his suppressed calm shattering instantly.
His rage was immense.
Filial rebel!
What an unfilial son!
Li De's face turned ashen. He had once considered Zhan Tianye to possess the rare demeanor of a ruler, but now he saw him as nothing more than someone who, lacking ambition for the country and power, was merely infatuated with a femme fatale. How could such a person ever become a celebrated emperor?
Princess Ningde tightly gripped her hands, her gaze fixed on Zhan Tianye, observing every subtle shift in his expression.
A layer of frost slowly began to creep into her heart.
Zhen Lin's words from before echoed in her mind.
He...
No.
It was impossible. They couldn't be mistaken. They absolutely could not be mistaken.
"I will give you one last chance. Think carefully about who you truly are," the emperor said, his voice deep, staring at Zhan Tianye.
At this point, he truly couldn't comprehend why Zhan Tianye refused to turn back. Was it all for a woman?
Indeed, she was a femme fatale!
"Princess Ye, you truly are a femme fatale," Li De suddenly pointed the finger at Yun Shu. His eyes were filled with hatred. For years, he had planned everything, finally bringing Zhan Tianye back to Dongning Kingdom, and everything was proceeding as he had envisioned, only to have it all ruined by one woman!
How could he not hate?
He hated her intensely!
He wished he could kill Yun Shu right now to quell the anger in his heart.
And Zhan Tianye, who could have been a ruler looking down on the world, was instead entangled in romantic affections, leaving him utterly disappointed!
How could a woman ever compete with the empire?
Yun Shu was displeased. She sneered at Li De, "General Li, as a commander of a nation, you can command thousands of troops, yet you speak such nonsense. My beauty does not give you license to slander me. Just as Prince Ye is Prince Ye, though he is brilliant and powerful beyond compare, it does not mean he is truly a prince of Xixia Kingdom just because you say so. A single mouth cannot change the truth. If words alone could turn black into white, wouldn't the world be in chaos?"
"You know perfectly well the true identity of His Highness Prince Jin!" Li De said coldly.
These two before them, feigning ignorance and stubbornly resisting, were simply unreasonable!
Yun Shu was about to retort, but Zhan Tianye spoke first, "My true identity is Prince Ye of Dongning Kingdom. General Li, apologize to my wife. My wife is to be respected, not slandered."
"Your Highness Prince Jin!" Li De exclaimed in disbelief, feeling utterly humiliated. He raised his voice, channeling all his strength into those four words.
He, a dignified general, was being asked to apologize to a woman?
It was preposterous!
"Prince Jin, enough. It seems I have indulged you too much these past few days, allowing you to become so outrageous. Even if you deny it today, even if you refuse to acknowledge it, you are no longer Prince Ye of Dongning Kingdom. You can only be Prince Jin of Dongning Kingdom, my own son who was lost!" the emperor said angrily.
These words were spoken through gritted teeth.
He was truly enraged!
A son he had been so pleased with, now his mind muddled by a woman, behaving so unreasonably!
Yun Shu was truly speechless by the repeated address of "Prince Jin."
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Perhaps you should listen to why His Highness Prince Jin so adamantly believes he is not Prince Jin," Princess Ningde said anxiously, attempting to stabilize the situation.