Shangguan Lin, for the first time, did not speak but looked up at the Emperor.
He didn't understand why, since the princess favored the Emperor, he didn't take her as a concubine and instead married her off to him.
After all, the imperial harem was filled with beautiful women; adding one more or one less made no difference. Since the princess fancied him, why not let her enter the palace and bestow upon her a noble consort or virtuous consort title? Why make things difficult for them?
With this thought, Shangguan Lin turned his gaze away from his imperial brother's handsome face and looked at Princess Yan Ling, speaking coldly.
“Who is the person the princess favors?”
Yan Ling, already impatient, called out loudly and clearly, as if afraid no one would hear, “Your Majesty, the person I favor is Your Majesty, not Prince Lin at all.”
As soon as the princess finished speaking, Crown Prince Yan Yu of the Northern Dynasty’s expression turned somewhat grim. He sighed inwardly, thinking his sister was truly foolish. Couldn't she see that the Emperor had no intention of allowing her into the palace?
To declare her affections for the Emperor in front of so many people, wasn’t she just asking for trouble?
The daughters of high officials seated behind the low zitan wood table, upon hearing the Northern Dynasty princess’s blunt words, had already clustered together, chattering and whispering.
The night deepened, growing darker and darker.
A light breeze made the palace lanterns sway, their light flickering.
In addition to the daughters of high officials and ministers, present at the banquet tonight were Prince Shangguan Lin and Ye Wuyun.
There were also many imperial consorts and concubines, who sat silently in the center of the banquet hall. Due to the appearance of the foolish Empress, the Emperor and Empress Dowager’s moods had been affected, so most of these consorts wisely chose to remain silent.
However, upon hearing the Northern Dynasty princess’s bold declaration of affection, all these women were stimulated.
Consort Shu, Ye Su, scanned the Noble Lady Lan beside her. Noble Lady Lan immediately took the hint, a smile tugging at her lips. She glanced at the Empress, who was watching the spectacle with wide eyes, and spoke with a charming smile.
“We in the palace are delighted that the princess can come to serve His Majesty, but the princess is a noble lady. How can she possibly condescend to be beneath others? Isn’t that a slight to the princess?”
Noble Lady Lan’s words, on the surface, expressed pity for the princess. In reality, who among the women in the palace wanted such a formidable rival to enter?
This princess from the Northern Dynasty was no ordinary person. If she were to marry into the palace, they couldn’t openly deal with her. With a political marriage between two nations, His Majesty would not permit them to act recklessly.
However, at this moment, the Emperor seemed indifferent to the princess entering the palace, which was why Noble Lady Lan dared to speak out.
Shangguan Yao raised his eyebrows slightly, not blaming Noble Lady Lan. Truthfully, his current situation was not suitable for the princess to enter the palace.
Alas, Yan Ling was unaware of Shangguan Yao’s situation and didn’t understand her brother’s intentions. Her eyes were filled with captivating light, and a seductive smile curved her lips as she looked at Noble Lady Lan, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower.
“Sister is too kind. We all serve His Majesty together, what is there to distinguish between condescension or not?”
It seemed the princess from the Northern Dynasty was determined to enter the palace. Noble Lady Lan, Ye Su Xue, and the other women in the harem all wore looks of hatred, their eyes glinting with cold light as they glared at the woman beaming with smiles below.
The night grew deeper. A profound silence settled over the grand hall. Everyone was at a loss for words, all their gazes fixed on the Emperor seated above, clad in imperial yellow robes. His heroic features and tightly pressed thin lips displayed his cold and ruthless nature.
Suddenly, a man dressed in foreign attire hurried in.
This man was clearly from the Northern Dynasty, likely a subordinate of Crown Prince Yan Yu. With a stern face, he quickly crossed the hall, went directly to Yan Yu’s side, and bowed slightly, speaking a few words in a low voice.
Yan Yu’s face instantly darkened. A flash of sharp light flickered in his eyes. He quickly looked up at Shangguan Yao high above, then frowned and scanned the women around him, as if wanting to speak but hesitating.
Seeing his expression, Shangguan Yao’s heart lurched. Something was definitely wrong. He swept his gaze across the hall and then commanded in a deep voice,
“Guards, escort all these women back to their residences.”
The banquet hall instantly turned frigid and tense. No one knew what had happened, but when the Emperor commanded, no one dared disobey. They all rose and followed the eunuchs, quickly leaving the palace to return to their homes.
The imperial consorts and concubines also rose, bid their farewells, and departed.
In the Qianqiu Palace, in the blink of an eye, only Shangguan Yao, Crown Prince Yan Yu of the Northern Dynasty, Princess Yan Ling, Prince Shangguan Lin, and Ye Wuyun remained.
Shangguan Yao dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids from the hall. He calmly descended from the white jade steps, walked directly to Yan Yu, and spoke coldly, “What has happened?”
Yan Yu’s face darkened. His pupils instantly turned frigid. Revealing a mouth of white teeth with a sinister grin, he turned to his subordinate who had just entered. “Xiao Han, you tell me?”
“Yes, Crown Prince.”
The subordinate named Xiao Han clasped his fist respectfully and stepped forward. Bending over, he reported in a low voice, “Our men were attacked, and one of them was killed.”
“What!”
Several voices rang out simultaneously. Among them, Shangguan Yao’s voice was the loudest and most menacing. Next was Shangguan Lin, his face filled with disbelief. He quickly looked at Ye Wuyun beside him, his eyes deep and chilling.
Who dared to kill someone in the imperial palace?
Furthermore, it was on the Empress Dowager’s birthday. This person had hidden themselves so deeply, killing Crown Prince Yan Yu’s subordinate without anyone noticing.
The people around the Crown Prince should be formidable experts. To be killed without any awareness, this person was not simple.
Everyone present simultaneously assessed the strength of this hidden individual.
And by killing Yan Yu’s subordinate, this person clearly intended to incite enmity between the Eastern Qin and Northern Yan dynasties. Such an intention was truly insidious.
Shangguan Yao and Shangguan Lin, almost at the same time, guessed that this person must be the one causing successive disturbances in the palace. Who were they? They were so close, yet hidden so deeply.
In their deep gazes, a fierce ruthlessness, along with profound suspicion, flickered.
The grand hall was silent. Crown Prince Yan Yu’s face was extremely grim.
A cold, sharp aura covered his features. His slender eyebrows twitched slightly. His dark pupils were dyed with the bone-chilling ice flowers of a cold night. His lips, tightly pressed, remained silent for a long time.
Princess Yan Ling, beside him, was the first to react, letting out a startled cry. She looked up at Xiao Han.
“Where are they?”
She was referring to the injured people and the deceased subordinate.
Xiao Han stood with his back bent, his face lowered. Although his expression couldn’t be seen, his clenched fists, with bulging veins, showed his intense anger.
These men were all subordinates of the Crown Prince. They had come to Eastern Qin together, only to be attacked, and one of them had even died. Hearing the princess’s question, Xiao Han spoke in a low voice.
“Please follow me.”
After speaking, Xiao Han straightened his back and led the way out. Yan Yu and Yan Ling followed closely behind him.
In the grand hall, the lights flowed like water, a dim, yellowish hue tinged with darkness. Emperor Shangguan Yao, his face grim, waved his hand. Prince Shangguan Lin and Ye Wuyun followed behind him, walking out together.