Chapter 86 Debauchery

Today's palace banquet is held to celebrate the Crown Prince's birthday, so many women from both the imperial court and the inner palace have come. Many women of marriageable age also hope to win the Crown Prince's favor today and be granted a concubine or a high-ranking position.

At this moment, neither the Emperor, Empress, nor Empress Dowager had arrived. The Crown Princess, with impeccable manners, naturally presided over the birthday banquet.

The weakened crown prince, as usual, was arranged to recline comfortably on a soft mat. He occasionally nodded in return to those who looked over.

As the banquet seats were gradually filled, Gu Nanxiao brought Yunxi to the entrance of the main hall. With a notification, everyone turned their gaze towards them.

For no other reason than that when the eunuch announced the news, the phrase "Miss Zhao" that followed Lord Gu's address aroused everyone's curiosity.

This Miss Zhao's reputation has recently become legendary in Kyoto. Her affair with her sworn sister has made her a household name.

In addition, the recent incident of Lord Gu defying the imperial decree to marry a principal wife for her sake and purging his harem has pushed her to the forefront of public opinion.

Countless men were curious: what kind of stunning beauty could make the cold-hearted Marquis Gu cherish her so deeply, and be willing to defy the emperor's will and his parents for her, doing many things that defied propriety?

The vast majority of the women present at the banquet were wives, and their children were all legitimate daughters and sons. They had long heard that Yunxi's true identity was that of a lowly concubine.

Therefore, everyone felt that a mere concubine could make Lord Gu do so many things that violated etiquette, so she must be a cunning vixen. Thus, even before meeting her, they already felt a sense of disgust towards Yunxi.

Yunxi, amidst the expectant yet prejudiced gazes of the crowd, stepped into the main hall with Gu Nanxiao.

Unlike other women who walked behind men, she naturally walked alongside Gu Nanxiao.

Yunxi was already tall and slender, so she looked particularly well-matched standing next to the tall and slender Gu Nanxiao. However, it was Yunxi's temperament and demeanor that surprised everyone most, even more than her stunning beauty.

After all, as the daughter of a ninth-rank official in the capital, she shouldn't have seen many grand occasions. Yet, the demeanor she displayed was clearly no less than that of any member of the imperial family or nobility.

This isn't something you can fake. Her air of nonchalance, which seemed out of place with her status, led some people to speculate whether Zhao, the inspector, had adopted the lost daughter of some important person.

Not only were the others surprised, but even Gu Nanxiao was quite taken aback. He felt that even though Yunxi was usually bold, she had never attended such a grand palace banquet before. It would be understandable if she showed some timidity.

Gu Nanxiao had also figured out how to protect the little girl and help her gradually get used to and integrate into the top elite circle of the Great Yan Kingdom.

But seeing the current situation, it seems he doesn't need to protect her at all. Yunxi seems completely adaptable to this kind of grand occasion.

Gu Nanxiao couldn't help but start to wonder if Yunxi was also a person of high status in another world, otherwise her unusual behavior over the years would be inexplicable.

At the same time, Gu Nanxiao suddenly realized that it was no wonder Yunxi never reciprocated his feelings. Perhaps in Yunxi's eyes, what he gave was so meager that it was not worth mentioning, let alone worth the little girl staying for him.

Thinking of this, Gu Nanxiao disregarded the occasion and directly reached out to grab Yunxi, leading her all the way to his seat.

Although Yunxi felt that according to ancient etiquette, one shouldn't make overtly intimate gestures in public, as a modern person, she was still relatively accepting of it.

However, in the eyes of some old-fashioned ministers, their actions were considered a violation of moral law and scandalous, and were regarded as shameless behavior by the ladies of the court.

Yunxi didn't care much about the malice. Since childhood, he had been a pampered child, and what he encountered most often were envious eyes.

Those who are envied by no one are mediocre. People who envy you don't necessarily have a grudge against you; they may become your mortal enemies simply because you are better than them, more capable, or possess something they lack.

Given Yunxi's personality, she wouldn't care about their attitudes at all, nor would she bother trying to make everyone like her. Because she knew it would all be in vain.

As soon as Gu Nanxiao and Yunxi sat down, they heard the Third Prince's teasing voice from the table opposite them: "Lord Gu and his concubine are really inseparable, aren't they?"

As he spoke, the Third Prince turned his gaze to the two clasped hands, as if implying that Gu Nanxiao's actions were absurd and Yunxi's behavior was also dissolute.

After all, how could a respectable man, attending such a grand banquet, act as if he were drinking and carousing with women?

Gu Nanxiao had anticipated that the Third Prince would make trouble, after all, the Shi family had suffered repeated losses because of his alliance with Yunxi.

Especially recently, the discovery that the Liu family was involved in the illegal sale of iron ore, with the involvement of the Shi family and the Third Prince, enraged the Emperor.

The Emperor summoned the Third Prince to the Imperial Study and reprimanded him for over an hour. This was the first time since the Third Prince had become aware of the world that he had been so severely scolded by his father.

What angered him even more was that, after learning that Gu Nanxiao had already obtained evidence of his crimes, the Third Prince repeatedly sent people to deliver messages, hoping to meet with Gu Nanxiao in private.

He wanted to find a way to erase the evidence before presenting it to the Emperor. But Gu Nanxiao dared to ignore his request, refusing even a meeting to discuss the matter, let alone a negotiated solution.

In the end, Gu Nanxiao still presented the evidence of his crimes. Moreover, his mother was also implicated in this matter; the Emperor had already removed her from the list of concubines and neglected her for several days.

As soon as the Third Prince spoke, Imperial Censor Yan immediately stood up and said sternly, "I cannot agree with what the Third Prince said. The so-called 'inseparable affection' must be considered in the context of the occasion."

Today is the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, and everyone has come here to celebrate. Shouldn't such a grand palace banquet, celebrated throughout the nation, be attended with reverence for the Crown Prince, and everyone offer their congratulations?

After speaking, Imperial Censor Yan turned to Gu Nanxiao and Yunxi, and said with a cold snort, "It's not appropriate for others to comment on how much Lord Gu dotes on his concubines in his household. But on an occasion like today, shouldn't the Lord reflect on his behavior and be more discreet?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Nanxiao also snorted coldly, but he did not reply to Imperial Censor Yan. Instead, he slightly turned his head and said to Mo Yu behind him:

"I heard a few days ago that the Court of Judicial Review received a case in which someone accused the grandson of Imperial Censor Yan of raping a minor official to death at the Nanfeng Pavilion with several young men."

I've heard there's still no verdict. Tomorrow, go to the Dali Temple and have this case transferred back to the Jinwu Guard. We'll handle it ourselves and make sure the truth comes out."

After Gu Nanxiao finished speaking, he looked at Imperial Censor Yan again. Yan's face was now deathly pale, his lips were trembling, and even beads of sweat were faintly appearing on his forehead.

He was there, his eyes constantly glancing at the Third Prince, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

Just then, a palace attendant announced loudly, "Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived!"