Chapter 141 A Vibrant and Lively Color

After making numerous inquiries, they finally learned that the Crown Prince was currently in the Imperial Study.

A sedan chair carrying two children hurried toward the Imperial Study.

After landing, the Seventh Prince led Xie Mianmian inside. A eunuch stood in front of them; it was Eunuch Desheng, who served the Emperor.

"Greetings, Seventh Prince and Princess. Is there something urgent that requires your attention? Please tell me, and I will certainly help you resolve it."

"I wish to see my elder brother, the Crown Prince. Where is he?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince is discussing matters with His Majesty..."

"Isn't it perfect that only the Crown Prince and the Emperor are here?" The two children exchanged a glance.

The Seventh Prince interrupted Desheng, "I also have important matters to discuss. Please inform him, Your Excellency."

Desheng paused, then could only obey the Seventh Prince's words. As he led the way, he wondered what important matter could two children possibly have. Could it be that... the Seventh Prince knew about what happened back then?

He thought of the man from the Western Barbarians and couldn't help but feel uneasy for His Majesty.

The group arrived at a side hall. Desheng bowed to the two children and then went inside to announce their arrival.

The two children waited behind a pillar in the corridor. Xie Mianmian pounded her hands and paced back and forth anxiously. "What should we do? There's less than half an incense stick's time left. If we can't let him drink it, all our efforts will be in vain."

The old doctor was quite pitiful; he had to go through a lot of trouble today to get medicine for them.

At this moment, a palace maid carrying a tray walked by and bowed to them as she passed by.

The Seventh Prince asked, "What is that in your hand?"

The palace maid lowered her head and said, "Your Highness, it's plum juice. His Majesty specially ordered the kitchen to make it for His Highness the Crown Prince."

Xie Mianmian subtly tugged at the Seventh Prince's sleeve, signaling to him that the opportunity had arrived!

The Seventh Prince gripped the porcelain bottle in his hand, lowered his eyes and said, "The princess's hair is messy, go and fix it for her."

"Here you go." The palace maid placed the tray on the stone bench in the corridor and carefully combed Xie Mianmian's double buns.

Seeing the palace maid intently fiddling with something, the Seventh Prince turned his back to block her view, silently lifted the lid of the bowl, and poured all the True Word Powder into the plum juice.

"Mianmian's hair is done. Sister, please take it inside quickly, lest His Highness the Crown Prince be waiting impatiently."

Upon hearing this, the palace maid bowed and hurriedly carried the plum juice into the palace.

Desheng brushed past the palace maid, holding his whisk, and said respectfully, "His Majesty has ordered that Your Highness and the Princess come in with me."

Xie Mianmian followed the Seventh Prince with timidity. This was her first time visiting the place where Uncle Huang held meetings, and it wasn't as solemn and intimidating as she had imagined.

The side hall used for meetings was no different from the usual place for entertaining guests, except that the furnishings were more luxurious.

Xie Mianmian exclaimed inwardly in amazement. Even the pillars inside were made of gold. When the sunlight shone on them, the entire hall was bathed in brilliant light, bright and without a trace of gloom.

From afar, Xie Mianmian saw the emperor sitting in the main seat, and she followed the seventh prince in bowing.

The emperor smiled and told them to rise, "No need for formalities, please take a seat."

Xie Mianmian then noticed that there were people sitting on both sides of her, one of whom was the Crown Prince, and the other was a strange man.

The two children were seated below the prince.

The man was very handsome and upright. Xie Mianmian stared at his face, not only because of his unique temperament, but also because of his skin color.

Xie Mianmian had never seen anyone so tanned, even darker than her brothers who were always exposed to the sun and rain. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, though it couldn't really be called dark.

Instead, he possessed a vibrant and energetic bronze complexion, and his robust physique made his clothes bulge out. Among the yellowish-white crowd in the hall, the man stood out as an oddity.

His attire was also quite elaborate, consisting of a gaudy black outfit, with a dark red belt embroidered with intricate patterns and adorned with numerous jingling silver ornaments.

Xie Mianmian wondered, "He's so dark-skinned, why does he need to dress so brightly?"

The man not only wore a full silver headband with a dragon pattern above his eyebrows, but also wore a set of layers of silver necklaces around his neck.

But when they're put together, it looks so gorgeous and beautiful that Xie Mianmian is mesmerized.

Noticing the child's fixed gaze, the Fifth Prince looked over with interest, but his attention was completely drawn to the face of the Seventh Prince beside her.

With a crash, the cup in the fifth prince's hand accidentally fell.

"Is the Fifth Prince alright? Is this Western Region milk-based sweet drink not to his liking?" the Crown Prince asked, then lowered his head and drank a mouthful of sour plum juice.

Xie Mianmian immediately withdrew her gaze from the Fifth Prince and stared intently at the Crown Prince, who was drinking happily. Great! He drank the True Word Powder!

But, there are four people as agreed, and now there's one more. What should we do?

The fifth prince put down his cup and said casually, "It tastes very good, thank you for the treat."

But his eyes kept glancing at the Seventh Prince, and he was filled with surprise and doubt. Why did this child's features look so familiar?

The emperor, seated on the throne, spoke, "Xiao Qi, Mianmian, what brings you to me?"

The two children looked at each other. The Seventh Prince winked, signaling that they should wait until the man left before discussing it further. Xie Mianmian then went back to her room, feeling dejected.

"Your Majesty, we heard that the fifth prince of the Western Barbarians has arrived. We were curious and wanted to come and see if it was him?"

“It is indeed the Fifth Prince.” The Emperor then looked at the Fifth Prince. “This child is my seventh son, and that little girl is the Princess I personally bestowed upon her.”

"Desheng, tell the kitchen to make some of Mianmian's favorite dishes."

Desheng was ordered to withdraw.

The Crown Prince said, "It's getting late, let's get back to business. What else did the Fifth Prince come to the Great Zhou for besides wanting to take away that former dynasty concubine? Please speak frankly, and I will not stand idly by."

The Fifth Prince smirked. Previously, the Great Zhou had bullied their Western Yi Kingdom because it was weak, forcing them to pay tribute with treasures every year. In particular, this dog emperor had actually taken away his only sister.

In the end, she was even killed in this ruthless palace.

The Western Barbarians have grown strong and are no longer a small country that can be bullied by the Great Zhou. I am no longer the weak and helpless child who could only watch helplessly as my older sister was forced into the bridal sedan chair.

He has come here to reclaim everything that the Great Zhou Dynasty has taken from him.

The Fifth Prince said, "I don't know how the East Sea battlefield is now. As you know, the Western Barbarians are adjacent to the Great Zhou. If you are breached, the Western Barbarians will also be in danger. We just want to make preparations in advance to protect ourselves."

The Crown Prince twirled the jade thumb ring on his thumb and said, "These little Japanese pirates are nothing to worry about. Fifth Prince, rest assured, even if the sky falls, the Great Zhou will hold it up."

The Fifth Prince chuckled. If he handed the poison formula over to the Japanese pirates, he wondered if the Great Zhou would still have the strength to fight back.

At that time, the Japanese pirates will attack the capital, and these pleasure-seeking members of the royal family will likely be massacred in these magnificent palaces.