Shang Xingjian brought the antidote to the zombie poison prepared by Su Wanti, as well as all the information he had collected about the events in Luzhou during this period, and went to the palace to meet the emperor.

Emperor Ning had a secret conversation with him for several hours.

There were many spies in the palace, and soon this information was secretly leaked out of the palace and reached the ears of those who were interested.

When King Ping heard the news, he felt uneasy, fearing that King Rui would find evidence of his involvement when investigating the Luzhou incident.

After Shang Xingjian left the palace, Concubine Li went to see Emperor Ning with some sour plum soup and exquisite fruits that she had made herself.

Later, she sent a message to King Ping, "Good morning."

With just one word, King Ping felt relieved.

As night falls, the air becomes gloomy and the summer heat is hard to dissipate.

Inside the Hibiscus Palace, the doors and windows were tightly closed, isolating all the heat from outside. A square copper ice jar was placed in the hall, and a fan was swaying, sending wisps of cool breeze to cool the surrounding air.

Concubine Li sat on the soft couch, raised her cold eyes slightly, and the palace maid who served her understood.

"The Queen is going to rest. This is none of your business. Go down."

Soon, the hall fell silent.

"Did Prince Ping receive the letter?" Concubine Li raised her eyelids slightly.

The maid whispered, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. Prince Ping has received it."

"That's good." Concubine Li took off her makeup, and a withered face suddenly appeared in the bronze mirror.

"After the incident in Luzhou, my body was severely damaged." She looked at her haggard face in the mirror, feeling bitter in her heart.

"I heard that it was the country female doctor brought back by King Rui who figured out the techniques of refining and killing zombies?" She gritted her teeth, hatred flashing in her eyes.

The maid replied hurriedly, "The female doctor's surname is Su. Her Majesty has now bestowed upon her the title of Princess Huide. I've also heard that Prince Rui treats her very well."

"Hehe - Prince Rui is so lucky to have such a useful helper. Find a way to get rid of her as soon as possible, otherwise she will hinder my son's plan." Concubine Li said lightly, as if a human life was light and worthless.

The maid's eyes turned, "In two days, there will be a birthday banquet for the old lady of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery. I heard that Prince Rui will bring the Princess of Huide with him. Doesn't that mean we have something on Lu Tian? Let's let him do it. Even if the truth is revealed, our hands will be clean and we won't be traced back to him."

"What are you waiting for? Go and do it." Concubine Li raised her finger and the palace maid lowered her head and retreated.

————

Soon it was the day for the birthday banquet at the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery’s Mansion.

The capital was filled with dignitaries and distinguished guests.

Lu Tian, ​​his wife Min, and his eldest son Lu Xingteng were standing at the door to welcome the guests, dressed in gorgeous clothes and with happy faces.

When welcoming and seeing off guests, he looked like the master of the loyal and brave marquis's mansion.

Thirty years ago, the disappearance of the son of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery had been ruthlessly forgotten by time, and few people in the capital knew about it anymore.

Some old court officials still remembered this old event. They looked at the prosperous Lu Tian family, and then thought about the wife of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery who had not returned to Beijing for decades, and they could not help but shook their heads helplessly.

Poor Marquis Zhongyong, all his life's work has ended up being a waste of money for others, thanks to his lack of any offspring to inherit his legacy.

Although Lu Tian was the younger brother of Marquis Zhongyong, and his nephew would inherit the title in the future, he was still inferior to his own biological son.

The appearance of Prince Rui Shang Xingjian brought the birthday banquet to a climax. Lu Tian was overjoyed, his face flushed, and he respectfully welcomed him with his wife and children.

All the guests present stood up and saluted, and the servants waiting outside stretched their necks to look inside, wanting to catch a glimpse of the demeanor of His Royal Highness Prince Rui.

Su Wanti and Shang Xingjian came together, and both sat at the main table.

The people in the capital are very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared, and any movement in the court will not escape their ears.

"The woman sitting next to His Royal Highness Prince Rui is the newly appointed Princess Huide of His Majesty."

"I heard that she was just a rural female doctor before."

"In this dynasty, only the daughters of princes can be granted the title of County Lord. There has never been a precedent for a commoner being granted the title of County Lord. I wonder what makes this Huide County Lord so special."

"You're so out of touch. A while ago, Prince Rui was on a mission to Luzhou when he was attacked and in trouble. This County Lady Huide helped Prince Rui escape and even saved his life. I also heard that County Lady Huide is proficient in the art of medicine. She cured Minister An's son, who was seriously injured while trying to save Prince Rui. To repay her for saving his life, Prince Rui has requested the emperor to grant her the title of County Lady."

Some people nodded frequently, "So that's how it is. I should repay the favor of saving my life with a generous gesture. It's not too much to ask for the title of County Lady."

Someone else whispered, "Prince Rui's thoughts are more than just repaying a favor. Look how close he is to Princess Huide. I'm afraid that soon, the Prince Rui's Palace will welcome the Princess Rui."

"Puff!" someone sneered. "She only has the title of County Lady. She has no powerful maternal family, no powerful father or brother. How can she be the Princess of Rui?"

The person who was speaking was a noble lady from the capital. Her father and brother were both officials in the court, and her mother came from an aristocratic family. She was proud of her noble status and only looked at a few princes when choosing a husband. Prince Rui was her first choice.

As soon as she said this, all the women present fell silent. Some lowered their heads to fiddle with their handkerchiefs, while others covered their faces with fans and kept silent with their eyes lowered.

These women did not want to agree with the noble lady's explicit truth, as they were afraid that these words would spread and cause dissatisfaction among King Rui.

Seeing no one responded to her, the noble lady snorted coldly and said:

"Look at how timid you are. You and I both come from respectable families, so how could you possibly be afraid of her? Many of the ladies at the banquet today sat behind screens, but she was different. She chose to sit with the men, which was unbecoming of a lady."

A woman said weakly, "I saw that it was His Royal Highness Prince Rui who pulled the county lady to sit down. It's not her fault..."

The noble lady glared coldly, "Women have the virtue of giving advice. She doesn't know how to refuse. It can only be said that her womanly virtue is lacking."

The other women were amazed. Although the woman was a county lady, her status was far inferior to that of Prince Rui.

The power and status of the two are not equal, so how can the lower-ranking one refuse?

The other women didn't want to continue this topic and started talking about the jewelry of Yingluotang, the cosmetics of Yingxin Pavilion and the gold, silver and jadeite of Baohuazhai.

The banquet began, the birthday star appeared, and the guests and hosts had a great time.

The dishes have five flavors and the wine has three rounds.

Shang Xingjian whispered to Su Wanti, "How do you plan to uncover the truth of what happened back then? Do you really not need my help?"

Su Wanti's expression was calm. "Hasn't Your Highness already arranged everything for me? From now on, just sit back and watch the show."

She picked up the wine glass, smiled sweetly, stood up and walked towards the birthday girl of today's banquet, Mrs. Lu.