When he saw Gu Nanjiao staring at the dancer without blinking, he was instantly amused and annoyed.

She was a woman, yet she stared at the dancer without blinking; anyone who didn't know better would think she was...

Realizing what he was thinking, Lu Yanzhao couldn't help but shiver.

Noticing someone staring at her, Gu Nanjiao looked up and met Lu Yanzhao's gaze. She smiled back.

Next came the gift-giving segment. The Crown Prince was the first to present his birthday gift: "Father, I have searched the whole country and finally found a self-warming cup on your birthday. Your Majesty ordered wine to be poured into it, and it was warm and steaming like boiling water."

The emperor's lowered eyes suddenly lit up, and he clearly became more interested in the cup: "Bring it here quickly, let me take a look."

Chu Luoxun bowed to the emperor and said to Zhou Wan, "Quickly bring up the self-warming cup."

Zhou Wan bowed and went to retrieve the gift box behind her. Because her dress was too long, Zhou Wan said to Gu Nanjiao, "Madam Lu, could you please help me pass this gift box?"

Gu Nanjiao was stunned for a moment, glanced at Qingci, and wondered what was going on with Consort Zhou.

With her maidservant nearby, taking the gift box was just a matter of course. Besides, this was a self-warming cup for the Emperor; how could a mere fifth-rank lady like her take it?

Such hasty behavior made Gu Nanjiao suspect that Zhou Wan had ulterior motives.

"Mrs. Lu?" Zhou Wan urged.

Gu Nanjiao had no choice but to get up and respectfully hand the gift box to Zhou Wan with both hands. However, she tripped over the porcelain and almost fell.

Gu Nanjiao stumbled to the ground, and Zhou Wan was furious: "How dare you! You actually smashed the congratulatory gift that His Highness presented to the Emperor!"

Gu Nanjiao held the gift box tightly in her arms, her knees and elbows aching from the bruises. Hearing Zhou Wan's words, Gu Nanjiao finally understood her purpose today.

I'm afraid everything she did today was at Chu Luoxun's behest. However, her entrance shouldn't have been so undignified.

Gu Nanjiao smiled, knelt down to get up, and handed over the undamaged gift box with both hands, saying in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the self-warming cup is intact and not damaged in the slightest."

Chu Luo Xun frowned and looked at Zhou Wan with a disdainful gaze, as if blaming her for her incompetence.

Zhou Wan gave him a reassuring look, accepted the gift box with both hands, and looked up at Gu Nanjiao with an ambiguous expression: "Is that so?"

She smiled and, holding the gift box in both hands, came to Chu Luoxun's side, knelt down and presented it. Chu Luoxun and Zhou Wan knelt down together: "Congratulations on the Emperor's long life."

The emperor didn't mind the little incident and gestured for the eunuch to bring up the gift box.

Meanwhile, Consort Yue was frantic. She glared at Zhou Wan and cursed inwardly, "You traitor! I underestimated you before." Then she looked at Gu Nanjiao and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the veil on her face.

At this moment, Chu Luoxun said, "Father, this is something I specially sought out to present to you. Why don't you open it and take a look?"

The emperor nodded, but the eunuch was stunned when he opened the box: "This...this..."

Chu Luoxun frowned: "What's wrong?" He stepped forward to look and found that the thermos cup was cracked into pieces.

"Consort Zhou, what kind of work have you done? Why is the self-warming cup that I went to so much trouble to find broken like this? Tell me, did the Zhou family instruct you to do this?"

Zhou Wan immediately knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "Your Highness, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! The self-warming cup was fine just now, but it slipped when Madam Lu was helping to hold it. I never expected... I never expected..."

Gu Nanjiao's heart skipped a beat; so this was where they were waiting for her.

She quickly looked at Lu Yanzhao and saw that he was giving her a comforting look, which finally put her mind at ease.

The emperor's face was gloomy. Consort Yue, who was standing beside him, said, "Your Majesty, today is your birthday. It is not appropriate to lose your temper. I'm sure the crown prince didn't do it on purpose. Just have him give you a birthday gift later."

Consort Yue shifted the blame onto the Crown Prince with a few words, which softened the Emperor's expression. He then waved his hand at the Crown Prince and said, "You may leave!"

Chu Luoxun was anxious. His goal today was to bring Gu Nanjiao to the public eye and expose Consort Yue's secret in front of his father. He was shocked to find that she had dismissed the matter with a single sentence and even shifted the blame onto him.

Consort Yue, the more you fear Gu Nanjiao appearing in front of everyone, the more I will expose your true colors.

Chu Luoxun knelt down and bowed: "Father, I am guilty for entrusting such valuable items to a woman. I will punish Consort Zhou severely when I return."

Zhou Wan was so frightened that she fell to the ground and begged for mercy repeatedly: "Your Highness, please forgive me. It has nothing to do with me. It was Madam Lu who deliberately broke the self-warming cup to frame me."

Before the emperor could speak, Consort Yue slammed her fist on the table in anger: "How dare you, Consort Yue, make such a scene at His Majesty's birthday banquet! Guards, take her away!"

Chu Luoxun quickly stood up to stop her, his gaze turning sinister as he looked at Consort Yue: "Your Highness, please don't be hasty. This Madam Lu destroyed the sacred object and deserves rational punishment. Why did Your Highness help cover up her crime with just a few words? Could it be that you two have some kind of relationship?"

Consort Yue's eyes flashed, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Crown Prince, don't talk nonsense."

Her anger betrayed her guilty conscience.

The emperor said impatiently, "Enough! Today is my birthday. Why make such a fuss and annoy me? Crown Prince, take your concubine and leave!"

Consort Yue glanced triumphantly at Chu Luoxun before slowly sitting down.

Chu Luoxun was furious. The emperor had already spoken, and if he continued to press the matter, it would be considered disobedience.

He glanced at Zhou Wan and returned to his seat.

Zhou Wan was terrified by his gaze, and she remained shaken even after returning to her seat.

Zhou Wan didn't know how ruthless Chu Luo Xun was before, but after becoming his concubine, she realized how vicious he was.

On the surface, they may be all smiles and friendly, but behind your back, they'll stab you in the back.

When it was King Cheng's turn to present his gifts, he said, "Father, I need you to come to the hunting grounds to see my congratulatory gifts."

"Oh? What kind of congratulatory gift requires me to go to the hunting grounds? What new tricks have you come up with this year?" The emperor looked at Prince Cheng with affection, a stark contrast to his attitude towards Chu Luoxun.

Chu Luo Xun snorted coldly. This Prince Cheng has always known how to please the Emperor since he was a child. And the Emperor seems to enjoy it very much.

Consort Yue smiled and said to the Emperor, "Your Majesty, this is a token of Prince Cheng's goodwill. Why don't you go and see it?"

Consort Yue was unaware of Prince Cheng's scheme and was only focused on winning the top prize at the Emperor's birthday banquet, so naturally she had to speak up for him.

"Very well! I will go and take a look."

...

In the royal hunting grounds, eighteen Akhal-Teke horses stood in a majestic line.

The horse has a full and graceful body, a fine head and high neck, long limbs, and thin skin and fine hair.

The emperor was overjoyed. Although the Chu Dynasty had many fine horses, such a precious Akhal-Teke horse was rare. King Cheng's gift was truly to his liking.

The courtiers couldn't help but flatter him, praising the fine steed and the prince's filial piety.

Taking advantage of the emperor's good mood, Lu Yanzhao stepped forward, knelt on the ground, and bowed deeply to the emperor: "Your Majesty, I need to watch the birthday celebration in the hunting grounds. Please come and take a look."

"Oh?" The emperor became interested again. Since he had just come out, he decided to go and see what the top scholar's congratulatory gift was.

Although Lu Yanzhao was only a minor official of the fifth rank, it was against the rules for him to present gifts before the other ministers, but because he was favored by the emperor, no one dared to say anything.

Chu Luoxun frowned. Lu Yanzhao wanted to present a gift? Why hadn't he discussed it with him before?

You, Lu Yanzhao, dare to curry favor with the emperor in private!

Lu Yanzhao clapped his hands, and four eunuchs carried over a mahogany box.

Lu Yanzhao opened the red box and bowed to the emperor: "Your Majesty, this is a musket, with boundless power. To fire it, simply pull out the barrel. Please grant me permission to demonstrate its operation."

"allow!"

Lu Yanzhao mounted the musket on the intersecting wooden stakes, and with a loud 'bang,' it exploded in the air.

"Indeed, its power is boundless. If our dynasty had such a weapon, we would be invincible and unconquerable."

"Yes, I wonder which talented person developed it. We can't let other countries dig it up."

Although the emperor remained calm and composed, his dragon eyes could not hide his shock: "Indeed, it is even more powerful than the ten-shot crossbow. I wonder who manufactured this musket. My dear minister, you must introduce the person to us."

Lu Yanzhao glanced at Gu Nanjiao, who was at the end of the female group, and knelt down before the emperor: "To tell you the truth, the musket was developed by my wife and me. We specially presented it to Your Majesty as a congratulatory gift, wishing the Chu Dynasty to be indestructible and Your Majesty to live a long and prosperous life."