Seeing this, Emperor Yun suddenly smiled and sighed, breaking the deadlock, "This time, the plague in Liangzhou is rampant, and the people are suffering. If it weren't for Song Zhiyu risking his life to go there to treat them, we don't know when this harmful plague would have ended."

The eldest princess nodded in agreement, not forgetting to tease Zhou Xingzhi, "That girl has always been kind, no wonder Xingzhi followed her to Liangzhou."

Upon hearing this, the ministers present all smiled knowingly and offered their praise with great tact.

"Miss Song is not only kind-hearted, but also has superb medical skills. Such a talented and beautiful woman is a perfect match for His Highness the Crown Prince."

"His Highness the Crown Prince has the people at heart and went to Liangzhou without regard for his own safety. He is worthy of being the heir apparent of a nation."

"..."

Shen Jinshu was extremely unwilling, and even though she tried her best to control her emotions, she almost bit her lower lip until it bled.

Today should have been the day she received praise from the Empress Dowager and was in the limelight.

But why was Song Zhiyu able to so easily take everything away from her even though she never appeared?

Just as she was feeling resentful, a loud bang suddenly came from beside her, which startled her greatly.

Suddenly, Li Wang smashed the wine cup in his hand, stood up abruptly under the astonished and uncertain gazes of the crowd, and stared fixedly at Emperor Yun with his scarlet and turbid eyes.

Emperor Yun's face instantly darkened, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. His powerful aura, though not angry, was overwhelming. "Today is your grandmother's birthday banquet. What are you trying to do?"

“Father, you know today is Grandmother’s birthday banquet, but you keep mentioning Zhou Xingzhi in your words. Isn’t he just because he has a biological mother who is the Empress? He was born a cut above me and is still firmly in the position of Crown Prince.”

"But what about me? My talent and strategy are no less than Zhou Xingzhi's. You just can't see my good points!" King Li laughed loudly, and amidst the astonished gazes around him, he blurted out the words that had been bottled up in his heart for many years.

"Insolence!" Emperor Yun was furious. He had always known that his son was far from being as gentle and harmless as he appeared, but he never expected that he would dare to openly vent his dissatisfaction in front of hundreds of court officials.

Such reckless and foolish behavior is not something he would do.

Even Shen Jinshu was incredulous. Li Wang's actions had completely destroyed his years of painstaking planning.

No, we can't let him continue.

Shen Jinshu steeled her heart, hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Prince Li's hand, secretly giving him a meaningful look, "Your Highness, I've told you not to drink so much wine before. You're talking nonsense. Please apologize to His Majesty."

Although the reason is far-fetched, at least nothing serious has happened yet, and some things that shouldn't have been said haven't been said, so there's still hope.

But the Prince of Li did not buy it. Instead, he flung her away, and the crimson in his eyes became even more obvious.

“What I said is wrong. Father Emperor is biased. Just because Zhou Xingzhi is the Empress’s son, he is the crown prince. No matter how well I do, I will never have a chance.”

Prince Li drew a long sword from a guard's waist, the tip pointing directly at Emperor Yun's eyes. "Father, in truth, I am the one who resembles you the most."

Emperor Yun was able to fight his way up from among the many princes and ascend to a high position, and that was not solely due to his so-called talent and strategy.

"You bastard, are you trying to rebel?" Emperor Yun's eyes narrowed dangerously as he coldly glanced at the gleaming silver sword before him, his calm tone laced with a hint of ruthlessness.

At this moment, Prince Li felt extremely relieved. He finally spoke the words that had been hidden in his heart for many years. He was immediately relieved. "Father, don't say such harsh words. I just want you to give me a chance."

Emperor Yun shook his head, his deep, calm voice resonating powerfully throughout the spacious hall, "A crown prince should care for the people and be benevolent, but you are not worthy."

Li Wang was taken aback, but reason returned, and his mind regained some clarity.

He stared at the longsword in his hand, his eyes surging with turbulent emotions. Just as he was about to explain, a sudden pain shot through his wrist, and the sharp sword fell to the ground.

"There are some things I am unwilling to say too clearly, which is to give you a chance to repent. But instead of cherishing it, you have become even more outrageous. How can I tolerate this?" Emperor Yun glared at him coldly, took the petition from Chief Eunuch Li's hand, and slapped it hard across Prince Li's face.

"Chen Feng has been working for you all along. Even the incident with the herbs being transported to Liangzhou last time—you were involved in that too, weren't you?" The Emperor's deep voice was tinged with anger, sending chills down one's spine.

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

The matter of Liangzhou herbs is actually related to the King of Li; it truly shows that you can know a person's face but not their heart.

But then they thought about it again. The Prince and the Marquis of Chengen's family were closely related and had even become related by marriage. They would share both glory and misfortune, so they didn't find it strange.

"Father, I can explain." Prince Li moved his dry lips. He didn't know why he had done such an absurd thing just now; it wasn't his intention.

The time is not yet ripe, and even if he wanted to rebel, he wouldn't be entirely confident of success.

His cautious nature prevented him from taking the risk, and he was even less likely to be foolish enough to reveal his plans in public, which would be tantamount to digging his own grave.

"Your Highness, please first explain the Su family, who were innocently implicated in the grain embezzlement case three years ago because they refused to be coerced or bribed by you and were unwilling to collude with you."

Pei Qingyan slowly stood up, his steps steady and powerful as he walked into the hall. His clear and calm voice sounded harmless, yet it was like a heavy hammer striking the heart of Prince Li.

"Your Majesty, I secretly investigated the grain transport embezzlement case three years ago and made an unexpected discovery. Now, the evidence is in this memorial that was never presented." Pei Qingyan, seemingly unaware of the murderous gaze of the Prince of Li, took out a memorial with slightly yellowed edges from his sleeve.

Upon seeing this, Li Wang's pupils contracted, and a hint of panic was revealed deep in his eyes.

He did it so discreetly, without even lifting a finger himself, yet they still managed to find a flaw in his plan.

Emperor Yun's brows furrowed even deeper. His eyes flickered slightly, and without him even saying a word, Chief Steward Li, who was standing to the side with his head bowed, understood his meaning. He stepped forward, took the memorial, and respectfully presented it to Emperor Yun.

Emperor Yun was seen flipping through the memorials with a sullen face. His expression became visibly serious, and his taut face revealed a hint of anger.

No one dared to breathe loudly. At some point, the singing, dancing, and music stopped, and the entire hall fell silent.

"Damn it!" Emperor Yun slammed the memorial shut, slammed his hand on the table, and his face was so dark it could drip water.

Seemingly enraged to the extreme, his chest heaved as he smashed a teacup against Li Wang's head, causing it to bleed profusely.

The emperor was furious, and everyone else lowered their heads in fear, lest they be caught in the crossfire.

Seeing how angry Emperor Yun was, they knew that what Pei Qingyan said was probably true.

Today's shocking news comes one after another, leaving people terrified.

The heavens of the Lintian Dynasty are about to change.