Emperor Chongde personally bestowed upon the Crown Prince the Qianjin Ointment, which was extremely effective in treating superficial injuries, and then showered him with concern, causing everyone present to sigh in admiration.

His Highness the Crown Prince's position in His Majesty's heart is indeed unshakable.

Seeing that Yan Huai was seriously ill, some ministers who had harbored ulterior motives also had to give up their efforts.

With the Crown Prince's precious gifts preceding them, the subsequent presents seemed rather ordinary.

When it came to the Third Prince, Consort Li smiled and subtly boasted about how difficult it was for her son to obtain this gift.

"Your Majesty, you have no idea how much thought and effort the Third Prince put into this gift for you!"

Emperor Chongde replied calmly, "Is that so?"

In the past, he might have appeared very pleased.

But when the Crown Prince was seriously injured, he exhausted all his energy to carve the sculpture himself, and he didn't even mention how difficult it was for him. The Third Prince, who was still alive and kicking, was the first to play the victim!

He felt a little uneasy; was this person deliberately trying to curry favor with him?

Yan Xingzhou's heart sank, knowing that his mother's actions had backfired. He stepped forward and said sincerely, "I heard that this item is of great significance, so I thought of secretly buying it to surprise Father. It's not as exaggerated as Mother makes it out to be. It is my duty to be filial to Father."

Consort Li realized she had said the wrong thing, bit her lip, and wisely shut her mouth.

Yan Xingzhou had the things brought up, covered with a red cloth, making it all seem mysterious.

But as everyone has already guessed, this is the Kunshan jade that has been the subject of much speculation and legend.

As expected, Yan Xingzhou lifted the red cloth, revealing a jade stone about half a person's height standing quietly. The white material was warm and delicate, indeed a fine piece of jade.

What's rare is its pure color, without any impurities, and its enormous size.

Chi Yan looked him over carefully, and was greatly disappointed:

Isn't this Hetian jade?

The only rare thing about it is its size; it's been touted as priceless.

Sure enough, the prices of all luxury goods are driven up by suckers!

Yan Xingzhou smiled slightly: "Father, this is Kunshan jade. It is said that this jade is a blessing sent down by Heaven, which can protect our Great Qing and ensure peace and prosperity. I personally believe that such a precious jade belongs to Father!"

Emperor Chongde stared at the Kunshan jade for a long time without saying a word.

Yan Xingzhou's heart sank to the bottom; his father had indeed come to his displeasure!

After a moment of silence, several ministers spoke one after another:

"This precious jade belongs to Your Majesty; this is an immense blessing! Heaven blesses our Great Qing, and it will surely enjoy eternal prosperity!"

"The Third Prince is indeed thoughtful; his filial piety is commendable!"

Amidst the praise, Emperor Chongde slowly spoke: "Xingzhou, you've shown your thoughtfulness."

That was all.

Compared to the treatment given to the Crown Prince, the disparity is immediately apparent.

Yan Xingzhou showed no outward expression, only a slight droop at the corners of his mouth, and respectfully withdrew.

...

Halfway through the banquet, His Majesty and the Empress left one after another. Consort Li, not in high spirits, also left the banquet soon after.

Yan Mingyi smiled slightly, stood up and left amidst the respectful farewells of the crowd, without exchanging a single glance with Shen Tangning.

With the leaders gone, the people below could finally relax and start chatting with acquaintances.

Just as Chi Yan was about to go to Shen Tangning's side, someone suddenly grabbed him by the neck from behind. He wanted to raise his hand to block, but considering that everyone was watching, he simply let the other person drag him away.

Xiao Yu aggressively dragged him to a corner, bracing himself against the wall to prevent him from leaving, his face full of resentment: "You, Chi Yan! You treacherous and despicable villain!"

Trapped in the corner, Chi Yan's forehead twitched. He never dreamed that he would be pinned against the wall one day.