The Empress Dowager, who was called out without cause: "..."

This unfilial descendant.

She's already so old, why bring her out and embarrass her in front of others!

"Yue'er, you mustn't speak rudely to your Ninth Imperial Aunt. Sit down now." Shang Xiche's face was ashen, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Shang Chuyue was surprised to find that Shang Xiche was actually protecting the bandit, just as rumored.

His gaze slid toward Chen Ziying, who was seated among the officials' wives.

Chen Ziying gave her a look that said, "I wasn't wrong, was I?"

Unlike the simple-minded Chen Ziying, Shang Chuyue was a princess who grew up in the palace. Through her upbringing, she knew that her willful and capricious behavior was based on Shang Xiche's doting affection.

If Shang Xiche hadn't stood up for her, and she had insisted on challenging that bandit in public today, she would have been the one to suffer in the end.

So she tested Ji Fengyao a little, and sat down promptly after Shang Xiche's warning.

Chen Ziying watched with growing anxiety:

This brainless sixth princess finally got a chance to humiliate that bandit, so why did she suddenly chicken out!

Ji Fengyao ignored the eye contact between Shang Chuyue and Chen Ziying. She had fed the Gu worm enough, and before putting it into her sleeve, she sent a wisp of divine thought to suppress it.

The worm was so frightened that it shrank back, its scarlet head suddenly turning around to bite its own tail, breaking the skin.

Qin Weiyang, who had been staring at this side with hatred, suddenly turned red in the face, clutched her chest in pain with her right hand, and spat out a mouthful of dark blood. She glared at Ji Fengyao with extreme resentment before collapsing into the arms of Qi Xuan and Aunt She.

This sudden turn of events completely disrupted the banquet, and everyone looked at each other in shock.

"Quickly, someone check Consort Qin's food!" Eunuch De reacted quickly, intending to treat this as a poisoning incident.

At this moment, Aunt She had already wiped the bloodstains from Qin Weiyang's lips, and Qi Xuan was doing her best to support Qin Weiyang's body.

Qin Weiyang said breathlessly, "No need, I'm sorry, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, it's because I haven't fully recovered from my illness that I've spoiled everyone's mood. I'm guilty."

"Alright, everyone disperse and go rest. Get plenty of rest for tomorrow's hunt." Shang Xiche was depressed and used the matter of Consort Qin to vent his dissatisfaction.

All the officials present knew that Consort Qin was someone Shang Xiye had taken a liking to and brought back from Nanli.

Shang Xiye had protected Qin Weiyang in every way, but in the end, Qin Weiyang went to the palace on her own and climbed into the emperor's bed. Because of this, the officials even speculated that the Ninth Prince might have a hidden illness that prevented him from keeping the woman he loved.

This incident made Shang Xiche proud for many years, but now that he learned that Shang Xiye had fallen for that bandit again, Shang Xiche's sense of pride in Qin Weiyang naturally vanished.

But Qin Weiyang was, after all, someone close to Shang Xiye. By publicly humiliating Qin Weiyang, he was also humiliating Shang Xiye.

Thinking about it this way, Shang Xiche discovered another use for Qin Weiyang: a punching bag.

After the emperor, empress dowager, empress, and Consort Yin went to the imperial courtyard to rest, the other ministers also went to gather in small groups.

Shang Xiye was half-invited and half-dragged away by Yuan Zhouhan and others, leaving Ji Fengyao to wander around with Shanyu Heye by herself.

Hei Xiao, who was seated outside, learned that the banquet inside had ended and was about to come in to find Shang Xiye and Ji Fengyao.

He had only gone halfway when he was stopped by Qin Weiyang and her three servants, whose faces were ashen.

Black Owl cursed his bad luck inwardly. Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, he gave Qin Weiyang a proper bow, but did not say anything.