Mu Qiye couldn't bear to see the beauty suffer, so he quickly stood up to defend her: "Uncle's words are a bit extreme. Miss Feng Yao was just using the music to liven things up."
As soon as Mu Qiye finished speaking, he was suddenly stunned. He saw the murderous intent rising in Mu Feiyu's eyes and realized that he had offended someone he shouldn't have.
Mu Feiyu strode up to Mu Qiye's side and said coldly, "Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness. Our Northern You Kingdom has been at war for many years, and we are currently in a precarious situation. At present, Your Majesty should prioritize the country and its people. Moreover, the Empress is already carrying Your Majesty's child. Even if Your Majesty is trying to maintain the dignity of the royal family, you should still be cautious."
Upon hearing this, Mu Qiye said nothing more. Even though he liked Feng Yao very much, he could only swallow his anger and endure it. After all, Mu Feiyu's sphere of influence had spread to most of the court. Compared to him, the puppet emperor, the regent who held sway over the world undoubtedly had more say.
Feng Yao knelt on the ground without daring to raise her head, the thunderous reprimands of Mu Feiyu echoing in her ears. She had clearly performed flawlessly at today's banquet, so what went wrong that made him so furious?
As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent. Seeing this, Feng Qingyun could no longer hold back and hurriedly knelt down to Mu Qiye to plead for mercy: "The Regent's reprimand is absolutely right. It is all my fault for failing to educate my daughter properly. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my daughter for being young and ignorant."
"..." Just as Mu Qiye was about to ask Mu Feiyu for his opinion again, he found that Mu Feiyu had returned to his seat. The meaning was clear: as long as Mu Qiye did not provoke Feng Yao, he would not meddle in other people's business.
Seeing that Mu Feiyu had no intention of continuing to blame him, Feng Qingyun pulled Feng Yao up, and the father and daughter returned to their seats, looking disheveled.
Feng Yao turned her head and shot a wolf-like gaze at Feng Jin. She felt that everything that happened today was related to Feng Jin, but she couldn't figure out where the source was.
Feng Yao prided herself on being clever, but she overlooked one thing: Mu Feiyu was most wary of the emperor getting too close to the children of powerful officials in the court. Ever since Mu Qiye ascended the throne, he had not let go of anyone who threatened his position. How could the unmarried daughter of the prime minister's family be an exception?
Perhaps even Mu Beichen didn't know that Feng Jin knew all this thanks to Hua Mancheng. He often went to Xingyue Tower with Mu Zixuan, and the topics he heard were nothing more than interesting things in the palace. Over time, he became familiar with all the affairs between the emperor and his court officials.
She had long anticipated that Feng Yao would be unwilling to be chosen as a royal consort and would definitely take this opportunity to win the emperor's heart. She deliberately let Feng Yao steal the limelight first. In the eyes of the regent, any powerful minister or military general who dared to approach the emperor without his permission was an enemy. Once this feud was formed between the two sides, the prime minister's mansion would not have a good life.
My sister, I'm so sorry, but you got what you deserved!
Feng Jin shrugged and gave Feng Yao a nonchalant smile. In the blink of an eye, they suddenly heard Eunuch Wang's loud shout coming from afar: "The Crown Prince of Jianglan Kingdom has arrived!"
Everyone looked up and saw a man dressed in luxurious clothes and with an extraordinary appearance, walking swaying down the long steps, accompanied by an attendant.
It was him, Su Yu, the Crown Prince of Jianglan Kingdom.
Feng Jin's eyes widened instantly as she stared at him in astonishment. A familiar image immediately flashed through her mind: this was the man in blue she had hugged the day she first entered the capital. She never expected that he would be the famous Crown Prince of Jiang Lan Kingdom!
It is said that clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse. Su Yu was already handsome, and now with his hair tied up high and wearing a dark blue robe, he looked even more dashing. If appearance could be used to categorize attack power, he would undoubtedly be one of the few people who scored full marks.
Upon approaching Mu Qiye, Su Yu bowed respectfully and said, "Su Yu, Crown Prince of Jianglan Kingdom, pays respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Beiyou Kingdom. May His Majesty enjoy longevity and happiness, and may he have many more such days to come."
"Very well, please be seated." Everyone rose and sat down again with Mu Qiye. Then, many people cast unusually sharp glances at Su Yu. Looking across the world, only Jiang Lan Kingdom could rival the strength of Bei You Kingdom. The current situation was crystal clear: whoever won over Su Yu would have Jiang Lan Kingdom as a powerful backer.
Mu Beichen glanced at Su Yu and smiled knowingly. He knew very well what the other party was thinking. It was just a pretext to celebrate the emperor's birthday, but in reality, it was to assess the status of these powerful officials.
From the moment Su Yu took his seat, he was never short of people serving him tea and water and flattering him. From princes and noblemen to members of prominent families, anyone associated with power did not want to miss the opportunity to curry favor with this prince of a neighboring country. He seemed not to care about any of this, but merely glanced at Feng Jin in the opposite seat, raised the corners of his lips, and smiled secretly.
When everyone was slightly tipsy, Su Yu suddenly suggested, "Today is His Majesty's birthday banquet, a time of celebration for all. Would you please have Princess Jing perform a skill to entertain His Majesty?"
As soon as she said this, everyone cast disdainful glances at Feng Jin. They all thought that this Princess Jing was nothing but a pretty face, especially not on such an extraordinary occasion as today. Could she possibly be presentable? They hoped she wouldn't make a fool of herself.
Feng Jin was simply sitting in the guest seats eating wine and drinking tea as if nothing had happened, but suddenly she was stared at by everyone present with the eyes of wolves and tigers. Even Mu Qiye looked at her with some disgust. All of this made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
She sighed and forced a smile: "Feng Jin has been lacking in talent and learning since childhood, and has no outstanding skills. I'm afraid this will disappoint all the gentlemen present."
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