They were sweating profusely with anxiety and sprang into action, opening windows one after another and pouring water to extinguish the incense.
At this moment, as fresh air entered the hall and dispersed the strong, sweet incense, Zheng Quchi's nausea and discomfort subsided slightly.
Yuan Xingzhou subtly observed the relaxation in her brow before walking up to her. He stood there, looking coldly at the Prince of Ye, who sat there like a lump of mud, with a strange pity in his eyes: "Father, you are old. These people are so disrespectful to you. In the past, you would have executed them all long ago, but now you can only sit here and vent your frustrations with useless scolding."
The palace servants, who had been standing against the wall, looked at the newly returned Crown Prince with horror upon hearing this. In a moment of unease, they all knelt down and kowtowed frantically.
Even Huai Yuequn was so shocked by the Crown Prince's words that he broke out in a cold sweat, turned over, and knelt down in fear.
They feared the King of Ye, but what they feared was the power he wielded. They also treated him with disrespect, because they looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts—a King of Ye who couldn't even stand up straight.
This fact was immediately seen through by the newly returned eldest prince.
Only Zheng Quchi looked completely bewildered.
He had only just returned to the palace and hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly, yet he was already planning to purge the court of corrupt officials.
Would the old King of Ye be happy to hear this? He would definitely feel that his royal dignity had been offended, and that he was ambitious and wanted to take the throne.
Zheng Quchi's mind raced with all sorts of wild speculations. Based on her limited knowledge of palace intrigue, she thought that Yuan Xingzhou was being far too impatient. Hadn't they agreed to proceed gradually and scheme slowly...?
The King of Ye trembled with excitement, but not from anger, but from joy: "Yes, my son is absolutely right. As I grow old, these people have been disrespecting the emperor's authority. Now that you have returned, I am truly gratified."
Zheng Quchi looked at the Prince of Ye with a "Holy crap" expression: "..."
The old father of the vengeful, crazy son is probably also a crazy old man. That's called genetics. Yes, she's just meddling in other people's business. She doesn't understand their world. Sorry for bothering her.
The following time was for the two scheming father and son to catch up. Zheng Quchi and all the kneeling palace servants served as a backdrop until the Prince of Ye was tired and his eyelids were about to close. Only then did Yuan Xingzhou say, "Father, the General's wife and I traveled to the capital together. On the way, we became as familiar as old friends and had a very pleasant conversation. Let her stay with me in the Hundred Departments Hall tonight."
Just now, the Prince of Ye allowed Yuan Xingzhou to rest in the Hundred Departments Hall, which was once the residence of the Crown Prince.
Upon hearing this, the Prince of Ye suddenly opened his drooping eyelids, his turbid, slender eyes looking at Yuan Xingzhou's eyes as if inquiring.
There were countless rooms in the palace available for guests, yet he insisted on bringing the person to his own bedchamber. This can be interpreted in two ways: first, that he wanted to protect the person; and second, that he had taken a liking to the person.
When he was young, the King of Ye was a foolish ruler who often seized other men's wives and daughters. He did not value women's chastity; he valued the benefits that marriage alliances would bring.
He twisted his head; he had almost no neck left, his head and neck forming a mass of flesh. His two narrow eyes, like reptiles, stared at Zheng Quchi with a sticky look... Apart from her low birth, she was still acceptable in other aspects, especially since she held the enormous power left behind by Yuwen Sheng.
He naturally had informants reporting back about what happened at the city gate. She had successfully won over the Wang and Wei families, and the Xuanjia Army also valued her highly. If one didn't mention her background, this woman must have some skill; otherwise, how could she have married Yuwen Sheng and quickly consolidated his power after his death?
In other words, if they control her, wouldn't that mean all the power left behind by Yuwen Sheng will fall into the hands of the Yuan family?
However... this matter needs to be considered more carefully.
"I will leave this matter to my son. I am tired. You may go."
He tried to wave his hand, but he didn't even have the strength to lift it. He no longer had the energy to think about anything, and his mind was so foggy that he wanted to fall asleep.
——
The palace servants skillfully laid the snoring Prince Ye out on his limbs, making him lie down on a specially made, spacious chair, and then covered him with a brocade quilt...
This seemingly simple action left seven or eight palace servants panting and sweating profusely, a sight that left Zheng Quchi in awe.
This King of Ye completely overturned her understanding of what a monarch should be.
Before coming, she mentally visualized all the kings and their images, but when she actually saw them, all those images in her mind were shattered.
She had heard from Brother Wei that the Prince of Ye suffered from obesity, and she had imagined that he had reached such a serious and terrifying level.
After walking out of the hall, Zheng Quchi finally let out a deep breath.
Yuan Xingzhou asked her, "Didn't you say you weren't afraid of him?"
She didn't try to mute her conversation with the Prince of Ye, and Yuan Xingzhou, with his keen hearing, naturally heard every word.
Seeing the palace servants leading the way ahead, Zheng Quchi deliberately kept her distance to give them space. She whispered, "Don't be afraid. With you here and the powerful support Yuwen Sheng left me, to be honest, I'm not too afraid of what the Prince of Ye will do to me. It's just that I was a bit upset by that incense inside, and my chest still feels a little uncomfortable."
Seeing her innocent expression, Yuan Xingzhou wondered if she was truly fearless or simply slow to react.
“That’s snake scent,” he said.
Zheng Quchi heard this and asked curiously, "What is snake incense?"
Incense made from snakes? In her mind, snakes were always associated with poisonous creatures, so could this incense be some kind of poisonous incense?
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