The disappearance of King Wei did not have much impact on the empress, and his return naturally had the same effect.
However, everyone was gathered, and it was a rare occasion for Xiao Li to have someone prepare a banquet.
Xiao Li was a generous emperor, and her officials enjoyed excellent welfare benefits, but she was also very lazy and didn't even want to hold a banquet.
However, now that the system in Yanping Prefecture has been established, a banquet is still needed to bring everyone together.
Xiao Li gave full authority to her subordinates to handle it, and she didn't have to worry about it at all. There was enough money and people. She only had one attitude: if you fail, you're finished.
She definitely won't support useless people with her high salary.
Xiao Li gave Qiao Ruyan a sixth-rank official position and allowed her to participate in the banquet with Wang Wanqing.
After ten days of preparation, the banquet began.
The banquet was for the officials and military generals who came with Xiao Li, and the local officials were of the two levels of prefect and associate governor.
At first glance it didn't seem like there were that many people, but in the end there were a full two hundred of them.
The banquets in the palace were solemn and grand, while those in the local areas were more approachable, with half of the red tape cut out and many more dance and acrobatic programs added.
The Empress's banquet was heavily guarded, with silver-armored guards stationed every three steps, conducting strict inspections to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from taking advantage of any loopholes.
The empress was always decisive in dealing with those unknown people who wanted to sneak in. She would kill them on the spot if she found out their identities were different, without interrogating them.
This is the absolute power of killing granted to the Silver Armor Guards by the Empress.
Seeing the woman in front of him being discovered and killed with a single knife, Niu Jiuhua was completely dumbfounded. He could see the flaw at a glance without even needing the Silver-Armored Guards to check her.
Seeing the silver-armored guards approaching her, she was the first to feign composure. However, when she saw that the guards had already drawn their swords, she realized that she was likely to die, and quickly shouted, "I am the King of Wei's savior, and I am here to find the King of Wei."
Niu Jiuhua thought that she would be able to intimidate these guards by bringing up the King of Wei, but she didn't know that these guards only recognized the empress, and the King of Wei had no influence on them at all.
Under the ruthless command of the deadly knife, Niu Jiuhua relied on her brute strength and reaction to dodge. Knowing that she could not win, she gave up fighting and ran desperately towards the banquet.
She had been running in the woods since she was young, and her speed in dodging obstacles was extremely fast, which allowed her to slip away from the hands of several silver-armored guards for a while.
But how could the silver-armored guards who could guard the Empress be vegetarians?
After they reacted, several people surrounded him, opened the silver umbrella above their heads, and set up a deadly net, aiming for a killing spree.
Niu Jiuhua almost died.
She took a blow with her shoulder, slipped out from under the feet of a silver-armored guard, and quickly kidnapped a passing woman.
"Don't come over here!"
The Silver Armored Guards all had ashen faces. What the hell, they met a tough guy today.
She must not be allowed to go before His Majesty, but they dare not do it now because the person Niu Jiuhua is holding hostage is Wang Wanqing.
Compared with King Wei, Wang Wanqing made the Silver Armor Guards have to be cautious.
Wang Wanqing, who was being held hostage, remained calm: "Don't come over here yet."
Niu Jiuhua: "Take me to see the King of Wei, quickly."
Wang Wanqing glanced inside and raised her hand: "One of the elder brothers will go and invite the King of Wei here."
Isn't it easy to meet the King of Wei? I can't let her ruin His Majesty's banquet.
The silver-armored guards went in quickly and invited Xiao Jingyi out after a while.
The moment he saw Niu Jiuhua holding Wang Wanqing hostage, Xiao Jingyi felt that he was not far from death.
"What are you doing? Let him go."
Niu Jiuhua obediently released Wang Wanqing and hurriedly ran towards Xiao Jingyi. Just as she was about to speak to him, the silver-armored guards quickly captured her.
Niu Jiuhua's face changed drastically, and she looked painful: "Xiao Jingyi, please let them let me go. My back is injured and it hurts."
Xiao Jingyi didn't say anything. Niu Jiuhua looked at him in disbelief: "You won't help me?"
Xiao Jingyi just felt tired: "Why did you come here?"
Niu Jiuhua: "I found some news about my father. You said you could help me find him."
Xiao Jingyi agreed, but he didn't want her to make such a fuss. He bowed to the silver-armored guard and said, "This person is an acquaintance of mine. I beg you to be so kind as to spare her life. I will go and apologize to His Majesty."
Niu Jiuhua was furious: "Please forgive me, why are there so many crimes? I just wanted to come in to find you, but they wanted to kill me without any reason. It's totally unreasonable."
Wang Wanqing sneered, looking at this idiot who had appeared out of nowhere. "Please, King Wei, take care of your acquaintances. The last person who dared to hold me hostage is almost overgrown with grass."
After Wang Wanqing finished speaking, she flicked her sleeves and left.
Niu Jiuhua was still being suppressed, but she was not convinced: "Who is she? She speaks in such a sarcastic way."
Niu Jiuhua used to be in awe of powerful officials. His family were bandits, and they would feel scared when they heard the title of county magistrate.
But who made her save a prince? She had been with the King of Wei for so long, and she felt that the prince was no different from ordinary people, just an ordinary man with flesh and blood, without any special powers.
The King of Wei asked her to call him by his name. After a long time, she had the illusion that she and the King of Wei were equal.
The King of Wei is a prince, and he has only one sister above him. Everyone else is lower than the King of Wei. Why does he speak to her like this when she is of the same rank as the King of Wei?
And the Silver Armor Guards, aren't they just a bunch of guards? They didn't even listen to the prince's words. They really deserve to die!
Niu Jiuhua didn't say much, but she was too simple-minded. In the eyes of a prince like Xiao Jingyi who had survived the complicated palace, it was as if it was written all over her face.
Xiao Jingyi knew very well that if Niu Jiuhua stayed, she would definitely kill him. He knew Niu Jiuhua's ignorance, and he knew even more clearly the ruthlessness of his royal sister.
But Niu Jiuhua did save him once.
"You wait quietly, I will go in and ask for mercy."
Normally, such a small matter would not be brought to the attention of the Empress. At most, a figure would be released after the banquet to indicate how many people were found this time.
However, the King of Wei was involved, as was the Queen's court lady. The Silver-Armored Guards quickly reported to Yang Jun, who told the Empress about it.
Although Xiao Li did not expect such a thing to happen, he was not that surprised.
"If you want to rescue someone from the Silver Armor Guard, then follow their rules."
Yang Jun lowered his head: "As you wish."
Wang Wanqing's seat was at the back, and she didn't care at all about being held hostage, because she knew there was no need to cry or complain, as the empress would never let her suffer any injustice.
As for the King of Wei, it would be difficult to come back up.
When Niu Jiuhua saw Xiao Jingyi again, he was being carried out, dying, with blood dripping down the stretcher.
Niu Jiuhua collapsed instantly: "Xiao Jingyi, what happened to you? Who hurt you like this?"
Xiao Jingyi was in so much pain that he almost fainted, but he insisted on staying awake and looking up at her: "If you want me to die, you can continue to talk nonsense."
Niu Jiuhua held back the words that were about to come out, and finally followed Xiao Jingyi to his residence, crying all the way.
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