Thinking of this, Chu Yaoyao hurriedly chased after him, but after looking around, there was no sign of her elder brother outside.
[Forget it, there's still time to give it after the party starts. ]
After everyone's intensive preparations, the palace banquet began in the evening.
Taihe Hall.
Emperor Qixuan sat on a high platform, with the empress dowager on his left and the queen on his right.
The envoys from various countries were ministers and their families, sitting in their respective seats.
Chu Yaoyao's gaze shifted between the prince opposite her and Zhao Jingqi not far away. Her little head turned this way and then that way, very busy.
The imperial concubine next to her patted her little head.
"What are you looking at?"
She felt tired for the little guy. Wasn't he feeling dizzy?
Chu Yaoyao replied absentmindedly.
"Mother, I didn't see anything. I was just curious."
As she spoke, she was still looking at Zhao Jingqi.
Noticing her gaze, Zhao Jingqi raised her hand slightly, smiled and greeted her.
Chu Yaoyao grabbed her small purse and shook it at her.
Zhao Jingqi naturally knew that she was asking whether she had brought those things with her, and she immediately smiled and nodded.
Seeing this, Chu Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief.
Sister Zhao doesn’t have to worry for now. Just pay more attention to the Crown Prince’s situation.
On the other side, Zhao Jingqi found that the little princess did not continue to look at her, and her face showed a little disappointment. Suddenly, she felt two very strong gazes that were hard to ignore.
She looked in the direction and saw a woman in gorgeous scarlet clothes, turning her head away in panic.
Her brows knitted slightly.
Princess Beilan?
Why is she hostile to me?
While thinking, she looked at the source of the other gaze, not wanting to look directly at the disgusting scoundrel from yesterday.
The other person raised his glass towards her and even gave her a wink with his almost invisible eyes.
Zhao Jingqi felt a chill in her heart.
What bad luck!
Then she rolled her eyes and looked away with disgust.
The prince, who had been paying attention to her movements, saw what happened just now. He did not show any expression on his face, but his hands on his knees were clenched tightly.
He glared at the second prince Dangan fiercely.
When the banquet is over, I will have someone put a sack on that big toad and beat him up! As usual at banquets, Emperor Qixuan, who was sitting on the high platform, spoke a few words first, and then the envoys from various countries began to speak.
Chu Yaoyao had something hidden in her mind and didn't listen at all.
"play music!"
Following Su Maowen's words, a group of dancers slowly entered the stage to the sound of piano, swinging their long sleeves and dancing gracefully.
"Yao'er, drink a sip of hot water first."
The imperial concubine picked up a small kettle from the small stove next to her, poured a cup of warm water, and handed it to her mouth.
Chu Yaoyao held the cup in both hands and sipped the water intermittently.
And opposite are the tables where the princes sit.
A young eunuch squatted with a tray, helping the three brothers change the wine.
It was time to sit at the prince's table.
The young eunuch was about to take the wine jug next to the prince when he was stopped by Shenglai, the prince's personal eunuch.
“No need to change.”
"this……"
The young eunuch looked embarrassed, with a hint of panic in his eyes.
"Your Highness, we have been delayed for too long. The wine has gone cold. Let's get a warm one."
The prince frowned slightly, looking displeased.
Sensing his impatience, Shenglai looked at the young eunuch with a bad face.
"What's wrong with you? You don't understand me, right? I said, no change!"
The young eunuch panicked and subconsciously turned his head to look in a certain direction.
It is said that Minister Zhao looks fierce, with dark skin, a strong back and broad waist...
She was originally thinking that this legendary Miss Zhao must not be that good-looking.
Unexpectedly, she spent two hours carefully putting on makeup, but it still couldn't compare to her bare face!
Especially since the prince kept looking at her and even smiled at her! How shameless! In public, she blatantly seduced a man! She saw the eunuch she had bribed before walk to the prince's table.
Luo Yao stared at the little eunuch's movements closely, and her hand holding the handkerchief slightly tightened, and her palms were slightly sweaty.
As long as the prince drinks the spiked wine, her chance will come!
However, things did not develop as she expected.
As the eunuch beside the prince shouted, the young eunuch actually looked in his direction! You idiot, hurry up and leave, why are you looking at me? !
Is he dithering there because he is afraid that others won't be able to see that he has a problem? !
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seemed to have noticed something and looked over with a half-smile.
Luo Yao was so scared that she quickly looked away and lowered her head to look at the table. She was so flustered that she couldn't calm down for a long time.
What's going on?
Why did the prince suddenly look at me?
Could it be that he noticed something?
No, that young eunuch was bribed at short notice an hour before the banquet started.
No one will ever find out.
The task was not accomplished, and the nobleman had no other instructions, so the young eunuch could only leave in disgrace.
The prince gave Shenglai a look, and the other nodded slightly, then slowly retreated.
In just half a cup of tea, he came back quietly, bowed respectfully to the prince, and whispered a few words.
Then he stepped aside, lowered his head and closed his eyes, continuing to be an invisible man.
On the other side, Luo Yao comforted herself in her heart.
It doesn't matter. If it doesn't work this time, there will be next time! Knowing that Princess Beilan was waiting for an opportunity to poison him, the prince now felt that there was something wrong with every food on the table.
But the ministers and envoys who came to toast him one after another only drank the wine without eating anything, which made them feel uncomfortable in their stomachs.
Looking at the little guy who was happily chewing a chicken leg in one hand and a pig's trotter in the other, he couldn't help laughing and shook his head.
He was just about to go to Yaoyao to get some snacks, but he had only taken a few steps when a palace maid holding a wine jug bumped into him.
A crackling sound was heard, and in an instant, the noisy hall became quiet.
The palace maid quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed frantically.
"I deserve to die, please spare my life, Your Highness!"
“Your Highness!”
Shenglai hurried over to help clean the wine stains on his clothes, but the whole pot of wine spilled on him and his clothes were wet.
While helping to wipe it, Shenglai glared at the palace maid viciously.
"How do you walk with your hands and feet so clumsy?!"
The queen on the high platform watched this scene with worry.
"It's freezing cold, Jun'er, go to the side hall and change your clothes first."
The prince bowed and said, "Yes."
Then he glanced at the palace maid who was kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy.
"Okay, you go down first."
Then he walked out quickly, and Shenglai quickly followed with his cloak in his arms.
This accident did not affect the interest of the people in the hall, and soon it became lively again.
The food got cold and the taste was a little off.
Chu Yaoyao put down the chicken legs and pig's trotters with a lack of interest, took a piece of sweet cake from her mother's hand, and nibbled on it slowly.
After taking a few bites, she looked in the direction of the Beilan delegation as she did before.
When I saw this, I was shocked.
The snack in his mouth fell onto the table with a plop.
She sprang to her feet and looked around.
[Where is Princess Beilan? ! ]