Yuan Yao's pupils contracted sharply as she stared at the hairpin with its cold, black tip gleaming.
That hairpin is poisoned!
Xu Yunzhi gripped the hairpin, her eyes filled with resolute hatred, and stabbed it towards her neck.
She wasn't trying to kill anyone, she was trying to kill herself!
"Bang!"
Just as the hairpin was about to pierce Xu Yunzhi's skin, it was suddenly knocked off.
Li Chang slashed backhand, dislocating Xu Yunzhi's shoulder.
She was filled with pain and hatred, glaring at Li Chang with resentment: "Why did you stop me? Why?!"
Li Chang didn't answer, but said stiffly, "Detain her."
Xu Changze, recovering from the series of events, angrily shouted, "Li Chang, stop! Although my sister has married into the Li family, she is still the daughter of the Minister of Revenue!"
“Brother, shut up.” Xu Wanzhi shook her head at him.
Since Consort Wan had spoken, Xu Changze bit his cheek and chose to remain silent.
Two strong matchmakers immediately stepped forward and held Xu Yunzhi down.
Li Deshan shouted, "Husband and wife bow to each other, then escort them to the bridal chamber..."
Xu Yunzhi was forcibly taken away, tears streaming down her face.
Li Deshan said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be returning to the palace to report to the Emperor now. Please enjoy your meal."
After speaking, Li Deshan walked to Xu Wanzhi's side: "Your Highness, please."
Xu Wanzhi stood up, covered her lips with a handkerchief, bowed to the Ninth Prince, and left the Li residence.
The guests who had come to observe the ceremony took their seats.
Li Chang's grandfather stood up shakily: "Your Excellency, you saved my grandson, and I have no way to repay you..."
As he spoke, the old man was about to kneel down.
The Ninth Prince held a jade fan in his hand and used the handle to steadily support Old Master Li: "There's no need to kneel before me, please take your seat."
With tears streaming down his face, Old Master Li was helped to a seat by the servant.
Yuan Yao jumped down from the Ninth Prince's arms: "Father, shall we go back to the palace?"
"Wait a little longer, we haven't had the wedding banquet yet." The Ninth Prince smiled slightly.
"Ah... okay."
Yuan Yao glanced at the banquet that had already been set out, her eyes filled with longing.
Before she knew it, she was hungry!
The eunuch who had greeted the guests for Master Li earlier entered and said, "Your Majesty, your banquet is ready. Please take your seats."
The pavilion was filled with fine wines and delicacies.
Outside the pavilion, guests chatted and laughed.
The changes at the wedding hall seemed like nothing more than a dream.
After settling his bride, Li Chang returned to the banquet with a sour expression and went from table to table toasting the guests…
The first person to be toasted was naturally the Ninth Prince.
The pavilion curtain was half-drawn, and Li Chang held up a cup of wine: "Your subordinate toasts Your Majesty."
The Ninth Prince accepted his wine, holding the cup tightly: "Do you blame me?"
Li Chang shook his head: "For Your Majesty, I am willing to do anything!"
Back then, when my subordinate and grandfather were on the verge of death, it was Your Highness who helped us, and that's how my grandfather and I survived.
It is because I am dull-witted and have made little progress over the years that I have failed His Majesty's expectations.
Marrying Xu Yunzhi is a trivial matter to your subordinates. Your Majesty is a man of great things, dedicated to the Great Qi Kingdom and its people; you need not concern yourself with your subordinates.
After speaking, Li Chang tilted his head back and downed the wine in his hand in one gulp.
The Ninth Prince looked at Li Chang, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, and tilted his long neck back to drink the wine in his cup.
Li Chang straightened his clothes, looked at Yuan Yao, and smiled: "Princess, you've been frightened today."
This young princess is young and has always been pampered.
You must have been scared by all those coffins you saw today, right?
Yuan Yao raised her small face and gave Li Chang a sweet smile: "I'm fine."
Li Chang nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I will take my leave now."
With the curtain drawn, Li Chang stepped out of the pavilion to toast the guests.
The Ninth Prince put down his wine cup and patted Yuan Yao's head: "Hungry?"
Yuan Yao nodded.
As if performing a magic trick, the Ninth Prince pulled out an exquisite long wooden box from his sleeve.
Yuan Yao curiously peeked over.
Pork floss mini cake!
The Ninth Prince handed over the wooden box: "Eat."
Yuan Yao happily accepted it: "Daddy is the best!"
She thought she'd be starving until she got back to the palace!
Unexpectedly, the Ninth Prince secretly brought her some food!
She is so happy!
I grabbed a piece of pork floss cake, took a bite, and the savory pork floss, the soft cake, and the delicate sweetness of the sauce spread across my tongue...
Yuan Yao was extremely satisfied.
While we were eating, a commotion broke out outside the courtyard.
Yuan Yao was eating when she looked up curiously.
Several imperial guards appeared at the courtyard gate carrying a stretcher.
There was a person lying on the stretcher.
What happened this time?
The imperial guards glanced around the banquet hall, their gaze landing on the Ninth Prince. They knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, this man was seriously injured and was rescued from the back mountain by the imperial guards stationed at the East Lake Palace."
He had something to report, and it was a matter of great importance, so his subordinates escorted him back to the capital.
As soon as the Imperial Guards finished speaking, everyone at the banquet put down their chopsticks and looked in that direction.
What happened this time?
There were still several corpses in the wedding hall, so why was another seriously injured person brought in?
Can't we just have a proper wedding banquet?
Is this banquet even allowed to be eaten?
The Ninth Prince lifted the curtain: "What is it?"
The man struggled to get up from the stretcher and said weakly, "Your Majesty, I am a cook at the Donghu Palace. I usually cook for the palace servants."
These past two days, I've been specifically in charge of the Imperial Guards' meals...
Yesterday morning, I went to fetch vegetables. As soon as I entered the kitchen, someone stabbed me in the back with a sword and threw me into the mountains outside the palace...
I'm lucky I survived; I didn't die completely. I was rescued by the Imperial Guards and have come to report to His Majesty...
A traitor has infiltrated the palace staff, plotting to harm people through the food!
"hiss……"
A series of gasps rose and fell throughout the banquet.
Because the wedding was arranged so hastily, the cook at the Li residence today was someone transferred from the palace…
After a series of clattering sounds, chopsticks and spoons were scattered all over the table.
Yuan Yao listened, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
She thought to herself, "This cook, you're too late!"
The poison was administered a long time ago.
The person is long gone...
The Ninth Prince stepped out of the pavilion and walked to the stretcher: "Words are no proof. How can you expect me to believe your words?"
Upon hearing this, many people murmured in agreement, expressing their skepticism...
Yuan Yao sat far away in the pavilion and said to the air, "Broken Moon."
“Princess.” A voice replied to her in a secret tone.
Yuan Yao cupped her face in her hands and asked in a soft voice, "Whose man is this Minister of Revenue?"
The broken moon remained silent.
After a moment, he replied, like an emotionless machine: "I know nothing about matters of the court."
"Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?" Yuan Yao pressed.
Po Yue: "..."
He replied, "It's fake."
Yuan Yao: "???"
Are you kidding her?
Yuan Yao lowered her voice and threatened in a low voice, "Tell me, whose man is the Minister of Revenue!"
Her voice was both cute and fierce.
After a long pause, Po Yue finally replied, "Empress Dowager."
Empress Dowager?
How did this involve the Empress Dowager who was worshipping Buddha at Fotaishan?
However, upon further reflection, Yuan Yao understood.
Today, the people only know the Nine Thousand Years Old, but not the Emperor.
Unfortunately, the emperor forbade anyone from touching the Ninth Prince.
The Ninth Prince had held power for many years, and the Empress Dowager had probably finally reached her limit and wanted to get rid of him...
Yuan Yao was ignorant of matters of political maneuvering.
But she knew that, whether it was this time or the next, she would stay by the Ninth Prince's side!
Yuan Yao stood up and straightened her skirt: "It's my turn to appear."
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