Pick her up?
The age of coming of age?
Yuan Yao was startled.
At this moment, the Ninth Prince coldly curled the corners of his lips: "We'll talk about it when I'm old enough to live."
This is a clear rejection...
Jiang Lanyue, however, did not give up.
She got up from the ground and straightened her skirt.
It's okay, she'll get what she wants sooner or later.
She... insisted on doing it!
Yuan Yao took in every change in Jiang Lanyue's expression.
But there's no rush.
There is ample time.
At least for the next seven years, she won't have to see Jiang Lanyue again.
Seven years later, perhaps she and the Ninth Prince have already left the palace and the Great Qi, and are traveling around enjoying themselves.
When Jiang Lanyue returns, even if she stirs up a huge storm, it will have nothing to do with her and the Ninth Prince!
Besides, given Jiang Lanyue's frail health, it's uncertain whether she'll even live to adulthood in a place like Fotai Mountain...
However, at that time, these were not things that she and the Ninth Prince should care about.
Without Jiang Lanyue, the future is bright!
Yuan Yao was in a great mood.
The mourning period for the Empress Dowager lasted for a full twenty-seven days. During the mourning period, princes and officials were required to observe a one-month mourning period, while commoners observed a three-month mourning period.
During this period, marriage and all entertainment activities are prohibited...
Two days after the Empress Dowager's death, news came from the Huai River.
Another flood swept through Huai River City.
Countless civilians were killed or injured...
The Ninth Prince needs to hurry to Huai River City.
Before leaving the palace, he had two things to take care of.
The first matter was the assassination of Yun Chan, and the assassination of all the Chu servants in the Great Qi...
That day, outside Huining Palace, the Ninth Prince summoned the Minister of Rites: "Have there been any movements from the envoys from Chu these past few days?"
The Minister of Rites said, "The Great Qi is in mourning; they dare not act recklessly."
The Ninth Prince nodded.
He instructed a young eunuch: "Please summon Prince Yun Chan to the Haoran Palace."
After he finished speaking, he said to Yuan Yao, who had finished burning the paper money and was leaving the mourning hall, "Little Yao, come here."
Yuan Yao obediently walked over: "Daddy, what's wrong?"
The Ninth Prince said, "It pains your father to see you kneeling here. Why don't you come with me to the Haoran Palace?"
To Haoran Hall?
Do we need to discuss something?
“Okay,” Yuan Yao replied obediently.
The Ninth Prince then looked at the Minister of Rites: "Invite the envoy from Chu to the Haoran Hall as well."
The Minister of Rites nodded and turned to leave the palace.
One hour later.
Inside the Haoran Hall.
The Ninth Prince held Yuan Yao in his arms, sat by his desk, and slowly sipped his tea.
The Chu envoy stood inside the main hall, his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose seemingly indifferent to his heart.
The Minister of Rites, along with several officials, also stood to one side.
Neither of them spoke first.
At this moment, a junior eunuch announced, "Prince Yunchan has arrived."
Supported by Aqi, Yun Chan slowly stepped into the main hall.
After not seeing her for several days, Yun Chan's complexion had become increasingly worse...
His face was so pale it was almost transparent, and he seemed to have lost a lot of weight.
He covered his mouth, coughing weakly.
Yuan Yao was slightly shocked.
A little tantrum, and it's gotten this bad?
It's been so long, why hasn't Xie Ning come back yet?
Can Yun Chan hold on until Xie Ning returns?
Upon seeing this, the envoys from Chu bowed in unison and said, "Your subjects pay their respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Although they addressed Yun Chan as "Your Highness the First Prince," their tone didn't convey much respect...
Yuan Yao frowned as she looked at it.
This group of people is really annoying.
Fortunately, after a minor misunderstanding, I arrived in Daqi, and no longer had to stay in the Chu palace and put up with these people's mistreatment...
Yun Chan covered her lips and weakly said to the group, "No need for formalities."
After speaking, he slowly walked towards the Ninth Prince: "Yun Chan greets Your Highness."
The Ninth Prince said coldly, "Someone, bring a seat."
The young eunuch quickly brought over a soft chair.
Supported by Aqi, Yunchan sat down in a chair, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, her breath coming in short gasps.
It seemed that walking a few steps and then sitting down had exhausted all his strength.
Yuan Yao thought: Yun Chan's health is really too bad!
Having lived two lives, Yun Chan was definitely the person with the worst health she had ever seen!
Moreover, he is a boy.
How can a boy be so physically weak?
Will he... really survive to adulthood?
The old mother's heart ached faintly...
Yun Chan coughed a few times, then looked up at Yuan Yao in the arms of the Ninth Prince.
Yuan Yao was dressed in mourning clothes, her whole body was white except for her hair and eyes.
Like... a pretty snowball.
It looks soft and sweet.
Their eyes met, and Yuan Yao spoke first, asking in a childish voice, "Yun Chan, have you been taking your medicine properly these past few days?"
Take medicine?
Yun Chan caught a glimpse of the Chu envoy in the corner of his eye.
The group of people were listening intently in their direction.
Yun Chan understood that Yuan Yao was asking about the medicine prepared in Chu... Thousand Threads!
He nodded, his voice slightly hoarse: "Princess Lao, you've been concerned. I've been taking the medicine."
This was said intentionally for the Chu envoy to hear.
After all, the people of Chu were unaware that he had been cured of the poison.
Yu Guangli noticed that the Chu envoy seemed somewhat relieved and retreated back inside.
Yun Chan lowered her eyelids, concealing a hint of mockery in her eyes.
This group of people also appears to be part of the same faction as the Empress Dowager.
They even knew perfectly well that he had been poisoned by the Thousand Threads.
Oh……
The Ninth Prince glanced disdainfully at the Chu envoy and said coldly, "I have been extremely busy lately."
The matter of all the palace women of Chu being assassinated in the harem of my Great Qi must be resolved today.
As soon as he finished speaking, an envoy from the State of Chu with a mustache and a square face stepped forward: "The State of Qi should indeed give the State of Chu an explanation for this matter."
Explain?
The old man's eyes turned cold.
He scoffed: "I haven't even made Chu give Qi an explanation yet, and Chu dares to preemptively question me?"
It's unclear whether this is a preemptive strike or a case of the thief crying "stop thief!"
Preemptive strike?
Is the thief crying "stop thief!"?
The envoys from Chu exchanged glances, and the one with the square face spoke up: "Your Majesty, the eldest son of the King of Chu was assassinated in the palace of Qi and nearly died."
The attendants all died in the palace of the Great Qi Kingdom.
Is it unreasonable for the State of Chu to demand an explanation?
The Ninth Prince slowly sipped his tea, then asked in a sinister tone, "So, the person who died in the Great Qi Imperial Palace was killed by someone from my Great Qi Kingdom?"
"you……"
The square-faced envoy was momentarily at a loss for words.
The Ninth Prince scoffed: "Following your logic, can I also reasonably suspect that the person was killed by assassins sent by the Chu Kingdom, with the aim of extorting money from my Great Qi?"
"How could this be?!" A tall, thin envoy stepped forward, his neck stiff, and said, "Although Your Majesty is the Regent of the Great Qi, you cannot speak such nonsense!"
"Nonsense?" The Ninth Prince looked at him coldly: "Who do you think you are? How I speak is none of your business."
The envoy was so angry that his face turned red: "Although my official rank is not high, I am still an envoy..."
Envoy?
How dare a lowly envoy be so presumptuous in a foreign royal palace?
The Ninth Prince scoffed and ordered, "Someone come here."
The Minister of Rites stepped forward, holding an object in his hands, and presented it to the envoy from the State of Chu.
One glance was enough to send chills down someone's spine.
A poisonous needle engraved with half a lotus flower?
Lobelia chinensis is only found in the State of Chu...
And the half-lotus happens to be... the emblem of the stepmother's clan...
It's virtually impossible for outsiders to know!
How did this thing end up in Daqi?
impossible!
This thing shouldn't be in the Great Qi!
"What, with physical evidence in hand, do you still want to deny it?" The Ninth Prince spoke in a sinister tone: "I have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Chu Kingdom."
But those who dare to scheme against the Great Qi and then turn around and accuse others—I will never let this go!
"Wait!" The square-faced envoy frowned and spoke up: "We have physical evidence, but we also need witnesses, right?"
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