Almost the instant he heard Xie Lingqin's voice, the Emperor's gaze, seated high above, deepened. His plan had gone awry; it was Xie Lingqin holding the wine. Could it be that she knew about tonight...?
"Your Majesty, I am guilty. I no longer wish to marry the Crown Prince. I have suddenly realized that I am deeply in love with Prince Yi, so..."
These words shocked the entire hall; they were truly horrified.
What exactly happened?
Just moments ago, their unwavering affection was the envy of everyone, but in less than half an hour, they changed their minds and fell in love with the Crown Prince's best friend, the unruly and frivolous Prince Yi, who had previously been known to have a penchant for men.
Yuwen Yao's eyes were deep and his emotions unfathomable.
Yu Qingyi, with his keen insight, finally realized something when Xie Lingqin said those words.
Something must have happened to make Sister Qin act like this.
His gaze suddenly fell on the wine in the blue cup on Xie Lingqin's tray.
There must be something wrong with that glass of wine.
Yu Qingyi suddenly reached out.
"Don't touch it."
Xie Lingqin lowered her head and uttered three cold words, causing Yu Qingyi, who was about to make a move, to subtly straighten his sleeves.
"There's something wrong with this wine. It was prepared by the Emperor and must not be spilled, not a single drop. If it's spilled on the ground, it will leave a mark, and the Emperor will know that you are aware that he wants to punish your Prince Qing's Mansion for treason, and that it will be a fight to the death."
Xie Lingqin finished speaking quickly in a low voice. She knew that Yu Qingyi was a smart man and had already done so much. He knew how to bring this chaotic situation back on track.
At this moment, most eyes were not on the Emperor, but on the Crown Prince who was still sitting there.
But the Crown Prince seemed unaware of what had happened, continuing to drink his wine without showing any unusual emotion on his face.
Xu Yiran lowered her clear eyes, showing no sign of haste or panic.
Xuanyuan glanced at the two of them, a hint of interest on his face.
Zhuidamu, however, was not concerned about this matter and sat up high.
"What exactly is going on?"
The emperor's shout startled the entire hall, and even the brightest pearls lost their luster.
"Sister Qin, before I entered the palace, all I said was that you weren't pretty enough, not as pretty as Miss Li. Why are you being so harsh on me? We've already been betrothed, and you still won't let me go."
The internal struggle within her lasted only a moment. Under the Emperor's furious gaze, Yu Qingyi suddenly waved her hand, smiling mischievously and helplessly, and looked at the Emperor, "Uncle Emperor, please don't bestow her upon me, don't take it seriously." As she spoke, before the Emperor could speak, she immediately fawned over Xie Lingqin, smiling obsequiously and ingratiatingly, "Alright, alright, I said you're beautiful, okay? I said you're pretty, okay? If you keep playing around like this, not only will the Crown Prince punish me, but even Uncle Emperor, no matter how much he loves me, will still give me a scolding."
Yu Qingyi's relaxed tone smoothly resolved all the awkwardness.
Xie Lingqin was still holding the tray when she glared at Yu Qingyi. Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but it was also filled with annoyance. "Don't blame me. You're ruining my reputation. That's why the Emperor issued the decree to grant us this marriage. I don't care if these rumors get out, but what about the Crown Prince and the Emperor? Doesn't it mean they have poor judgment?"
"Not bad, not bad."
"Nothing is wrong. I just went out for a walk and took a breath, and I heard people talking about me."
"Okay, don't be angry."
"What do you mean you're not angry? The one talking about me is that maid in your household named Qin. She's quite shameless."
"I'll definitely teach her a lesson later."
“What’s there to teach her a lesson? I’ve already slapped her, and look…” Xie Lingqin tugged at her clothes, “Otherwise, why do you think I would be here with this wine?”
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingyi understood even more clearly, but on the surface, she dared not disobey Xie Lingqin any longer. She raised her hand, picked up the cup of wine on Xie Lingqin's tray, and formally toasted the Emperor, "Uncle Emperor, it was Qingyi's fault. Qingyi accepts the punishment. I will drink this wine first to show my gratitude to Sister Qin and to apologize to Uncle Emperor."
"No, no, I didn't pour this wine, your maid poured it. I just borrowed it. If you drink it, it won't be very sincere."
"Now that you are the future daughter-in-law of the Emperor, the Emperor will not blame you. However, the Emperor loves me, so he will not blame me either."
As they spoke, Yu Qingyi chuckled and brought the wine to his lips, tilting his head slightly as if to down the wine.
Xie Lingqin's heart skipped a beat. She knew she absolutely couldn't drink this wine; Yu Qingyi was gambling with his actions.
The Emperor knew, and was perfectly aware, that once this wine was consumed and something happened to Yu Qingyi, the first person implicated would not be Xie Lingqin, but the maid she had just killed. If the investigation continued, it would eventually lead back to the Emperor…
Moreover, with envoys and officials from various countries all present, any incident that were to occur would cast doubt on the credibility of the Northern Rong.
Closer, closer.
Everything seemed to slow down.
That pure liquid seemed about to flow to Yu Qingyi's lips in an instant.
On the side, Nan Fenghuang, though unaware of what had happened, sensed something was amiss. Despite having only spent a few days with Xie Lingqin, she knew she wouldn't act so recklessly.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Beside him, the Second Prince of Southern Qi suddenly reached out and gently patted Nan Fenghuang's hand, with the calm composure of an elder who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.
Nan Fenghuang naturally obeyed Nangong Feng's words. Although she nodded in relief, her fingertips still unconsciously tightened.
"Wait."
At the head of the table, the Emperor finally raised his hand with a complicated expression, then smiled and said, "You brat, letting you drink would be too good for you. Put down the wine, and you and Lingqin should both leave. Don't you know what kind of occasion this is? Don't be impolite."
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
