Consort Wan, sitting on her high seat, had a clear view of what was happening below. Seeing Shen Yan's bold actions, she turned pale with fright.
The emperor glanced sideways at Chen Yan.
"My dear minister, what is the meaning of this?"
Shen Yan kept a straight face and remained silent.
Meng Qingluan's heart was in her throat, and in a moment of impulse, she answered for Shen Yan.
"I've been traveling a long way and am inevitably chilled. He was worried that you might catch a chill and was concerned for Your Majesty's health, so in his haste, he gently put your hand down!"
The emperor lowered his eyes and glanced at his wrist, which was throbbing and had turned red.
This person is really making black out of white.
The other ministers even held their breath, preparing for the emperor's attack.
To everyone's surprise, the emperor smiled and praised it.
"I see! You're very thoughtful, my dear minister."
The emperor turned to Meng Qingluan again, wanting to ask more questions, when suddenly an impatient voice urged him from the right.
"Father, are we still eating? I'm starving."
The emperor's question was cut off by this sentence.
The smile on his face vanished without a trace, and he looked at the owner of the voice with displeasure.
Li Zhanlan was slumped in a chair, rubbing his stomach in full view of everyone, and asked with dissatisfaction.
He didn't care at all about the strange looks from others.
Only then did the emperor release Meng Qingluan and continue walking forward. Before leaving, he did not forget to give Meng Qingluan a kind smile.
Meng Qingluan sat in the chair, still shaken.
Shen Yan seemed lost in thought, his face somber and silent, only silently serving her food.
The singer slowly approached the center of the hall and began to play music, thus officially commencing the victory celebration banquet.
Meng Qingluan asked in a low voice.
"Will she really make a move again tonight?"
"It's a bit risky."
"..."
Shen Yan's eyes flickered as he leaned close to Meng Qingluan's ear and whispered something in her ear.
Meng Qingluan listened attentively, suppressing her gasp, and turned her head to ask in a surprised whisper.
"So soon? Today?"
"Yes, we can't delay any longer. Are you alright by yourself?"
Meng Qingluan gave him a reassuring look.
Don't worry.
"..."
The two of them were exchanging words back and forth, which to outsiders seemed like nothing more than a loving couple whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Meng Qingluan was almost full when she put down her chopsticks.
The maidservant beside her was pouring tea for her when suddenly her hand trembled, and she knocked the teapot over, which was about to hit Meng Qingluan's clothes.
Meng Qingluan raised an eyebrow.
So much water, are you trying to suffocate her?
Meng Qingluan dodged in a flash, spilling all the tea on the ground.
A hint of regret flashed in the palace maid's eyes, but she didn't expect that the next second, Meng Qingluan would take the opportunity to bump the corner of the table, and the tea placed on it would immediately spill onto the corner of her sleeve.
"Please forgive me, Madam! Please forgive me! I didn't mean to, my hand just trembled..."
The palace maid looked terrified as she spoke, hurriedly using her sleeve to wipe the stains off her.
Meng Qingluan subtly dodged away.
Shen Yan said sternly, "So clumsy! What if someone gets frostbite in this cold weather?"
The palace maid, her eyes red, dared not speak.
"Alright, it's just a wet dress. She didn't do it on purpose. She can just go downstairs and change."
The imperial concubine sitting to the right of the emperor's seat suddenly spoke up.
Shen Yan coldly swept his gaze across her.
“Minister Shen is right! What use is such a clumsy palace maid in the palace? This is a victory celebration banquet, and we are all from the same country. If envoys come, wouldn’t such a palace maid be a disgrace to our country?”
The emperor's meaning was quite clear.
The palace maid trembled like a leaf, knelt on the ground, and cried as she admitted her mistake.
"Your Majesty, I truly know my mistake! I will never do it again. Please spare my life."
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