"Clang—crash—smash!"
A series of ear-piercing cracking sounds, like thunderclaps, exploded in the deathly silent Hanyuan Hall, violently waking everyone from the magnificent illusion of the "wine offering".
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
The languid music abruptly stopped, and the thunderous cheers froze in the air. All the officials stared wide-eyed, mouths slightly agape, dumbfounded at the mess before the main seat.
The gold plates and jade bowls were smashed and deformed, and the glass wine cups were shattered into countless sparkling fragments, which reflected the candlelight on the luxurious and heavy Persian carpet, appearing particularly dazzling.
The fatal stream of wine, having lost its target, ultimately fell helplessly onto the deep red carpet woven with intricate patterns.
"Sizzle... sizzle..."
A very faint sound, like boiling oil falling into cold water, rang out. A wisp of smoke, carrying a strange, sweet fragrance, rose from the carpet and then quickly dissipated. The carpet, soaked with the wine, seemed to darken in an instant, becoming... almost black.
But all of this happened too quickly and too secretly. Under the cover of the mess, no one except a few people who were closest to the scene noticed this fleeting anomaly.
All eyes were on the Empress who had "caused a great disaster".
Lin Wanwan remained in that backward-leaning posture, her elbows pointing outwards. Her face wore a perfect expression of utter shock and bewilderment. Her clear eyes were filled with innocence and astonishment, as if asking, "Who am I? Where am I? What did I just do?"
However, despite her flawless acting skills worthy of an award-winning actress, her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat!
Don't move! The wine is poisoned!
The blood-red skull emoji, dripping with "blood," kept flashing wildly in her mind, reminding her just how close she had come to death.
Cold sweat had soaked her back. Beneath her phoenix robe, her legs were trembling uncontrollably.
But she knew that now was far from the time to relax.
The crisis is not over!
She escaped the poisoned wine, but she must provide a flawless and reasonable explanation for her unusual, almost prophetic behavior!
Otherwise, the very act of "accidentally" knocking over the wine glass and thus avoiding the act of "offering wine" would be highly suspicious!
In a flash, Lin Wanwan's brain was racing.
The next second, the blankness and confusion on her face were instantly replaced by a strong sense of "apology" and "panic".
She seemed to finally "come to her senses" from her shock and suddenly stood up. Because she stood up so quickly, her body even swayed slightly, making her look even more pitiful and still shaken.
She didn't look at anyone else, but instead immediately turned her gaze to the Western Region dancer in the center of the hall, who was also in a daze.
"sorry!"
Lin Wanwan's voice carried a perfectly measured tremor and a deep sense of guilt.
"Yes...it was I who was disrespectful!"
She bowed slightly to the dancer, her face full of sincere apology: "Miss, your dance... is just... too amazing! I was so engrossed in watching that I was startled by your final move! That's why I accidentally knocked over the cup. I'm so sorry to have disturbed your performance."
These words caused an uproar in the audience!
To everyone's surprise, the Empress not only did not punish her, but also took the initiative to apologize to a dancer!
And the reason she gave was irrefutable!
"I was amazed by the dance moves, but I was also shocked!"
This explanation not only perfectly explained her unusual behavior just now, but also, in a way that "lowered her status," elevated the dancer's skills to an unprecedented level!
This is simply... a stroke of genius!
Who can say that it's wrong for a woman to be so frightened by a skillful performance that she makes a mistake?
cannot!
Who can accuse the Empress of doing this on purpose out of fear of "offering wine"?
Absolutely not! Because she herself has admitted that she was "amazed"! This is praise, a compliment!
In an instant, Lin Wanwan effortlessly defused a potentially devastating assassination crisis into a harmless "accident" caused by "appreciation."
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!
Some of the seasoned veterans present felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at the young empress on the throne, who wore an expression of "guilt." Her composure under pressure and her impeccable rhetoric were simply...terrifying!
At this moment, the most pained are undoubtedly the lead dancer and the regent behind her.
A barely perceptible look of surprise and resentment flashed across the dancer's face. All her backup plans, all her excuses for the "mistake," were completely shut down by the Queen's dismissive "apology"!
She is now like a mute, having swallowed a bitter pill, yet unable to utter a single word!
Regent Xiao Yuan's smug old face was now completely frozen. He felt like a boxer who was about to unleash a fatal punch, only to have it easily dodged by his opponent with an incredibly strange movement, who then gave him a big "thumbs up".
That feeling of frustration, that unspeakable anger, made him feel like he was about to vomit blood again.
He stared intently at Lin Wanwan, almost as if he could see right through her.
Was she just lucky, or... did she really see through something?!
Just when the atmosphere in the room had become extremely strange and no one knew how to end the situation, a calm voice with a hint of "doting" broke the deadlock.
Emperor Xiao Che, who had been silent all along, finally stood up slowly.
He first cooperated by reaching out and gently supporting Lin Wanwan's "shaky" body, pulling her into his arms, before turning his head to look at the prince and the others.
His face showed a hint of helplessness and tolerance, like a monarch facing his beloved wife's "minor mistake," and his tone carried just the right amount of "reproach."
"The Empress is such a coward; she gets so frightened by a song and dance performance."
His words, seemingly "blaming" Lin Wanwan, were actually the most authoritative endorsement of her earlier statement about being "frightened"!
Even the emperor has said so, who would dare to question it?!
Immediately, his face darkened, his gaze swept over the mess on the ground, and his voice suddenly became authoritative.
"Someone come here!"
"Here!" The commander of the Imperial Guards outside the hall strode in immediately.
"The carpet is dirty, an eyesore to the Empress. Change it immediately!"
"yes!"
"Furthermore," Xiao Che's gaze, sharp as a sword, fell upon the pale-faced Western Region dancer, "this woman disturbed the Empress and behaved improperly; take her away with her as well!"
His words sounded so natural and reasonable.
They helped the Empress out of a predicament, cleaned up the stains, and punished the "disrespectful" dancer. Everything seemed to be done to uphold the dignity of the royal family.
However, all the intelligent people present, including the Regent, felt a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts!
They instantly understood the emperor's true intentions!
Replace the carpet? That was to protect the scene and preserve the carpet stained with poison as the most important piece of evidence!
Bringing the dancer along? That's to immediately detain her as a witness, preventing her from committing suicide or being silenced!
The emperor and empress, working in perfect harmony, one attacking and the other defending, were a perfect match!
They're trying to... turn the tables on us and trap us!
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