12dz Chapter 73 Expelled from the Palace
Chapter 73 Expelled from the Palace
"What happened here?" a gentle voice asked.
"See the prince."
The crown prince slowly approached, surrounded by a crowd, who shouted in unison, their voices clear and loud.
Ye Yaoyao also bowed along with the others, but her eyes were secretly observing the Crown Prince.
"Everyone, please rise." Crown Prince Qin Jinhuai said gently.
The man before them wore a golden crown, his eyebrows were thick and straight, as if drawn with ink, and his eyes were as deep as the sea.
His pale gold robes accentuated his extraordinary nobility, and every gesture he made exuded royal elegance.
[System, check on the Crown Prince.]
Crown Prince Qin Jinhuai, aged twenty-four, is kind and gentle, but also possesses a deep and unfathomable mind. He is the next emperor of Tianlin Kingdom.
Ye Yaoyao pondered the information given by the system in her heart, but her face remained expressionless.
[The next emperor? The current emperor is still in his prime; under normal circumstances, he shouldn't be able to ascend the throne for at least another ten years!]
Logically, yes.
“Brother Crown Prince, the two girls and my cousin were admiring the flowers by the lake when they accidentally fell into the water. They have been rescued and are fine.”
Mu Ningyan downplayed the issue and gave a casual, evasive answer.
"No, they tried to push me into the water, and I lost my footing and fell in."
Mu Youxi stepped forward and told the truth. In the past, Mu Ningyan was only verbally unforgiving, but she did not expect her to be so vicious now. She did not want this matter to be left unresolved.
"Cousin, are they going to push you into the water?" Mu Ningyan feigned surprise.
"No, Princess, we did not intend to push Miss Mu into the water."
"Miss Mu, we accidentally fell into the water. We didn't mean to push you."
They naturally wouldn't admit it. They had planned everything perfectly, but unexpectedly, they were the ones who fell into the water, and the Crown Prince even showed up there. They absolutely couldn't admit it.
“When I came over, I heard you arguing with Youxi. I saw you two behind Youxi clearly. It was you who pushed her into the water.”
Mu Yunmeng didn't directly mention Mu Ningyan, knowing in her heart that there was nothing she could do about her.
Everyone present knew that the two young ladies who fell into the water were attendants of Princess Chang Le; everyone was aware of this.
For a moment, all around was silent, so quiet that you could almost hear the leaves falling to the ground.
"Changle, you're being silly again." Crown Prince Qin Jinhuai frowned slightly and reprimanded him in a deep voice, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.
“Brother Crown Prince, my cousin and I did have a few words, but who knew that the two of them would push my cousin into the water from behind. I thought they had accidentally fallen in. Fortunately, my cousin was rescued.”
Mu Ningyan bit her lip, her eyes filled with grievance, trying to defend herself.
"Your Highness, spare my life! I thought Mu Youqi was going to harm the princess, that's why I attacked her."
“Princess, I think so too. We were wrong.”
With so many people witnessing it, they had no choice but to admit it. Qiao Biluo and He Zhixuan, wrapped in cloaks, knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for forgiveness.
Mu Ningyan looked at the two of them angrily and said:
"You two, don't ever use the excuse of doing what's best for me to hurt others again, understand?"
"Yes, yes, Princess, we were wrong." The two nodded repeatedly.
The Crown Prince knew that Mu Youqi had been wronged, but thankfully she hadn't fallen into the water. He then summoned the guards nearby.
"Take these two women out of the palace. They don't need to come back to the palace anymore. Let their parents discipline them properly."
"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Your Highness, we were wrong."
The two women knelt on the ground and kowtowed, begging for mercy. If they were expelled from the palace, they would never be able to hold their heads high in front of others again.
"Crack!"
The guards acted swiftly, gagged the two men, and took them away.
"The palace banquet is about to begin, everyone please enter the hall!"
Inside the Hall of Union, countless red candles burned on exquisite candlesticks, their flickering light illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.
The banquet tables were arranged in a row along the main hall, and the musicians sat in the corners waiting to play music.
Palace maids moved about, and slowly the tables were filled with delicacies.
Each plate of exquisite dishes is uniquely shaped, like works of art, pleasing to the eye and exuding a mouthwatering aroma.
Sitting in her seat, Ye Yaoyao stared intently at the imperial meal. Her stomach was rumbling, and the palace maids were still serving dishes one after another.
[Hibiscus Swallow's Nest Soup, Jade Pearl Soup, Red Plum Blossom Fragrance, Phoenix Soaring with Pipa Duck...]
I noted down the name of the dish and slurped it down.
[Host, mind your image.]
[I'm starving! A hot, authentic imperial meal is right in front of me, but I can't eat it. When will the Emperor arrive? It won't taste good if it gets cold!]
"Is Yaoyao hungry?" Liu Yunshu looked at her daughter with concern.
"Is it alright, Mother? Will all the food we eat in the palace be cold?" Ye Yaoyao asked curiously in a low voice.
"Not entirely. Most of it is warm food. When it gets cold, it will be kept warm by charcoal fire. Now that it's summer, it won't cool down so quickly. Don't drink too much tea later, okay?"
"Know, know."
In other words, the emperor and his entourage would arrive soon. Ye Yaoyao stopped staring at the dishes in front of her and looked at the officials present.
"Sister, which one is Lord Lu?"
"Lord Lu of the Court of Judicial Review? He's over there."
Ye Xiyao knew that her younger sister wanted to contact Lord Lu to deal with Ye Mian, so she gestured for her to look at Lord Lu, who was chatting and laughing with his colleagues.
[System, check for Lord Lu.]
At that moment, a loud shout rang out throughout the palace: "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived! Prince Jing has arrived!"
The once slightly noisy palace fell silent instantly, and everyone stood respectfully with their heads bowed, bowing in greeting.
The emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, walked with a steady gait and exuded an aura of majesty.
Prince Jing walked beside the emperor, dressed in black with a tall and straight figure and a cold expression, making people dare not approach him easily.
The concubines, each with dignified bearing, followed closely behind with graceful, delicate steps.
The emperor walked up to the high platform and sat steadily on the throne, with the empress and Prince Jing sitting on his left and right sides.
The emperor slightly raised his hand, his voice steady and powerful: "My beloved ministers, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," the people below responded in unison, and then stood up.
Ye Yaoyao had forgotten to look at Lord Lu's information and looked up at the most distinguished figures.
"handsome man!"
Upon seeing Prince Jing sitting to the left of the emperor, he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
The exclamation sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet hall, and everyone inside was surprised, wondering which young lady was so bold.
Those who heard Ye Yaoyao speak followed her gaze to the high platform, only to realize who she was calling "handsome man."
The King of Jing's fair face was covered by a golden mask, obscuring his features. His ethereal and noble demeanor inspired awe in all who beheld him.
Dressed in all black with silver embroidery at the collar, she added a touch of refinement and luxury to the deep black.
He was indeed a handsome man, and the noble ladies were stunned by his appearance.
Ye Mian turned his head and glared angrily at Ye Yaoyao.
This wretched girl has completely forgotten what she was told before.
[It turns out the handsome man my little sister was talking about is the Ninth Imperial Uncle of the current dynasty.]
Ye Li'an understood.
Prince Jing turned his head slightly to look at Ye Yaoyao, a subtle smile playing on his lips.