Chapter 100: The Royal Princess (6)

“Your Highness, perhaps allow me to send His Highness back to the palace?”

Just as Princess Rong Hua’s people were going to take Mu Ze away, a brisk female voice suddenly rang out. Then a bright figure appeared next to Mu Ze.

“Cheng Jinyun, it’s none of your business!” Princess Rong Hua tried hard to hold in her anger.

This fool, why should he occupy the position of the prince.

“Your Highness, I’m afraid not. I’m the future wife of His Highness. How is it none of my business?” Cheng Jinyun said humbly but loudly; she didn’t show any fear at all.

Cheng Jinyun was wearing a suit of simple clothe, but she had a beautiful face, which would always attract everyone’s attention. Gorgeous costumes seemed unnecessary for her.

“I didn’t expect the Miss of the Cheng family to be so shameless. She is still an outsider, but she’s taking herself seriously now.” Princess Rong Hua talked back without any politeness, ironically.

“Sticking up for my fiancé, I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Cheng Jinyun raised her chin; her tone was firm.

Everyone knew the prince was a fool. For Cheng Jinyun to stand up for the prince like this, even onlookers with an unclear standpoint in the game of succession would think Cheng Jinyun was a woman of affection and faith.

As for Princess Rong Hua…

She was spoiled to be arrogant. If it were not for her noble identity, probably no one in the palace would pay attention to her.

Ming Shu walked up the steps while lifting her skirt.

The person standing at the outer circle was a little surprised. He bowed in salutation and said, “Your Highness.”

These words were undoubtedly like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending out ripples. Everyone gave way to leave a passage wide enough to pass through, bowing and greeting the royal princess humbly.

“What are you doing here at the palace gates?” Ming Shu walked through calmly, and her smiling eyes fell on the middle of the crowd. “Princess Rong Hua, are you welcoming someone’s death?”

Princess Rong Hua changed her face immediately. “No, I’m not. What are you talking about?”

The idiot at the front was after all the orthodox prince of the country. Even if she couldn’t wait for him to die, she couldn’t say it in front of so many people.

“No? Then why are you blocking the way of so many people?” You blocked the way, don’t you know that, little girl?

Princess Rong Hua moved her lips but didn’t say anything.

After a while, she grunted and said, “Let’s go.”

This fool is lucky. He should be the friend of Shen Ci! She always speaks for him.

This is not over, humph.

The rest of the people looked to each other with a bit of confusion. This Royal princess…

Did she become a little aggressive today?

Cheng Jinyun secretly measured Ming Shu with her eyes. This was the royal princess. She only saw her a few times in her previous life, because she was always surrounded by people when she appeared. Her face was hardly seen at that time.

This was her first time seeing the royal princess at such a close distance, and she looked so little…

Was she the same age as her?

Ming Shu wore a smile on her face while walking past Cheng Jinyun. Then she was escorted by the ministers to the main gate of the great hall.

Mu Ze secretly glanced at Ming Shu. As he was about to follow her, Cheng Jinyun suddenly moved forward and stopped him. “Your Highness, allow me to take you back first and change into other clothes?”

Mu Ze frowned, but he could only nod his head with a dull look in his eyes.

…

Ming Shu was assigned to sit on the first seat on the right hand side of the emperor. There were many delicate desserts displayed on the table, and a tea-like fragrance was flowing around.

Ming Shu was eating carelessly as if there was no one else present.

Cheng Jinyun and the prince came in together when the banquet was beginning.

The seat for the prince was at the opposite side of Ming Shu, while Cheng Jinyun’s seat was much farther from him. Under all kinds of contemptuous and disdainful gazes, she carefully escorted the prince and then slowly walked back to her own seat.

Cheng Jinyun sneered in the bottom of her heart. What do you idiots know? The biggest winner here is this fool you’re seeing.

Immediately after Cheng Jinyun sat down, a loud voice rang from outside.

“King Huai arrives—”

The entire hall suddenly went silent, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

A man in the black royal suit came in. He had a cold face, with eyes firmly pointed forward. He walked slowly and calmly.

The temperature of the entire hall fell several degrees with his arrival.

By the time King Huai had entered the hall, the ministers came back to themselves and remembered to salute him.

“Rise.” The voice was just as cold as the person, without any warmth. He seemed unwilling to say anymore.

He went straight to Ming Shu. As he walked in front of Ming Shu’s seat, King Huai looked down on her, with no warmth in his eyes. The latter couldn’t help shivering.

Ming Shu took the tray containing the deserts and moved backward.

What do you want, to grab my snacks?

The hall became so quiet that the falling of a needle would be heard. Everyone was holding their breath.

It was said that the royal princess was sent back by King Huai. What happened between these two people?

One word from the royal princess could save a dead man.

This phrase was well known in the Wushang Dynasty.

As everyone was making all kinds of guesses, King Huai took his eyes away. He walked to the side of Ming Shu and sat down liberally.

On the left and right side, the first seats were respectively taken by the prince and Ming Shu. So King Huai could only take the second seat on one side, which was exactly facing Princess Rong Hua.

Princess Rong Hua showed a little fear, but she was also very happy. However, after King Huai sat down, he never looked up to look at anyone present at the banquet. He drank the good wine on the table alone all the time, which made Princess Rong Hua very much upset.

And after King Huai arrived, almost no one dared to speak loudly. The atmosphere was rather depressed.

Finally the emperor arrived.

“All lords, we won’t talk about state affairs today. It’s a casual party to please the royal princess. So just enjoy it.” As soon as the emperor came in, he laughed and let everyone eat and drink to the fullest.

But hearing this, everyone became a little scared.

Wasn’t it a welcome banquet… for King Huai?

Mu Ze held a teacup, looking like he was drinking the tea carefully, which precisely blocked the expression on his face.

King Huai was still sipping wine without any reaction. As if he didn’t hear any words from the emperor, and nothing had any relation with him.

Ming Shu tilted her body to one side, holding a plate of desserts in her hand, her sparkling eyes filled with amusement. She said in a cheerful voice, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The old fox dared to use me. Don’t you want your empire stable and prosperous during the second half of the year?

It stood to reason that this dinner banquet should be a welcoming feast for King Huai, but the emperor said on purpose that it was for pleasing her. Wasn’t he trying to start a war between her and King Huai?

“The royal princess was frightened, and I really didn’t want that to happen.” The emperor continued his playing, and he didn’t pay attention to the disrespectful gesture of Ming Shu at all. “If the royal princess has any requests, just tell me, and I will meet them.”

I’m afraid you will be scared to death if I tell you, Ming Shu thought in her heart.

Then Ming Shu smiled. “Your Majesty, may I ask for more of these desserts?”

“…” Such a good opportunity… she only asked for some desserts? Is she a fool?

Well, okay, the Heavenly Temple had provided her with everything, she really had nothing to ask for.

“Hahaha, great, great, help yourself and eat whatever you want! I will order the chef to cook anything you like.” The emperor nodded with laughter.

Ming Shu smiled slightly. If she really helped herself, she could eat the national treasury into a deficit.

Ming Shu perceived a gaze resting on her. She looked aside. The neighboring man was drinking a glass of wine empty, gaze lowered. He wasn’t looking at anyone.

Was it my perception?

Ming Shu then slowly turned her eyes to the prince.

Mu Ze’s eyes instantly ran into hers. He grinned, and his eyes were pure to their depths, like a newborn baby.

What an excellent actor!

The emperor lifted his palm slightly, then the music gradually rang out, and the performers began dancing… The scene seemed to be lively, but in fact, the undercurrent was raging and every one of the people at the banquet was making their own schemes.