Chapter 442: Chapter 442 Palace Banquet (14)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Thinking of this, Zhou Ying was both excited and nervous.
She was excited because she had finally found a way to punish people.
However, this would damage the dignity of Mother G.o.ddess and hers, so she would not use it unless it were a matter of life and death.
She was worried that the Emperor would find out about it. If he really made things difficult for her, it wouldn’t be a problem for Gu Chengrui and her to go into hiding.
But the people around her…
It seemed that he would try his best not to kowtow to the emperor in the future.
Gu Chengrui was also feeling uneasy.
He could not understand why the Emperor would put him under Princess Ping Yang’s name. To be honest, he did not want anything to do with this.
This was because his new ident.i.ty would not only not help him but also restrict him in every aspect. He might even get entangled in the drama of fighting for the throne if things went wrong.
It seemed that they had to return to Dongyang as soon as possible.
The Third Prince looked at the pale-faced Emperor and felt complicated.
He could guess that the Emperor wanted to divide him and Gu Chengrui.
Or rather, the Emperor wanted to turn Gu Chengrui into his aid and hold him firmly in his hands.
This was also a move against his fourth brother, because everyone knew Princess Ping Yang had always supported the Fourth Prince.
It was also likely to be a move to lure the First Prince into killing Gu Chengrui.
Ultimately, this was a superb move on the chessboard. The Emperor moved only a little p.a.w.n to rail up the three princes.
At the same time, although the Empress, the First Prince, and the Fourth Prince did not overthink it, they also had their thoughts about the situation.
The faces of the Yang family members turned hideous, especially Madam Cui and her daughter.
They bullied Yang Wanning because she did not have a backer. The Gu family’s comeback had undoubtedly dealt them a heavy blow.
The only one happy about this turn of events was Yang Wanning. As long as the Gu family was no longer guilty of their crimes, her chances of winning tonight’s selection banquet would be much higher.
She looked at the Third Prince because he was her target—the future Emperor.
As for the other stuff, she had not thought of it yet, nor was she in the mood to think about it.
A moment later, Princ.i.p.al Zhou retracted his hand. “The Emperor is not seriously ill. He is just stressed out, so he should rest more.”
“But why did he vomit blood?” The Empress Dowager asked in confusion.
“That’s a blood clot. Spitting them out is actually better for him.”
“Great to hear that.” The Empress Dowager heaved a sigh of relief and said to the Emperor, “Why don’t we postpone the event? It’s better if you go back and rest. We’ll be here for the rest of the banquet.”
“No need. My body is fine. Let’s continue.” The Emperor shook his head.
“Alright then, but if you feel unwell again, you’d better listen to your mother.”
The Emperor nodded and asked Eunuch Li to arrange for the program’s continuation.
Eunuch Li hesitated for a moment before nodding his head. He let the dancers that he had prepared go onstage.
After the two dances, the people’s minds also calmed down. The Empress Dowager and the others saw that the Emperor had recovered his usual spirit and finally heaved a sigh of relief.
“Xinran,” the Empress called out. “I heard that you recently learned a new song. Play it for your father. Let’s see if you’ve improved.”
“Yes, Mother.” The Eighth Princess nodded and walked to the center with her pipa. She bowed to the Emperor and said, “Please give me your opinion after this, Imperial Father.”
After saying that, she sat on a stool the palace maid had brought and readied herself.
She started by mimicking a bird’s cry, which was great when played with a pipa.
The following performance was like a gathering of birds. The tone was bright and cheerful, giving off a happy feeling to the audience..