"He can't get married."

  Gao Yang followed Xie Jingxing's line of sight and saw that the slender personal maid in the flower cluster was instructing the little eunuch about something. The little eunuch responded, probably for the first time receiving so much silver, and was overjoyed, then respectfully said something to the maid before leaving.

  After the little eunuch left, Jing Zhen stood still, a hint of doubt also appearing on her face. Shen Miao had specifically instructed her to hand over the thing to this little eunuch, but this little eunuch was clearly new to the palace and had no connection with Shen Miao, so why did she have to instruct her specially?

  Xiang couldn't think clearly about the reason, shook his head in surprise, anyway the goal had been achieved, so he also turned around and left.

  "This Miss Shen is quite bold," Gao Yang commented: "She even dares to play tricks in the palace, and it seems that Shen Xin is also unaware."

  Xie Jingxing did not express any approval or disapproval. A person who dared to burn his own ancestral temple with a single fire was never thought to be timid by him. As for what to do in which location, it was roughly the same in Shen Miao's eyes as well.

  "Let's go." He raised a strange smile at the corner of his lips: "We should also go and take a look at the play."

  "I won't go then." Gaoyang blinked: "Nowadays, it's still better to be careful, let alone when the plan has changed, we must be more cautious."

  "Whatever." Xie Jinghang said lazily, but suddenly remembered something and added casually: "If I have time, I'll also go to the old guys at Taiyi Hospital to ask if they've got anything."

  "Yes sir." Gaoyang cupped his hands and then slowly walked towards the other end.

  Time passed neither quickly nor slowly, and eventually it was time for the banquet to begin.

  The ladies sat at the lower end of the great hall, while the gentlemen sat at the upper end. The one on the far left closest to the central high seat was the crown prince. King Zhou, King Jing and King Ding had already arrived earlier. Those who came later were King Li, King Xiang and King Cheng.

  King Zhou and King Jing are brothers, so they naturally form a group. King Xiang and King Cheng, led by King Li, also form their own faction. As for the Crown Prince who has not yet arrived, he is supported by King Xuan and King Chu. As for the ninth prince, King Ding's attendant Fu Xiuyi, he does not belong to any faction, and his strength is the weakest and most neutral of all.

  As the three kings appeared, the commotion in the hall gradually subsided.

  Emperor Wen was also eccentric, having nine sons, each of whom was extremely excellent. If it were an ordinary family, with so many excellent sons, they would have been overjoyed long ago. However, in the aristocratic families, the more excellent sons there are, the more intense the competition becomes. Unfortunately, these nine excellent sons were born into the most ruthless imperial family under heaven. This also means that their excellence will become a thorn in each other's eyes, and they will all be eager to eliminate each other.

  Now that the nine sons have grown up, although the crown prince has been established, the various forces have not yet converged. Emperor Wen Hui is still in power now, maintaining balance among them, but one day this powerful dragon will also grow old, and at that time, the Ming Qi imperial family, which has long been eager to move, may be another bloody storm.

  Among the Crown Prince's faction, the Li Wang faction, and the Zhou Wang brothers' faction, the Crown Prince appears to have the strongest power on the surface. However, the Crown Prince is actually weak and feeble, and Emperor Wen would not allow a weak son to ascend to the throne. Therefore, the Crown Prince's power is more like an empty shell, following the orthodox line rather than being substantial. If he were to fall ill, it would only benefit Xuan Wang and Chu Wang. The Li Wang faction has a large number of people and great power, with many officials secretly supporting him. Although the Zhou Wang brothers are not as powerful as the Crown Prince or Li Wang, they have the support of their mother, Empress Xu, who is deeply loved by the Emperor, and the Xu family is also a strong backing force.

  The remaining Ding Wang was not taken seriously by anyone. In terms of power, one person fighting alone is like a joke. In terms of background, his birth mother, Dong Shu Fei, was also extremely low-key. If she hadn't given birth to Fu Xiuyi, she wouldn't have been able to sit in the position of fourth concubine. Although Fu Xiuyi was excellent and humble, one person's power is always limited, so many people didn't look favorably on him. Even though Fu Xiuyi remained neutral and uninterested in the struggle for the throne, in this deep and complex palace, it was impossible to be without a sense of caution towards others. His several brothers still eyed him covetously.

  However, the women looked at people without being as profound as the men. The girls present, however, were secretly measuring Fu Xiuyi's handsome appearance, blushing and whispering to each other in low voices.

  To be frank, all the Fu family members have a good complexion, and among the nine princes, Fu Xiuyi is the most outstanding. The imperial family has given him an extraordinary demeanor, and he always has a calm and composed attitude, neither putting on airs nor looking down on others. For young girls, such a "familiar" yet "outstanding" man is truly full of elegance.

  "The king is indeed born too handsome." A low murmur came from the girl's ear, Shen Miao turned her head, and Feng An Ning had already leaned in beside her, giving her a sly smile, then immediately put on a serious face and said: "Since you're here, why didn't you come find me? Instead, you put on airs like a big sister, making it hard for me to find you?"

  Shen Miao was left somewhat perplexed by her words. As for Feng An Ning, this big sister who had been sticking to her like a piece of cowhide candy, Shen Miao also felt some helplessness. Moreover, she didn't know when Feng An Ning had changed her attitude towards her. After all, Shen Miao wasn't a real little girl, and between them, they couldn't achieve the closeness that people of the same age could. Furthermore, at this moment, she couldn't accept other people's kindness without any guard, so it was actually unclear how to treat Feng An Ning. In the end, she could only shake her head, find an excuse and say: "I didn't see you."

  Shen Miao naturally didn't know, but if it were the her of old, Feng An Ning would not have given her a second glance. However, Shen Miao was now the Empress who had bathed in the blood and rain of the Ming Qi Palace's stormy weather. People always have a tendency to follow and worship those stronger than themselves. Feng An Ning could vaguely sense Shen Miao's inner strength, so she naturally followed her unconsciously.

  "Hmph," Feng An Ning curled her lip, and suddenly whispered with a teasing tone: "However, Prince Ding also came, after all, he was someone you once had feelings for, how come you don't even take a glance at him?"

  It was as if to prove her words, that upon the fall of Feng An Ning's voice, Jiang Xiao Xuan laughed loudly and said: "Miss Shen Wu, Prince Ding has arrived!"

  She was originally trying to make Shen Miao lose face, and she also knew that under the watchful eyes of everyone, especially in front of the royal family members, Shen Miao wouldn't dare to get angry. So Luo Xueyan had to endure it too. This could be considered as a joke, but earlier Shen Miao's infatuation with Ding Wang was well-known throughout the court, and when she spoke up, not only did the female guests turn their attention to her, but even the male guests at the banquet looked over.

  Lu Xueyan gritted her teeth, knowing that this person was intentionally provoking Shen Miao. Although Shen Miao said she no longer had feelings for Ding Wang, Lu Xueyan knew that liking someone wasn't something you could easily give up on. Shen Miao appeared calm on the surface, but who knows what pain she might be hiding inside. Lu Xueyan was annoyed that Shen Xin wasn't around at this time, and turned to look at Shen Miao, worried that she would get hurt. She spoke softly: "Jiao jiao..."

  On the men's side, everyone's eyes were also very interesting. Cai Lin pulled a corner of his mouth, seemingly somewhat pleased with himself. He thought back to when Shen Miao had made him lose face at the testing grounds, and now she was going to suffer the same fate. Su Ming Feng and Su Ming Lang sat together, Su Ming Lang tugged on Su Ming Feng's sleeve, excitedly saying: "Big brother, has Sister Shen also arrived?"

  His head was too small, the table would block the entire person's line of sight, and it was even more impossible to see Shen Miao clearly. Su Ming Feng shook his head, not knowing why his younger brother had a good impression of Shen Jia's fifth miss, if it wasn't because Su Ming Lang was too young, Su Ming Feng almost thought that his younger brother had other thoughts about Shen Miao.

  However... he also turned his head towards Shen Miao. In this close encounter, how would Shen Miao face Ding Wang?

  In the corner of the men's seating area, there was a man in a green robe. Compared to the other nobles in their luxurious clothes, his attire was extremely simple. However, this did not make him appear disheveled by comparison. On the contrary, due to his simple clothing, he had an air of elegance and refinement reminiscent of ancient scholars. At this moment, he too was quietly gazing at the purple-robed girl who hung her head in silence, with a hint of turmoil in his eyes.

  This man was Pei Lang. In such a gathering, Pei Lang originally had no qualifications to participate in, but today someone died at the home of the supervisor of Guangwen Hall, so the supervisor let Pei Lang come to replace Guangwen Hall to attend. Although Pei Lang was a teacher at Guangwen Hall, he was also considered half a supervisor, so he didn't decline.

  Who would have thought that after arriving, they saw this scene.

  Zhou Wang and Jing Wang stood beside Fu Xiuyi, and Jiang Xiaoxuan's deliberately provocative words also fell on their ears. Zhou Wang smiled and patted Fu Xiuyi's shoulder, saying meaningfully: "Our ninth brother is really something..."

  Fu Xiuyi's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but a faint smile floated on his face: "Fourth brother is joking." Although he said so, his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the girl in the seat.

  "Hmph." A soft laugh escaped from the girl's lips, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

  This laughter, surprisingly, couldn't convey any emotion. If it was mockery, it sounded too gentle; if it was joy, it was too calm, like a cup of strong liquor that had been settled for a long time, with complex and rich flavors lingering in the heart, finally dissolving into a soft and airy chuckle.

  The men were fine, but the women were astonished. They had been steeped in the mansion's gates for so many years and yet they couldn't hear the implication in Shen Miao's laughter. How old was she?

  Shen Miao raised her head, her gaze not stopping, as if the arrow she had shot at Cai Lin on the archery field that day, suddenly shot towards the figure standing with his hands behind his back, Fu Xiuyi.

  Fu Xiuyi was taken aback for a moment.

  The girl's eyes had no infatuation, love, adoration or surprise, only a deep and bottomless calmness. Like an old man who has gone through a hundred years of reincarnation, he looked at him with a long and desolate gaze, without sorrow or joy, but making people feel uneasy in their hearts.

  Those clear eyes had a very good shape, if they were curved, they should have sweetly reminded people of the taste of honey. However, she just looked at him quietly, and in Fu Xiuyi's heart, a sense of unease suddenly surged up, as if he was walking alone in the woods, but was stared at by a pair of eyes from a giant beast hidden deep in the bushes. The unease grew stronger and stronger, his faint smile on his face had unknowingly disappeared, staring fixedly at Shen Miao.

  "Hmph." Shen Miao chuckled again, this time everyone saw clearly that the corners of her lips were slightly curved upwards, but the corners of her eyes didn't move, it was obviously a cold smile.

  It's probably the faint resentment that has accumulated from loving someone who can't be loved, and it has condensed into a cold laugh. Everyone thought so, but they were also shocked that Shen Miao dared to express her dissatisfaction so directly in the palace, and even gave the prince a cold laugh - who had the guts to do that?

  Fu Xiuyi didn't move.

  In that cold laugh, he clearly saw a faint killing intent, although it was deliberately concealed, yet it seemed as if even the concealment couldn't contain the surging aura within. That must-get icy demeanor actually made his heart shrink.

  Just because he didn't accept the other person's kindness, did he have to harbor murderous intentions? Fu Xiuyi was somewhat shocked, and what surprised him even more was that he actually felt that murderous intention was full of menace.

  Is this his illusion?

  When he looked at Shen Miao again, the latter had already turned his head and said something to Feng Anning.

  A faint glimmer of murderous intent flashed in Shen Miao's eyes. For so long, even at the verification ceremony, she had only exchanged distant pleasantries with Fu Xiuyi, not wanting to be close to him because she feared that once she got near him, she wouldn't be able to conceal her boundless hatred!

  Jiang Xiao Xuan's provocative words were spent in Shen Miao's two inexplicable soft laughs, the first laugh was complex, the second laugh was slightly cold, but even a fool could see that there was no affection for Fu Xiuyi! Moreover, after laughing twice, she simply started talking to the girl next to her, and the disdain and disregard were so ambiguous that it was unclear whether it was intentional or unintentional.

  It was just the atmosphere, but in the end it was chilled by her.

  King Zhou's eyes flashed with a hint of brightness as he smiled and leaned in close to Fu Xiuyi, saying: "Ninth Brother, it seems you're not so invincible after all."

  Fu Xiuyi smiled wryly and gradually began to take Shen Miao seriously in his heart.

  "Hey, it seems that Shen family's fifth young lady has quite a bit of spirit." Su Ming Feng said with interest. His "serious illness" had improved a lot by now, but he still couldn't overexert himself, so his official position was still not reinstated.

  "Shen sister was originally very good." Su Minglang gave him a white eye.

  Pai Lang on the seat lowered his head and took a sip of tea, but his eyes flashed with deep thought.

  Just then, a loud and clear laughter was heard: "Haha, everyone, you're late!"

  That small hill-like figure, if not Shen Xin, who else could it be? Closely following behind Shen Xin was Shen Qiu. Seeing that the big shots had all arrived, the officials all came to greet him, and after exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Wang and a few others, he took his seat. He and Shen Qiu had also missed out on the good show from just now; otherwise, even if Shen Xin didn't make a move, Shen Qiu wouldn't have let Jiang Xiao Xuan get away with it, no matter how much he pitied her.

  After Shen Xin had passed by, the three people who were with Wang also arrived. The crown prince was weak and frail, but his wife was majestic and stately. Shen Miao glanced at the crown princess and her eyes sparkled with admiration.

  The crown prince's consort had the support of her family, the prime minister's household, and was originally the crown prince borrowing the power of his consort's family to solidify his position. Later, when the crown prince's consort became pregnant, Emperor Wenhui feared that the crown prince would be weakened by illness, but instead benefited the crown prince's consort's family, allowing them to dominate the court. They even used underhanded means to cause the crown prince's consort to miscarry. The crown prince's consort deeply loved her husband and did not know that he could bring himself to harm his own flesh and blood. She was also afraid to tell her family, fearing it would bring disaster upon them. In the end, she died of depression. Three years after the crown prince's consort's death, the prime minister's household learned the truth and wanted to avenge their daughter, but ultimately ended up relying on Fu Xiuyi...

  Shen Miao gazed at the cup in front of her, every member of the Fu family was ruthless and merciless, all the men of the Fu family were unscrupulous and heartless. She and the Crown Princess were no different, both were innocent sacrifices under the ploys for power and throne, an abandoned child with a heart full of grievances.

  Now she is the one holding the chess pieces, whoever wants to play must be prepared to make sacrifices!

  After the crown princess sat down, her good friends before she got married all came to chat with her. On the male side, Prince Yu also arrived.

  As soon as King Yu's relative arrived, everyone on the women's side fell silent, especially the young girls, who were so frightened that their faces turned pale.

  In previous years, the Yuqin King would not attend the New Year's banquet. For so many years, he had completely disregarded state affairs, and it was for this reason that Emperor Wenhui, who was naturally suspicious, was particularly lenient towards this younger brother. Of course, there was also the merit of the Yuqin King having risked his life to protect him when he was young. However, if the Yuqin King had not been so unassuming and refrained from interfering in state affairs for all these years, it's likely that even the greatest lifesaving favor would not have outweighed Emperor Wenhui's suspicious nature. After all, Emperor Wenhui's brothers had all died at his hands back then.

  The Yuqin King, who had never participated in the return banquet before, suddenly appeared, making the ladies uneasy and the gentlemen puzzled. However, several princes were smiling knowingly. The woman sitting next to the Crown Princess said, "I wonder how the King could appear?" Her words were full of probing intentions.

  The crown prince's consort naturally knew the reason, raised the corner of her lips and smiled: "Uncle Wang has been a widower for so many years, it's about time he found someone to take care of his life."

  As soon as this was said, the girls were all shocked and uncertain. Could it be that Prince Yu wanted to choose a princess consort? But becoming Princess Consort of Prince Yu wasn't exactly a good thing; at least for now, the girls' bodies couldn't help but shrink back in fear.

  "May I ask, Your Highness," the lady asked with a smile, "which young lady has this good fortune?"

  The crown princess, however, refused to say any more, merely shaking her head and smiling: "You'll find out later."

  Due to the Crown Prince's Consort's words, the women fell into an awkward silence, and everyone was somewhat frightened. The title of Yu Qinwang Fei was like a death omen; sleeping with her would only mean dying faster, what kind of good thing was that...

  Feng Anning leaned in close to Shen Miao and asked, "Guess who the Princess of Yu is?"

  Shen Miao said: "I have no idea."

  "You're really boring." Feng Anning curled her lip.

  On the other side, Shen Qing was tightly grasping her hem, and as soon as she saw Prince Yu, her mind was flooded with memories of the various forms of torture he had inflicted on her that night. If not for Ren Yuanyun pinching her to death, Shen Qing feared she would have let out a loud shriek.

  "Don't worry, Qing'er," Ruan Yun whispered into Shen Qing's ear in a voice that only the two of them could hear. "Today, Prince Yu came to take care of that woman for you. Once she enters Prince Yu's mansion, there will be ways to make her unable to live or die..."

  On the other side, Chen Ruoqiu gazed at Ren Yuanyun and Shen Qing's movements, took a sip of the tea in front of her, and smiled slightly.

  Yuqin Wang had just passed by, and I thought that except for the emperor and empress, almost everyone else had arrived. Suddenly, I heard a burst of exclamations. Feng Anning was chatting with Shen Miao when he also looked up upon hearing the commotion.

  Only in the depths of the palace, outside the grand hall, a figure emerged from afar. Wearing a purple gold robe and blue silk boots, with bright and handsome eyebrows and eyes that seemed almost too good to be true, he walked with a leisurely pace, neither fast nor slow.

  Marquis Lin'an Xie Ding first exclaimed in surprise: "Jing Hang!" Then he thought of something, furrowed his brow, and stared at the figure, speechless.

  Everyone was shocked, what's the origin of today's return banquet, not only did Yuqin Wang, who never attended palace banquets, appear, but even Xie Jiaxiao Houye, Xie Jinghang, also arrived.

  The women's excited and infatuated expressions were not one bit less than when Fu Xiuyi appeared, and even surpassed hers.

  The young man's figure was straight and upright, although his steps seemed leisurely, each step had a sense of majesty. He originally had an exceptionally handsome face, and with the purple-golden long gown as a backdrop, he seemed to have an aura that was difficult to approach. His complexion was like snow, his eyes were like lacquer, his eyebrows were like swords, and the slightly raised corners of his lips were like the red plum blossoms that bloomed in the ice and snow, with a color as beautiful as peaches and plums. The delicate features between his eyebrows, which were even more refined than those of a woman, did not have any hint of feminine softness, but instead shone brightly like the sun in the sky, full of dazzling light. As he walked alone, all the civil and military officials seemed to become mere accompaniments, as if the brilliant true dragon imperial family, the golden palace, had finally brought out the nobility and pride that was deeply ingrained in his bones.

  He is so handsome that he makes the heaven and earth lose their color.

  But this boy with a gaze as sharp as the scorching sun, had eyes that were piercingly sharp, and a smile that was frivolous and insolent. Upon closer inspection, it was all coldness and cruelty.

  "This young master of the Xie family, when did he become so outstanding..." Feng Anning muttered.

  In the past, Xie Jinghang was also extremely handsome and flamboyant, but compared to today's him, he seemed dull and faded. It was as if in the past, he had deliberately concealed his brilliance, and now that it was gone, the real him, with this elegance, Pei Xiuyi couldn't help but feel that he was the one who should be standing at the pinnacle of the imperial court, looking down on all living things!

  As soon as this thought emerged, Shen Miao was also startled by herself. She raised her eyes to look at Xie Jingxing, the purple-clothed youth walked to the front of the seat, facing the crowd's astonished gaze, raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Today I'll join in on the fun too." As he spoke, he sat down beside Su Mingfang, rather than next to Lin'an Hou Xie Ting. Su Minglang pursed his lips, unwillingly making room for him.

  Xie Ding's face immediately fell at the sight. The people around looked on, discussing it among themselves but not stopping him, as Xie Jingxuan had always been this kind of carefree and irreverent person, and today was probably just a whim.

  "The Xie family has produced an extraordinary person." Lu Xueyan's expression was solemn, and she had a keen eye for people. There was a grandeur to Xie Jinghang's actions, and he gave off an inexplicable sense of danger. Those who had been on the battlefield were even more sensitive to that kind of danger.

  Shen Qiu saw Xie Jingxing and his eyes lit up for a moment, almost getting up from his seat. He then scratched his hair and picked up the teacup on the table to take a sip, covering up his rough behavior. This made the people around him look at him strangely, and Shen Qiu quickly chuckled.

  "Xie Jia, this kid is not bad." Shen Xin was very satisfied. He admired Xie Jinghang for being able to give his old rival a hard time. If it weren't for the fact that he was from the Xie family, they might have even become sworn brothers.

  Several princes of the Fu family had a gloomy look in their eyes at the same time.

  This young master of the Lin'an Marquis Manor looks too exceptional. Although he has not yet entered the imperial court, just relying on that unbridled and domineering air, it is already possible to feel that he is not someone who can be subdued by others. If such a person cannot be tamed, it's best to strike first and kill him early.

  Seeing a powerful noble family with a strong military symbol, producing a great figure, is not something the imperial court would like to see.

  At this moment, the eunuch's voice was heard shouting: "The Emperor has arrived - The Empress Dowager has arrived"

  The emperor and empress finally arrived late amidst everyone's waiting.

  Emperor Wen seemed to be in a good mood, but the Empress appeared somewhat austere. As a woman, she was also quite elegant and one could still see the beauty of her youth, however, as time went by, her cheeks had sunk in, making her look rather stern.

  Because the crown prince was ill, this empress's methods had always been very overbearing. In the past, Shen Miao stood on Fu Shouyi's side and after marrying him, she hadn't been treated unfairly by this empress many times. The number of bitter experiences she had in this empress's hands were countless. It was precisely this empress who used herself as an example to teach Shen Miao the ways to survive in the palace.

  All the past was just an illusion, she came for revenge, but her ultimate goal was to completely overthrow the entire imperial family. The cicada shakes the big tree, and the cup of water saves the burning cart, just like the distance between her and the empress now.

  But this position was hers all along, and one day she will reclaim it.

  Shen Miao lowered her eyelids and gently picked up the teacup in front of her, taking a sip.

  Not far from her, Shen Qing also revealed a faint smile, as if to celebrate with her, and at the same time raised his teacup and took a sip.

  The smile seemed even more radiant.

  Shen Miao's eyes turned darker, her lips curled up slightly, and unlike her usual cold smile, this one was curved at the corners of her eyebrows and eyes, with a sweet and honeyed appearance that was extremely captivating. Even the men sitting across from them who had noticed her were momentarily stunned by Shen Miao's smile.

  Pei Lang kept staring at Shen Miao, he didn't know why he was doing this, as if there was something on the girl that attracted him. However, a few months ago, Shen Miao was just a nobody in Guangwen Hall. Pei Lang treated her with warmth, but it was only out of politeness, and in his heart, he looked down on her.

  The emperor and empress took their seats, and the banquet began. This so-called pleasure shared by ruler and ministers was actually just a show; the ruler remained the ruler, and the ministers remained the ministers. Everyone made harmless jokes, as if they were truly enjoying themselves together like the Son of Heaven and commoners.

  Su Mingfen touched Xie Jinghang: "How did you come?"

  "Come and see the excitement." Xie Jinghang's lips curled up, and the female audience suddenly made a low gasping sound again.

  "It's so boring, is there anything exciting to see?" Su Mingfen got a headache.

  Just then, Prince Yu's relative opened his mouth and said: "Imperial brother——"

  His voice was neither high nor low, but the hall immediately fell silent. Apparently, everyone was extremely afraid of this evil spirit.

  "Some time ago, I promised to help my younger brother with the selection of his bride. My younger brother has already made up his mind." Prince Yu smiled strangely and said: "Since today is a joyful occasion, why not have double joy arriving at our doorstep?"

  "My younger brother's heart's desire - the Shen family's daughter." He spoke extremely slowly, his eyes gleaming with a snake-like light that wrapped around and around, like a maggot in the bone, tightly clinging to the face of the purple-robed girl sitting upright.