northernbook Chapter 148 Attending the Crown Prince's Banquet
Chapter 148 Attending the Crown Prince's Banquet
Therefore, many officials brought their daughters to the banquet, hoping to use the opportunity to curry favor with the powerful; while scions of prominent families flocked to the event, eager to catch a glimpse of their daughters. The entire banquet was imbued with a strong political atmosphere!
"Haha, congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations!"
"congratulations!"
"Prime Minister, please come in!"
"please!"
Ye Jingchu stood confidently at the door, warmly greeting the ministers who had come to offer their congratulations. His face radiated confidence and joy, as if the whole world was celebrating for him.
For this banquet, Ye Jingchu invited many high-ranking officials and noble sons, but there was one exception—the Fourth Prince. Although Ye Jingchu did not explicitly state that he did not welcome the Fourth Prince, he knew in his heart that there was a competitive relationship between the Fourth Prince and himself.
Now, he wants to show everyone who the real winner is.
When Dongfang Wan'er arrived, she saw a bustling scene at the entrance, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and then walked towards Ye Jingchu.
"Brother Jingchu!" Dongfang Mingzhu lowered her voice and excitedly called out to Ye Jingchu, then quickly stepped forward.
Her eyes sparkled, as if she were incredibly proud of the title.
When Dongfang Wan'er heard Dongfang Mingzhu call him "Brother Jingchu," she almost broke out in goosebumps. She frowned inwardly, feeling that it all seemed too fake.
"Hmm!" Ye Jingchu responded faintly, but her eyes unconsciously drifted towards Dongfang Wan'er.
He noticed that Wan'er was dressed exceptionally beautifully today, in a light blue dress, like a fairy descending to earth.
"Sister Wan'er!" Ye Jingchu greeted Dongfang Wan'er with a smile as she approached.
"Your Highness!" Dongfang Wan'er called out coldly, without bowing. Her gaze swept indifferently over Ye Jingchu; she felt no emotion whatsoever towards him.
However, Ye Jingchu did not take Dongfang Wan'er's rudeness to heart. He still smiled and said, "Sister Wan'er, why are you being so formal? Just call me Brother Jingchu like before." As he spoke, he reached out to grab Dongfang Wan'er's arm.
"This humble woman dares not!" Dongfang Wan'er politely declined.
"Hahahaha, let's go inside and talk!" Ye Jingchu finally met the person she was waiting for, so she happily walked ahead to lead the way, enthusiastically introducing various things to Dongfang Wan'er along the way.
But he completely ignored the Oriental Pearl Tower standing to the side.
Dongfang Mingzhu's face contorted with rage, and she cursed inwardly, "That bitch Dongfang Wan'er!"
Just then, Li Sisi walked over, covered her mouth, and mocked, "Oh, isn't this the Crown Prince's betrothed concubine? What are you doing standing here... Could it be that His Highness the Crown Prince has already forgotten about you, his concubine... Hahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Mingzhu was instantly enraged and slapped Li Sisi across the face.
"Pa!" A crisp slapping sound was heard.
"Ah...you dare hit me!" Li Sisi covered her face and glared angrily at the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Dongfang Mingzhu, however, remained unfazed, sneering, "Believe it or not, I'll have your eyes gouged out! I am the Crown Prince's concubine, and you dare to be disrespectful to me? Beating you is too lenient. If you provoke me again, I'll kill you!" With that, she raised her head and walked proudly into the mansion.
Li Sisi stared intently in the direction Dongfang Mingzhu had left, her eyes filled with hatred and resentment, secretly vowing to make Dongfang Mingzhu pay the price.
Seeing this, Li Yanran sneered inwardly, but outwardly asked with concern, "Sisi, are you alright?"
Li Sisi shouted angrily, "Get away from me, I don't need your fake kindness!" With that, she shoved Li Yanran hard.
Li Yanran then fell to the ground, feigning a pitiful appearance, and shouted loudly, "Sisi, you!!"
Li Sisi didn't bother to look at Li Yanran again and coldly replied, "I didn't use much force. What are you pretending for! Humph!" Then she walked into the Crown Prince's residence without looking back.
Li Yanran got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and looked at Li Sisi's departing figure with a wronged expression, muttering to herself, "Sisi, how could you do this to me..."
At this moment, a kind person came over, helped Li Yanran up, and comforted her, saying, "Get up quickly!"
Li Yanran gratefully thanked him, "Thank you!"
The man shook his head and sighed, "You're just too good to your half-sister, that's why she dares to bully you so recklessly!"
Li Yanran sighed helplessly and said, "Sigh, I'm the older sister, I should give in to her."
The person nodded and agreed, saying, "You're a kind person, but you can't always let her bully you! You need to learn to protect yourself in the future."
Li Yanran smiled and replied, "Okay, thank you for reminding me."
Li Yanran looked at the woman and was shocked. It turned out that she was the daughter of the Right Chancellor, Li Shuyao!
In fact, Li Yanran had already realized this. Therefore, she deliberately put on a pitiful appearance, hoping to gain Li Shuyao's sympathy. In this way, she could get closer to Li Shuyao and establish a good relationship with her.
Meanwhile, Ye Jing led Dongfang Wan'er to the artificial hill. They looked around and stopped when they found no one.
Ye Jing said to Dongfang Wan'er with a serious expression, "Sister Wan'er, tell me honestly, did you agree to marry Ninth Prince because he threatened you? If so, don't worry, once I ascend the throne, I will definitely take you away from him."
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Wan'er wondered to herself, what exactly was Ye Jingchu thinking? How could he have such an absurd idea?
Just then, Dark Night appeared behind them. He coughed softly a few times, trying to alert Ye Jingchu. However, Ye Jingchu seemed completely unaware of Dark Night's presence and continued talking to himself.
"Sister Wan'er, why are you silent? Have I truly struck a nerve? Don't worry, once I become emperor, I will surely grant you your freedom."
An Ye couldn't help but cough a few more times to express his dissatisfaction. But Ye Jingchu remained immersed in his own fantasy, completely ignoring An Ye's hints.
"Cough cough cough..." Qiuqin suddenly coughed violently.
"What are you doing, girl? Keep coughing. If you weren't Wan'er's maid, I, the Crown Prince, would punish you right now!" Ye Jingchu said with some displeasure when he saw her coughing incessantly.
Dongfang Wan'er initially wanted to say something harsh, but a glimpse of Dongfang Mingzhu out of the corner of her eye gave her an idea. So, she began to act!