Marquis Guangping explained calmly:
"I suddenly had something happen that day, so I missed the appointment. Does a woman of unknown origin just want to throw dirty water on me for raising a foreign wife? You all see how a certain person treats the princess on weekdays. Maybe this is the case. This woman is a squirrel who took advantage of tonight's palace banquet to deliberately frame me."
People around him immediately changed their words:
"That's right. There are many ways to taint a person's innocence. In today's situation, even if the Marquis can finally clear his grievances, the matter will still cause a big fuss and become the subject of gossip, which will tarnish the reputation of the Marquis."
"The person who did this is too sinister! He actually made a fuss about the foreign affairs. It's a pity that the Marquis is so affectionate towards the princess that he was innocently charged with such a big crime."
Marquis Guangping had been paying attention to Zhaohua's expression from beginning to end, but he couldn't tell the reason at all.
Ordinarily, when a woman encounters provocation from an outsider, she would become angry and curse, but she remained calm and calm, and did not even speak out to defend herself. It was really strange, as if it was just a trivial matter.
Yan Wei gently lifted Zhou Caiwei's chin with a folding fan, stared straight into her foxy eyes, and asked her sternly:
"You have to think clearly about the crime of slandering an important official of the imperial court. You, a weak woman, cannot bear the seventy-two punishments of Dali Temple."
"Slander?" Zhou Caiwei's eyes were full of tears, as if she was really abandoned, and she cried bitterly, "I had expected that the Marquis would not admit it. If you don't believe me, I still have a witness."
Marquis Guangping could hardly maintain the composure on his face.
Zhaohua: "Who is it?"
Zhou Caiwei: "It is the Fu Mu Shang family who was expelled from the house by the eldest princess herself two months ago."
Marquis Guangping pointed at Zhou Caiwei, his lips trembling: "That's nonsense!"
Zhou Caiwei angered him and continued to plead: "Shang made a mistake in the princess's mansion and should have been sent to a remote village. However, the doctor diagnosed me as pregnant at that time, so the Marquis secretly sent Shang to my concubine to take care of me. Concubine, I thought I would protect my pregnancy.”
"If your lords still feel that I have evil intentions, you can order people to search for her in Anle Lane, south of Shili Street. Shang will live with me in the lane."
Zhaohua had some reaction at this time. She sneered, her eyes filled with coldness: "What this woman said is true. The Princess Mansion has indeed decentralized the Shang family."
Marquis Guangping: "Princess! Listen to me, someone must have leaked secrets about the affairs in the palace, which is why we are in today's situation."
Yan Wei and Lu Kun worked together to help Zhou Caiwei up, and he shouted angrily at the Marquis of Guangping:
"How else do you want to make excuses! It's all in vain for my imperial sister to lower her status to bear children for you and plan your career. This is how you treat her?"
After the incident was exposed, Marquis Guangping was crying and laughing, looking crazy. He was about to rush towards Zhou Caiwei and kill her, but he was quickly stopped by his quick eyes and hands.
He pointed at Zhaohua and Yanwei one by one, spittle flying from his mouth, and his appearance was expressionless:
"You are so good at having children for me. Everyone in the world doesn't know that Huai Jin and Huai Yu are named Yan! They are not my children at all!"
Zhaohua ordered his people to force him into the palace and apologized loudly:
"Family scandals should not be made public. I have missed the right time for you to enter the palace. It would be a sin to disturb your majesty and empress again. Everyone, please go to the palace."
…
At the palace banquet, only the concubines and a few vassal princes and ministers were present, but no one else was seen.
Even if the Laba Banquet was held by the palace, there was no reason for Yan Xiu, as an emperor, to wait for the ministers.
Zhu Sijia was curious, could it be that she and Yan Xiu remembered the wrong time? Just as she was about to get up and leave, Yan Xiu pulled her back to sit down.
Yan Xiu saw a worried look on her eyebrows and asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhu Sijia: "Tonight's banquet is really deserted. Why are there not many people attending the banquet when the hour is approaching? I am worried that something went wrong outside the palace."
Yan Xiu smiled softly: "Cicada, please be patient and don't be impatient. Qin officials are all respectful and courteous ministers. They will be here soon."
As soon as the farce in front of the palace gate happened, someone quickly returned to the palace and reported it to him secretly.
Since Zhaohua intends to make this matter bigger, why not take the initiative to wait for this time?
Sure enough, as he said, in an instant, a crowd of people suddenly poured into the banquet hall, and the leader turned out to be Yan Xing. Zhu Sijia quickly looked away to avoid meeting his disgusting gaze again.
When her eyes fell on Yan Wei, Lu Kun and others, Zhu Sijia found that their expressions were also extremely stiff, as did the people who followed them into the hall.
What happened?
It wasn't until Zhaohua, who walked into the hall alone with Huaijin and Huaiyu, appeared that Zhu Sijia realized something was wrong——
In the past, Marquis Guangping always accompanied Zhaohua on such important occasions. There was only one possibility for the future tonight.
I wish Scarlett's scalp was numb, she immediately cheered up and sat upright.
Her intuition told her that tonight was not an easy night.
Yan Xing sat down. Although his expression was indifferent, the corner of his eye always fell on Zhu Sijia, who was in a high position. He was curious, if she saw the foreigner again, would she still be as calm as she is now?
But the most important thing right now is the Laba Banquet.
…
After the Laba banquet, according to the old tradition, it was time to walk in the snow and enjoy the plum blossoms. However, everyone under the table seemed to have their clothes stuck to their clothes by glue. They knelt down and refused to get up.
Except for Huaijin and Huaiyu who were taken off the table first by the palace officials.
The music and dancing in the hall suddenly seemed particularly abrupt. Yan Xiu pretended to be drunk, with his collar slightly open. He moved and smiled with ease. He waved his hand and ordered the musicians and dancers to step down:
"Why, dear ladies, what are you worried about?"
Yan Wei and Lu Kun looked at each other.
Zhaohua stood up calmly, walked to the middle of the hall, and gave a complete ceremony to Yan Xiu and Zhu Sijia:
"Your Majesty and Concubine, Zhaohua knows that he will disturb your enjoyment tonight, but he has something important to tell you."
Yan Xiu sat back slightly, closed his eyes and nodded to show that he was listening attentively.
Zhaohua: "Bring people up."
Wish Scarlett held her breath.
The next moment, Marquis Guangping, who was tied up with five flowers, was staggering and pushed into the palace. Behind him was Zhou Caiwei, whose clothes and hair were slightly messy.
Why did Zhou Caiwei appear in the palace? Could it be——
Could it be that Zhaohua wanted to use tonight's palace banquet to throw her and Guangping Hou into a place of eternal destruction?
In order to divert her attention, Zhu Sijia slowly poured wine into Yan Xiu's glass drop by drop. However, Yan Xiu suddenly opened his eyes at this moment, held her hand, leaned over and whispered in her ear:
"I can't drink any more, Cicada."
Zhu Sijia was stunned for a moment and could only retract her hand in embarrassment: "I am not thoughtful enough. Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Yan Xiu rubbed his brows: "If you don't want to stay here to watch the show, go back to Changle Palace first."
How could she be so relieved to go back before she knew whether Zhou Caiwei was alive or dead? Zhu Sijia shook her head: "I want to accompany Your Majesty."
Yan Xiu hummed softly and closed his eyes again.
Zhaohua, who was under the banquet, had openly disclosed to the public the fact that the consort had kept a foreign wife privately. Shang did not know who had brought him into the palace, and together with Zhou Caiwei, he testified against the consort.
Not only that, Taiyi Liu and others also confirmed that the poison on Zhaohua was caused by the consort.
No matter how Guangping Hou defended and begged for mercy, Zhaohua remained unmoved. She bowed again and cried every word: "Your Majesty, please promise me something."
