As soon as Ye Lingfeng finished speaking, a glint flashed in the eyes of the new emperor, and he quickly glanced at the War King Ruan Xiyin sitting below. Hai Ling caught this glance, so her heart sank. Could it be that something happened to Xi Liang?
Chapter 127 Forcibly Breaking into the War King's Mansion
Inside the main hall, everyone was seated in their respective places. At the head of the hall sat the soon-to-be-enthroned Emperor of Nanling Kingdom, flanked by the unapproachable Empress of Nanling Kingdom. Next to the Empress sat several princesses of the royal family. On either side of the hall, at the very front sat Emperor Ye Lingfeng of Beilu and Empress Hailing. Although Hailing was worried, she did not show it on her face. She lowered her head and played with her son. This boy was already used to the grand scene in front of him and was not afraid at all. He stared at the people in the hall with his big, bright eyes, which drew praise from several noble ladies of Nanling Kingdom.
Sitting opposite Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling was Emperor Feng Zixiao of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Tonight, Feng Zixiao was in high spirits, radiant with energy, his eyes were deep and his lips were slightly curved in a smile. He had the air of a noble and elegant emperor, which made the princesses at the head of the table frequently send him messages of love.
Although the emperor of Beilu was more outstanding than the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the emperor of Beilu already had a beloved woman in his heart and would not take concubines. Therefore, tonight, the princesses focused their attention on Feng Zixiao and paid less attention to Ye Lingfeng.
Below Ye Lingfeng and Feng Zixiao sat two noble princes of the Southern Ling Kingdom. Beside Feng Zixiao sat War Prince Ruan Xiyin, while Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling were accompanied by a prince and princess of the Southern Ling Kingdom, though they were all quite good-looking. The princess sitting next to Hai Ling even smiled politely.
Hai Ling nodded, and the two exchanged greetings. As for the three small countries of Fengguo, Xiaojinguo, and Wufanguo, they were then arranged in order, followed by some ministers from the court. The entire hall was orderly and not chaotic at all.
The emperor of Nanling Kingdom gave the order: "Start the banquet."
The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments rose up, and the court dancers of Nanling Kingdom gracefully swung their long sleeves and, with bodies as slender as willows, began to perform the songs and dances of Nanling Kingdom.
The songs and dances of the Southern Feather Kingdom are more elaborate and alluring than those elsewhere. The dancers in the palace dress more daringly, wearing only a bodice underneath, and underpants, with a layer of light gauze dress on top. The gauze is almost transparent, allowing one to see that the dancers have slender waists that are as thin as willows. Their dances are also bold and unrestrained, but this boldness and unrestraint is different from the straightforwardness of the Northern Lu Kingdom. Instead, it exudes a seductive and alluring sensuality, much like modern erotic dances.
So the banquet was filled with excitement. Many men watched intently, pointing and whispering amongst themselves with great interest. This was still novel to the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Lu Kingdom, but the people of the Southern Ling Kingdom seemed to have long been accustomed to it. Sex and food are human nature, and it was a very natural thing. So there was no lewdness on anyone's face, only interest.
Ye Lingfeng and Feng Zixiao had little interest in the erotic dance in the main hall. The two were only engaged in a silent battle, occasionally clinking their wine cups together in the air before drinking. The new emperor of Nanling Kingdom would also occasionally have a drink with them.
On the surface, the atmosphere was harmonious, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were turbulent. As long as the new emperor of Nanling Kingdom did not ascend the throne, there would still be uncertainties. In addition, the remnants of the Crown Prince's faction had not been completely eliminated, and they could turn the tables at any time. Ye Lingfeng and Hai Ling of Beilu were also carefully dealing with the current situation. Originally, they only came to Nanling Kingdom to scout out the situation and see how Xi Liang was doing. Unexpectedly, they encountered Ruan Jingyue, who had become the Queen of the Feng Kingdom. Feng Zixiao had also come to Nanling Kingdom. Most importantly, Xi Liang did not show up all night.
Hai Ling felt uneasy, so she watched the song and dance in the center of the hall listlessly.
Suddenly, wisps of thin smoke rose from one side of the main hall, quickly enveloping the entire hall as if shrouded in mist. The dancers' movements became even more alluring, causing many men to feel a surge of heat in their hearts. This thin wisp of smoke was used to create the effect of the dance.
Inside the main hall, no one could be seen opposite, only faint shadows, but the thin mist quickly dissipated.
The kitten in Hailing's arms was in particularly good spirits today, so Hailing placed it in the middle. Then she raised her eyebrows and looked behind her. Shimei had already slipped out. At this time, no one would notice her movements.
As the song and dance ended and the dancers withdrew, the thin mist used to create the effect dissipated, and the hall became clear again. Suddenly, a figure fell straight toward Hai Ling. Hai Ling instinctively reached out to support the person, intending to straighten them. However, before she could even help the princess sit up properly, she felt a sticky sensation on her hand. Remembering her years of medical experience, she knew what had happened and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Oh no, something's happened."
As soon as Hai Ling finished speaking, everyone in the hall was drawn to her. At that moment, she casually pushed someone who had been leaning towards her, causing them to lean back and fall onto someone else. Hai Ling's hands were covered in blood.
An uproar erupted in the hall, everyone's expression changed drastically, and what was supposed to be a pleasant palace banquet instantly turned sour.
The young emperor immediately ordered the Minister of Justice to come and investigate the situation. After investigating, the Minister of Justice returned to the center of the main hall to report back.
"Your Majesty, Princess Huai has been murdered; she was killed with a single blow."
The hall fell silent. Everyone looked on in surprise and disbelief, their faces grim. Their previous enthusiasm and interest vanished, and they all turned to look at Prince Huai, Ruan Xirong. Ruan Xirong, his face filled with sorrow, suddenly burst into tears, embracing the Princess Huai beside him. Many people in the hall wept.
Unexpectedly, someone actually stabbed Princess Huai to death in the palace. Everyone looked at each other in dismay, and finally looked at Emperor Ruan Xizong at the head of the table, wondering how he would deal with this matter. Ruan Xizong's face was always gentle and refined, but his eyes held a deep and unfathomable thought.
The emperor remained silent, but Empress Ruan Jingyue, who sat below him and wore a flower in her hair, stood up and spoke.
"Shouldn't the Empress of Northern Lu give an explanation for this matter?"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall looked at Hai Ling, and then at her hands, which were covered in blood. It seemed that the Empress of Bei Lu should speak up, since she was closest to the Princess Consort Huai and had her hands covered in blood in front of everyone, so it seemed that there was indeed some connection between them.
Hai Ling didn't speak, but squinted at Ruan Jingyue, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Ye Lingfeng, standing beside Hai Ling, suddenly shot out a cold, vengeful glint in his eyes. A powerful killing intent filled the hall. As he looked at them one by one, the ministers of the Southern Ling Kingdom all succumbed to his vengeful gaze and dared not look at Hai Ling again. Then, Ye Lingfeng's gloomy and bloodthirsty voice rang out.
"I never expected that when my Northern Lu Kingdom came to visit the Southern Ling Kingdom, I would receive such a generous gift. Very good, very good."
The last two words are profound and have a hidden meaning, and are also cold and ruthless.
Ye Lingfeng withdrew his gaze from Ruan Xizong and placed it directly on Ruan Jingyue. He then spoke in a gloomy tone: "I wonder what explanation the Queen of Zanhua wants from our Northern Lu Kingdom? Do we need to give you an explanation? Your small fiefdom dares to make such a fuss in the main hall of the Southern Ling Kingdom. What status do you have, the Queen of Zanhua, or the princess of the Southern Ling Kingdom?"
Each word was cold and icy. Ruan Jingyue watched as the man she once admired and loved pressed closer and closer, attacking relentlessly, all to protect the woman beside him. Her heart ached, yet she couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal. For today, she represented the identity of the Queen of Feng Kingdom, a small kingdom that was utterly insignificant in the eyes of Bei Lu Kingdom. Although she was a princess of Nan Ling Kingdom, she was already married, and her elder brother had not yet ascended the throne. If things escalated, it would not benefit them. If she ruined her brother's plans, she feared that things would become difficult with Nan Ling Kingdom in the future. Thinking of this, she fell silent.
Ruan Xizong, who sat at the head of the main hall, was well aware of his current predicament. He was about to ascend the throne, eliminate the remnants of the Crown Prince's faction, and then reorganize the court. Naturally, he had to be friendly with Bei Lu and the Great Zhou Dynasty. This younger sister was really causing trouble.
Ruan Xizong's face darkened, and he looked coldly at Ruan Jingyue.
"Queen Zanhua, stop talking nonsense. Empress Ji and Princess Huai are strangers to each other, so how can Empress Ji have any claim about Princess Huai being assassinated?"
Many court officials in the main hall began to blame Ruan Jingyue, leaving her suddenly isolated and without anyone to support her.
Even so, the people of Beilu Kingdom would not let her go. When Ji Shaocheng saw his sister being questioned, he immediately stood up and rebuked Ruan Xizong, the emperor of Nanling Kingdom.
"The Southern Ling Kingdom must give us, the Northern Lu Kingdom, an explanation for this matter. We, the Northern Lu Kingdom, were invited here to be insulted. If this matter is not explained, the friendship between our Northern Lu Kingdom and the Southern Ling Kingdom will probably be over. Princess Huai was assassinated, and instead of finding the murderer, you want our Northern Lu Kingdom's Empress to give an explanation. What kind of explanation do we need? Our Northern Lu Kingdom's Empress has always been benevolent and righteous, which is known to all the world. Furthermore, she had no grudges or hatred towards Princess Huai, and they were complete strangers. She only helped Princess Huai because she was assassinated, and thus got involved in this incident. So, she is now being asked for an explanation. This is simply outrageous."
Ji Shaocheng's words were all reasonable, and everyone in the hall understood that this matter indeed had nothing to do with the Empress of Beilu; it was the Queen Zanhua who had offended her.
Ruan Jingyue's face turned pale and then red. She had only wanted to embarrass Ji Hailing, but she hadn't expected to attract so many hostile glances. Now, not only the people from Beilu Kingdom, but even her brother, the emperor of Nanling Kingdom, seemed very angry. Her heart sank. It seemed that Ji Hailing was even more formidable than before, and she had to be careful.
She was fully aware of the current situation. She was the one who started it all, and naturally she was the one who understood it. Although she was unwilling, there was nothing she could do.
Ruan Jingyue raised an eyebrow and looked at Hai Ling, then slowly said, "It was my fault for being impolite. I apologize to the Queen of Bei Lu."
Ruan Jingyue apologized to Hai Ling in the hall. Hai Ling narrowed her eyes. If Ruan Jingyue hadn't apologized to her, she would have looked down on her. But now that Ruan Jingyue had apologized in the hall, what did that mean? This woman was flexible and adaptable. She was much more shrewd than before.
Since the other party had apologized, she naturally didn't want to be accused of being unforgiving. Besides, their trip to Nanling Kingdom wasn't intended to stir up trouble. So Hailing nodded and slowly said, "Since Queen Zanhua has sincerely apologized, and I'm not the type to hold a grudge, let's just let it go. Everyone doesn't need to be so tense."
One sentence made everyone in the hall breathe a sigh of relief, except for Ruan Jingyue, who bit her lip. The woman's face was full of pity, which made her feel really depressed.
Hai Ling said "Never mind," and although Ye Lingfeng's expression was unfriendly and Ji Shaocheng's face was also dark, at least they stopped talking. The two sat down, and Ruan Xizong, who was at the head of the table, breathed a sigh of relief. This imperial sister still had some sense. Ruan Xizong looked at Ye Lingfeng.
"On behalf of Queen Zanhua, I would like to express my apologies to Emperor Xie of the Northern Lu Kingdom. She made an unintentional mistake."
Ye Lingfeng's expression finally softened a bit, but he didn't have much affection for Ruan Jingyue. He looked at Ruan Xizong and said, "Your Majesty should still investigate who killed Princess Huai?"