Chapter 100: Volume 1, Chapter 100: This Palace Maid Definitely Has a Problem

As everyone arrived, the Emperor and Empress finally appeared.

The crowd naturally stood up to pay homage to the Emperor and Empress.

However, only Ye Lanjue's table didn't move.

Yes, not only did Ye Lanjue not move, but even Yun Qiyue didn't move.

Before, she was "lowly and weak," making it difficult to fight against imperial power, so seeing the Emperor, she naturally had to kneel and pay homage.

But now, she was the Regent's fiancée; if the Regent didn't kneel, and she knelt, wouldn't that be embarrassing the Regent?

Anyway, Ye Lanjue would cover for anything, Yun Qiyue thought, and sat there with increasing peace of mind.

This scene naturally fell into the eyes of the Emperor and Empress.

The Empress still smiled appropriately, just pretending not to see it.

And Emperor Xuanyuan Kun's brows furrowed slightly, a flash of displeasure crossing his eyes, but it was quickly hidden.

After all, even if the Emperor and Empress arrived last, what could be hidden from the eyes and ears of the Emperor and Empress within the palace?

Although Ye Lanjue forcing the Crown Prince to apologize to Yun Qiyue made the Emperor and Empress feel dissatisfied and feel that they had lost face, they were helpless against Ye Lanjue.

In Donglin, even if someone offended the Emperor, no one dared to offend the Regent easily, including the Emperor and Empress themselves.

Therefore, when the Emperor and Empress saw Ye Lanjue, no matter how their emotions fluctuated, they had to pretend not to know on the surface.

However, pretending not to know didn't mean they really didn't know, so the Emperor and Empress wouldn't look for trouble with Yun Qiyue at this time.

Thus, the Emperor and Empress said "stand up" to the crowd with dignity and slowly took their seats.

With the Emperor and Empress arrived, palace servants began to come in one after another, clearing away the tea and fruits, and began to serve the main dishes.

Twenty dishes per table, each dish was incomparably exquisite, and the portions were also very small, but they were the kind that made one's appetite open just by looking at them.

But, with the Emperor and Empress not picking up their chopsticks, no one below dared to pick up theirs.

Well, this "no one" had to exclude Yun Qiyue's table.

When the dishes were served, Yun Qiyue began to pick up her chopsticks and try them, not only trying them herself but also constantly recommending and picking dishes for Ye Lanjue.

And Ye Lanjue, such a cold and noble person, actually followed Yun Qiyue and began to eat at this inappropriate time.

This was something that had never happened before.

Xuanyuan Kun looked at this scene, his eyes deep, but then he had a smiling face, "Ninth Imperial Brother, I was worried that you two wouldn't get along, but now seeing you two so harmonious, I can rest assured."

These words were said as if Xuanyuan Kun had been very worried for Ye Lanjue.

Xuanyuan Kun's words made everyone's gazes unable to help but fall on Ye Lanjue again.

However, Ye Lanjue and Yun Qiyue continued to eat their own food as if no one else was around, not even giving Emperor Xuanyuan Kun a glance.

The smile on Xuanyuan Kun's face almost couldn't be maintained.

However, with so many ministers and their families watching, Xuanyuan Kun couldn't really lose his composure in public.

Thus, a hint of helplessness was added to Xuanyuan Kun's smile, as if it were the helplessness of an elder towards a junior.

After regaining a bit of face this way, Xuanyuan Kun decisively shifted his gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Just, at this very moment, Xuanyuan Kun inexplicably had a few more doubts in his heart.

Ye Lanjue was not someone who would listen to his manipulation so easily; he had bestowed the Crown Prince's fiancée to him just to humiliate him, and also wanted to use Ye Lanjue's hand to get rid of Yun Qiyue.

After all, it was truly embarrassing for the royal family to have such a fiancée as Yun Qiyue, and he was afraid that canceling the engagement directly would also be criticized by the world, feeling that he, the Emperor, was "killing the donkey after the millstone was used."

It was originally a perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone, but Ye Lanjue not only didn't take action against Yun Qiyue, but actually protected her; could it be...

For a time, doubts arose in Xuanyuan Kun's heart, and his expression became slightly solemn.

Just at this moment, a head eunuch arrived in front of the Emperor and whispered something in the Emperor's ear.

Everyone saw the Emperor stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

The Emperor's laughter naturally attracted everyone's attention, and Yu Huanghou, seeing everyone's expressions, asked the Emperor with a smile, "Why is the Emperor so happy? Why not say it out so everyone can be happy too?"

Xuanyuan Kun looked at Yu Huanghou and said, "The envoys from various countries have arrived."

Hearing this, Yu Huanghou had a hint of surprise in her eyes, "Does the Emperor mean, not just the National Preceptor of the Nanli Kingdom?"

The National Preceptor of the Nanli Kingdom had sent a letter long ago, indicating that he would attend the Donglin palace banquet, so this was almost known to everyone.

But other countries hadn't sent any letters.

The ministers were also looking up in surprise, wanting to know which country's envoys had arrived.

Xuanyuan Kun was clearly in a good mood, his tone even carrying a hint of excitement, "That's right, besides Nanli, those from Xihai and Beiyan have also come."

It was no wonder Xuanyuan Kun was so excited, because the arrival of envoys from various countries was like a form of recognition for Donglin, a great honor for Donglin.

Although, the reason Donglin had today was actually all thanks to Ye Lanjue... but, Xuanyuan Kun chose to ignore this point directly.

The ministers, hearing this, naturally followed suit and rejoiced.

One had to know, a few years ago, Donglin was still a small country looked down upon by various countries, and now it had risen to the ranks of major powers in one fell swoop, and its strength was second only to Xihai.

In the past, there was only the possibility of Donglin sending envoys, but there was never the possibility of major powers coming to Donglin.

After rejoicing, Xuanyuan Kun looked at Ye Lanjue, "Ninth Imperial Brother, today is such a big event, how about you go with me to the palace gate to welcome them?"

Xuanyuan Kun was asking for Ye Lanjue's opinion; after all, if Ye Lanjue was unwilling, no one could force him.

Hearing this, Ye Lanjue just looked up at Xuanyuan Kun with that calm gaze, then lowered his head to look at Yun Qiyue.

Xuanyuan Kun thought this was a refusal, but heard Ye Lanjue say "Hmm."

This made Xuanyuan Kun feel a bit uncomfortable.

After all, he was someone who was used to being refused.

Ye Lanjue didn't care what the Emperor was thinking; at this moment, the brows beneath Ye Lanjue's mask furrowed slightly, his gaze fixed on Yun Qiyue.

He was hesitating whether to bring Yun Qiyue along.

After all, in this palace, there were simply too many people with ill intentions towards her.

However, Yun Qiyue, who felt uncomfortable being watched by Ye Lanjue, looked up at Ye Lanjue's gaze at this time, and while chewing on the food in her mouth, waved her hand, "You go ahead, don't worry about me."

Ye Lanjue: "..."

Suddenly, he felt a bit annoyed, feeling that this woman, Yun Qiyue, was too heartless.

Besides eating, did she have anything else in her brain? He shouldn't have worried that she would be bullied alone.

But thinking about it again, Ye Lanjue felt that with Yun Qiyue's lawless personality, even he dared to provoke, who would she be afraid of being bullied by?

Thinking of this, Ye Lanjue stood up, flicked his sleeves, and walked out, without any intention of waiting for the Emperor and Empress.

Seeing this, Xuanyuan Kun's face turned ugly.

But he still maintained his imperial dignity, stood up calmly, and took the Empress towards the palace gate.

After the Emperor, Empress, and Ye Lanjue left, Yun Qiyue felt that her food tasted even better.

However, even though Yun Qiyue's way of eating was actually calm and elegant, not hurried or slow, in the eyes of those noble ladies, Yun Qiyue's behavior was still somewhat unpresentable.

One might ask, who comes to a palace banquet to eat?

And, this wasn't an ordinary palace banquet, but the Hundred Flowers Banquet.

If Yun Qiyue knew these people's thoughts, she would inevitably roll her eyes ungracefully.

The dishes were already on the table, when if not now? Eat them when they were cold? Or just stay hungry?

Wasn't that self-abuse?

Just at this moment, a palace maid suddenly walked to Yun Qiyue's table with a soup bowl.

Yun Qiyue noticed that there was no intention of serving soup at the other tables, only her table had this treatment.

And, although the palace maid couldn't show anything on her face, there was a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

Hehe, one could guess with one's toes that this palace maid definitely had a problem.

Thus, a hint of coldness appeared in Yun Qiyue's eyes as she looked at this palace maid.

She wanted to see what exactly this palace maid wanted to do.