Chapter 143: The Lady of the Liu Clan and the Cat Demon

Today marks the first birthday of the Prince of Jing's little heir...

Noble Consort Zhou was not only the reigning imperial noble consort, but also the biological mother of Prince Jing and the grandmother of the little prince. Naturally, unlike the other invited guests, she had arrived early in the inner chambers of the Prince of Jing's estate to amuse her grandson.

Zhu Wenjing came to the inner quarters and saw his mother coaxing the child. With a smile, he said, "Mother, hand Yi-er over to the wet nurse to soothe. The banquet is about to begin."

Liu Heng'e, following closely by his side, was holding a black cat in her arms. Seeing Noble Consort Zhou looking over, she greeted her with a smiling expression: "Your daughter-in-law, Liu Heng'e, pays her respects to Mother."

"Heng'e is growing more and more stunning by the day."

Noble Consort Zhou handed her grandson to a nearby wet nurse, then sighed with a smile, "After giving birth, the body is weak and depleted, and one must recuperate properly with plenty of rest. Otherwise, age creeps up too fast... Take me, for instance; I was only fourteen when I gave birth to Jing-er and could not rest properly. Now, my looks have faded with age, and time spares no one~"

"Mother flatters me."

Liu Heng'e chuckled lightly and said, "If I may be so bold as to say something irreverent, given Mother's grace and appearance, if we were to step out together, anyone unaware would surely mistake Mother for my younger sister."

"Hehe~"

Noble Consort Zhou laughed softly, then glanced at the black cat in Liu Heng'e's arms, asking, "When did Heng'e come to keep such a gorgeous cat?"

"I didn't raise it from a kitten."

Liu Heng'e stroked the black cat in her arms and replied, "It was raining a few days ago, and I happened to see it when I went out. Seeing that no one claimed it, I brought it back to the estate to keep..."

"It is quite charming indeed..."

Noble Consort Zhou reached out to stroke the black cat, then seemed to remember something and said, "Didn't you say you were attending the banquet? Jing-er, as the hosts, you and Heng'e must not keep the guests waiting too long."

"Yes, yes, Mother, please..."

With that, the three of them headed toward the front hall where the banquet was set.

Chatting casually along the way, Noble Consort Zhou seemed to recall something and suddenly asked, "By the way, Jing-er, has Xu Boqing, the Director of the Western Depot, responded to the invitation and agreed to attend?"

"Xu Boqing?"

Thinking of the two names still missing from the guest registry, Zhu Wenjing shook his head and sneered, "Of all the people who ought to come, he is the only one who hasn't shown up."

"..."

Noble Consort Zhou frowned slightly and said, "Recently, the influence and momentum of the Western Depot among the civil and military officials have been growing stronger by the day, and as its Director, Xu Boqing is bound to be quite busy. He hasn't been at the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility for several days. Yesterday, under the guise of visiting the Empress Dowager, I made a trip there specifically to remind him. But by the time I left the palace after dark, there was still no sign of him. Perhaps he was delayed by some urgent matters."

"It's no matter. At the end of the day, he's merely a eunuch."

Zhu Wenjing waved his hand dismissively, then cast a sideways glance at Liu Heng'e standing beside him.

He thought to himself that as long as the 'Immortal' made a move and silently eliminated Zhu Wenju, the position of crown prince would inevitably be his own...

"Jing-er, I know you harbor great ambitions."

No one knows a son better than his mother. Seeing the cold glint in his expression, Noble Consort Zhou warned him, "However, the Eastern Depot, the Brocade Guard, and the Western Depot all report directly to His Majesty. Your foundation is not yet firmly established, so do not resort to retaliatory measures simply because he failed to attend the banquet."

"Mother worries too much..."

Hearing this, Zhu Wenjing realized his mother had misinterpreted his thoughts, but he had no intention of offering a lengthy explanation. He merely shook his head with a smile and said, "Please take your seat, Mother..."

"Hmm..."

Although Noble Consort Zhou harbored a lingering sense of unease, seeing her son's confident and composed demeanor, she said no more.

As Prince Jing, the Princess, and Noble Consort Zhou all made their entrances, the atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly lively, with guests standing up to exchange pleasantries...

The Second Prince, Zhu Wenju, was no exception. His attitude was modest and amiable, his speech measured and refined. Coupled with his gentle and cultured temperament, even Noble Consort Zhou had to admit that in terms of worldly conduct and interpersonal grace, this young man surpassed her own Jing-er...

With the three hosts seated...

It was officially announced that the banquet had begun...

Zhu Wenjing filled a cup of wine and stood up, just as he was about to speak and deliver his opening remarks to get through the formalities, when he suddenly heard the loud announcement of the gatekeeper from outside: "Director Xu Boqing of the Western Depot~ presents a pair of dragon and phoenix harmonious jade pendants as a congratulatory gift~"

"..."

The guests who had come to attend the banquet were all stunned upon hearing this.

Song Mingde wore an expression of mild astonishment; Liu Yuan narrowed his eyes, deep in thought...

Meanwhile, some of the partisans belonging to the Third Prince's faction felt a trace of subtle impatience, thinking that this eunuch was putting on airs far too grandly.

Noble Consort Zhou nodded thoughtfully, assuming that the Western Depot must have been overwhelmed with official duties, thus delaying his arrival.

As a woman who had lived deep within the palace for years, she spared no effort in laboring to gather talented individuals for her son. Now that Xu Boqing had come as invited, it at least saved some face for her...

As for Zhu Wenjing, the opening speech was already at the tip of his tongue, but because of this announcement, he was forced to swallow it back down awkwardly...

*'Xu Boqing... The Western Depot...'*

Seeming to think of something, his gaze flickered as he cast a glance at Liu Yuan and Song Mingde seated among the guests.

One of them was the Director of the Eastern Depot, and the other was the Commander of the Brocade Guard. Along with Xu Boqing's Western Depot, they all answered directly to the Emperor.

Song Mingde's stance remained ambiguous, while Liu Yuan deliberately evaded the matter. Relying on their respective power and backing, neither of them was in any rush to make their choice...

Now that his eldest brother Zhu Hong had already been cast aside, and the 'Immortal' had agreed to quietly eliminate Zhu Wenju, the position of crown prince was firmly within his grasp...

It was time to plan for something far more long-term...

Zhu Wenjing's gaze shifted slightly, and he instantly adopted the demeanor of a host welcoming an esteemed guest, saying with a tone of heavy self-reproach, "I completely forgot that an immortal-like figure such as Director Xu had yet to arrive, and foolishly went ahead and started the banquet. What a blunder, what a terrible blunder~"

Immediately, he hurried away from his seat to greet him at the door...

Those qualified to attend this banquet were all seasoned veterans who had spent years climbing the ranks in officialdom. Seeing his words and his welcoming posture, their gazes narrowed slightly as they quietly pondered the implications...

Noble Consort Zhou also frowned upon seeing this. Seemingly realizing something, she cast a sidelong glance at Song Mingde and Liu Yuan, her expression tinged with a faint trace of worry.

Meanwhile...

After leaving the palace, Xu Boqing had first made a trip to Jade Clear Street, casually picking out a pair of jade pendants to serve as a congratulatory gift. Upon arriving at the Prince of Jing's estate and seeing that the firecrackers had already been set off, he realized he was late.

However, he did not care in the least...

Figuring that he wasn't here to feast, nor was he one of Zhu Wenjing's men, he decided to just sneak in first and figure things out as they came.

With that, he had the gatekeeper record his gift.

Just as he was about to step inside to join the banquet...

Zhu Wenjing hurried out to meet him with a radiant smile, cupping his hands and saying, "An esteemed guest, truly an esteemed guest! For Director Xu to carve out time amidst your myriad official duties to attend my son's first-birthday celebration—I am overwhelmed with joy."

Xu Boqing was slightly taken aback by this.

When they had crossed paths earlier inside the palace, although Zhu Wenjing's words had been courteous, he had remained seated inside his palanquin, addressing him from a position of lofty condescension...

For some reason, he had now lowered his posture to such an extent.

Feeling suspicious, he secretly activated his Heavenly Eye Dharma Vision to take a look, only to be even more startled upon doing so: he actually detected a wisp of demonic Qi emanating from Zhu Wenjing!

Although that demonic Qi was faint...

It was unquestionably demonic Qi!

Had a demon found its way into the Prince of Jing's estate?!

Feigning a look of being 'flattered beyond measure,' he cupped his hands and replied, "The Western Depot is overwhelmed with official duties, and this humble official inadvertently delayed his arrival for the banquet. I beg the Prince to forgive this oversight."

"Director Xu speaks too seriously."

Zhu Wenjing put on an expression of deep remorse, saying, "With so many people coming and going through the estate today, I was dizzy with fatigue and failed to notice that the Director had not yet arrived before opening the banquet. It was truly my fault, and I hope the Director will excuse me."

"You flatter this humble official too much, Your Highness."

"Ah~ Director Xu, please, no more formalities."

The two of them exchanged polite pleasantries, each harboring their own hidden agendas.

"How can anyone attend a banquet standing up?"

Zhu Wenjing hurriedly gestured with his hand and said, "The banquet has only just begun, and no one has even taken their first cup of wine yet. Director Xu must drink to his heart's content today."

"Your Highness, after you~"

Smiling at each other, the two men entered the estate.

Seeing the sea of court officials staring at him with strange expressions, and recalling that there might be a demonic cultivator hidden within the Prince of Jing's manor, Xu Boqing merely swept his gaze across the room without saying much...

When he saw Noble Consort Zhou seated at the head table, he noticed her nod slightly in greeting, and he smiled back in acknowledgment.

Then, upon catching sight of the Liu woman he had encountered during his previous stealthy infiltration into the Prince of Jing's estate—as well as the black cat held tightly in her arms—his gaze involuntarily sharpened for a fraction of a second before sweeping past, casually walking closer as if nothing was amiss.

Earlier, when he had first returned to the capital and happened to see Zhu Wenjing leaving the estate, a sudden impulse had moved him to secretly infiltrate the Prince of Jing's manor, hoping to track down Deng Jian's whereabouts and eliminate him on the spot.

To his surprise, he hadn't found Deng Jian...

Instead, he had run into a Liu woman blessed with ample physical charms. Moreover, the woman had persistently pestered him to feed her; refusing was impossible, and he had nearly ended up getting drunk...

Now, the Liu woman before his eyes was still that same Liu woman, yet she was no longer the one who had pestered him for feeding back then.

Furthermore, she was now cradling a cat demon in her arms!

Beneath the illumination of the Heavenly Eye Dharma Vision, the ghostly phantom of a cat demon with heterochromatic eyes manifested behind the Liu woman. One eye gleamed golden-green like amber, while the other shone azure-blue like a gemstone, looking exceptionally uncanny and bewitching.

Most importantly, that manifested phantom of the cat demon was identical in every single detail to the black cat resting in her arms!

Woman and cat, as if fused into a single entity!