Chapter 145: Noble Consort Zhou Harboring Guilt, Emperor Yonghe Leaving the Palace to Attend the Banquet

"Hmm?"

Xu Boqing felt a trace of astonishment as he watched the black cat, having seemingly returned from the dead, instantly dart out the door and flee.

This bizarre black cat was undeniably a yao, yet it was merely a fledgling that had not yet taken human form.

In terms of spiritual cultivation, it was inferior even to the rat spirit he had encountered at the Dragon King Temple on his way back to the capital...

However, judging by the possession of Lady Liu's body and the cat's resurrection from death, although its cultivation was shallow, its demonic arts possessed a malicious nature and perhaps some deep-rooted origins.

Upon seeing the so-called "Superintendent Xu" fixing her with a gaze that was neither a smile nor a sneer, Liu Heng'e felt her complexion pale slightly. Realizing that her true identity had been seen through by this dangerous man, she immediately withdrew her spiritual consciousness and fled...

As that wispy spark of spiritual consciousness detached itself from her mortal shell, Liu Heng'e's body instantly went limp, teetering on the verge of collapsing to the ground.

"Heng'e... Heng'e!"

Sensing something amiss when the "Immortal" departed, Zhu Wenjing noticed Liu Heng'e's strange behavior. With his expression shifting drastically, he hurriedly stepped forward and caught her in his arms...

The guests at the main table, who had been exchanging toasts, fell silent upon hearing the commotion. Seeing the crown princess fainting, they all wore looks of utter bewilderment...

Even Consort Zhou was no exception.

"Your Highness, what has happened to the Princess?"

Xu Boqing's gaze flickered slightly. Under the enhancement of his Heavenly Eye, he could clearly perceive a wisp of spiritual light fleeing from the body of Lady Liu. Deprived of that radiance, though she was not yet dead, she had become little different from a walking corpse...

Putting on a concerned expression, he stepped closer and said, "This Xu possesses some modest medical knowledge. If Your Highness trusts me, might I be permitted to check the Princess's pulse?"

"There is no need!"

Zhu Wenjing instinctively rejected his goodwill.

Fearing that others might notice something unusual, he hastily explained to those around him, "Ever since giving birth, my wife's constitution has remained frail and she frequently suffers from fainting spells. A short rest will set her to rights."

People in those days married early; it was entirely commonplace for young women of fourteen or fifteen to marry and bear children. Giving birth before their skeletal structures had fully matured often resulted in difficult labors and an extremely high infant mortality rate.

Even if they managed to deliver safely, failing to recuperate properly would severely damage their vital energy and leave behind numerous chronic ailments...

Apart from Xu Boqing, naturally none of the banquet guests doubted Zhu Wenjing's explanation...

Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, Zhu Wenjing cupped his hands toward the surrounding company and said, "I shall escort my wife back to her chambers to rest and recuperate. Please excuse my absence for a moment; I beg you all to forgive me."

The banquet guests chimed in with comforting remarks such as "His Highness is too polite," "Being a mother is not easy," and "You must allow the Princess to rest properly."

Xu Boqing merely smiled with an inscrutable expression...

When he had previously sneaked into the Prince Jing's Estate and been forced by Lady Liu to drink milk tea at knifepoint, he had already listened to her pour out her inner thoughts and learned of the discord between husband and wife.

Before, upon discovering that strange supernatural occurrences plagued this estate, he had assumed Zhu Wenjing was entirely ignorant and a victim of misfortune. But now, seeing how fiercely protective he was of Lady Liu...

So much as refusing to let anyone else touch her...

Did this not imply that he was fully aware of the situation?

In order to seize the crown prince's throne, was he colluding with demons and harming his own brother?

A cold glint appeared in Xu Boqing's eyes as he watched him support Lady Liu away into the distance.

He thought to himself that if things were truly as he suspected, Zhu Wenjing's heart was darker than ordinary men's...

Meanwhile, Consort Zhou, who sat at the same table, spent her days isolated deep within the palace and was unfamiliar with the others. Suspecting the ulterior motives her own son had harbored earlier, she had kept her attention fixed entirely upon Xu Boqing...

Noticing his contemplative demeanor and the trace of coldness lingering on his features...

Consort Zhou inwardly sighed, thinking her son was far too impatient. His methods of killing with kindness and sowing discord were far too crude and easily seen through.

To make matters worse, when someone had offered out of the kindness of his heart to help, her son had rejected him outright in front of everyone without a second thought...

This needlessly provoked someone's displeasure, did it not?

Furthermore, this person was someone she had painstakingly invited here. What would this make him think of her?

Consort Zhou was caught in the middle, pleasing no one...

A deep shadow of worry settled upon her face...

Seeing the cat demon escape and Zhu Wenjing depart, yet still finding no trace of Deng Jian, Xu Boqing lost any remaining appetite to linger here...

He cast a contemplative glance in the direction the cat demon had fled, and then looked toward Consort Zhou at the same table.

Reflecting that Consort Zhou was, after all, Zhu Wenjing's birth mother and could be considered the mistress of the house...

He stood up, cupped his hands to Consort Zhou, and said, "The wine has been drunk and the food has been eaten. With official duties at the West Bureau pressing, I shall not stay here any longer..."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "When His Highness returns, I must ask Your Ladyship to kindly pass along a message on my behalf."

"This..."

Consort Zhou was momentarily stunned...

She thought to herself that it was already no small feat for Xu Boqing to carve time out of his busy schedule to attend the banquet upon invitation. Yet, after being seated, he was first subjected to her son's malicious praise, and then—when offering well-intentioned assistance—flatly rejected in public, causing him to lose face.

Even if she were an ordinary woman facing such treatment, resentment would inevitably stir within her heart...

Seeing that Xu Boqing had already departed in "anger," she grew increasingly convinced that her son had gone too far...

Then, recalling that Xu Boqing had come at her personal invitation, only to be subjected to her son's arrogance, she knew that if she did not offer some explanation and smooth things over, she would completely alienate him...

Hesitating no longer, she hurriedly rose from her seat and gave chase, calling out, "Superintendent Xu, please stay your steps."

"Hmm?"

Hearing someone call out to him just as he stepped outside, Xu Boqing instinctively halted. Seeing Consort Zhou hurrying over with an apologetic expression on her face, he asked with a slight frown, "Does Your Ladyship have instructions for me?"

Noticing the subtle trace of impatience in his demeanor, Consort Zhou offered an apologetic smile and said, "Superintendent Xu, I have come specifically to offer my apologies..."

"Apologies?"

Xu Boqing arched a brow in surprise, then politely replied, "Your Ladyship exaggerates. I came at your invitation, yet now, before the banquet has even concluded, I am leaving early. If apologies are due, it is I who should apologize to Your Ladyship."

"..."

Hearing him say "I came at your invitation," Consort Zhou felt increasingly awkward...

Inwardly, she blamed her son for his lack of tact.

forcing a smile, she placated, "Jing'er is still young and lacks worldly experience. If there is any way he has offended the Superintendent, I, as his mother, offer his apologies in his stead. I pray the Superintendent, in your vast magnanimity, will not hold it against him."

"Your Ladyship speaks too gravely..."

Thinking of Zhu Wenjing's actions, Xu Boqing knew this could not be brushed aside with a mere "he is young and lacks worldly experience."

Sensing that the lingering spiritual resonance left behind by the cat demon was rapidly fading, and unwilling to entangle himself further with her, he casually remarked, "His Highness harbors grand ambitions; how could a humble person like me dare to hold anything against him?"

With that, he cupped his fists, bowed, and said, "The West Bureau has pressing official matters, and I have urgent business to attend to. Farewell."

Without another word, he turned and strode away...

Consort Zhou stood frozen, watching his receding figure. Biting her lower lip, a profound sense of guilt gnawed at her heart. With a heavy sigh, she finally turned back and returned to her seat.

With the master of the house absent, the atmosphere of the banquet inevitably cooled. As the mistress of the household, she quickly instructed several senior ministers of the "Third Prince Faction" to step up as gracious hosts.

Amidst the banquet, goblets were exchanged and wine cups passed around.

Just as the atmosphere of the feast began to grow lively once more, the trembling voice of the doorkeeper suddenly rang out from beyond the outer gates: "His Majesty has arrived! /"

"..."

The banquet, boisterous just a second prior, fell into a dead silence.

In recent years, the frequency of Emperor Yonghe's court appearances could be counted on one's fingers; the last formal court session had been a year ago when the decision was made to hold the Water and Land Grand Dharma Assembly.

During the interim, the Chief Councilor had overseen state affairs, and although he occasionally summoned the ministers for small assemblies, Emperor Yonghe rarely showed his face, let alone attended banquets...

The civil and military officials present were all seasoned veterans of the political arena, none holding a rank below the fourth grade. Naturally, they were acutely aware of this fact.

Thus, upon hearing the announcement of "His Majesty's arrival," they froze in place, momentarily gripped by a sense of utter bewilderment.

They simply could not fathom why the Emperor, who had not stepped out of the palace in over a decade, had taken it into his head to visit Prince Jing's Estate today...

If the officials could not understand it...

Consort Zhou was equally at a loss.

Yet, a realization quickly dawned upon her: if the Emperor had not left the palace in years and had now chosen to come to Prince Jing's Estate, was this not an earth-shattering blessing?

Seemingly remembering something, a radiant smile bloomed across her face.

Meanwhile, Zhu Wenji, seated at the same table, clearly came to the same realization. His expression darkened slightly before he quickly plastered a smile back onto his face.

Amidst the stupefaction of the banquet guests, Emperor Yonghe walked in wearing ordinary civilian attire. Sweeping his gaze across the room and taking in the blank, stunned expressions of the officials, he chuckled teasingly, "What? Do you not welcome me?"

Only then did the officials snap back to reality. They hurriedly left their seats, fell to their knees, and kowtowed, chanting in unison, "We your subjects respectfully welcome Your Majesty."

"Rise, rise. Today is a banquet, not a court assembly; there is no need for such rigid formalities~"

Emperor Yonghe waved a hand and said, "I have not left the palace in many years. Hearing today that my grandson has reached his full month, I was struck by a sudden whim to come and see Prince Jing's Estate. You are all guests at the banquet; eat your fill, drink your fill, and pay me no mind."

"Yes, yes, yes..."

The attending officials stood up, exchanged glances, and, led by several veteran ministers, returned to their seats.

Consort Zhou hurried forward to pay her respects, saying, "This concubine respectfully greets Your Majesty."

Zhu Wenji followed closely behind, "This son pays respects to Royal Father."

"Number Two has grown increasingly steady over these years..."

Emperor Yonghe gave a slight nod, swept his gaze over the occupants of the main table, and asked with an arched brow, "Where is Number Three? A feast is being held in his own home, yet as the host, he is not here to keep us company?"

"Jing'er was just here attending to the guests..."

Panic flickering in her heart at the question, Consort Zhou quickly pointed to the two vacant seats beside her and explained, "Just now, Jing'er's wife, Lady Liu, suddenly fainted... Out of deep affection for his wife, Jing'er personally escorted her back to her chambers to rest. He should be returning shortly."

"Oh~"

Emperor Yonghe nodded faintly, pressing the matter no further.

Zhu Wenji hastily vacated his own seat and smiled, "Royal Father rarely ventures out of the palace; I imagine you have not yet dined. Why not partake in Third Brother's celebration feast with a cup of wine to warm yourself?"

"You are thoughtful..."

Emperor Yonghe waved his hand. Noticing that aside from the seats reserved for his third son and daughter-in-law Lady Liu, there was one additional empty spot at the main table, he walked over and said, "Is there not one more seat here? I shall just sit here."

"Uh..."

Seeing this, Consort Zhou hurried forward to clarify, "Your Majesty, that seat was occupied by Xu Boqing, the Superintendent of the West Bureau."

"Xu... Bo... Qing..."

Hearing the name, Emperor Yonghe fell into a brief trance. Then, as if recalling something, his gaze grew deep and distant as he asked, "Where is my Minister Xu?"