However, Ning Yuwang stopped just half a meter away from them and didn't move forward any further.
Her eyes scanned in the direction where the two of them were, but it was as if she couldn't see them. She stood there, frowning blankly.
After a long while, Ning Yuwang pursed her lips and smiled faintly. "Interesting!"
Her voice was melodious and ethereal, with a hint of mystery.
An Xingzhi swallowed hard and covered her chest tightly with both hands, afraid that her nervous thoughts would be exposed and heard by Ning Yuwang.
Ning Yuwang closed her eyes and tried to trace the source, and annoyance gradually welled up in her heart.
Yan Zhao's story wasn't long. Although she had peeked at the memory in advance, she still listened attentively.
But just during this short period of attentiveness, An Xingzhi in the side hall had actually disappeared.
Right under her nose!
And someone else had taken her place without a sound.
Even though Ning Yuwang had used her spiritual power, she could only trace a faint trail.
Until now, at the back door of the side hall in Weiyang Palace, the trail had completely disappeared.
Ning Yuwang frowned and pondered deeply. She could sense two hidden auras around her.
But having exhausted her spiritual power, she couldn't continue to trace and investigate any further. So she had no choice but to give up regretfully.
It was only after Ning Yuwang left that An Ruoqian let go of An Xingzhi!
She took out a talisman paper from her bosom with a gloomy look. The golden characters on it were quickly fading into nothingness.
"What's this?"
An Xingzhi looked up curiously but only saw a yellow piece of paper. She reached out her hand curiously. "Was it this thing that made Ning Yuwang unable to see you and me just now?"
An Ruoqian exhaled impatiently. "If it weren't to save you, Master's top - grade talisman paper wouldn't have been wasted like this!"
"What master? You always talk nonsense when you're having an episode!"
An Xingzhi was extremely afraid of her cold look now. She straightened her clothes and said, "Let's go back to the mansion first!"
"Going back to the mansion at this time? Are you afraid that others won't notice anything strange?" An Ruoqian glanced at her with a sarcastic tone. "The Queen's birthday banquet is about to start. Don't forget that as the No. 1 beauty in the capital, you're supposed to perform a dance!"
Perform a dance?
An Xingzhi supported her sore waist. Her legs were trembling slightly. How could she dance now?
"I can't dance!"
She bit her lip and hinted to An Ruoqian. "You're also the legitimate daughter of the An family. For the honor of the An family, you go and dance!"
"Now you remember that I'm the legitimate daughter of the An family and not a bastard?" An Ruoqian sneered. "An Xingzhi, I'll only save you once!"
The implication was that she had to dance whether she liked it or not!
"An Ruoqian!"
But when she met An Ruoqian's cold gaze, An Xingzhi immediately backed down. "Wait for me."
After dealing with Wang Fuhai and Qiu Mei, to avoid bad luck, Queen Chu announced that the birthday banquet would be moved to Changxin Hall.
But she didn't notice that Chu Heyao quietly slipped away from his seat behind her.
The guards were already waiting outside the hall. They knelt on both knees and said, "Second Prince!"
"Have you found out what's really going on in the main hall of Weiyang Palace?"
"It's... His Majesty!"
The guard swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "And the daughter of Minister Song!"
The guard didn't finish the whole story, but Chu Heyao had read everything from his expression.
Instantly, his eyes turned cold. "How dare you!"
Song Yiran, the daughter of Minister Song, usually liked to stick behind Chu Nian'an and An Xingzhi.
That was why Chu Heyao had a bit of an impression of her. He frowned slightly. That girl should only be fifteen years old now!
Of course, the clearest memory was that he had just been maliciously framed for sharing a bed with Song Yiran in the main hall!
But he never expected that the one sharing the bed with Song Yiran was actually Emperor Chu!
"Second Prince, this subordinate swears to heaven that what I said is what I saw!"
"Shut up! Get out of here!"
Chu Heyao clenched his fists tightly and smashed them hard against the trunk of a nearby tree. Wood chips flew up and pricked into his arm, and blood began to flow immediately.
The mutual respect between the Emperor and the Queen was well - known throughout the Chu Dynasty. But on the Queen's birthday, the Emperor had actually favored a young girl!
In the royal family, the affection between husband and wife was so shallow!
No wonder the Queen had just stubbornly guarded the main - hall door of Weiyang Palace.
It turned out.
She was trying to protect the Emperor's reputation!
Chu Heyao couldn't hide his anger. He rushed into Weiyang Palace furiously.
Outside the main hall, Qiaohui was still waiting at the door.
Queen Chu was worried that someone else might accidentally enter the main hall of Weiyang Palace, so she had specifically left her there to keep an eye on it.
Qiaohui was the Queen's personal maid. Even the concubines in the palace had to give her some face.
She alone was as good as ten people!
That was why the Queen had only left her.
But obviously, neither the Queen nor Qiaohui had expected that Chu Heyao would enter Weiyang Palace again.
"Second Prince?"
Chu Heyao's face was full of anger. "Get out of the way!"
"Second Prince, you can't go in!"
Qiaohui anxiously brought up the Queen. "The Queen has stored something important in the main hall. No one is allowed to go in!"
"Is it something or someone inside?"
Chu Heyao stared into Qiaohui's eyes. "Qiaohui, tell the truth!"
Qiaohui hesitated. It was just this moment of hesitation that made Chu Heyao understand the truth!
"Step back!"
"Second Prince!"
Chu Heyao's face was cold and angry. "I order you to step back!"
Inside the main hall.
Emperor Chu was in high spirits. The occasional voices outside the hall only made him and the beauty in his arms feel more excited and happy.
"Princess of the Duke of De, I'm very satisfied with you."
His finger traced the woman's beautiful face. He murmured ambiguously, "Tell me, am I better or your husband is better?"
Song Yiran's eyes were hazy. She was still immersed in lust.
In her eyes, the man who had been holding and moving was Chu Heyao, handsome, elegant, and affectionate.
She couldn't even hear his question clearly. She murmured coquettishly and wriggled. "You're so annoying!"
Emperor Chu burst out laughing and hugged her tightly. "You're really a wonderful woman! I really want to keep you in the palace forever! Would you like to?"
All Song Yiran heard were the words "palace" and "willing". She softened her body. "I'm willing!"
"Good!"
As they were having their intimate moment, Emperor Chu took another deer - blood pill. He felt a surge of hot blood in his body. "Shall we do it one more time?"
Even if he hadn't mentioned it, Song Yiran would have cooperated and hooked onto him. After all, she had always coveted the identity of the Second Prince's consort.
Emperor Chu thought that as long as the Queen was around, no one would enter Weiyang Palace again!
So he boldly made love to the beauty in his arms.
But he had miscalculated one person, his and the Queen's eldest son, Chu Heyao!
"Father!"
Chu Heyao burst through the door. He saw Emperor Chu making love to the woman with his own eyes and heard him call her the Princess of the Duke of De with his own ears!
He was stunned on the spot. For a moment, he didn't know whether he should be angry that the Emperor had no shame and ruined the innocence of a minister's daughter, or annoyed that he had even set his sights on Yan Zhao's wife!
Chu Heyao didn't know about Emperor Chu's private preference for other men's wives. Even the Queen was too ashamed to talk about it and would never leak any information on her own initiative!
"How dare you!"
Emperor Chu's good mood was interrupted. He angrily threw out a jade pillow. "Who allowed you to come in!"
"Father, today is Mother's birthday, but you've put Mother in an embarrassing situation. I'm not convinced!"
Chu Heyao's thick eyebrows were raised. He looked extremely similar to Emperor Chu. He was upright and straightforward by nature. Usually, Emperor Chu liked him the most!
But today, Emperor Chu thought his behavior was too stubborn and unyielding.
"You scoundrel!"