"Enough!"
The thunderous voice rang out, slicing through the tense air of the grand hall.
Though the Emperor had already granted the Crown Prince a second chance, the latter still failed to grasp it. Emperor Xuanwu's expression turned frigid in an instant as he raised his voice sternly.
"If the Crown Prince is drunk, then he may retire and rest."
"Father Emperor—!"
"That is enough."
Seeing the Crown Prince attempt to speak again, the Empress quickly interjected, her tone laced with warning.
"Xiao Guizi, why are you still standing there? Take your master back to his quarters at once."
"Yes!"
The little eunuch beside the Crown Prince dared not hesitate a moment longer. He bowed hurriedly and stepped forward to support the Crown Prince, escorting him out of the palace hall.
The assembled court officials exchanged uneasy glances. No one had expected such a disruption on what should have been a celebratory occasion—the Emperor's Longevity Festival.
Why did the Emperor oppose the union between the Crown Prince and the young lady of the Shen family so vehemently?
Could it be…?
With so many sharp minds gathered in one place, no one could say for certain just how many possibilities were already taking shape behind those composed expressions.
Among them, the Empress was perhaps the most shaken.
The Crown Prince had indeed warned her beforehand—that Emperor Xuanwu disapproved of his marriage to the Shen girl.
But she had thought that if the Crown Prince raised the matter in front of the entire court, even if His Majesty disliked it, he would not dare reject it outright.
After all, knowing Emperor Xuanwu's temperament, he would loathe appearing like a tyrant who even his own heir feared.
She had miscalculated.
Was the Emperor's distrust of the Crown Prince—and of her own family—truly this deep?
Her hands, clenched tightly, had her nails digging painfully into her palms.
Yet no matter what turmoil brewed beneath the surface, she still had to maintain appearances.
Forcing a smile, she offered a placating tone.
"Please do not be angry, Your Majesty. You know how respectful Cheng'er usually is toward you. Today is the Longevity Festival, and he must have been so overjoyed that he drank a bit too much. He meant no offense…"
Emperor Xuanwu cast a glance at her, his gaze cool and unreadable.
The truth was plain to both of them.
He had merely chosen to leave her a final shred of dignity. If she continued to play games with words, he might just tear even that veil aside.
Their eyes met. The Empress's forced smile faltered.
She was the first to avert her gaze, the storm of humiliation and fury simmering beneath her calm exterior.
After a moment, she made a subtle hand gesture toward a palace maid hidden in the corner of the hall.
The girl, understanding the signal, quickly picked up a wine jug and began walking toward the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang.
Moments later, after another piece of court music concluded, the Eldest Prince—who had kept a low profile throughout the celebration—stood from his seat, raising his cup.
"Esteemed Emperor of Tian Sheng, I offer a toast on behalf of Bei Xiang. May Your Majesty's body remain ever healthy, and your blessings last for generations."
"You honor Us."
Though still troubled by the earlier incident with the Crown Prince, Emperor Xuanwu could not slight a foreign dignitary.
Lifting his own wine cup, he clinked it across the distance and lightly sipped the wine. He was just about to set it down when—
The Eldest Prince downed his drink in one gulp, then suddenly tossed his cup aside. His face flushed bright red.
"Your Majesty! You are so beautiful! Never in my life have I seen a man as handsome as you!"
Pfft!
Yun Chu Huan, seated beside Yun Shu, failed to hold back his tea, spitting it out in a fine spray.
But no one paid him any mind.
All eyes turned, stunned, to the Eldest Prince. Emperor Xuanwu's expression darkened instantly.
"Eldest Prince, please mind yourself."
"Mind myself?"
The Eldest Prince let out a dazed, almost dreamy laugh. He stumbled around the banquet table, clearly intending to make his way toward Emperor Xuanwu.
But just as he took a step, the heir of Prince Lian lunged forward and wrapped himself around the Eldest Prince's leg.
"Eldest Prince, please, regain your senses! That is the Emperor of Tian Sheng!"
"Get off me!"
Faced with such an obstacle between him and the most handsome man in the world, the Eldest Prince was enraged. He raised his fists and began to pummel the other man.
"A filthy toad dares to cling to me? I'll turn you into frog paste!"
"Frog what…?"
Prince Lian's heir took blow after blow, unable to retaliate, barely managing to cry out:
"I'm Hu Yan Yi, Your Highness!"
"Hu Yan Yi?"
The Eldest Prince blinked in confusion. Why did frogs have names now?
But a moment later, realization struck.
"So what if you've gained sentience? I'll still beat you into a puddle!"
"I'm not a frog!!"
Hu Yan Yi was on the verge of tears.
"Please… stop hitting me!!"
The palace dissolved into chaos.
Yun Chu Huan, after recovering from the initial shock, leaned in close to Yun Shu and whispered, "Fifth Sister, is this what you meant by one of those possible 'side effects' of that mushrooms?"
"Mmm."
Yun Shu replied softly while still watching the spectacle with great interest.
"If poisoned, hallucinations are possible. Right now, he probably sees Hu Yan Yi as a giant frog."
"This poison is terrifying."
Yun Chu Huan shivered.
Had it not been for Fifth Sister's extensive reading and her chance discovery of that mushroom in a book, he might have become the next madman throwing punches in the hall.
He sneaked a glance at the Eldest Prince of Bei Xiang, who was still restrained by the palace guards as he screamed about never surrendering to an ugly toad, proclaiming that he would only give himself to a peerless beauty.
Then he looked at Emperor Xuanwu—whose face had gone so dark it was nearly pitch black.
Yun Chu Huan swallowed hard, then nudged Yun Shu with his shoulder.
"So… his hallucination made him see Father Emperor as a peerless beauty?"
"…Possibly."
But it didn't feel like that was the entire story.
After all, when the Eldest Prince toasted Emperor Xuanwu earlier, he had seemed completely normal.
But the moment he finished the wine, that unnatural flush crept across his face.
Without a doubt, that cup of wine had something in it.
Regrettably, she had been distracted earlier and hadn't paid attention to who brought him the wine.
As if in response to her unspoken regret, the heir of Prince Lian—now thoroughly disheveled, hair a complete mess from the earlier scuffle—suddenly knelt before the Emperor.
"Your Majesty! The Eldest Prince did not mean to act so rudely in Your presence. He was drugged!
It was your Empress who gave him the wine!"
"You dare slander this palace!"
Caught off guard by this unexpected accusation, the Empress panicked. Her voice trembled as she protested:
"Your Majesty, I do not know why the heir of Prince Lian would suddenly accuse me so, but I truly have no reason to do such a thing!"