After Xue Ye entered the venue...
...he began a long, drawn-out speech.
In particular, he emphasized the introduction of Jin E, who was using the alias Titus.
His words clearly implied that this banquet was held specifically for him.
After quite a while...
...Xue Ye's rambling finally came to an end.
The guests then began to mingle freely.
A group of people, holding wine glasses, eagerly approached Jin E.
They wanted to offer a toast and, in passing, build some connections.
If they could establish a relationship with this Titled Douluo...
...they would be able to walk with their heads held high in Heaven Dou City from then on.
Jin E had no desire to pay any attention to these people.
Without so much as a glance, he vanished from the spot in a flash.
As for Golden Crown, he followed behind Xue Qinghe.
He was sampling the palace delicacies...
...while also helping to deflect toasts.
At that moment...
...two figures quickly approached from the crowd.
"Greetings, Crown Prince."
"Salutations to the Crown Prince!"
The two of them bowed to Xue Qinghe in unison.
Xue Qinghe turned his head, and after seeing who it was...
...he quickly greeted them, "Oh, it's Second Brother and Third Brother. We are brothers; there's no need for such formality."
"Big Brother is now the noble Crown Prince. As subjects, we must naturally follow protocol. Otherwise, if Big Brother were to accuse us of disrespect before Imperial Father, we wouldn't be able to bear the consequences."
"Second Brother is right."
The newcomers were none other than the Second Prince and Third Prince of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
As for their names... that wasn't important.
What mattered was that although they appeared respectful to Xue Qinghe on the surface...
...in reality, they had long coveted the position of Crown Prince.
In private...
...the two had formed a partnership to join forces against Xue Qinghe.
They were determined to drag him down from the position of Crown Prince.
Furthermore, many officials in the imperial court supported them.
Of course, Xue Ye was aware of all this.
After all, the current situation in the court was entirely of his own making.
To prevent Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's influence from becoming too great...
...the Old Emperor privately allowed the Second Prince and Third Prince to collude with court officials.
This created two factions to counter the Crown Prince's party.
Only then could he sit comfortably on his throne.
Hearing their sarcasm, Xue Qinghe felt very resentful.
If not for his identity, he would have long since taken action to eliminate them.
But on the surface, he still had to wear a professional fake smile.
Acting magnanimous, he waved his hand and said, "You're mistaken; I am not that kind of person."
"Anyway, what brings my two younger brothers to see me?"
The Second Prince picked up two wine glasses.
Handing one of them to Xue Qinghe, he said, "Naturally, we've come to offer the Crown Prince a toast. We brothers haven't had a drink together in a long time."
"That's right, Big Brother. Second Brother and I toast to you," the Third Prince added.
The reason they were being so attentive with their toasts today...
...was that the Second Prince had drugged the glass he handed to Xue Qinghe.
It was a type of drug that could cause temporary insanity.
Once consumed, the person's mind would go blank, followed by a loss of reason, leading them to do all sorts of crazy things.
Xue Qinghe naturally couldn't refuse them and lose face.
He picked up the glass, preparing to drink.
Soon, he noticed that the taste of the wine was off.
In such a situation...
...Golden Crown's usefulness became apparent.
He handed an empty plate to Xue Qinghe and said, "Crown Prince, could I trouble you to help me get some more food?"
"Alright."
Seeing Golden Crown provide a timely rescue, Xue Qinghe set down the wine glass.
Holding the plate, he turned to pick up some food.
Seeing their plan disrupted, the Second Prince and Third Prince glared fiercely at Golden Crown.
"Impudent!"
"Which family do you belong to? How did you get into this banquet hall?"
"And you even dared to have the Crown Prince get food for you."
"Do you not know that this is a crime of great disrespect?"
Golden Crown didn't even look them in the eye, saying expressionlessly, "None of your business."
"How bold!"
"To actually dare to insult this Prince!"
"Guards, drag this man out and give him a hundred heavy strokes of the paddle!"
The Second Prince and Third Prince were furious.
Where did this wild kid come from, daring to provoke them, noble princes?
Did he think he could be so arrogant just because he was backed by the Crown Prince?
This was the perfect opportunity to strike at the Crown Prince's dignity.
Xue Qinghe quickly spoke up, "Brothers, calm down. This person's identity is not ordinary, you shouldn't..."
Before he could finish...
...the Second Prince raised his hand to interrupt, "Crown Prince, I am a prince after all. How can I tolerate a wild kid's random provocations?"
"Of course, if the Crown Prince insists on protecting this person today, disregarding our brotherhood..."
"...then I have nothing more to say."
"Me too."
Seeing the two of them working together, Xue Qinghe didn't expose them.
He only offered a slight warning.
"If you want to punish him, then punish him."
"However, I should remind you that this young brother is named Xing Daorong, and his grandfather is the Titus Battle Angel whom Imperial Father just introduced."
"Alright, I've said my piece. Do as you wish."
"..."
After hearing Xue Qinghe's words, the Second Prince and Third Prince...
...instantly froze in place.
What?
This kid who looked like a wild boy from the countryside was actually the grandson of that Titus Battle Angel.
They were finished.
They thought they had picked a soft persimmon to squeeze.
They hadn't expected to step on a landmine instead.
As for the name of the Titus Battle Angel, Jin E's alias, it was like thunder to their ears.
They had even conducted various investigations.
But because they had focused all their attention on Jin E...
...they had completely ignored Xing Daorong, Golden Crown's alias.
No wonder he dared to have the Crown Prince get food for him.
It turned out his background was so immense.
If this wasn't handled well, the Emperor might very well banish them to some remote and barren land to rule.
After all, the Imperial Family had put in a tremendous amount of effort to build a relationship with the Titus Battle Angel.
If that relationship went down the drain because of the two of them...
...then they were truly done for.
At that thought, the two of them quickly put on smiling faces.
"Pardon our disrespect, so you are the grandson of the Titus Battle Angel."
"The two of us have been wanting to visit for a long time."
"It seems Imperial Father is calling us. Crown Prince, Brother Xing, we'll take our leave now."
With that...
...the Second Prince and Third Prince hurried away.
"Are these Second and Third Princes some kind of jokers sent by monkeys?" Golden Crown sneered in evaluation.
Xue Qinghe's expression was cold. "These two are usually at odds with me. With the Old Emperor's overt and covert support, they've cultivated forces in the court to oppose me."
"It seems it's time to take action against them."
"And while I'm at it, I'll let the Old Emperor know that I, the Crown Prince, am not someone to be trifled with."
After three rounds of drinks...
...most of the people present were drunk.
Suddenly, a voice rose from the crowd.
"At such a grand banquet, why not have a match to liven things up?"
"It just so happens that the two Titled Douluo from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School are here. Why don't the two of you have a match with the Titus Battle Angel?"
"And let us catch a glimpse of your prowess?"
This proposal instantly drew the attention of everyone present...
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