Ye Qingtang had heard of the Eldest Prince of the Eternal Dynasty in her previous life and knew that he was a cruel and savage master.
Ming Gu saw that Ye Qingtang did not intend him to take it, so he said to the Eldest Prince, “No need.”
With that, Ming Gu even batted his eyes at Ye Qingtang, as if begging for approval.
The Eldest Prince did not mind. He just smiled and said, “Perhaps the Holy Son Ming Gu does not like the present I prepared. However, there is still one more thing…”
The Eldest Prince paused and said, “My Royal Father has learned that envoys from the Temple of Shadows have arrived. He is holding a banquet in the palace. I hope you will attend.”
Ye Qingtang nodded slightly.
The Eldest Prince did not say anything else and led the rest away.
Shortly after leaving the room, the smile on the Eldest Prince’s face slowly faded.
Not far away, the Eldest Princess who had been waiting for a long time saw the Eldest Prince and walked over.
“Eldest Royal Brother, how were the presents received?”
The Eldest Prince shook his head calmly.
“Tonight, our Royal Father is holding a banquet to host the guests from the Temple of Shadows. I assume that Ling Yan and Ling Yue will attend. You should make your preparations then.”
The Eldest Prince looked meaningfully at the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess immediately understood.
“I understand.”
The two of them conversed for a while and then left.
When the sun set, the carriages prepared by the Eldest Prince brought the group from the Temple of Shadows to the palace.
Under the moonlight, the royal palace of the Eternal Dynasty was ablaze with light. The white cloth that hung there during the day had been quietly removed.
The huge palace was completely silent. There was only the occasional footstep from a patrolling guardsman or the sound of an insect.
The aged Eternal Emperor was already seated in the main hall, at the place of honor. His craggy face showed faint signs of weariness.
“Royal Father, don’t grieve too much. Just take care of yourself. If Fourth Royal Brother knew, he would feel guilty and uneasy.” The Eldest Princess who had arrived earlier looked worriedly at the weary Eternal Emperor and spoke with concern.
The Eternal Emperor sighed softly, and a faint frown appeared.
“Miao’er died suddenly, and Concubine Jade is lying heartbroken on her sickbed…”
The Miao’er that the Eternal Emperor was referring to was the Fourth Prince, Ling Miao, who had died. Concubine Jade was his birth mother and also the emperor’s favorite concubine.
“Your Majesty, although you are grieved, you must have a thought for your own health.” A minister at the banquet rose to console him.
Today, the Eternal Emperor was holding a banquet to entertain the guests from the Temple of Shadows. Besides the princes and princesses, some of the senior ministers of the dynasty had also been invited to the banquet.
The Eternal Emperor had been unwell in recent times. Everyone had already been feeling depressed, but then the recently crowned Crown Prince had died suddenly, making things worse.
The Second Princess, Ling Yue, was seated at the banquet. Her lips involuntarily curved into a cold smile when she saw the Eldest Princess’s concern for the Emperor. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Ling Yan, who was sitting by himself.
She realized that Ling Yan was just sitting there with a faint smile. He occasionally took a sip from his cup but had no intention of speaking.
“Third Royal Brother is in a good mood,” said Ling Yue.
Ling Yan smiled and lifted his eyes to look at Ling Yue.
“Grief will not undo enmity. Our Fourth Royal Brother would not wish his affairs to worry others. Am I right?”
Ling Yue laughed coldly. “Third Royal Brother is truly brilliant. But today’s banquet is not to mourn our Fourth Royal Brother. Ambassadors from the Temple of Shadows arrived today. Third Royal Brother, with your intelligence, can’t you see the motive behind this?”