there are any official matters for just me and Minister Liu"Li Congyun repeatedly said that he dared not, and only felt a slight bitterness in his mouth. The atmosphere at this moment was so awkward t...430. Banquet at Prince Ding's Manor (Part 2)

After a performance of music and dance, the envoys from various countries began to present their gifts one by one. The tributes sent by Prince Ding’s subordinates were naturally traditional treasures symbolizing peace and joy, with some interesting items among them. However, the gifts presented by the envoys from different countries varied greatly, not only showcasing their own country's wealth but also subtly implying a rivalry between nations.

The Northern Rong had just engaged in an intense battle with Prince Ding’s forces, suffering heavy casualties on both sides. Yet, they were the most eager to mend relations with Prince Ding's manor, so they were the first to present their gifts, which were no ordinary items. As soon as the Northern Rong envoy unveiled two boxes, everyone at the scene was taken aback. In one cage sat a snow-white fox with piercing blue eyes and an adorable appearance, while in another box lay a large green lotus flower. Though it had been plucked from its stem, placed inside a jade container carved with intricate designs, it remained fully blooming as if freshly picked from the pond. Next to it was a green lotus pod.

Others might have been fine, but Doctor Shen Yang and Dr. Lin sitting below lit up at the sight of what was in those jade boxes.

Hearing Ye Li hong chuckle and say, "This is our Northern Rong's most precious treasure, a blue-eyed snow fox and a Flame Lotus, presented to wish Young Master Xiao Shi and Princess Xiao Sheng a happy birthday." Everyone was amazed. The Flame Lotus had quite a connection with Prince Ding’s Manor. In fact, once upon a time, Mo Xiuyao's life depended on this very flower. But after Ye Li found an alternative in the Bie Luo Flower, the difficult-to-obtain Flame Lotus was no longer mentioned. However, the effects of the Flame Lotus extended far beyond being merely an antidote for cold poison. In the hands of someone like Shen Yang, its efficacy would not be much inferior to that of the Bie Luo Flower.

The blue-eyed snow fox was even more renowned as a national treasure in Northern Rong, rarely seen even within their own country, said to inhabit the snowy peaks in the far west. Even just one glimpse at it is considered a stroke of luck for three lifetimes. Moreover, its pelt was priceless and could not be purchased with money; there would be no market price for such an item. The blue-eyed snow fox was not only intelligent and cute but also valuable from head to toe, including its skin, bones, and even blood.

People in the Central Plains were fine, but many envoys from Western Regions eyed the little white fox in the cage with envy.

Ye Li smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Thank you for Prince Ye's effort. Princess Xing'er will definitely love what Your Highness has given." Although Xing'er was still young and it wasn't advisable to keep a pet around her, this blue-eyed snow fox was also quite young. In a few years when Xing'er grew up, they could become companions.

Ye Li hong smiled, saying, "How could there be such talk This humble Wang represents my father the king in congratulating Prince Ding and his consort on their joyous occasion and hopes for lasting peace between our two countries." Mo Xiuyao responded calmly with a smile, "This prince, I’ll raise a glass to you."

Ye Li hong nodded, raised his cup, and said with a smile, "Actually, it should be this humble Wang raising a toast to the Prince. Please.

The attendees were aware that the Ding王府 (Ding Prince’s Manor) and Beirong had already signed a peace agreement, so Yelü Hong's declaration was merely for the envoys present to see. It signified that the dispute between the Ding Prince's Manor would now come to an end. After all, Beirong's national strength had been weakened by the Ding Prince’s Manor, and there were still many small nations coveting its territory from the west. In this world, no one could hope for a carefree life without effort.

Following that, Lei Tengfeng and Mo Jingyu also stepped forward to present their gifts. These rare treasures were equally impressive. Although Princess Anxi and Pu Ah (a name) had yet to find any trace of the little prince's whereabouts, they still appropriately presented their gifts. However, given Princess Anxi’s close relationship with the Ding Prince’s Manor and the Xu family, their gifts naturally didn’t carry the same level of calculation and scheming as others did; just a few precious specialties from Nanzhao.

Later on, the gifts presented by envoys from various Western Regions became even more bizarre. There were many things that Central Plain people had never seen before, which left many people amazed. Although Prince Ding still showed no intention of ascending to the throne, there was already a grand atmosphere of congratulations from all over.

Amidst this scene of prosperity and joy, someone among the guests suddenly clutched their abdomen in agony and moaned loudly. Soon, as if an epidemic had spread, nearly half of the people on the dais collapsed one after another. After a while, even the remaining half fell to the ground, all lifeless like bones had been drained from them, unable to move at all. Among those present, only Mo Xiuyao with his profound cultivation remained seated steadily, but he didn't look too good either.

"Prince Ding, what's going on!" The envoys from the Western Regions clearly did not expect such an incident and looked cautiously at Mo Xiuyao sitting on the dais, suspecting some trickery by the Central Plain people. However, seeing that the Xu family’s and Ding Prince’s Manor's trusted aides also collapsed, they became even more puzzled.

Sitting in a large chair, Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li beside him while calmly saying, "This Prince is as clueless as you are. Mo Jingli, why don’t you come out"

"Hahaha! Mo Xiuyao, it turns out that you still fell into my hands!" A man in a bright yellow dragon robe burst into the hall with a smug look at the scattered guests on the dais. Mo Jingli waved his hand and many men in black night clothes carrying swords rushed in, surrounding the entire hall.

With a smug smile, Mo Jingli walked to the center of the dais, looking up at Mo Xiuyao with the bright imperial dragon robe shining under candlelight. Aside from an overly pale complexion, Mo Jingli indeed exuded the aura of a monarch. "Mo Xiuyao, you didn’t expect this, did you It's like the mantis catching the cicada only to be caught by the oriole... In the end, it’s still me who wins."

With an indifferent expression, Mo Xiuyao looked at his triumphant face and said coolly, "This Prince doesn’t see what you have to be smug about."

Mojingli sneered. "Mo Xiuyao, don't pretend to scare me with your posturing. Can you still move now My Chouxiang Drunkenness affects people more severely the higher their cultivation level is. If you could still move, would you be sitting there talking to me"

Moxiu Yao smiled and said, "If that's the case, why don't you come up here and try"

Mojing Li narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he stared at Moxiu Yao for a long time before finally laughing and saying, "What you said is correct, I dare not to climb up. Therefore, there’s no need for you to provoke me. Even without climbing up here, I can still kill you!" Moxiu Yao nodded and replied, "So this so-called Chu Emperor is someone who's afraid of even a person who has lost all his internal strength No wonder the Grand Empress Dowager and ministers of Chu wanted to depose you. If it was me, I would have deposed you eight hundred years ago. Compared to Mo Jingqi, you still fall short."

Mojing Li's eyes flashed with a hint of anger. If he had to say what he hated the most in his life, apart from Moxiu Yao, it was being compared unfavorably to Mo Jingqi. He could admit that he was inferior to Moxiu Yao, but never believed himself to be less than Mo Jingqi. "What It's a pity he died. But soon you'll die too. Victory belongs to the strong; this is an indisputable truth in the world. A hundred years later, people will not think that you are superior to him or Moxiu Yao. They’ll only know that I defeated Mo Jingqi and also Moxiu Yao. Therefore, I am truly the number one person in the world!"

As he spoke with satisfaction, Mojing Li couldn’t forget looking at Ye Li beside Moxiu Yao and asked, "Ye Li, isn't it"

Ye Li calmly looked back at him and said indifferently, "If you think so, then believe that." Although the words were plain, they caused a series of changes in the expression on Mojing Li's face. The tone and content of Ye Li’s remarks seemed as if she was talking to a madman saying everything he says is right.

"Ye Li, come down here. I can spare your life. Don't be fancy; even though you don't have much internal strength, it's not impossible for you to move," said Mojing Li sternly as he stared at Ye Li.

Moxiu Yao held Ye Li’s waist while a cold light flashed in his eyes as he looked at Mojing Li. "You don’t need to worry about A’li's life; why don't you take care of yourself Or… did my lesson not teach you enough"

Mojing Li was stunned for a moment, then seemed to recall something and his expression twisted strangely before he finally burst out laughing. He pointed at Moxiu Yao and said fiercely, "Moxiu Yao, indeed you are as arrogant as ever. At this point in time, even your own life is not guaranteed. Can you save Ye Li Today, I must make sure that you die a humiliating death! Ye Li, come over… I’ll let bygones be bygones."

Ye Li raised her eyes and looked at him indifferently and said, "This concubine does not know what there is to forgive"

A hint of hostility flashed in Mojing Li's eyes. "Do you think Moxiu Yao can still protect you now"

Ye Leye smiled faintly and leaned against Mo Xiuyao's shoulder, ignoring Mo Jingli.

Mo Xiuyao supported Ye Leye’s waist with one hand while playing with the wine cup in his other hand. He looked at Mo Jingli and said, "I am rather curious how you poisoned us. It wouldn’t be easy to poison people inside the Ding王府 (Ding Prince's Manor). Otherwise, the people there would have been killed by poisoning hundreds of times already." "In the wine No... Those who didn't drink it were also poisoned. It was in the candle."

Mos Jingli’s eyes flickered as he said with a smile, "The Ding Prince indeed has quick thinking. However, it is a pity that despite my hard work to find this scentless and tasteless Chuxiang wine, you only figured out its existence now. Isn't it too late"

Mo Xiuyao shook his head and said, "Even so, you wouldn’t have succeeded with just your people. Who else… come forward. Let me see who dares to secretly sabotage me."

The great hall was silent; no one stood up. This situation made Mo Jingli feel humiliated. These people had helped him in secret before, but now that they saw Mo Xiuyao already poisoned, none of them dared to stand forward openly to support Mo Jingli. Mo Jingli didn't know that in these people's eyes, unless they personally witnessed the Ding Prince being killed, no one would dare to betray the Ding Prince’s manor publicly.

"Mo Xiuyao is already poisoned; what are you still afraid of" Mo Jingli said coldly as he glared threateningly at everyone. Soon, someone stood up. Then another… in a short while, over ten people had risen to their feet. Among them were the heads of powerful families who were not highly regarded and officials in office, along with former Grand Chu generals who had surrendered to the Mo army. Clearly, these people had been pretending to be poisoned.

Mo Xiuyao’s gaze swept coldly over everyone before landing on Mo Jingyu who was still lying down beside him. He said calmly, "Prince Yu, why don’t you get up" Mo Jingyu hesitated for a moment but finally got up with a sigh.

Mos Jingli looked at him triumphantly and said with a smile, "Mo Xiuyao, did you see that You thought everyone would be loyal to you and fear you. But now there are so many who have betrayed you."

Mo Xiuyao’s expression remained calm as he replied, "Betrayal I never intended to use them in the first place, how can it be considered betrayal A bunch of useless people; take them if you like. Otherwise, you may ask them if they know any secrets about the Ding Prince's Manor or the Mo army. Or... even if I were to die now, do they have a way to get you out alive from Li City" Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, those who had stood up turned even more embarrassed.

Mos Jingli’s face changed as he sneered, "I dared enter the Ding Prince's Manor and never planned on leaving it alive. But being able to take you, Mo Xiuyao, and all these people with me, would my death then be worth it"

"Congratulations to you then." Mo Xiuyao said insincerely.

Moi Jingli stared irritably at Mo Xiuyao who was sitting above him, a sense of helplessness overwhelming him. This had been the case since he was young; it seemed that he could never hold the upper hand against Mo Xiuyao no matter what. Regardless of how dire Mo Xiuyao's situation might be, it was always as if he was the one who lost. If only he were as powerful as Ling Tielan or Mu Qingcang, he would have charged forward and stabbed Mo Xiuyao then and there. But even in this situation, he still dared not approach Mo Xiuyao. He feared him—Moi Jingli had to admit it inwardly—and this was something that he had always been ashamed to acknowledge.

"Kill him for me!" Looking at Mo Xiuyao's calm demeanor, Moi Jingli grew increasingly irked and suddenly lost patience, saying, "Kill him!"

A black-clad man stepped forward warily toward the dais. Seeing that Mo Xiuyao did not react, he felt more confident about his belief that Mo Xiuyao had been poisoned and mustered up the courage to take a few steps closer. The man's eyes twitched in excitement; no one could remain calm when they were about to kill the Ding Wang with their own hands. Finally, he drew his sword and slashed at Mo Xiuyao. No one saw Mo Xiuyao move, but they heard the black-clad man cry out as he was thrown off the dais and fell onto the ground, spitting blood uncontrollably. Clearly, he had been knocked down by someone with extremely high inner strength.

The people present all sighed in relief when they saw that Mo Xiuyao was unharmed; whether it was a cause for joy or regret, no one could tell.

Moi Jingli’s face darkened even more. "You weren’t poisoned"

Moxiuyao ignored Mo Jingli's questioning and said calmly: "You can't kill me. What do you intend to do now" Mo Jingli looked extremely displeased; after a long while, he sneered coldly, "So what if I can't I don’t believe that everyone here is as unharmed as you! Kill them all!"

The black-clad men who had come with Moi Jingli were all desperadoes who knew they would die. Upon hearing his order, they ignored the guests present and drew their swords.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" Countless feathered arrows pierced through the air as people started to stand up. Those skilled in martial arts retaliated, while others scattered out of the way. In no time at all, Moi Jingli's black-clad men fell to the ground unable to move. They were not restrained by the guests present but collapsed just like those earlier.

"What… what’s going on" Moi Jingli was furious. Although he hadn't been poisoned himself, none of his people, including Moi Jingyu, had escaped unscathed.

"How dare you even show off such petty skills as 'Sinking Agarwood Intoxication'!" Shen Yang's voice came softly from a corner of the hall. "Indeed, Sinking Agarwood Intoxication is an excellent drug, odorless and tasteless, that can be dissolved in water or burned. Unfortunately, its antidote is easily found. Moreover... the most common remedy for it is Ice Camellia. However… if one has taken a preventive antidote made from agarwood fruit before inhaling the scent of the ice camellia, it will turn into another kind of poison."

The crowd only noticed then that all the flowers decorating the hall tonight were orchids, with more than half being Ice Camellias. But the Ice Camellia is a small-flowered orchid and easily overlooked among many rare orchids.

Mo Jingli's face turned black as he gritted his teeth and said, "Shen Yang! As expected, it was you who ruined my plans!"

Shen Yang chuckled and said with a smile, "King Li overestimates me. It was just a coincidence."

A coincidence indeed! How could such a thing be purely coincidental Mo Xiuyao had clearly known about his plan beforehand, even the specific poison he intended to use.

"Prince Ding is truly adept; to catch this Emperor, you were willing to risk so many guests' lives," Mo Jingli said through gritted teeth. If he had just come in and indiscriminately attacked everyone, even with Mo Xiuyao having people secretly protecting him, it would be impossible for every single person to be kept safe. As expected, upon hearing this, the faces of some guests turned grim. They couldn't stop Prince Ding from capturing Mo Jingli, but using their lives as bait was too cruel.

"Prince Ding, what do you mean by that" The Western Region envoy, who knew least about Mo Xiuyao, questioned him first.

Mo Xiuyao smiled calmly and said, "I apologize for alarming everyone. It's just... the music and dance are boring, so let's watch a good show instead. I assure you that no one will be harmed."

"On what basis can Prince Ding make such an assurance!" someone sharply asked.

"Just because presently no one has been injured. Southern Pacification King, Yelü Crown Prince, Queen of Nanzhao, Princess Helan, what do you think" Mo Xiuyao smiled and asked. Lei Tengfeng sighed and said, "I accept defeat if I lose the bet; Prince Ding's strategy is indeed impressive."s.Seeing Prince Consort Ding's entourage coming for worship, the soldiers guarding here naturally did not dare to stop them but respectfully let them in.The two men left their guards outside and broug...