TPSC 09

Chapter 9

“May Second Miss grow ever more beautiful.”

“And may Second Miss marry a worthy husband.”

As soon as General Mu Feng finished speaking, many guests immediately stepped forward with compliments and blessings.

As for gifts, no respectable noble family would present them directly in front of everyone. All gifts had already been handed over to the gatekeepers at the entrance and collected together.

Once the formal congratulations were over, the banquet began.

The so-called banquet consisted of each guest having a small table before them. A full spread was served, with roughly ten dishes placed in front of each person.

The number ten symbolized perfection and completeness.

Standing behind Chu Moli, Shen Yin stared at the delicious dishes covering the table and nearly drooled. Unfortunately, he could not show it.

For someone who had gone a day and a half without eating, seeing such a feast while being unable to touch it was pure torture.

Fortunately, Shen Yin was a shadow guard. He had long trained himself to ignore such temptations.

Chu Moli was hungry as well.

He had slept from morning until only half an hour ago. Even after waking, he had not eaten and had come directly to the banquet.

As the unloved Crown Prince, one of his favorite things was doing exactly the sort of things an unloved Crown Prince would do. Whatever was considered improper for him, he would do it. The more others disliked it, the more determined he became.

At that moment, Chu Moli picked up his chopsticks and bowl, lowered his head, and ate with great enjoyment.

However, based on Shen Yin’s experience, an occasion so suitable for court intrigue could never remain peaceful for long.

Sure enough, just as Chu Moli reached for the same dish for the third time, a cold laugh sounded nearby.

“Crown Prince Brother, are these worldly delicacies really that tasty?”

“Look at you, eating as if you’ve been starving for ten years.”

“If Crown Prince Brother has been living so poorly, you should have told your younger brother sooner.”

“After all, we’re family. I would certainly have made sure you got a decent meal.”

“If you’d spoken up earlier, I wouldn’t have wasted all that food on livestock. I would have saved some for you.”

The insult was obvious.

Even Shen Yin felt the urge to smack the Third Prince on the head.

Chu Yan stared fixedly at Chu Moli, the malice in his eyes practically overflowing.

His voice was loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear clearly.

Yet not a single person stepped forward to stop him.

Firstly, the speaker was the Third Prince—someone no one dared offend.

Secondly, the target was the Crown Prince, a Crown Prince whom the Emperor disliked and who was rumored to be on the verge of being deposed.

Therefore, nobody dared speak up.

Quite a few people even cast disdainful glances toward the Crown Prince.

Yet despite those looks, none dared openly support the Third Prince either.

Everyone present was shrewd.

Until the Crown Prince was officially stripped of his title, no one would risk offending him for the sake of another prince.

They were all waiting and watching.

Whoever eventually seized the throne would earn their loyalty and respect.

After delivering his speech, Chu Yan glanced around the room.

Seeing the contemptuous expressions on everyone’s faces, he finally felt somewhat satisfied.

Then he looked back at the other person involved.

After hearing all those insults, Chu Moli had done absolutely nothing.

He had not even blinked.

In fact, he had not stopped eating.

To be fair, Chu Yan’s description was inaccurate.

Although Chu Moli never paused his meal, his movements remained elegant and refined. Words like “ravenous” or “wolfing down food” simply did not apply to him.

Watching him eat only made Shen Yin feel even hungrier.

Seeing that he had failed to provoke any reaction—or even attract Chu Moli’s attention—Chu Yan began to lose face.

Just as he was about to continue speaking—

Chu Moli suddenly stood up.

He took something from his waist and walked toward Mu Qingqing, the General’s second daughter, who was dressed in a pink gown.

His dark eyes deepened.

Extending his hand toward her, he opened his palm to reveal a jade pendant.

“Second Miss, this is for you. Keep it safe.”

Mu Qingqing hesitated and glanced at her father.

Only after seeing General Mu Feng give a slight nod did she reach out and accept it.

“This subject thanks Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Having done that, Chu Moli turned around, took Shen Yin with him, and left the General’s residence.

The moment he departed, an uproar erupted behind them.

With his sharp hearing, Shen Yin caught snippets of General Mu Feng explaining the significance of the jade pendant.

He wanted to circulate his inner energy and listen more carefully, but the person ahead of him was walking too quickly.

With no choice, Shen Yin hurried after the Crown Prince.

As soon as they exited the residence, Shen Yin saw the noble and distinguished Crown Prince standing beside the carriage waiting for him.

His expression was cold.

He even seemed a little unhappy.

Shen Yin secretly guessed that Chu Yan’s insults had angered him.

Acting as a competent shadow guard who knew there was no avoiding the situation, Shen Yin quickly stepped forward.

“Your Highness, shall we return to the residence immediately?”

Chu Moli glanced at him and gave a detached nod.

“Yes. Return at once.”

With that, he stepped into the carriage.

Receiving the order, Shen Yin climbed onto the driver’s seat. After making sure Chu Moli was seated properly, he snapped the reins.

“Hyah!”

The wind howled past Shen Yin’s ears.

The horse-drawn carriage instantly surged forward several miles.

Fortunately, traffic around the General’s residence was sparse. Otherwise, people might have been injured.

Shen Yin frowned deeply and pulled hard on the reins.

Yet the horse showed no sign of slowing.

“Your Highness, something is wrong with this horse!”

Inside the carriage, Chu Moli gripped the wall tightly. His expression turned grim as well.

“Kill it.”

Shen Yin nodded immediately.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

With one hand pulling desperately on the reins, Shen Yin drew the Guiyin Blade from his waist with the other.

Moving with astonishing speed, he thrust the blade straight into the horse’s body.