At this moment, Ming Jiuxiao poured himself a cup of wine and stood up, walking towards the King and Queen.
"Girl, long time no see, let's have a toast!" Ming Jiuxiao said with a grin, deliberately not greeting Jun Mohan.
Hearing this, Jun Mohan scrutinized Ming Jiuxiao with unusually cold eyes. The man was dressed in fiery red robes, tall and slender, with black hair half-tied atop his head with a jade crown and the other half cascading over his shoulders. A large peony was also tucked into his hair, a stark contrast to his exquisitely carved, flawless face. However, Jun Mohan had to admit that Ming Jiuxiao was indeed a handsome man.
His Li'er loved handsome men the most. It seemed he needed to strictly guard against this man from abducting his wife.
"That Ming Jiuxiao..."
As soon as Leng Ruoli uttered Ming Jiuxiao's name, Jun Mohan interrupted her.
"My apologies, Lord of the Residual Moon Tower. My wife is not skilled at drinking. I shall drink this cup of wine on her behalf."
With that, Jun Mohan quickly filled a cup, held it in his hand, squeezed himself between Leng Ruoli and Ming Jiuxiao, immediately extended his hand to clink glasses with Ming Jiuxiao, and then drank it down in one gulp.
Jun Mohan's actions were executed in one fluid motion.
Leng Ruoli: "..."
Ming Jiuxiao: "..."
This guy was jealous again!
"Jun Mohan, what are you in such a hurry for? I didn't say I wanted to drink with him," Leng Ruoli said, giving Jun Mohan a glare.
Jun Mohan: "..."
Ming Jiuxiao: "..."
Ming Jiuxiao had to admit that this couple was a perfect match!
"Alas, I just wanted to have a drink with Ri'er, and someone is being so bothersome! I won't drink then!"
Ming Jiuxiao frowned, sighed, and said. His slightly long eyelashes hid a trace of sadness in his eyes. He immediately turned around and returned to his seat.
Meanwhile, Qin Xixue, who had fallen to the ground earlier, was helped back to her seat by Madam Qin.
Everyone in the hall noticed the actions of the King and Queen and Ming Jiuxiao. However, because the three of them spoke in very low voices, no one could clearly hear what they were saying, only whispering guesses.
"Sister Meiqian, I always feel that this Ming Jiuxiao looks very much like the man in red who abducted the King's consort on the night of their wedding."
Shen Yuejia, with her sharp eyes, noticed this and quickly lowered her voice to gossip with Ye Meiqian.
"Heh! Not just similar, but this Ming Jiuxiao is indeed the man in red who abducted the King's consort that night."
Ye Meiqian said with a cold smile.
"Heavens! Are we considered to have discovered a big secret? Then we should tell Qin Xixue." Shen Yuejia said with an exaggerated smile.
"Don't say anything yet. Let's wait and see. This matter concerns the dignity of the Tianwu royal family. We must not be careless and bring trouble upon ourselves," Ye Meiqian quietly reminded Shen Yuejia.
"Sister Meiqian, don't worry, I'm not as foolish as you think," Shen Yuejia pouted and said helplessly.
At the same time, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had naturally noticed the actions of the King and Queen and Ming Jiuxiao. However, it was not convenient for the Emperor and Empress Dowager to pry into their affairs in front of so many people in the hall.
To stop the people below from gossiping about the King and Queen and Ming Jiuxiao, the Emperor and Empress Dowager exchanged a glance, then turned to look at the people below.
"Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday. Everyone try not to discuss unpleasant matters."
The Emperor said to everyone with a stern expression.
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, the entire Grand Chaoyang Hall fell silent.
"Since everyone has eaten quite a bit, I shall have Eunuch Li instruct the palace staff to serve the Longevity Soup!"
At that moment, the Emperor's majestic and authoritative voice reached everyone in the hall.
After about fifteen minutes, Eunuch Li led two rows of palace maids and eunuchs carrying two bowls of soup into the hall one after another. The palace staff served soup to the tables of the Emperor, Empress Dowager, all the princes, and consorts, and then placed two bowls of soup on the tables of all the ministers and their families.
"Everyone, tonight's Longevity Soup is something I specially asked the imperial kitchen to prepare for the Empress Dowager. But the Empress Dowager is always benevolent and insisted that I increase the portion so that everyone present can have a bowl of delicious Longevity Soup. Therefore, everyone present tonight will have some." The Emperor said with a full face of smiles.
Upon hearing this, everyone quickly stood up to thank the Emperor.
"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your grace. May you have good fortune and peace!"
"Everyone rise!" The Empress Dowager waved her sleeves, urging everyone to sit down quickly.
"Mother, tonight's Longevity Soup is something I asked the imperial chef to make especially for you. Please try it first." The Emperor said respectfully to the Empress Dowager.
"Alright, then I shall try it first."
After the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the palace嬷嬷 beside her, with great foresight, helped the Empress Dowager lift the small lid of the soup bowl to let it cool.
At this moment, Leng Ruoli, sitting with Jun Mohan, suddenly lowered her voice curiously and asked, "Jun Mohan, isn't this just a bowl of ordinary soup? Why do Father and Imperial Grandmother look so surprised by it?"
Hearing this, Jun Mohan glanced at Leng Ruoli, a slight smile curving his lips, and said, "This Longevity Soup is no ordinary soup. It is made by simmering eighteen extremely rare and precious ingredients that can prolong life."
"What are these eighteen rare ingredients that can prolong life?"
Leng Ruoli murmured curiously.
"However, these so-called precious medicinal ingredients are not precious to Ri'er, because your space has all these medicinal ingredients growing on its grassland. It's just that when the imperial chef made this Longevity Soup, they added a precious ingredient called Hai Lian Zi."
"This Hai Lian Zi is not easy to find. It grows in the deep sea. Your Father sent people out to sea to find it months ago for the Empress Dowager's birthday to make this Longevity Soup. They searched until last month before finding a small Hai Lian Zi. Therefore, this Longevity Soup is truly precious."
Jun Mohan explained patiently to Leng Ruoli.
"Wow, so that's how it is! Then I must try it properly."
With that, she impatiently lifted the lid of the soup bowl, and a strong medicinal aroma immediately wafted towards her nostrils.
Leng Ruoli frowned upon smelling this aroma.
Immediately, the alarm in her space sounded.
"This soup is poisoned! This soup is poisoned!"
Hearing this, Leng Ruoli quickly looked at the Empress Dowager seated at the head. She happened to see the Empress Dowager scooping a small spoonful of soup towards her mouth. Leng Ruoli's face turned pale with fright, and she raised her hand and flicked a bean from her sleeve towards the Empress Dowager, hitting her arm.
The Empress Dowager's arm felt a sharp pain, and the small porcelain spoon clattered to the ground.
"Ouch—"
"It hurts so much!"
Immediately after, Leng Ruoli exclaimed, "Everyone, do not drink the Longevity Soup! The Longevity Soup is poisoned!"