Banquet Arrival, Princes Meet!

"He can only be from within the Great Xia Dynasty."

"I've received word from headquarters. In recent years, no geniuses from outside have entered this region."

"If we can't find any leads, then we'll have to consider if a force has already risen in secret, one that we are simply unaware of."

The Misty Rain Pavilion Master's voice rang out again.

Xu Nian's expression stiffened. "Yes, I will immediately order my men to investigate and ensure this matter is clarified!"

After Chu Yun left the secret room, he found Luo Feng and learned the results of the Sky Demoness's soul-searching of Chu Yuan.

For tomorrow's Eastern Palace banquet, Crown Prince Chu Rong merely intended to test the scope of Chu Yun's strength and talent.

As for the events of that year, Chu Yuan was less than ten years old and didn't have a clear understanding of the specifics.

He only knew that it was personally handled by his imperial mother.

And deep down, ever since he could remember, his Imperial Father had always neglected his imperial mother, favoring Consort Shi. This caused Chu Yuan to hate Consort Shi, and anyone associated with her, with a burning passion!

As for the rest, it was all rather uninteresting.

Either they were seeking pleasure in brothels or engaging in group activities with other influential figures. Truly vulgar... utterly vulgar!! (As the flowers of the motherland, you must never emulate this; take it as a warning. May you hold eternal enmity towards lies, gambling, and poison!)

Early in the morning, the Crown Prince entered the palace ahead of schedule.

He didn't return to the Eastern Palace until noon, but he had received permission from the Empress to go.

He directly instructed Wang Han Cuo to send this news back to the Divine Sect.

The Divine Sect had captured a few Nirvana Realm Evil Infants in the past. Coincidentally, one of them was at the peak of the Nirvana Realm, and it had been sealed within the Divine Sect.

As for Lan Ji herself, she personally delivered a message to the Sect Master of the Blood God Sect, requesting a Ten Thousand Year Blood Essence Stone from him.

The Blood God Sect was the least lacking in resources like Blood Essence Stones.

However, a Ten Thousand Year Blood Essence Stone was an extremely precious item, even for the Blood God Sect, so she had to appear in person.

A mobilization of resources was currently proceeding safely under the meticulous arrangements of the Empress's faction.

Yet, none of them could have imagined that all their painstaking efforts and the mobilization of treasures for Xiao Yan would ultimately yield nothing, and instead result in losing both the wife and the soldiers!

As time passed, the day of the Eastern Palace banquet quickly arrived.

That night, Chu Yun dressed and left his room. Luo Feng was already waiting for him at the door. "Your Highness."

Chu Yun looked at him. "Commander Luo, let's go."

"Yes."

Because Venerable Wan Lei had appeared at the Misty Rain Pavilion before, and he had only worn a mask on the Cangfeng Mountain Range, Chu Yun decided to have him stay at the mansion to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

The Eastern Palace tonight was exceptionally lively.

The Crown Prince personally hosted a banquet to celebrate the return of the Ninth Prince, Chu Yun, inviting nearly all the young nobles and influential figures in the Imperial City.

This included the young lords of princely manors, the sons and daughters of many prominent families, and the children of some immensely powerful figures within the city, all of whom were among the invited guests.

Besides showing the Crown Prince due respect, most of them also wanted to see what this Ninth Prince, who had been missing for many years, looked like.

Chu Yun and Luo Feng left the Prince's Mansion and unhurriedly arrived at the entrance of the Eastern Palace.

Several servants stood at the entrance to welcome guests. One of them, upon seeing Chu Yun, a new face, stepped forward and politely inquired, "May I ask if you are His Highness the Ninth Prince?"

"Yes," Chu Yun nodded faintly.

"Your Highness the Ninth Prince, please come in!"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has been waiting for a long time."

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The servant immediately led Chu Yun and Luo Feng into the Eastern Palace.

Inside the Eastern Palace, in the luxurious and magnificent main hall, several beautiful singing girls in dancing attire were performing in the center of the hall to entertain the guests.

The Crown Prince, Chu Rong, sat at the head seat, followed by the other Imperial Princes of the Dynasty and many famous influential figures from the city.

The Third Prince, Chu Yuan, was among them, seated in the first position to the Crown Prince's left.

This showed how much the Crown Prince valued his relationship with him.

However, he was completely unaware that the current Chu Yuan had already been replaced.

"His Highness the Ninth Prince has arrived!!!"

At this announcement, all eyes of the influential figures in the hall turned towards the entrance.

Chu Yun appeared, calm and composed, dressed in brocade and jade robes, exuding an air of innate imperial nobility.

Luo Feng followed behind him, and under the gaze of many dignitaries, the two strode into the great hall.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Chu Yun smiled slightly and cupped his fists in a salute towards the Crown Prince seated at the highest position.

"Hahaha!"

"Ninth Brother and Commander Luo are here!"

"We are brothers, no need for formalities. Please take your seats quickly. Everyone has been waiting for you."

Crown Prince Chu Rong smiled "kindly."

Chu Yun nodded with a smile, then he and Luo Feng took their seats in a vacant spot on the right side.

Chu Yun could feel the eyes of everyone in the hall on him, some observing with curiosity, others looking him up and down with disdain.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I heard that several of my other brothers are also here today. I would trouble Your Highness to introduce me," Chu Yun said after sitting down.

"Good!"

"Ninth Brother, I would have introduced them even if you hadn't asked."

"The one sitting to your left is your Fourth Brother, the Fourth Prince Chu Shen."

"The one to your right is your Fifth Brother, the Fifth Prince Chu Yu."

"The one opposite you is your Sixth Sister, the Sixth Princess Chu Xinyan."

"As for the one next to her, that is your Seventh Brother, the Seventh Prince Chu Bei."

"Finally, the one sitting opposite your Third Brother is your Eighth Brother, the Eighth Prince Chu Hao!"

All the princes and the princess, except for the Second Prince who was leading troops at the border, were present in the hall.

Chu Yun observed them one by one. They all nodded slightly as they met his gaze.

Chu Yun had naturally done his research on his siblings.

The Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh Princes were not particularly outstanding among the princes, nor were they part of the Crown Prince's faction. They were considered neutral.

The Sixth Princess and the Eighth Prince were both born to a noble consort, so their relationship was naturally closer than with others.

As for the Second Prince, he was considered the most intelligent.

His talent was the best among all the princes. He was proficient in both civil and military arts, and even surpassed the Crown Prince back then.

However, due to the death of his birth mother and his lack of background, staying in the court would have made him a thorn in the Empress's side.

Therefore, he had requested to lead troops at the border long ago, choosing to stay out of courtly struggles and far from the vortex of imperial power.

Chu Yun stood up at this moment, raising his wine cup high to toast them. "My Imperial Brothers and Sister, I, your Imperial Brother, have only recently returned to the Imperial City and am not yet familiar with the people and affairs here. Thus, I was unable to pay my respects sooner."

"Here, I ask my Imperial Sister and Brothers to please not blame me."

"I, Chu Yun, will punish myself with a drink."

After speaking, Chu Yun directly downed the cup in one go.