Prince Jing's Humiliation

His Majesty?

At the sound, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

They had heard rumors that His Majesty would attend today's banquet.

But it was already getting late, and with no sign of him, they had assumed those were merely rumors.

Who would have thought he would arrive now?

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Jingran's eyes as well.

He had sent an invitation to the palace purely out of courtesy, never expecting His Majesty to come.

Yet he had actually come?

This...

"Welcome, Your Majesty!!!"

The old eunuch's voice rang out again.

Only then did everyone wake as though from a dream, hastily leaving their seats and prostrating themselves.

"Long live our emperor! Long live! Long, long live!!!"

Amid that sea of kneeling people,

only a few figures stood out incongruously.

Jiang Yuechu remained standing where she was.

Under the Great Tang Code, members of the Demon Suppression Office did not kneel before the sovereign, but offered a military salute.

Gu Changge was also a member of the Demon Suppression Office, and he likewise cupped his fist in salute.

Footsteps slowly drew closer, each one falling in time with their pounding hearts.

Within a few breaths,

a figure in a bright yellow informal robe crossed the threshold and entered the hall of wealth and splendor.

The emperor's face was pale, a trace of anxiety lingering between his brows as his gaze swept swiftly over the crowd.

Then it settled on the girl wearing a silver-scaled cloak.

Their eyes met.

This was the second time.

The first had been beside Taiye Pool. Back then, he had simply found the girl pleasing to the eye, and nothing more.

But now, seeing her again,

and examining her closely with that suspicion already in mind,

he found that the longer he looked, the more