Anger visibly rose on Emperor Qing's face. Li Chengze dropped to his knees in terror, his face pressed hard against the floor, hiding his expression.
Fan Xian was stunned numb. He had thought himself bold, but compared with Zhou Cheng, he was nothing!
Even as a joke, was that something anyone could say on an occasion like this, right in front of Emperor Qing?
The Crown Prince also looked terrified and utterly at a loss. His mouth kept opening and closing, words hovering on his lips, as though he wanted to plead for mercy but did not know how.
In the end, he too knelt down in alarm and bowed his head low, as though bracing himself for thunder.
Yet the polished floor reflected the corners of his mouth, which he could not keep from rising.
Excellent!
Well said!
The Crown Prince discovered that, so long as he was not the target, he rather loved listening to Zhou Cheng speak!
"You insolent wretch!"
Emperor Qing abruptly rose, pointing a trembling finger at Zhou Cheng.
He had never expected Zhou Cheng to dare say such a thing before him!
The dignity of the imperial family had always mattered most to him.
Zhou Cheng's seemingly joking words were no mere probing at the edge of danger. He had reached out and torn a hole straight through the warm veil of "family," exposing the bloody, filthy truth beneath.
Emperor Qing was furious. This was no pretense, but genuine anger!
"Please quell your anger, Your Majesty! Third Brother merely spoke without thinking. He meant no harm-"
Li Chengze's voice rang out then.
Emperor Qing glanced at him but ignored him.
He merely stared at Zhou Cheng and drew a deep breath.
"You should count yourself fortunate that this is a family banquet. Otherwise, those