He rattled off a long speech in one breath, until even his own blood began to stir.
Yet Fan Xian merely cupped his hands toward him without saying anything, then looked at Zhou Cheng again.
The Crown Prince's smile stiffened, leaving him looking somewhat awkward.
Only after the Crown Prince stopped did Zhou Cheng smack his lips and set down his chopsticks.
"Of course you were wrong!"
Fan Xian froze.
Zhou Cheng wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and continued:
"What kind of banquet is this? A family banquet." His voice was quiet, yet every word struck Fan Xian's heart. "No matter how much nonsense I spout or how furious I make His Majesty, that is still family talking behind closed doors. You, an Overwatch Council Commissioner, want to investigate a prince. Instead of saying it at court, what good does shouting here do?"
Fan Xian shuddered.
Zhou Cheng continued, "Of course, shouting at court would be useless too. Without evidence, you would only invite humiliation. You still need to investigate first and get the evidence."
Fan Xian smiled bitterly. "I don't even have my Commissioner's Waist Token anymore. How am I supposed to investigate?"
Zhou Cheng sighed. "His Majesty threw away your token, but did he say he was stripping you of your position as Overwatch Council Commissioner?"
Fan Xian's eyes brightened at that, but soon dimmed again.
Emperor Qing had not stripped him of his position as Commissioner, but it was a special office with no specific authority attached. To exercise power at a crucial moment, he still needed the token.
As though seeing through his thoughts, Zhou Cheng said quietly, "Your token is right there at the bottom of the pond. If it's too much trouble and you're afraid of dirtying your clothes, find a palace attendant