Free Web NovelChapter 772: Chapter 207: You Still Have the Nerve to Eat and Drink! (Part 1)
"Your doubts are clarified, now it’s my turn." Mu Qingge stood atop the banquet’s main seat, her posture upright, her gaze as cold and piercing as a spring.
The banquet, which should have been a dazzling extravagance, under her manipulation, became as silent as a stern court.
The layers of veils obscured the faces of the Demon Clan dignitaries attending the banquet. They could only see her indistinct silhouette and hear her cold voice.
That voice was pleasant but carried an undeniable assertiveness.
Outside the hall, the dancing girls were all prostrated on the ground, watching their Princess from afar with admiration in their eyes.
They had never seen a woman dare to speak so freely, without losing ground, in front of such distinguished and noble figures. The invisible pressure almost engulfed the entire banquet hall.
Ling Jiu quietly glanced at Ji Fu beside him, as if asking what this Princess intended to do.
Ji Fu only shook his head silently, giving him a reassuring look to stay calm.
On the other side, Qing Yan likewise looked at Qing Ze, whose meaning differed little from Ling Jiu’s.
Qing Ze’s gaze scanned over, raising an eyebrow slightly. As if to say, no matter what the Princess intended, the four of them only needed to support her, balance the situation, stabilize the court, this was what they needed to do now.
The four of them exchanged glances and reached a consensus.
And on the opposite side, Su Sheng and his group also exchanged opinions secretly. They too were unsure of what Mu Qingge intended but were unhappy being suppressed by the aura of such a woman.
The banquet hall was very quiet.
Because no one could grasp the routine of this new Princess, no one spoke.
Mu Qingge’s lips slightly curved up, showing a faint, cold smile. Her gaze swept towards the people behind the layers of veils and slowly spoke, "With the King missing, you still have the heart to feast here. Is this your loyalty?"
Her words fell heavily to the ground.
Yet it caused those behind the veils to change color! They should not be wearing such a tall hat, a slight carelessness and it might bring disaster upon themselves.
Su Yan stood up and said to Mu Qingge across the veil, "Princess, we are also very anxious about the King’s disappearance. Today’s banquet is for you..."
"For me?" Mu Qingge mercilessly interrupted him.
This made Su Yan’s expression very unpleasant.
However, separated by the veil, no one could see it.
Mu Qingge mockingly said, "Vassal Lord Su Yan, is there a question you might have gotten wrong?"
Mu Qingge slowly sat down, lazily resting against the back of the chair, tapping lightly on the armrest with her fingertips. "This is the Taixuan Ancient Palace of the King. And I am the Princess. To return to my own home, do I need a group of outsiders to welcome me?"
Su Yan choked, unable to reply.
Mu Qingge’s assertiveness and that aggressive aura made him unable to release his pent-up power.
He widened his eyes, staring furiously at the indistinct silhouette high on the main seat, the black Demon Spirit Qi continually swirling in his palms.
Suddenly, a hand pressed on his wrist.
He lowered his gaze and saw Shu Quan slowly shaking his head.
Su Yan snorted coldly, angrily sat down, and turned his head aside, seemingly unwilling to concern himself with Mu Qingge anymore.
Su Sheng spoke lightly, "After all, the Princess is new to the Taixuan Ancient Palace, and the King is not present. Besides, you and the King are not officially married, so claiming to be the master seems a bit far-fetched."
Mu Qingge’s lips curled slightly, her gaze cold, "Even without a grand wedding, I am the mistress here. Don’t rush to refute, let no one forget, the child in my belly is your future Crown Prince."
The future Crown Prince!
These words made many people’s eyes narrow sharply.
"Your usurping of the host makes me very displeased, I’m sure the King would also be very disappointed upon his return," Mu Qingge said quietly.
"This is outrageous! Your status has yet to be confirmed by the King, yet you’re assuming the air of a Princess! We don’t accept this!" Suddenly, someone stood up and voiced opposition.
Mu Qingge’s formidable aura was something they could hardly bear, unwilling to submit.
This voice of dissent made Mu Qingge’s gaze sweep over coldly, laughing without speaking.
"Who dares to defy!" At this moment, Ji Fu spoke, standing up calmly.
"Indeed! I’d like to see who dares not to submit today. The identity of the Princess is not something you idle loafers can casually question," Ling Jiu also stood up, jesting.
"Ling Jiu, don’t go too far!" Another voice called out.
Ling Jiu sneered disdainfully, "Too far? How could it compare to your blatant disregard for the Princess and hierarchy?"
"Humph, any random woman can claim to be the Princess of the King. You brought this woman here, naturally, you defend her. Should we also find a woman, claim she is also the King’s woman, also a Princess?" someone spoke discontentedly.
The idle Demon Clan nobles began to express their dissatisfaction.
It seemed that all the pent-up anger from Mu Qingge had been directed at Ling Jiu and the others.
Meanwhile, Su Sheng and the other three fell silent at this moment, seemingly holding a spectator’s interest.
However, the words spoken in anger seemed to remind them. The four of them exchanged glances quietly, apparently deliberating if this plan was feasible.
If they found a woman and claimed she was the King’s woman, could that diminish the prestige of this Princess?
As if seeing through their thoughts, Mu Qingge laughed mockingly, "Do you think your Majesty is someone who would fancy any random woman?" The sarcasm in her voice also subtly elevated her own standing.
The implication being, she was not a woman like any other.
Mu Qingge laughed teasingly, "No matter how you doubt, even if I’m a fake, the first one to do this is clever. The second one to do this is foolish."
After speaking, she casually swept her eyes in the direction of Su Sheng and his group.
She was so calm, so composed, a kind of confidence that ordinary people simply could not possess.
Even through the veil, Su Sheng and the others felt the sharpness of that glance, and their hearts could not help but skip a beat. They recognized this as a warning—this Princess was warning them not to do something foolish, something laughable.
Su Sheng and his group were shocked, utterly astounded.
’This woman, she’s truly formidable!’ Her formidability stemmed not from cultivation, but from her meticulous mind and audacious demeanor.
To be so audacious, one must either be extremely bold or absolutely confident!
And unfortunately, Mu Qingge possessed both!
She sat there with such ease, no matter how people questioned her, without evidence, they couldn’t topple her.
The originally heated dispute began to gradually subside due to Mu Qingge’s words.
At the banquet, countless people were baffled by how she could be so audacious.
Even Ji Fu, Ling Jiu, Qing Yan, and Qing Ze secretly sweated, feeling that Mu Qingge was overly confident. What if someone caught her weak spot, wouldn’t her previous efforts be wasted?
’This woman of the King... is not someone to mess with.’ Qing Ze paused before concluding, sending a message to the other three.
In the great hall, the ones who understood Mu Qingge the most were Gu Ya and Gu Ye.
Seeing the entire situation controlled by Mu Qingge, the two of them felt a sense of pride. This was not even thirty percent of what their young lord was capable of! These folks, trying to crush their young lord with just momentum, were seeking humiliation, weren’t they?
Back then, even when the young lord was a nobody, he was calm and fearless in front of the King. What are these guys compared to that!
"If I remember correctly, aside from the eight Great Feudal Lords, everyone here is a noble at leisure, right?" Mu Qingge suddenly shifted her tone and spoke casually.
Where they had been assertive before, now it seemed like small talk.
This changeability made the Demon Clan members even more uncertain about what this Princess intended to do, or what her true disposition was!
Though her intentions were unclear, there were still those willing to cooperate.
Qing Yan’s eyes gleamed, looking through the veil at that lazy, blurred, graceful figure, and replied, "Yes."
Mu Qingge nodded almost imperceptibly and said slowly, "Since you’re nobles at leisure, just stay home and tend to your gardens, don’t let others provoke you into being pawns. Do you understand what leisure means?"
Mu Qingge tapped on the armrest, chuckled coldly, and said, "It’s just to tell you, don’t worry about things you shouldn’t. Sometimes, worrying too much can lead to misunderstandings about your intentions."
"We are merely concerned about His Majesty’s safety, and the heir! What? Does the Princess plan to accuse us of a crime?" someone retorted, unwillingly.
"Accuse of a crime?" Mu Qingge laughed teasingly, "You’ve reminded me. They say new officials burn three fires; as the newly arrived Princess, I must establish some authority, right? Previously, this former Vassal Lord Yan Ya attempted to harm the heir and was hung in the Capital to serve as a warning. Now, do you want me to accuse you too? I should really think about how best to do that."
"You!" the speaker was left speechless with indignation.
In their eyes, Mu Qingge was simply the epitome of a tyrannical demon queen.
"Concerned about His Majesty’s safety, just stay honestly at home, don’t meddle. As for the heir, you need not worry; he is perfectly safe in my stomach." Mu Qingge’s gaze grew cold, her voice carried a stern edge.
Mu Qingge snorted coldly, continuing, "If anyone still wants to secretly scheme behind my back, don’t blame me for being ruthless and making an example out of them!"
Having said that, she looked at the direction of Su Sheng and his group with a half-smile, asking warmly, "Vassal Lord Su Sheng, Vassal Lord She Yin, Vassal Lord Su Yan, Vassal Lord Shu Quan, wouldn’t you agree?"
Suddenly being named, Su Sheng and the others froze completely.
They had been secretly inciting those deposed nobles against Mu Qingge, yet unexpectedly she had seen through it all.
’What is her background? She’s so difficult to deal with!’
The four of them thought simultaneously.
Their silence only deepened the smile at the corner of Mu Qingge’s mouth as she asked, "Why? Is there something I said incorrectly?" or was her warning not clear enough?
The four of them snapped back to reality, standing up simultaneously and said to Mu Qingge, "The Princess is absolutely right! If anyone dares to stir up trouble secretly, we will not let it slide."
They finally understood that this Princess was forcing them to take a stand!
