The Reborn Princess Has Turned Evil

Chapter 217 Sowing discord

banquet.

Today is the birthday banquet of Old Madam Qin. Although Qin Xu wanted to celebrate, he kept it very low-key, only inviting close ministers and relatives and friends. In addition, there were more than twenty tables to help Qin Xiuyuan find a suitable wife.

Since Prince Qing was coming, he was bound to sit at the same table as Qin Xu, so they simply separated the male guests and female guests on opposite sides.

Prince Qing, Qin Xu, Jing Fengyao, and Qin Xiuyuan sat at one table. Although Xie Bailing was on good terms with Qin Xiuyuan, given their fathers' official ranks, it was impossible for them to sit at the same table. However, Qin Xiuyuan arranged for him to sit at a table next to him, not far from each other.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Old Madam Qin, Qin Zhihua, Jing Anle, Jing Rou, Zhao Yayi, and several relatives from the Qin family sat together.

Zhao Yayi sitting here was naturally at the behest of Old Madam Qin; it was tantamount to telling others that this was the future mistress of the General's Mansion.

The other ladies sat at two other tables, glancing at Zhao Yayi from time to time, some with jealousy, some with envy, and some with indifference.

Jing Anle was also preoccupied with her own thoughts. She had come to the banquet with a smile and Madam Qin, but she hadn't expected Prince Qing to come as well. She knew Prince Qing had ill intentions, but she couldn't guess what he was here for. However, she understood that Emperor Jing must already know. What if he suspected Prince Qing of colluding with Qin Xu? Wouldn't that be...

"Today is my mother's birthday. Thank you all for coming to my humble abode. I would like to offer you all a toast." Qin Xu stood up and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Everyone raised their glasses and drank.

Jing Anle glanced at them. In the past, he had only dealt with his uncle personally and did not know which officials he was close to. Today, he saw that most of them were officials of the fourth rank or below, and they did not hold important positions in the court. It was clear how much his uncle was trying to avoid suspicion.

Emperor Jing is now wary of Qin Xu. Nominally, Qin Xu is retiring, but in reality, his military power is being reduced. Qin Xu is even being so cautious about holding a birthday banquet, because he is afraid that Emperor Jing will have other suspicions.

But why did Prince Qing come here today on purpose? Who knows if he didn't come to make things difficult for Qin Xu?

As Jing Anle was pondering, her eyes met Jing Rou's. Jing Rou, however, seemed to have become a different person, and actually smiled gently at her.

When they came over, Jing Rou bowed respectfully and spoke softly. Jing Anle smiled indifferently and pretended not to hear. But she knew that Jing Rou had changed and had become more shrewd.

Jing Anle glanced back at Mu Ping, thinking to herself, "I need to go back and find out how the things I asked Mu Ping to do are going."

After drinking a few cups, whether drunk or on purpose, Prince Qing said loudly, "General Qin's archery skills are superb. Come to my residence in a few days, and I will definitely have a good exchange with you."

Anyone who heard this would think that the two had a very close personal relationship. After all, Prince Qing had an eccentric personality and was not someone that ordinary people could get close to. If Prince Qing could say this, then the two must have a very good relationship.

Qin Xiuyuan, sitting to the side, almost crushed his cup. He had felt something was wrong this morning, and now it seemed that Prince Qing wanted to kill their General's Mansion. Jing Fengyao, who was beside him, looked at him, shook his head slightly, and gave Qin Xiuyuan a wink.

Yes, and the eldest prince is here too. He can testify. Only when he thought of this did Qin Xiuyuan feel a little relieved.

Meanwhile, Xie Bailing, standing to the side, calmly drank his wine. Normally, a fourth-rank official should be extremely respectful to Prince Qing, let alone the son of a fourth-rank official. This was quite unexpected, which made Jing Fengyao think more highly of Xie Bailing.

Qin Xu cursed inwardly, knowing that Prince Qing wanted to drag him into this mess, but on the surface he said coldly and respectfully, "This humble official's old arm injury has recently flared up, and I'm afraid I can't keep Your Highness company."

Prince Qing laughed heartily and said, "No rush, there's plenty of time." He then gently picked up a piece of mutton from the table with his chopsticks and said, "The mutton is good, but when it comes to deliciousness, the lambs from Dayun Kingdom are the best, with their tender and flavorful meat!"

Just then, someone said, "Dayun is too far away. By the time the mutton arrives, it will have spoiled."

Prince Qing laughed loudly, "What does it matter? Dayun is a defeated enemy of our country. As long as General Qin makes a move, let alone a sheep, the entire Dayun will have to bow down and submit."

"General Qin, what do you say?"

Qin Xu's face turned ashen. He wished he could accidentally throw Prince Qing into a pot and boil him alive. If such words reached His Majesty's ears, wouldn't people think that Qin Xu had usurped power?

Just as Qin Xu was about to say something, Jing Fengyao reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a piece of mutton, and put it in his mouth, saying, "Dayun is a long and difficult journey, but I think the mutton here is quite good. If Uncle doesn't like it, then try some other dishes."

There is a distinction between ruler and subject. Prince Qing is Jing Fengyao's uncle, but he is also a subject. He originally wanted to speak to Qin Xu, but Jing Fengyao blocked him. He could only smile and say, "What the eldest prince says is true."

Xie Bailing continued eating, his eyes subtly sweeping over Prince Qing. He became even more convinced that the idea of ​​launching an attack on Dayun was solely Prince Qing's. If that was the case, then things would be much easier.

Xie Bailing's lips curled slightly, a plan already formed in his mind. He put down his chopsticks, raised his wine cup, and smiled at Prince Qing, saying, "Your Highness, I toast you. You are right, Dayun is nothing more than a defeated foe of our country. Back then, General Qin, with his golden armor and iron horses, was as fierce as a tiger, defeating the enemy in a rout. If Your Highness could also lead troops into battle, you would surely achieve unparalleled feats like General Qin."

Upon hearing this, Prince Qing was overjoyed, a smug look spreading across his face. He glanced over and saw a handsome man, whose good looks even Prince Qing, who had seen countless people, could not deny.

Jing Fengyao immediately saw through Xie Bailing's intentions. He sighed inwardly, thinking how clever Xie Bailing was, resolving Qin Xu's crisis with just a few words and even flattering Prince Qing in the process. However, whether this person was friend or foe remained to be seen.