Good heavens! The Supreme God is being relentlessly harassed!

On the emperor's birthday, the whole country celebrated.

The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the ministers all wore joyful smiles.

After all, once the young emperor Yunqi takes power from the regent, their lives will be much easier.

Working under the regent, every minister was trembling with fear, afraid of being discovered and facing consequences ranging from confiscation of property and exile to execution of their entire family.

Once Yunqi takes power, he will inevitably have to bow down to the powerful families. By the time he truly grasps power, it's unknown when he will have already retired.

Of course, the happiest person was Prime Minister Zuo Zhilin. He was Yun Qi's uncle and the Prime Minister of Yun Kingdom, so his status was naturally noble and illustrious.

Once Yun Qi passes his birthday and Xie Liuyan relinquishes power, the Yun Kingdom will be at Zuo Zhilin's mercy.

As for the old and new grudges with Xie Liuyan, we'll settle them all then.

His face was beaming with smiles, the wrinkles on his face shaped like chrysanthemums.

Some ministers who were close to him had already begun to offer their congratulations.

"Congratulations, Prime Minister! I only hope that you will not forget our friendship as colleagues in the future."

This minister was very perceptive; while others were still pondering the future direction of the Yun Kingdom's court, he had already begun to curry favor with powerful figures.

Zuo Zhilin smiled even more upon hearing this, "Of course, Lord Li, there's no need for that. I, Zuo Zhilin, have always been sentimental, and I will never forget those with whom I have a good personal relationship."

Then, Lord Li leaned close to Zuo Zhilin's ear and said:

"Your Excellency, the gift has been prepared and I have had my servants load it onto a carriage and deliver it to your residence. It is a small token of my respect, a few pieces of jade and agate; I hope you will accept it, Lord Zuo."

Zuo Zhilin hadn't expected the person in front of him to be so sensible. "If Lord Li ever needs anything in the future, please feel free to come to my residence. I will certainly help you with your worries."

While the ministers were chatting animatedly, in the emperor's bedchamber, Yun Qi put on a dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon.

The workmanship on the dragon robe is extremely exquisite and lifelike, as if a real dragon is coiled and roaring on it.

Yun Qi donned a hat symbolizing imperial authority beneath the eunuch's robes, his left hand idly playing with a string of beads, his expression nonchalant.

Today is his birthday, he should be happy.

Not to mention that a few days ago, Minister Shen hurriedly entered the palace to bring him good news.

The royal uncle has no interest in the throne and will gradually hand it over to him after his birthday.

But things don't always go as planned, and on that day he also learned some shocking news.

Uncle Zuo Zhilin, on the contrary, was restless.

Thinking of his uncle's meaningful words earlier, everything about his uncle in Yun Qi's mind now connected into a single thread.

Minister Shen also said that not only his uncle, but even his mother intended to interfere in court affairs.

If you don't believe me, we'll see at the banquet.

This is also the reason for his current dilemma and contradiction.

After the eunuch tidied his clothes, Yunqi's expression changed; he seemed to be that innocent and carefree little emperor again.

However, the string of beads that he was originally playing with in his hand was now worn on his wrist, the bright red agate making his wrist look white and slender.

No matter what, he would not budge an inch, not even from his closest family.

After all, this land still belongs to the Yun Kingdom, and only the Yun family has the ability to hold onto it.

Yun Qi arrived at the Imperial Garden, where the banquet was being held, in a palanquin, accompanied by a eunuch's announcement:

"Your Majesty has arrived~~"

The ministers below all knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Yun Qi waved his hand: "Get up, all of you. Although today is my birthday, my ministers need not be so formal."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!!"

Even after the officials rose, they maintained their previous postures, their actions still revealing their respect.

After all, the emperor was just being polite. If they took it seriously, then all those years in officialdom would have been for nothing.

The banquet had not yet begun. Although clouds had gathered, all the ministers knew perfectly well that the banquet would not start unless the Regent arrived.

However, Empress Dowager Zuo arrived shortly afterward.

After bowing to him as usual, everyone sat down in their seats, keeping their eyes down and their mouths closed.

In such an important and sensitive occasion, it's best for them to remain cautious and avoid saying too much.

Empress Dowager Zuo is very young, only in her early thirties. The late emperor died young, and she became empress dowager directly because she gave birth to Crown Prince Yunqi.

The remaining concubines were either sent to accompany the late emperor or spent their lives in seclusion with only the company of a Buddhist lamp and a Buddhist temple.

To win over so many concubines and give birth to a crown prince, Empress Dowager Zuo undoubtedly possessed considerable skill.

She smiled, her hands adorned with crimson nail polish, and sat beside Yun Qi, her aura overwhelming him.

After sitting for a short while, she asked her son:

"Aqi, why hasn't the banquet started yet?"

After all, Yun Qi is the protagonist, and the power to make decisions is in his hands.

Yun Qi's tone was respectful yet carried a hint of humility and arrogance:

"Your subject is waiting for Your Majesty."

Unexpectedly, this was the reason. Empress Dowager Zuo looked around the audience and indeed did not see Xie Liuyan.

On a day like today, whether the other person comes or not seems so irrelevant.

A hint of disgust flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes. Moreover, if it weren't for Xie Liuyan standing in the way, her and her brother's power would undoubtedly be unmatched.

She suppressed her inner dissatisfaction, and just then, the eunuch's announcement came from not far away:

"His Highness the Regent has arrived!"

The courtiers breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the young emperor who was still in power, they feared the regent who had held power for a long time.

Xie Liuyan's gaze was indifferent, with Shen Wangchuan pushing his wheelchair behind him.

Despite appearing vulnerable, no one dared to underestimate them.

Shen Wangchuan followed behind him and whispered, "Is the one sitting next to the young emperor the Empress Dowager?"

He looks really young, quite different from what I imagined.

Xie Liuyan replied, "Yes, it's the Empress Dowager Zuo. Stand behind me in a moment, and don't attract too much attention."

Empress Dowager Zuo is not someone to be trifled with. If she sees Shen Wangchuan's unfamiliar face, she will surely make things difficult for him.

"Understood, Ayan."

Today is the emperor's birthday, so Xie Liuyan was seated in the first position on the lower left.

This saved us a lot of trouble.

After he sat down, Yun Qi cleared his throat:

"Now that the Imperial Uncle has arrived, let the banquet begin."

"Today is my birthday, and the whole country should celebrate. Everyone, please do not be too reserved. Enjoy the fine wine, delicious food, songs, and dances to your heart's content."

After he spoke, the atmosphere became lively.

And banquets are never complete without singing and dancing.

A group of graceful dancers swayed to the music, adding to the atmosphere of the banquet.

Shen Wangchuan rarely attended this type of banquet, and everything he saw seemed novel to him.

Although he came as a guard, he was not bound by that identity.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to Xie Liuyan, he leaned close to Xie Liuyan's ear and said:

"Ayan, I'd also like to try the drinks at the banquet."

Xie Liuyan was toying with his wine glass, only occasionally taking a sip of wine.

Unexpectedly, he felt a warm breath near his ear; Shen Wangchuan was asking him for a drink. Despite feeling helpless, he still took a new wine glass, filled it halfway, and handed it to the other man.

"Don't overindulge in alcohol; moderation is key."

At the same time, he didn't forget to give some instructions.

"Understood, Ayan."

Upon receiving the drinks, Shen Wangchuan quickly replied, "Let me try them first."

While they were whispering to each other, the Empress Dowager Zuo was getting restless.

She coughed lightly, and everyone's eyes turned to her. Looking at the dancing girl, she thought of the discussion she had with the Left Prime Minister about how to win over Xie Liuyan.

Now is the perfect time to put it into practice.

"I suddenly remembered that the Regent is still unmarried and I wonder if he has someone he likes. If so, I can make the decision today and bestow a marriage upon the Regent."

Shen Wangchuan, who was enjoying his drink, suddenly found his wine less appealing upon hearing this. Moreover, the many ministers sitting below were shocked.

Many people were so frightened that they dropped their wine glasses.

Your Majesty, why are you bringing up something you shouldn't be talking about?