Fantasy: After transmigrating, I effortlessly became a god.

On the eve of the banquet, the area outside the Crown Prince's residence was bustling with activity as ministers, each carrying carefully selected gifts, entered the luxurious mansion.

Their faces beamed with a mixture of awe and anticipation, for everyone knew that this was not just a banquet, but a stage to showcase their power and sincerity.

As the host, Lu Yan stood in the courtyard, neither going out to greet them nor leaving the courtyard.

Here, one can not only see the guests immediately, but also hear who gave what gift, all while maintaining the prince's noble status.

Most importantly, he can greet Empress Han here immediately.

Lu Yan invited Empress Han ten days ago, but Empress Han neither said she would attend nor that she wouldn't, which made Lu Yan very conflicted.

Lu Chu is about to become a personal disciple of the Demon Radiance Sect. The Empress Han's words will play a crucial role in determining which of the two brothers will inherit the throne.

Sometimes, the power of pillow talk is more effective than the words of one's own son.

Although Lu Yan is now the crown prince and is officially the heir to the throne, there is nothing he can do if Lu Chu were to pass the throne to Lu Cilin.

No, let's see if there's an opportunity tonight. In the chaos, we can find a chance to kill Lu Cilin. That way, the throne will be secure.

Lu Yan also harbored murderous intentions towards Lu Cilin.

"The Minister of War arrives, like a bright pearl in the deep sea, dazzling and radiant."

"When the Minister of Rites arrived, he brought with him a screen carved from a thousand-year-old piece of wood."

The timing of officials' arrival was also carefully considered: lower-ranking officials arrived first, and higher-ranking officials arrived later.

If Empress Han attends, she will be the final guest, arriving last.

There are also rules about gift-giving. Giving expensive gifts is considered embezzlement, because one's salary is so low that it's impossible to afford expensive gifts.

If Lu Yan doesn't give expensive gifts, he'll remember them. So, the gifts that officials give can only be chosen based on their rarity.

When the two ministers arrived, Lu Yan said a few words to them casually, and the two ministers stood behind Lu Yan to greet the guests.

Standing behind Lu Yan meant they were on the side of Lu Yan becoming emperor.

The third meaning behind Lu Yan's presence here is to win over various officials and gain their support for his ascension to the throne.

If Lu Chu were to abdicate the throne to Lu Cilin, all the officials in the court would pressure him to step down and let him take the throne.

After the officials had entered, it was the turn of the envoys from various countries to enter.

The banquet invitation clearly states the entry time, and the order must not be disrupted.

"The Crown Prince of the Crescent Moon Kingdom has arrived, carrying a magical sword."

"Wow, they're even giving away magical artifacts! The Crescent Moon Kingdom is really generous."

"With the crown prince about to inherit the throne, envoys from various countries will naturally want to cultivate relations with him."

"His Highness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne will surely usher in a new era for the Guangxiang Kingdom. If other countries do not seize this opportunity, it will be even more difficult to establish good relations in the future."

The ministers' flattery made Lu Yan feel like he was floating on air.

Li Sheng presented a Soul Bead of an Earth-type Demon King, which was also exceptionally precious. Following him were the crown princes and envoys from various countries, whose gifts were not only precious but also extremely rare.

At tonight's banquet, Lu Yan not only gained a lot of face, but also received a great many gifts.

The northern barbarian kingdom gifted a lion ice sculpture that could remain unmelted even after being exposed to the sun for ten thousand years. It was a sacred object for ice-type soul masters, capable of enhancing their cultivation, and its value was comparable to the magical sword that Dong Hao had gifted.

After all the envoys had entered, Lu Yan was still standing in the center of the courtyard. Empress Han had not yet arrived, so he could not enter the banquet.

The ministers, in perfect unison, knew that Lu Yan was waiting for Empress Han, so they all remained silent and kept their eyes fixed on the gate of the Crown Prince's residence.

Suddenly, a powerful aura descended, and eight nine-winged cicada demons pulled a golden chariot down from the sky, inside which sat the alluring Empress Han.

The Nine-Winged Cicada Demon is taller than an adult male and is a demon beast in the Transformation Realm, equivalent to the Dragon Shaping Realm in humans. Each one is a powerful demon that commands respect from all directions. The fact that Empress Han has eight chariots pulling her is enough to prove that the strength of the Demon Radiance Sect is unfathomable.

Lu Yan strode forward and bowed in greeting.

"It is my greatest honor that Your Majesty is able to attend the banquet I have hosted."

The ministers knelt and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress."

Empress Han dismounted from the chariot, followed by Lu Cilin.

Lu Yan's expression stiffened for a moment, then he resumed his smile.

The fact that Lu Cilin followed Empress Han is a dangerous sign.

Lu Cilin was dressed in white, but not ordinary white; it was white for mourning, which made Lu Yan's heart tremble.

Lu Yi was their uncle. When Lu Yi died, Lu Cilin wore mourning clothes, but Lu Yan held a lavish banquet, which put him in a passive position.

"Let's all get flat!"

Empress Han's voice had a languid and pleasant quality as she continued, "Yan'er is hosting a banquet, so of course your mother must come and show her support."

"Yan'er knew it. Your mother loves Yan'er the most. Please take the seat of honor. The banquet is ready and waiting for you."

Empress Han nodded slightly: "Yan'er is very thoughtful."

Just as they were about to go inside, a commotion arose outside the Crown Prince's residence.

"You cannot enter without an invitation."

"You're looking down on people. Lu Yan personally invited me to this banquet. If you don't let me in, and Lu Yan blames you, can you bear the consequences?"

Lu Yan knew who it was just by the voice, and his killing intent was almost uncontrollable; he wanted to kill the person with a single sword strike.

"Mother, please go in first. Yan'er will be there shortly after taking care of some matters."

Empress Han waved her hand: "It's alright, your mother is right here. Let's see who has the audacity to address His Highness the Crown Prince by his given name."

Lu Yan gave Wu Xiaohai a wink, and Wu Xiaohai, understanding the situation, walked towards the door to deal with the people at the entrance who were calling Lu Yan by his full name.

When Wu Xiaohai spoke on behalf of the group, Zheng Qian showed him no respect and publicly reprimanded him, making him lose face. Lu Yan was giving him a chance to save face.

Indeed, the person who arrived was Zheng Qian.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Wu Xiaohai shouted at him.

“Any Tom, Dick, or Harry that comes to cause trouble, break their legs and throw them out of the city.”

Zheng Qian wasn't annoyed. He smiled slightly and said, "Wu Xiaohai, you were there when Lu Yan invited me. Does that mean you're the one who made the decision for this banquet, not Lu Yan? Can you just refuse to let the people Lu Yan invited attend?"

Wu Xiaohai's eyes narrowed. There was a trap in Zheng Qian's words. He had indeed heard Lu Yan invite Zheng Qian, but Zheng Qian had refused at the time.

If he doesn't let Zheng Qian in, it would be him overstepping his bounds and driving away guests for Lu Yan; if he lets Zheng Qian in, Lu Yan might be unhappy.

Most importantly, Empress Han is watching, so he can't say a wrong word, otherwise it will be considered a failure to perform his duties, and his future career may be affected.

While Wu Xiaohai was still considering, Zheng Qian walked inside and handed a piece of paper to the etiquette officer.

“I didn’t come empty-handed, and my identity is not simple either. Read it aloud.”

The etiquette officer received the paper, glanced at Wu Xiaohai with a troubled expression, and then read it aloud.

"Zheng Qian, a once-in-a-millennium genius, scored full marks in all three subjects of the civil service exam, and in the martial arts exam, he crushed twenty-two experts of the same realm, winning first place. He was personally invited by the Crown Prince to a banquet to present gifts..."

The etiquette officer thought he had misread it and checked again before reading it aloud.

"Give me three street vendor pancakes as a gift."