FID – Chapter 1063

Chapter 1063: The Invitation

Early in the morning, the Palace of Longevity was already bustling with noise. Even in the side hall, one could faintly hear laughter and conversation coming from the main hall.

Liu Yusheng was a little surprised when she was awakened.

The Saintess Tribe members didn’t have many acquaintances in the palace. Outside of their own clan, they rarely talked with people so freely and happily.

Who was outside that could make the Saintesses giggle like that?

She got up and headed toward the main hall. Before she even entered, she heard a very familiar voice.

Back when the tribe was traveling to the palace, that voice often chirped incessantly beside her.

Qian Yi.

Liu Yusheng raised an eyebrow and smiled. Feng Qingbai and Xue Qinglian had clearly arranged this.

“Why is it so lively here?” she asked as she walked in, pretending not to know.

“Sister Qian Mei, you remember this little eunuch, right? The one who chatted with us all the way to the capital? Well, today he sneaked in some time to come see us.” Qian Lan squinted and smiled. “Talking to him is really fun. No matter what we say, he understands. And he’s very familiar with our Saintess Tribe!”

Liu Yusheng exchanged a glance with Qian Yi and chuckled inwardly. Of course he’s familiar—that’s because you’re all Saintess Tribe members.

“This little eunuch really is eloquent. Chatting with him for a few minutes always makes me laugh.”

“Come on, Sister Qian Mei, come chat with us. I managed to squeeze out some time to come see you all, but I can’t stay long. The small kitchen in the Imperial Household Department is still waiting for me to go back and light the fire.”

Liu Yusheng covered her lips and smiled softly, then walked over and sat down.

That morning in the palace, the Palace of Longevity remained lively for quite a while, until the little eunuch left. Only then did the hall return to calm.

During the midday rest, after lowering the canopy, Liu Yusheng opened the small note hidden in her space.

It had been quietly slipped to her by Qian Yi before leaving.

She hadn’t come to seek her out alone. Instead, she had acted as if she were chatting cheerfully with all the saintesses. She turned out to be smarter than Liu Yusheng had expected.

The note bore Feng Qingbai’s handwriting, instructing her to leave together with the Saintess Tribe elders when the time came.

If she stayed here, Shan Lai would not relax her surveillance, and there was a high chance of complications arising during her stay. It would also limit Feng Qingbai and Xue Qinglian’s investigation into the Xiliang Emperor.

After reading it, Liu Yusheng tossed the note back into her space and chuckled. Now, the biggest use of the space was merely as a portable storage.

The damage the space had sustained back when she gave birth to Badou and Hongdou still hadn’t healed.

Especially the spiritual spring water pool—the water level had yet to rise at all. Only one small area remained, and she didn’t dare use it recklessly anymore.

She didn’t know how long it would take for the space to fully recover.

Fortunately, she didn’t rely entirely on it. Otherwise, if the space became unusable, she would essentially be useless.

The Saintess Tribe had already stayed in the palace for ten days, and in five more days, they would leave.

Under surveillance, Liu Yusheng could do nothing. She might as well calm her mind and tour the palace with Qian Lan and Qian Xue.

Even so, no matter how well-behaved she was, as long as she stayed in the palace for a day, she dared not let her guard down.

Shan Lai could not be judged with ordinary eyes; no one knew what she might do.

Yet what Liu Yusheng did not expect was that, despite her constant vigilance, she didn’t have to wait for Shan Lai to make a move—she received an invitation first.

Someone from Prince Shunyang’s Manor came directly to the Palace of Longevity and handed the invitation to Elder Qian Fang. The invitation specifically stated that the three maids should attend as well.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yusheng immediately frowned.

She couldn’t figure out what Prince Shunyang was planning.

Inevitably, the image of the figure in the crimson-purple robe— the Emperor great-grandson, Banian—appeared in her mind.

“Elder, why would Prince Shunyang invite us to his residence for a banquet?” Qian Xue asked, puzzled.

They had no previous dealings with Prince Shunyang.

Moreover, they were not Saintesses, yet the invitation specifically requested that all three of them attend.

It was very strange.

Seeing Elder Qian Fang also frown, Liu Yusheng tentatively asked, “Elder, can we not go?”

Her intuition told her that something bad might happen if they visited Prince Shunyang’s Manor.

Qian Fang put down the invitation and said helplessly, “Prince Shunyang is the emperor’s most favored great-great-grandson and holds a high position within the royal family. Since he has formally sent an invitation, if we don’t go, people will talk.”

She added, “You don’t need to worry too much. Prince Shunyang won’t do anything harmful to us.”

Even though Saintesses could never reach true high status within the imperial harem, the emperor could not afford to be without the Saintess Tribe. As long as the clan remained useful to him, no one dared to trample on them lightly.

This is also why Saintesses are sent to the palace as tribute every year.

In this way, their clan could continue to survive and thrive.

“Elder, has any prince from the royal family ever invited the Saintess Tribe to a banquet before?” Liu Yusheng asked.

“No, not before. This is the first time this year,” Qian Fang replied. “So it’s understandable that it feels a bit unusual. But no matter what, we should go tomorrow. Our time in the palace is limited, and after attending the banquet, we’ll need to prepare to return to the clan.”

There was no refusing this.

Thinking again of the person at the welcome banquet who had forced them to lift their veils, Liu Yusheng’s frown deepened.

They would need to be extremely careful on this trip.

That prince seemed even more sensitive and suspicious than the Xiliang Emperor.

Prince Shunyang’s Manor was located on an outer ring of the palace, which already indicated his high status.

Liu Yusheng and her group had arrived in a carriage provided by Prince Shunyang, allowing them unhindered entry into the residence.

When she got out of the carriage, she observed that no other carriages were parked at the entrance, indicating that the prince had invited no one else besides them to the banquet.

Her nerves tightened even further.

However, when they reached the guest hall and entered, Liu Yusheng saw that seated inside were not only Prince Banian, but also several young men of similar age. From their appearance and bearing, they seemed to be noble sons, elegantly dressed and composed.

After the formal greetings, they took their seats. Prince Shunyang smiled and explained, “Elder, each time you visit the capital, you stay at most half a month. Seeing that your time is almost up, this prince has sent this invitation. Please forgive my suddenness. This banquet is meant to apologize for the unpleasantness that occurred at the welcome banquet.”

“Actually, this prince did not act with ill intent that day; it was merely curiosity. This prince asks Elder Qian Fang and the young ladies to forgive me.”

“Drunkenness can cause mistakes. In future important occasions, please refrain from overindulging, so that matters do not escalate and require a banquet of apology, which would only make the elders laugh at us.”

The young men around Banian teased back and forth, attempting to lighten the atmosphere and smooth over the events of that day.

Their words did help, and Elder Qian Fang relaxed considerably. “Your Highness is too courteous. Knowing that you had no ill intent, we will not dwell on it. That day’s incident need not be mentioned again.”

“Yes, yes, yes, that day’s incident need not be mentioned again,” the young men echoed with laughter.

Liu Yusheng sat to the side, lowering her brows and averting her gaze, her eyes cool and distant.