Chapter 124: Is My Husband Jealous?

The banquet at Moon Sparrow Palace had begun, though several seats remained empty. After the humiliating incident in the side hall, His Seventh Highness and Princess Anya naturally had no face to appear here.

Although they were absent, their “legend” was being passed around the banquet.

Many guests leaned together, their eyes gleaming as they exchanged one entertaining detail after another. The unstoppable gossip all centered on His Seventh Highness and Xia Yue’er, as well as Princess Anya and Xia Mingxuan. One could not help wondering whether they were enjoying the taste of suffering the consequences of their own actions.

The music and dancing at the banquet had become mere decoration. Everyone’s attention was fixed on what had happened in the side hall, and they regretted not having witnessed the spectacle themselves.

Jun Buqiu muttered under his breath, “You’re always stirring up trouble.”

Xia Jiujing grumbled, “How am I the one stirring up trouble? They were the ones trying to scheme against me!”

Jun Buqiu said, “I think Ming Ze’s eyes are practically glued to you.”

Xia Jiujing assumed he was referring to what had happened in the side hall. In truth, Jun Buqiu was displeased because the Third Prince of the Southern Kingdom kept casting glances in their direction.

Xia Jiujing tilted her head and leaned close to Jun Buqiu. “Husband, are you jealous?”

“What?” Jun Buqiu nearly choked on his tea. Jealous? What did he have to be jealous of? Yet he could not explain why Ming Ze’s fixed gaze upon Xia Jiujing made him feel so uncomfortable.

Emperor Zongkang said to the envoy from the Southern Kingdom, “I never expected the events in the side hall during tonight’s banquet at Moon Sparrow Palace to provide our honored envoy with such amusement. Princess Anya is destined not to become the consort of the Southern Kingdom’s Third Prince.”

Ming Ze’s gaze shifted toward Xia Jiujing. The woman he wanted had never been Princess Anya—it was Xia Jiujing before him.

After Emperor Zongkang had mentioned the Third Prince’s consort, Ming Ze had brazenly turned his eyes toward Xia Jiujing. He was clearly disregarding Jun Buqiu.

Jun Buqiu frowned. He picked up a piece of pastry and stuffed it into Xia Jiujing’s mouth. Then he stared at Ming Ze, his eyes seeming to say: What are you looking at? Have you never seen a married couple flaunting their affection?

Ming Ze withdrew his gaze and said, “Your Majesty is too kind. Princess Anya and Young General Xia are deeply in love. I merely wished to bring two lovers together.”

“I happen to have taken a fancy to Prince Jin. I wonder whether Your Majesty would be willing to part with him,” Princess Ming Ningzi said deliberately, raising her voice.

Jun Buqiu looked up at Ming Ningzi. His stern face showed no expression, and it held far less warmth than when he interacted with Xia Jiujing.

Jun Buqiu said, “Whether His Majesty is willing or not… it makes no difference. Whether you can enter Prince Jin’s residence is for this prince alone to decide.”

Ming Ningzi deliberately taunted him. “The Emperor of the Glazed Kingdom cannot even decide a prince’s marriage?”

This princess of the Southern Kingdom was truly lawless. She dared speak to Emperor Zongkang in such a manner. Though she was a foreign guest, her words were already utterly without propriety.

Jun Buqiu was not provoked. He replied calmly, “Precisely because His Majesty’s word is absolute, he has no choice but to refrain from interfering in this prince’s marriage.”

Ming Ningzi did not believe him. “Excuses.”

“Speaking of which, it was because I led our troops to victory against the Southern Kingdom all those years ago that His Majesty granted me the right to decide my own marriage. In that sense, I should really thank the Southern Kingdom.”

Jun Buqiu’s words enraged Ming Ningzi. “That was only because our Southern Kingdom’s Saintess had entered secluded cultivation! Now her mastery of poison arts is complete…”

Jun Buqiu’s brows drew together, and murderous intent appeared in his gaze as he stared at Ming Ningzi.

Before Ming Ningzi could finish, the Dark North King immediately seized her and clapped a hand over her mouth. “Ancestor, say no more. Be quiet for once.” How dare she speak recklessly about the Saintess?

The Dark North King cupped his hands toward the emperor. “Your Majesty, please forgive her. The princess is still young and merely enjoys making jokes.”

Xia Jiujing nudged Jun Buqiu. “Someone who attracts every flower in sight dares accuse me of causing trouble? Look, even that little princess has her eyes on you.”

Jun Buqiu said, “The trouble you cause is real. But this prince has no need to chase after flowers.”

Xia Jiujing stuffed a piece of golden crisp into her mouth. “Yes, yes, of course. You’re an immortal descended from the heavens. Why would you need to chase after flowers? They all throw themselves at you without invitation.”

Ming Ningzi returned to her seat in a huff. Jun Buqiu’s words had infuriated her, and seeing him whispering with Xia Jiujing only made her feel that they were flaunting their affection before her.

With her sleeve hanging downward, Ming Ningzi released a speckled snake from within it.

In a low voice, she said, “Little Flower, go teach her a lesson.”

The speckled venomous snake flicked its tongue. Red light gleamed in its eyes as it twisted through the air and slithered beneath the lingering notes that echoed through Moon Sparrow Palace.

Suddenly, someone cried out in alarm, “There’s a snake!”

“A snake! It really is a snake!”

“Help! Someone help! It’s venomous!”

The speckled viper darted nimbly through the crowd, and Moon Sparrow Palace suddenly descended into chaos.

Watching so many people flee in every direction in terror at the sight of the small speckled viper, Ming Ningzi threw back her head and laughed. “The people of the Glazed Kingdom are so useless! They’re reduced to this state by a little snake?”

She clapped her hands gleefully, but her words unmistakably enraged Emperor Zongkang. They were nothing short of a provocation.

The Southern Kingdom’s delegation had come to the Glazed Kingdom under a veneer of harmony that concealed the truth. Officially, they had come to forge an alliance between the two nations, but everyone knew that the Glazed Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom were testing each other’s strength. If either side appeared weak, the alliance would inevitably collapse into a bitter war.

Emperor Zongkang governed with benevolence and opposed aggression. After all, whenever nations went to war, it was always the common people who suffered. Yet in recent years, the Southern Emperor had grown old, while his sons fought fiercely among themselves and divided the kingdom into competing factions. Whoever eventually inherited the Southern throne might well plunge the realm into a great war. Thus, the Southern envoy’s visit was also an opportunity for the Glazed Kingdom to display its authority. Only by doing so could it restrain the Southern Kingdom.

Ming Ningzi secretly controlled the speckled viper. It appeared to be darting about without direction, but in truth, it was moving toward Xia Jiujing with a clear purpose.

Ming Ningzi simply could not stand Xia Jiujing. First, Xia Jiujing had dared reject her third brother’s affection—as if she were some great personage. Second, Xia Jiujing had deliberately clung to Jun Buqiu and flaunted their intimacy. Ming Ningzi had intended to make Jun Buqiu her willing captive, yet he had ignored her completely. Naturally, she had decided to teach Xia Jiujing a proper lesson.

The speckled viper was fierce enough to frighten anyone who saw it, let alone Xia Jiujing. This time, Ming Ningzi intended to scare her half to death and teach her the consequences of offending the people of the Southern Kingdom.

Ming Ze frowned. He knew that his sister must have released the venomous snake again. He could control poison creatures only through simple manipulation of scent, whereas his sister’s ability to command them was far greater than his own.

Ming Ze frowned and said, “Was this your doing? Stop at once.”

Ming Ningzi let out a cold snort. “Why should I stop? Little Flower will show these people of the Glazed Kingdom exactly what the Southern Kingdom is capable of.”