The manor was filled with the sounds of laughter. On the Crown Prince's side, however, the atmosphere was very different.
The court was so silent that even the small bug that somehow managed to survive the cold weather could be heard flying in the huge room.
The officials were all standing uneasy, not one daring to meet the Emperor's gaze. In fact, they had never realized the floor was so interesting before. Look at those incredible details! It was clearly the work of a master!
The princes were not in a better state. Standing in the front row and next to the icy Crown Prince, even the usually self-confident Ji Mo Zhen felt the cold draft coming from his full-blood brother at the side, and his father Emperor at the front.
It didn't help that Ji Mo Yuan was wearing an expression so dark one could squeeze ink out of his face, with huge dark circles underneath his eyes.
