The grievances in the empress's heart flowed like a river.
At this moment, Noble Consort Xiao spoke up and said, "Empress, the emperor, and the Ninth Prince have a brotherly and respectful relationship. How can we bear to chastise them? The emperor came to celebrate your birthday. Do you want to dampen the emperor's spirits? Emperor, wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed, Noble Consort speaks wisely," Chu Mingyuan complimented as he glanced approvingly at Noble Consort Xiao.
Noble Consort Xiao half-covered her cheeks and let out a coquettish laugh.
If only the empress could remove her phoenix crown, she might have confronted Chu Yihan head-on!
But she couldn't.
All she could do was watch as Chu Chengye set up a separate table, placed it behind Chu Jinling, and reluctantly took his seat.
And she, in turn, could only return to Chu Mingyuan's side.
She wished Chu Mingyuan would hold her hand, even if it was just for comfort.
