Cuiyu Traveling Palace.
The banquet was set in the Grand Hall. Li Sangruo sat at the head of the table. Ministers from Central Capital along with local officials of Xinzhou knelt on both sides according to their official ranks, each exchanging courtesies and stating their affairs.
Having been invited by the Empress Dowager, the ministers had all bathed and changed their clothes, arriving early, not daring to keep the Empress Dowager waiting...
However, there were two places to the left and below the Empress Dowager that remained empty—the time had come, and the occupants had not arrived.
One was General Pei, and the other was the Crown Prince of Yunchuan.
Chunyu Yan was of a stubborn and unruly character, always doing as he pleased, while Pei Jue had significant merit overshadowing his sovereign and had been increasingly at odds with the Imperial Court. That day at the docks, he even publicly disrespected the Empress Dowager...
This behavior was indeed worth investigating.
