Chunyu Yan finally showed up leisurely, cradling a birdcage he had picked up somewhere, indicating to his servants to present it to the Empress Dowager with a gentle, soft-spoken tone.
"I was late because I was waiting for this little thing. I haven't missed anything important, have I?"
Everyone had taken their seats back in the parlor, where the food and drinks had gone cold, and no one was eating; the atmosphere was tense and oppressive. Even his cousin, the Empress Dowager, looked displeased; it was less like a banquet and more like a funeral procession.
"What's going on here? A tribunal of the Three Judicial Offices?"
At this moment, Li Sangruo had no interest in squabbling with Chunyu Yan, and briefly lowered her eyes.
"Please be seated."
