Chapter 64: Cash and Goods Delivered

After all this commotion, Emperor Kangjian had lost all interest in the talents prepared by the noble young ladies.

By the time the young ladies were ready to take the stage, Emperor Kangjian had already left his seat, leaving Empress Duanmu as the highest-ranking host remaining.

Originally, the first to perform was Xie Tingyao, specially arranged by Imperial Concubine Jing.

When Xie Tingyao emerged in her dancing attire, she discovered that not only had Emperor Kangjian vanished, but her aunt, Imperial Concubine Jing, had also left the banquet.

Fortunately, seeing that Crown Prince Murong Bo was still in his seat, she immediately put on a bright smile and took to the stage with brisk, light dance steps.

The absence of the emperor actually made many people feel much more at ease.

Empress Duanmu was naturally in low spirits as well. Before leaving, she specifically said to Old Madam Tang, "I quite fancy this young girl of your family. If you have time, let her come into the palace to keep me company and chat."

Flustered and deeply flattered, Old Madam Tang hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty is too kind. If Your Honour does not disdain a silly girl like Mengyue, by all means let her keep you company to pass the time."

Empress Duanmu was quite satisfied with Old Madam Tang's tact. She smiled at Zhao Mengyue before taking her leave of the grand hall.

With that, the atmosphere throughout the hall instantly livened up.

Accompanied by the music, the guests began to appreciate the grace and charm of the young ladies. The young noblemen also began whispering among themselves, offering their critiques.

Xie Tingyao's dancing was always exceptional, but her objective was crystal clear—she was dancing solely for her Crown Prince cousin to see. As for how others praised her, she simply lifted her chin and ignored them entirely.

It was not until Tang Yuntao took the stage that Xie Tingyao frowned fiercely.

If her eyes did not deceive her, was this vixen making eyes at her Crown Prince cousin?

Caught in Tang Yuntao's intentional yet seemingly affectionate and lingering gazes, Xie Tingyao, sitting in her seat, was so enraged that she nearly crushed the wine cup in her hand. She gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "Another shameless vixen!"

While one side was burning with jealousy over the Crown Prince, Zhao Mengyue on the other side was wondering whether her performance just now had caught the attention of any of the imperial princes.

Yet, as she swept her gaze around, she discovered that not only had the Third Prince left, but the Fifth Prince was also nowhere to be found. The only one left was the Crown Prince, Murong Bo.

However, as her gaze shifted, she inadvertently swept past the masked Prince Lin. Her mind began to stir once more.

A disabled prince? That was also a standard trope for the male lead in female-oriented web novels. Beneath that mask, there was bound to be an extraordinary appearance hidden away. Perhaps he was even better-looking than the various imperial princes.

Once this thought took root, Zhao Mengyue desperately wanted to see the face beneath Prince Lin's mask. After all, his bearing and aura were not inferior to any prince whatsoever. That aura of keeping strangers at a distance only fascinated her all the more.

Prince Lin perceived this bold, unbridled gaze. His eyes turned cold, and he swept a direct glance across.

Meeting that pair of icy eyes, Zhao Mengyue felt as though her entire body had plunged into an icy cave, causing her heart to plummet straight to the bottom.

Such a terrifying gaze!

While feeling thoroughly startled, Zhao Mengyue hurriedly averted her eyes. This person was simply too terrifying.

Just a single glance had caused her entire back to stiffen.

Prince Lin merely glanced once before withdrawing his gaze. As his personal bodyguard, Anan naturally noticed this as well, but since the Prince gave no orders, he simply pretended to see nothing at all.

Tang Zhaozhao was eating pastries and watching the performance in utmost leisure. However, as her casual glance swept past her second uncle, Tang Wen, who was devouring his food like a starving ghost, the corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Wasn't Second Uncle supposed to be someone who always cared deeply about his reputation and face? This ravenous, starved-ghost appearance of his was far more conspicuous than her own fondness for snacks. If Madame Zhou beside him hadn't intentionally tried to shield him from view, her second uncle would probably have been exposed long ago.

Tang Zhaozhao twitched the corner of her mouth. Was all this really necessary?! She refused to believe that the Second Branch was short on silver.

Lifting her gaze away, Tang Zhaozhao shifted her attention back to the noble young ladies dancing.

Tang Yuntao had finished her dance routine. Before leaving the stage, she once more looked expectantly in the direction of Crown Prince Murong Bo, but he still did not spare her even a single glance. This left Tang Yuntao deeply wounded.

Seeing this, Xie Tingyao let out a cold snort. What kind of vixenish creature was she? With just that bit of meager charm, she actually dared to show off in front of her Crown Prince cousin!

When Tang Yuntao left the stage, her eyes were red with unshed tears. Madame Zhou took everything in and felt rather anxious. Turning her head, she saw Tang Wen still stuffing his face, and a burst of nameless anger flared up in her heart.

Yet Tang Wen was acting this way because he hadn't tasted meat or oil in three days; his intestines were practically washed clean. Coupled with having no appetite for breakfast and failing to eat a single bite, he was already thoroughly famished.

Old Madam Tang hadn't paid attention to her son's side. Overjoyed by Zhao Mengyue's performance today, she pulled Zhao Mengyue's hand and showered her with praise, completely oblivious to the fact that Zhao Mengyue's complexion was somewhat pale due to the glance Prince Lin had cast earlier.

After watching the performances for a long time, Tang Zhaozhao grew somewhat bored. She leaned close to Song Rongzhi's ear and whispered a few words.

Song Rongzhi glanced not far away at Lin Guanguan and gently nodded. Only then did Tang Zhaozhao stand up and walk out of the grand hall.

The moment Tang Zhaozhao left, Song Rongzhi said to Tang Wu, "Go and swap Guanguan into my seat."

Hearing this and understanding his wife's intention, Tang Wu hesitated and said, "Wouldn't it be better to wait until we return to the manor and send her an invitation to visit us instead?"

Song Rongzhi shook her head and replied, "Zhaozhao said that leaving that poison in the body for too long is no good; the sooner it's cleared out, the better." Their daughter's meaning was that she needed to carefully take Lin Guanguan's pulse once more before formulating the antidote.

Hearing this, Tang Wu could only nod. He stood up and walked toward Baitianyu's seating area.

Tang Zhaozhao did not walk very far after leaving the grand hall, fearing that her mother would find it difficult to locate her if she came out. She simply found a casual spot to sit down near some artificial rockery not far away.

Out of sheer boredom, she kicked a pebble at her feet. Suddenly, she heard the sound of wooden wheels rolling and raised her head.

Pushed by Anan, Prince Lin was heading precisely in her direction.

Tang Zhaozhao twitched the corner of her mouth. "His Highness is in such fine spirits today; why didn't you stay in the grand hall a little longer?"

Prince Lin moved his hand slightly on the armrest, and Anan behind him vanished from the spot, leaving only the two of them—Tang Zhaozhao and himself.

Scanning her surroundings, Tang Zhaozhao said playfully, "Aren't you afraid of being spotted by someone with ulterior motives, Prince Lin?"

The Tang family was currently a very fat piece of meat, and Prince Lin meeting her in private was hardly a good thing if someone happened to catch them.

The lips beneath Prince Lin's mask curved slightly. "For a crippled man, even if others harbor suspicions, they won't pay too much attention. What are you worried about, little girl?"

Tang Zhaozhao rolled her eyes. "I just don't want to get mixed up with you royal folks."

Prince Lin smiled faintly. "Isn't it a bit too late to be saying that now?"

Tang Zhaozhao stood up. "Not late at all. I am a physician, and you are a patient. By now you have almost fully recovered, and I have collected my consultation fee. It's a clean break—goods delivered, silver paid."

Hearing this, Prince Lin felt an inexplicable wave of displeasure. "Little girl, after accepting the headdress set I sent you, you want to just wipe your hands and walk away?"

Tang Zhaozhao felt that Prince Lin's choice of words was thoroughly inappropriate. Uncomprehendingly, she asked, "What do you mean by walking away, Your Highness? This is called a clean transaction. Besides, that set of headdress ornaments was something you voluntarily gave me; wanting to go back on it now is absolutely out of the question. Understand?"

Watching Tang Zhaozhao raise her little fist in a threatening gesture, Prince Lin's mood instantly improved once more. With profound meaning, he dropped a sentence, "Is that so? Then you must remember to keep those things safe."

Left completely baffled by his words, Tang Zhaozhao was about to say something when Anan suddenly reappeared, pushing Prince Lin away with absolute decisiveness, without even looking back once.

Tang Zhaozhao curled her lips in disdain. "Inexplicable."

The moment the word left her lips, she heard footsteps approaching from nearby.

Tang Zhaozhao narrowed her eyes until she saw the figure of Crown Prince Murong Bo appear not far away.

And he wasn't the only one coming; trailing right behind Murong Bo were three tails: Tang Yuntao, Xie Tingyao, and Zhao Mengyue.