One wanted to be a good brother, the other a good father, yet both had the common goal of becoming emperor, or rather, of ruling as a good emperor.
Under the gaze of many, Yi Zhixie and Sima Han entered the banquet. Neither of them showed any discomfort.
Both had experienced being the center of attention before, and had attended countless such banquets. The stares of irrelevant people were nothing more than air to them, something they were accustomed to.
Calm and collected, they walked up to Sima Zhu and Sima Hao, bowed, exchanged a few polite auspicious words, and then took their seats.
The opening of the banquet was no different from any other.
The emperor would first deliver some New Year's greetings, after which everyone would raise their glasses to toast the emperor and the Grand Emperor, wishing them a happy and prosperous New Year.
Following this, the banquet officially began. People ate, watched song and dance performances, occasionally whispered with their neighbors, or stood up with their wine glasses to approach those they wished to curry favor with, using this as an excuse to strengthen their relationships.
Yi Zhixie and Sima Han were not interested in any of this. Although people occasionally came forward to toast them, they accepted the drinks but then signaled the person to leave quickly.
After Sima Han and Yi Zhixie had seen off a few people, no one else dared to approach them for a toast.
At the same time, some people began to harbor minor grievances towards Sima Han.
After all, he was a prince who had only recently returned to the capital, without any power or influence, and yet he was the son of the Grand Emperor. How could he not recognize his own position?
Their toasting was a gesture of politeness, but who was willing to waste their efforts? They had smiled until their faces ached, only to gain nothing in return. This made everyone feel somewhat annoyed.
Only Sima Han seemed completely oblivious, still smiling and chatting with Yi Zhixie.
This stark contrast was simply unbearable for the others. In the end, without exception, no one else approached them.
As for Yi Zhixie, his status was different, and his temper was notoriously bad. Therefore, even though Yi Zhixie had a dark expression and treated everyone with indifference, people still kept flocking towards him.
Fortunately, Yi Zhixie was also someone who had seen many battles. Once he unleashed his aura, a chilling aura emanated from him, making it impossible for people to approach.
In reality, the main reason was that they couldn't withstand the cold.
And so, after half an hour, the area around the two of them finally quieted down.
Sima Zhu and Sima Hao, seated at the head, while occasionally conversing with others, frequently cast their eyes towards Yi Zhixie and Sima Han.
Even without looking, their ears were perked up, constantly listening to the movements here.
Yi Zhixie and Sima Han were well aware of this but were too lazy to pay attention to them.
Didn't they just want to see their value?
Let them watch to their heart's content; it would be good to increase their own bargaining chips.
If one ignored the hidden power struggles, the entire banquet appeared to be one of peace and prosperity, with songs and dances.
Yi Zhixie and Sima Han were already silently calculating how much longer the banquet would last so that they could return earlier.
Just then, Sima Zhu suddenly stood up, saying that he had eaten too much and needed to go for a walk, asking everyone not to stand on ceremony and to enjoy the feast.
Everyone watched Sima Zhu leave, feeling somewhat bewildered. In previous years, they had never seen the emperor suddenly leave a banquet like this.
Could it be that he was unwell today?
Or was it because of some urgent matter?
Regardless of what others were thinking, Sima Zhu had already left the hall.
When no one was paying attention, Baili Ziyun, sitting next to Grand Princess Zan De, sneaked out with Lin Xiaowei.
The only ones who noticed this were Sima Han and Yi Zhixie.
However, the two of them pretended not to see it.
Although anyone could tell at a glance that Baili Ziyun must have had something to do, otherwise she wouldn't have left at this time.
But it had nothing to do with them. Naturally, it was better to mind their own business than to meddle.
With a key person gone, the atmosphere in the hall instantly lost much of its warmth.
After all, many people had brought their daughters and sons to the banquet, hoping that if any of their children caught the emperor's eye, they would soar to great heights and have nothing to worry about.
But now that the emperor had left, no matter how well-prepared they were, it was all in vain.
For this reason, everyone became somewhat listless.
After about half an hour, when Sima Zhu still hadn't returned, people began to express their surprise.
What was going on?
Did the emperor just feel bored and go out for some fresh air? It had been so long, how could he not be back yet?
Sima Hao, watching the people below whispering amongst themselves, a subtle glint flashed in his eyes.
Zheng Xiang sat in his seat, eating and drinking alone, not discussing the matter with his neighbors.
Suddenly, Zheng Xiang saw Sima Hao look at him and give a subtle nod.
Zheng Xiang instantly understood, so he put down his wine cup and stood up.
"Everyone, please listen to me."
Zheng Xiang's steady and powerful voice echoed through the hall, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Does Prince Duan have something to say?"
"Yes, Prince Duan, please speak freely. We are all ears."
Hearing the people around him agree, Zheng Xiang smiled slightly and said, "His Majesty has been gone for a long time. I wonder if something has happened. If something has indeed happened, should we continue to wait? Or should we leave like this?"
Everyone was stunned by his words.
What did Prince Duan mean by that?
His words sounded so peculiar.
His Majesty, as the emperor, was the master of the realm. Did he need to report anything he did to anyone?
Prince Duan had always been humble and well-behaved, never doing anything presumptuous.
But why today?
Why would he suddenly say something like that?
Moreover, based on Zheng Xiang's meaning, was he suggesting that they should go and find His Majesty together?
If so, what if they disturbed His Majesty's affairs?
Zheng Xiang saw the hesitant expressions on everyone's faces and knew that these people would not follow him.
This was understandable. After all, he was the emperor, their heaven.
They were naturally unwilling to do something that might offend the emperor.
But he was different.
No matter who the current emperor was, his master had always been the Grand Emperor.
The Grand Emperor, seated above, inwardly sneered at the reaction of the people below.
In such a short time, those who had once obeyed his every command had now become Sima Zhu's dogs.
Since they were now unwilling to act according to his wishes, then in the future, when he *** *** ***, these people would no longer be fit to hold their positions.
Having made a decision in his heart, Sima Hao said, "I wonder if His Majesty has been captivated by the scenery. Although there is no moon tonight, I saw many stars on my way here. We usually enjoy the scenery during the day, but tonight, let's take a stroll through the Imperial Garden. What do you say?"
Sima Hao's words seemed to be asking for everyone's opinion.
But before anyone could react, he had already stood up and walked out.
Following closely behind Sima Hao was Zheng Xiang.
Behind Zheng Xiang were a few more people, all of whom were considered part of the Grand Emperor's faction.
Everyone present knew about the power struggle between Sima Hao and Sima Zhu.
However, no one had expected that Sima Hao would not give Sima Zhu any opportunity to make a mistake in such a situation.
This made those who thought Sima Hao was getting old, once again wary of him.
It seemed that although Sima Hao was old and in poor health, his heart was still that of a young emperor.
He still desired many, many things.
In just a moment, although everyone had been thinking a lot, their actions were not slow. Each and every one of them stood up and followed.
Currently, Sima Zhu appeared to be the emperor, but looking at the people following behind Sima Hao, they were not only well-versed in civil and military affairs, but more importantly, they were all powerful ministers of the court.
With such influence, it was no wonder Sima Hao chose to counterattack today.
As everyone slowly walked out, the hall instantly became quiet.
Yi Zhixie and Sima Han exchanged glances, seeing interest in each other's eyes.
Although they didn't know what Sima Hao was up to tonight, it looked like it was going to be a good show.
Sima Han also remembered that Zheng Wei had said earlier that he would tell them what happened that night after they returned. He speculated that this was what he was referring to. But how did Zheng Wei know?
This perplexed them, but the most important thing at the moment was to follow and watch the show.
As they walked out of the hall, they saw everyone slowly proceeding along the path towards the Imperial Garden.
It was obvious that Sima Hao was at the very front.
Sima Hao walked extremely slowly, occasionally chatting with the people closely following behind him, pointing at the stars, appearing as if he were truly enjoying the scenery.
Yi Zhixie found it a bit strange. This was clearly a situation for catching someone in the act, yet why did he appear so leisurely, enjoying the night view?
Since he was not in a hurry, it must mean that he had full confidence in what would happen tonight.
The more this was the case, the more Yi Zhixie found it interesting.
Evidently, Sima Hao did not understand this principle and continued to walk at a leisurely pace.
Under Sima Hao's lead, everyone circled more than half of the Imperial Garden, but except for the night guards, they saw nothing.
This made everyone's hearts lighten, yet also feel a slight sense of disappointment.
Just then, Zheng Wei and Sima Han's movements froze, and they both looked forward in shock.
Who could tell them what this situation was?
Yi Zhixie and Sima Han could hear the sounds because their hearing was excellent.
But the people ahead were not the same.
They still hadn't heard anything.
It wasn't until they had walked for about another quarter of an hour that they finally heard some sounds.
However, these sounds made everyone's faces change, and some even showed regret.
They were truly pathetic!
Why did they follow along?