When Prince Wu returned to the banquet hall, he found that most of the guests had already left.
The female guests had mostly departed, with only a few from the Wei family remaining. The male guests, being bolder, had also thinned out.
They were all afraid of the "great python" from Prince Wu's manor!
Prince Wu's face was as cold as frost, as if ice could form at any moment. The banquet could no longer continue. Those who remained were merely waiting for Prince Wu to signal their departure.
Prince Wu forced a smile and apologized to the remaining guests. Prince Qi patted his shoulder, "You were too careless. A python could infiltrate your manor? What are the people you employ doing? Do you need me to send some men to help?"
Prince Qi's manor's spring banquet had also been unsuccessful, but since Prince Qi had orchestrated it, he didn't feel it was a great loss.
Prince Wu managed a strained smile, "Thank you, Imperial Brother, but not for now. If my subordinates can't handle it, I'll ask for your help."
Prince Qi nodded and comforted him, "Don't take it too hard. We're in the same boat, both our spring banquets failed! It's alright, relax."
Prince Wu's smile was more painful than a cry.
The remaining guests bid their farewells one by one.
Prince Wu and Wei Yu exchanged a look, a silent signal passing between them.
Wei Yu understood and told Wei Qing she needed to use the restroom before leaving. At the same time, Prince Wu left with his two maids, Susu and Tangtang.
As soon as the door closed, Prince Wu turned and slapped Susu. She was knocked to the ground and couldn't get up. Even if she could, she wouldn't dare. She crawled to Prince Wu's legs on all fours.
"Susu failed in her duty, please punish me, Your Highness."
Her face was red and swollen, a large lump forming. Yet, she acted as if unaware of her injury, lowering her head to beg for forgiveness.
Tangtang also knelt down.
Wei Yu stood with her arms crossed, "Alright, Fifth Cousin, don't blame them. It has nothing to do with them. When we left, County Princess Mu Jin and her two maids were indeed lying on the bed in disarray. I personally saw Susu do it, so there's no mistake."
Prince Wu only intended to deal with County Princess Mu Jin. Wei Yu wanted to kill two birds with one stone and implicate Wang Qingyao. However, before they could even enter the room, Wang Qingyao found an excuse and left with County Princess Mu Jin.
Fearing she would ruin Prince Wu's plan, Wei Yu had to temporarily abandon Wang Qingyao.
Fortunately, County Princess Mu Jin was brainless. Tangtang intercepted her halfway and, with a few words, coaxed her back.
Tangtang was only responsible for guiding County Princess Mu Jin into the room. Once inside, it was no longer her concern, and she left quickly. Wei Yu and Tangtang hid behind a screen inside. After seeing Mu Jin and her two maids faint, they moved them to the bed, their clothes partially undone, arranged in a suggestive manner.
After completing this, they left, and only then did Susu go to the banquet hall to call for help.
Something must have happened unexpectedly during the time they were gone.
Someone had rescued County Princess Mu Jin and fabricated the story about the great python to divert attention!
"Who ruined my plans?" Prince Wu gnashed his teeth. He couldn't understand what the Emperor was thinking, assigning him an empty shell of a county princess as a consort. No beauty, no family influence, no support whatsoever. What was the use of marrying such a wife?
Wei Yu said, "It was Wang Qingyao."
Prince Wu glanced at her, "You have a feud with her, but don't just blame everything on her. I remember she was in the banquet hall at the time and had no opportunity to save Mu Jin. Besides, how would she know about our plan? Unless..." He pondered, his brows furrowed, a shadow falling over his hawk-like eyes, "Unless there's a traitor!"
He said this through gritted teeth, his gaze sweeping over Susu and Tangtang, who were still kneeling.
This matter was handled discreetly. Besides a few trusted confidantes and Wei Yu, no one else knew.
Susu and Tangtang felt a murderous intent and hastily kowtowed to pledge their loyalty, "Your slaves are loyal to the Prince and have no ulterior motives."
Wei Yu narrowed her eyes, "Second Cousin, you don't understand, Wang Qingyao..." She paused, "is very strange."
Wei Yu recalled the first time she met Wang Qingyao at the lotus banquet, then their confrontation in Consort Wei's Huayang Palace. Each time, Wang Qingyao seemed to have come out on top. Especially the incident with the jade pendant in Huayang Palace. Later, Consort Wei discovered it was a palace maid acting as an informant. Prince Er heard that Wang Qingyao had also given hints.
Every incident seemed bizarre. These were things Wang Qingyao shouldn't have known.
Prince Wu looked at her, seemingly unconvinced. He had also interacted with Wang Qingyao. Generally, she was just a slightly bold girl, with no outstanding qualities, especially nothing to be wary of.
"Think about it, Second Cousin. The first time Susu brought them to the room door, before we did anything, she sensed something was wrong and left with County Princess Mu Jin. It's hard to say if she sensed something again the second time."
This explanation was a bit far-fetched.
"You mean her sense of danger is exceptionally strong?"
That was the only explanation they could come up with.
But Prince Wu still felt it was a stretch. He suspected Prince Qi or Prince Er, or perhaps a traitor among his own people. In any case, this matter would take him some time to investigate. Even the matter of the great python needed a pretense of investigation to give outsiders an explanation.