On the way from the Imperial Prince Residence to the banquet, a group of people were walking.
In the center was the First Prince Du Rui, protected by them.
At a certain location they were about to pass, a group of black-clad figures were hiding in the shadows.
"Remember this, all of you: our target for this operation is not to kill the First Prince."
"Instead, it's to stir up strife in the Imperial Harem, making the Empress and those high-ranking Imperial Concubines fight to the death."
"This way, we can more easily infiltrate the Imperial Harem and complete the mission assigned by the high-level members of our sect."
"So, hold back a little later; if you mess it up, see how I'll deal with you when we get back!"
Before the target appeared, the leader of the black-clad figures whispered another reminder.
Then, he made no more sound, lest passersby notice something amiss and ruin their plans...
On the way to the venue for the hundred-day banquet, Shu Consort and her entourage walked very carefully, fearing any accidents.
Fortunately, the journey was smooth and uneventful, and they arrived at the hundred-day banquet venue without a hitch.
During this time, many pieces of news reached Huang Yarou's ears, leaving her quite speechless.
"Reporting, Noble Consort Shu, our spies scattered everywhere have sent back news."
"The First Prince, who is most likely to become the Crown Prince, was attacked on his way to the hundred-day banquet."
"Thankfully, the Empress had made preparations and provided the First Prince with enough guards."
"There was even a Xiantian martial artist accompanying him, so no harm came to the First Prince."
"However, he was a bit startled, and it seems he will arrive at the venue a little later."
After listening to Qiu Zhi's report, Huang Yarou's steps paused slightly.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she continued walking forward.
Clearly, she was only mildly surprised and didn't care much about the incident itself.
After all, it had nothing to do with her, so why waste energy on it!
"Tsk tsk~, this is truly interesting."
"Who is so bold as to dare attack the First Prince within the palace?"
"Aren't they afraid of the Empress's wrath, leading to another major purge of the entire Imperial Harem!"
"But what does this have to do with me? I just hope it doesn't affect Yun'er's hundred-day banquet!"
Huang Yarou's brow furrowed at this thought, feeling quite displeased, and she casually asked.
"Since the First Prince was attacked, what about his younger brother, the Sixth Prince?"
"It's unlikely the mastermind would only target him alone. I wonder who is so brave!" Huang Yarou's face showed admiration.
Qiu Zhi pretended not to see: "Replying to Noble Consort Shu, the Sixth Prince is still young."
"He is currently with the Empress, so it's unlikely anyone would try to harm him."
Huang Yarou agreed with this: "Indeed, trying to cause trouble under the Empress's nose is not an easy task."
"After all, she has a Grandmaster guarding her. Without sending a master of equal Rank, it would be no different from seeking death."
After expressing her sentiment, Huang Yarou continued to ask: "Besides this, have there been any other incidents?"
Qiu Zhi nodded gravely, yet with a hint of schadenfreude in her tone: "Yes, Noble Consort Shu!"
"Apart from the young Imperial Princes, the other Imperial Princes who came to the hundred-day banquet were more or less targeted."
"Fortunately, they all escaped danger, and it was clearly not aimed at their lives."
"At most, it was to annoy them, so their path to growth wouldn't be too lonely."
"If it could cause any adverse effects, that would be an unexpected bonus."
Qiu Zhi's tone gradually turned regretful, clearly dissatisfied with such an outcome.
"Furthermore, the sickly Third Prince currently has no plans to go out, to avoid further assassination attempts."
Huang Yarou was not surprised by this and nodded gently in agreement.
"That's to be expected, after all, that scheme scared his birth mother quite badly."
"She's still regretting it to this day, so how could she let him easily take risks."
Huang Yarou listened to various pieces of news, passing the boring time on the journey.
Du Yun was much the same; he had initially worried about potential accidents but realized he had overthought it.
Compared to his excellent Imperial Brothers, his appeal was clearly not yet great enough, which put his mind at ease.
However, he couldn't be careless, fearing a feint.
Therefore, Huang Yarou did not let her people relax their guard; instead, she heightened their vigilance.
This feeling of having no way to proceed made many abandon their original plans and start changing their targets...
When Huang Yarou arrived at the hundred-day banquet venue with her people, she saw that the hall was already full.
However, everyone was staying in their respective seats, chatting quietly with acquaintances nearby, making the entire venue seem lively.
Upon seeing Shu Consort arrive, everyone immediately rose to greet her.
"Greetings to Noble Consort Shu, Your Highness the Ninth Prince!"
Although the words spoken varied due to different statuses, the meaning was largely the same.
At least no one would be caught with a handle to use as an excuse to cause trouble.
With the respectful voices of the crowd echoing in her ears, Huang Yarou, with graceful bearing and light steps, walked directly towards her seat, accompanied by those who needed to serve her closely.
Then, under everyone's gaze, she gently raised her hand to signal them to dispense with the formalities.
Throughout the entire process, her posture was elegant, and her every move exuded royal demeanor.
The others who did not enter remained outside, waiting and constantly monitoring the surroundings.
They wanted to see if there were any suspicious individuals and were ready to support the banquet hall at any time.
This was to prevent being unable to enter and protect their master if an accident occurred.
The people brought by the other Imperial Concubines were much the same, all watching the surroundings, preventing anyone from making small moves.
As Huang Yarou settled down, Consort De Shen Jingyi and Consort Xian Qian Muyao, who were also among the Four Consorts, directly nodded in greeting.
Although their status was slightly lower than Shu Consort Huang Yarou, they were still within the same major Rank.
Therefore, they didn't necessarily need to bow to Shu Consort; it was entirely voluntary.
However, to avoid giving others cause for criticism, they would still maintain appearances.
Unfortunately, the words spoken afterward were a bit unpleasant, causing Huang Yarou to frown slightly.
"Shu Consort Sister is here! Today is the Ninth Prince's hundred-day banquet."
"As a mother, it wouldn't be good if you couldn't be a little happier."
"So, no matter what happens today, Sister, remember to keep smiling."
"Lest a perfectly good hundred-day banquet end hastily; that would be quite laughable!"
Consort De Shen Jingyi looked leisurely, as if the words she had just spoken were merely everyday conversation.
"Consort De Sister is right; I hope today goes smoothly, otherwise Shu Consort Sister will be in distress!"
Consort Xian Qian Muyao wore a look of schadenfreude, clearly also aware of the other Imperial Princes' misfortunes.
As for whether the two of them were involved, only they themselves knew.
"You two sisters don't need to worry about that. With Your Majesty and the Empress presiding over the hundred-day banquet, I don't think anyone would dare cause trouble in public."
"As for the things happening in secret, they have nothing to do with Yun'er's hundred-day banquet, so naturally, they won't affect my mood."
While the three Imperial Concubines were speaking, Noble Consort Liu Aoqing, the head of the Four Consorts, arrived directly with the Second Prince Du Yi.
Besides Shu Consort, Consort De, and Consort Xian, everyone else, whether they were high-ranking court officials or their families, even the lower-ranking Imperial Concubines, rose to bow under the leadership of the Nine Concubines.
Liu Aoqing, with an air of arrogance, walked directly towards her seat under everyone's gaze.
Only after she was seated did she raise her hand to signal them to dispense with the formalities, looking like a proud peacock.
Everyone was already used to this, so they weren't too surprised.
Even Huang Yarou, at this moment, no longer engaged in a confrontation with Consort De and Consort Xian.
She simply smiled gently and casually offered a compliment to Liu Aoqing.
"Greetings, Noble Consort Sister. You are as valiant and heroic as ever today; you look absolutely beautiful."
"Of course, who do you think I am? Shu Consort Sister understands me!"
Liu Aoqing, who liked to be complimented, looked at Huang Yarou with admiration, and therefore didn't particularly dislike her.
After all, no matter how arrogant she was, Huang Yarou would never show her a bad face, allowing her not to worry too much.
Unlike the other two, who liked to secretly trip people up, like persistent plasters, they were simply annoying beyond measure.
This also allowed Liu Aoqing not to have to pretend too much in front of Huang Yarou, enabling her to be her true self.
Therefore, among the many Imperial Concubines, as long as they didn't obstruct her son's path, she would not actively target Huang Yarou.
