After a while, Natuo’s body shifted a few times. He opened his bloodshot eyes and looked around, then raised the wine bottle in his hand to pour into his mouth.

Yet not a single drop of wine came out.

He immediately swung his large hand and flung the wine bottle away.

It smashed heavily on the ground!

With a “bang.”

Shattered to pieces.

He looked at the fallen wine bottles before him, his body lurching forward as both hands wildly grabbed about in all directions.

But they were all empty wine bottles.

“Someone, someone!” he shouted loudly.

But for a long time, no one responded.

“Where is everyone? Where did you all go die? Wine, bring me wine.”

Still no one answered.

He lay sprawled on the ground, also lacking the strength to call out anything more.

For a long time—

The door finally opened.

But the one who entered was not a maidservant or manservant from the residence, but rather a woman dressed in white clothing.

The woman walked up to him and stopped.

Natuo followed the white cloth shoes before his eyes, his gaze slowly moving upward.

But when it fell upon the woman’s knees, he lacked the strength to lift it any higher.

His head drooped down.

Jing Xuan looked down at the man sprawled before her, her face calm, her eyes carrying an emotion difficult to fathom.

After a long while, she slowly crouched down.

Her white clothing was extremely striking.

Her slender fingers lightly brushed across Natuo’s fallen hair as the corners of her mouth curved up. She said, “Don’t you want the throne most of all? Then I’ll let you taste what it feels like to not get what you want.”

Her voice echoed in the air…

Eerily cold.

Natuo vaguely heard something, his body shifting.

Then no more movement!

Jing Xuan looked at him coldly, then rose and went out.

Just as she reached the doorway, she saw a little maidservant carrying a basin of water, preparing to enter. Upon seeing Jing Xuan dressed entirely in white with loose, flowing hair, she was immediately frightened, her hands trembling as the wooden basin dropped from her hands.

It smashed on the ground.

A full basin of water spilled out.

Splashing onto Jing Xuan’s clothing.

“Prin… Princess Consort?” The maidservant stared at her with wide eyes.

In the dead of night, a woman dressed like this walking out from inside—it would frighten anyone.

Jing Xuan looked at her and said, “Tomorrow when the Prince wakes up, remember to advise him not to drink anymore.”

“…Yes!” The maidservant trembled. “Princess Consort, what is this about?”

Jing Xuan didn’t respond to her. Her hands hung limply at her sides, her spine straight, as she walked forward step by step without looking sideways.

Finally leaving only a thin, lonely silhouette for that maidservant.

After a long time, the little maidservant finally reacted.

She turned and entered the room. Seeing Natuo lying motionless on the ground, she quickly called for people and they lifted the heavily drunk Prince onto the bed.

But… what had the Princess Consort come here to do?

…

The next day, when Natuo awoke from bed, he felt uncomfortable all over.

His head ached violently.

He got off the bed and went out from the inner chamber, discovering that the room had already been cleaned up.

Not a trace of the mess could be seen.

However, he still couldn’t summon any energy. He plopped down in a chair and shouted toward the outside, “Someone come.”

A maidservant entered from outside with hunched shoulders.

“What are the Prince’s orders?”

Natuo propped up his head, rubbing his brow, “Go bring wine.”

“Prince, you should still…” stop drinking.

Before these words could be spoken, Natuo immediately interrupted.

He said, “Why aren’t you going quickly?”

The little maidservant didn’t move.

Natuo raised those bloodshot, haggard eyes to look at her and said, “Did you not hear this Prince’s words? This Prince said to bring wine!”

“This servant heard, but…”

“But what?”

“Last night… last night the Princess Consort came and said to have this servant advise the Prince not to drink anymore.”

What?

Natuo thought he had misheard.

“What did you say?”

“Last night after the Prince got drunk inside, the Princess Consort came.”

“Bang!” Natuo raised his head and forcefully slapped his hand on the table.

“Didn’t this Prince say that the Princess Consort is forbidden from walking around everywhere? Are you treating this Prince’s words as wind past your ears?”

“No, Prince. This servant also doesn’t know how the Princess Consort came here last night? At that time, she was wearing…”

“Wearing what?”

“White clothing, and with her hair down.”

What kind of operation was this?

Dead of night!

White clothing!

Hair down!

If this wasn’t a female ghost, what was it?

Natuo once again thought he had misheard. He braced himself up and asked for confirmation, “Are you certain it was the Princess Consort who came last night?”

“Yes.”

“What did she come to do?”

“This isn’t clear, but when leaving, she told this servant that when the Prince woke up, to advise you to drink less.”

Natuo: “…”

Why did his back feel inexplicably cold?

Somewhat strange.

Although anger flared in his heart, before Gongshi Lin died, he had said he wouldn’t do anything to Jing Xuan.

This was probably the only thing he could do.

…

On another front.

A piece of news spread among a group of scholars.

In three days, there would be a lantern festival by the Wenqiao Bridge.

Many literary masters and nobles from the city had been invited to attend.

As for who was hosting it?

That was unknown!

Most of the students participating in this provincial examination received invitations.

Song Zhi was no exception!

He looked at the invitation in his hand with great surprise, staring blankly for a long time!

Because he was different from others.

Apart from being able to compose poetry, he was neither a great literary master, nor a high-ranking noble, nor did he have backing.

Unlike other students who either had money or power, or had already become disciples under some important person’s tutelage.

So regarding the fact that he could be invited, he deeply doubted it.

Lang Bo happened to pass by his room door.

He saw him sitting at the writing desk holding something and looking at it.

His expression extremely conflicted.

“What are you looking at?” he called into the room.

The voice that suddenly came from the doorway startled Song Zhi.

He turned his head abruptly and saw Lang Bo’s pair of round eyes curiously looking at him.

He quickly hid the invitation in his hand inside his sleeve.

“Nothing.”

Lang Bo’s lips curved in a mischievous smile, “Could it be a letter from some young lady?”

Brother, your phrasing is too literary.

Wouldn’t it be more straightforward and understandable to just say love letter?

Song Zhi’s face immediately flushed red.

He stood up shyly and said, “Young Master Lang… what are you saying? I… no, with my conditions, what young lady would look favorably upon me?”

“Then show it to me.”

“It’s nothing good.”

“Let me see.”

Lang Bo insisted on looking.

He quickly went to pull at his sleeve.

His speed was very fast. Before Song Zhi could react, the invitation he had just hidden in his sleeve was pulled out by Lang Bo.

Lang Bo was overjoyed.

Thinking he had caught some weakness of Song Zhi’s.

However, when he looked at the thing in his hand, he discovered it wasn’t any love letter at all, but an invitation.

His interest immediately waned.

He tossed the item to him, “Tch, and I thought it was something special.”

Song Zhi quickly caught the invitation and patted it with his hand. Very cherishing of it.