The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 182 The Treasure of Western Shu
"Good girl, Xingxing." Sheng Yunqing placed the sachet under the table, and under the cover of her wide sleeves, she rubbed the sachet vigorously with her fingertips and gently sniffed it.

She wanted to see what tricks Mu Jiyue was up to.

The moment the light touched her nose, Sheng Yunqing suddenly stopped, a glint of light flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Who switched this thing?
Just then, a commotion arose from the center of the banquet.

"The Queen Mother has arrived——"

The eunuch's sharp voice pierced the night sky, and everyone rose to their feet to pay their respects.

The Empress Dowager, dressed in a magnificent palace gown and carrying a hot water bottle, slowly approached with the help of palace maids.

Mu Jiyue greeted her with a smile: "Your Majesty, you look radiant today."

The Empress Dowager patted her hand affectionately: "You little rascal, you have such a sweet tongue."

Mu Jiyue gently tapped the Gu worm hidden in her skirt with her fingertips. After confirming that there was still a response, she curled her beautiful lips into a smile.

"Your Highness, it seems that Miss Sheng has discovered something wrong with the sachet," Yan Chuan whispered in Ye Jingnian's ear.

"It's alright." Ye Jingnian tilted his head back and took another swig of wine, his obsidian-like eyes tinged with drunkenness, his tone slightly languid, "She'll cooperate."

"Yes." Yan Chuan watched Ye Jingnian drinking and said softly, "Your Highness, ever since you last met Princess Qinxue, you seem to have developed a particular fondness for wine."

Ye Jingnian glanced at him with her cold eyes and said, "What I love is none of your business."

"I was only concerned about your health..."

"Get lost." Ye Jingnian's voice turned cold.

"Yes……"

The Empress Dowager sat on a high seat, with an exquisitely embroidered hot water bottle resting on her lap, its warmth emanating from the brocade.

She glanced at Mu Jiyue out of the corner of her eye and saw her fingertips twitch slightly, and immediately understood.

The play is about to begin.

She casually watched the palace maids dancing in the center of the banquet, pretending not to notice Mu Jiyue's approach. Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, raised her hand to rub her head, and said, "Jiyue... my head hurts so much..."

Mu Jiyue frowned, feigning concern as she helped her up, saying, "The Empress Dowager was perfectly fine inside, why is she in pain as soon as she came out..."

"Oh dear... I... I don't know either..." the Empress Dowager said weakly.

"Your Majesty, look, what is that flashing thing around Sheng Yunqing's waist?" Mu Jiyue whispered in her ear, her voice soft and ghostly.

"Snapped!"

The Empress Dowager's teacup suddenly fell from her hand, shattering into pieces. Her expression changed drastically, and her trembling finger pointed at Sheng Yunqing at the table. Her voice was hoarse: "I...I saw it! On Sheng Yunqing, there is a jade pendant from the Western Shu Kingdom!"

The room erupted in uproar.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Yunqing gently curled the corners of her lips and calmly stood up.

Her fingertips gently caressed the jade pendant at her waist, its smooth surface shimmering with a golden luster under the moonlight.

"Is this what the Empress Dowager was talking about?" She took off the jade pendant and presented it calmly in her palm.

Not far away, Ye Jingnian stared at the jade pendant in Sheng Yunqing's hand, slightly stunned. He then took out the jade pendant from his pocket and began to compare it.

These two jade pendants are almost identical... A hint of triumphant pleasure flashed in Mu Jiyue's eyes, and she sneered, "Miss Sheng, how did the treasures of the Western Shu royal family end up in your hands?"

She suddenly stood up and said to the guests below, "Many people have speculated about me, saying that I used witchcraft to control the Empress Dowager."

"We all know that this jade pendant was forged from a meteorite and possesses extraordinary power. I, the princess, have one, a gift from my father, the Emperor. As for the one that Miss Sheng has..."

Her smile, tinged with disdain, sparked a flurry of discussion among the crowd. Seeing many noble ladies pointing and whispering about Sheng Yunqing, she felt a strong sense of satisfaction.

Mu Jiyue left her seat, suddenly walked towards Mu Hanxing, took her hand and led her to the Empress Dowager. She gently tucked a stray strand of Mu Hanxing's hair behind her ear and said loudly, "Third Princess, tell your elder sister, did Sheng Yunqing take your jade pendant?"

When Mu Hanxing saw the ruthlessness in her eyes, she was so frightened that her eyes turned red. Looking at the people staring intently at her, she swayed helplessly from side to side, and then burst into tears.

Mu Jiyue pulled her into her arms, gently patting her back, and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, your elder sister is here. Just tell me, is the jade pendant yours?"

Mu Hanxing wanted to turn to Sheng Yunqing for help, but Mu Jiyue pinched her waist hard, her beautiful, sinister eyes threatening her.

Mu Hanxing lowered her head and nodded gently, saying, "It's...it's Xingxing's..."

"Who gave the Third Princess her jade pendant?"

"It was... given to me by my father..."

The room was filled with the continuous sounds of discussion.

Mu Jiyue curled her lips triumphantly and said in a languid tone, "Miss Sheng, I can let bygones be bygones for you stealing our national treasure, but since the Empress Dowager loves you so much, I beg you to quickly cure the Empress Dowager of the Gu poison."

Before she could finish speaking, Sheng Yunqing suddenly stepped forward and knocked over the hot water bottle in front of the Empress Dowager's desk.

With a loud crash, the hot water bottle split open, and a bloody shadow suddenly darted out—it was the sealed Heart-Eating Centipede!
The blood centipede lunged at Mu Jiyue from mid-air. She retreated hastily, but then Sheng Yunqing swept her sleeve, and the "blood-dispersing powder" in the sachet scattered in the wind.

The moon-shaped jade pendant at Mu Jiyue's waist suddenly became hot. She screamed and the Gu worm in her sleeve crawled back up, wriggling in a hideous pattern under her skin.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, her eyes filled with disbelief.

How could this be... If the incense used to attract Gu on Sheng Yunqing had only been noticed by her, that would be one thing, but... but when did it become the blood-dispersing incense that backfires on the Gu master?!
"It seems..." Sheng Yunqing put away the Starry Jade Pendant and said softly, "The feeling of being attacked by a backlash is not pleasant."

She tore off the scorching moonlight jade pendant from her waist and had no choice but to grit her teeth and throw it to the ground.

With a "crack," the jade pendant shattered, and the Gu worms that had been attacking her body fled wildly, causing the noble ladies to scream in terror.

However, the fleeing Gu worms soon lost their life and curled up on the ground, dying.

Ye Jingnian, who was leisurely watching the play, suddenly frowned, looked at the fragments on the ground, and his heart skipped a beat.

The Moonlight Jade Pendant... is broken?
The love potion on him?!

Seeing Ye Jingnian clench his fists in anger, Yan Chuan comforted him, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. In my opinion, that star-shaped jade pendant you wear... might have the same effect as the moon-shaped jade pendant..."

Ye Jingnian narrowed his eyes slightly; he would rather the Starry Jade Pendant be a piece of junk.

After thinking for a moment, his voice turned gloomy: "Seventh Imperial Uncle has not yet been cured of the curse. Let's see what Sheng Yunqing does."

In her haste, Mu Jiyue fell to the ground in a disheveled state, the hairpin in her hair bun drooping down, and her black hair falling loose.

The Empress Dowager slowly rose, her aged eyes filled with the anger she had been suppressing for days. She then slapped Mu Jiyue hard across the face.

Mu Jiyue looked up in a panic, gazing pitifully at the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty... Jiyue..."