2744 Unbelievable
"Could it really be true? Did Dean Yun actually extend a personal invitation to the Crown Prince Consort and her Sikong Planet battle team?"
/How is this even possible?/
Zhongli Zhiwei's face twisted in disbelief as she stared at the young crown prince consort and her entourage. The idea seemed utterly implausible. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Dean Yun would personally invite them to participate in the entrance exam.
On the sidelines, Chen Baojia was seething with such fury that it felt like her lungs were about to burst. Her eyes bore into Qiao Mu, a mixture of anger and intensity in her gaze. Despite her inner turmoil, she managed to conjure up a perfectly sweet smile on her lips for appearances' sake.
"Congratulations to the Crown Prince Consort," Chen Baojia chimed in, her expression amiable as she continued, "We were just discussing how the Crown Prince Consort seemed to have missed the invitation letter, and here she is, proving us wrong."
Mu Jingfeng also felt his face light up, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Dean Yun went as far as sending a personal invitation letter."
He emphasized this point once again, aiming to highlight the stark difference between their daughters and the children of other families. The disparity was evident in the very nature of this invitation letter.
To his surprise, Family Head Dou and Family Head Dou's smirks greeted his words. "Family Head Mu, are you perhaps mistaken? Dean Yun invited Qiao Mu as a mere accomplice, not as a representative of your Mu Clan."
Mu Jingfeng's sense of unease surged instantly!
/What else could it be if not for Family Head Dou pointing out the matter that Mu Jingfeng had deliberately omitted?/
The Emperor was in a buoyant mood, nodding approvingly. "Since the Crown Prince Consort has also received an invitation letter, then she shall accompany the Crown Prince."
"Your brother, Prince Zheng, is already within the academy. You can offer them some guidance."
"Second Elder and Third Elder are requesting an audience."
"Please." The Emperor paused and cast a slightly sheepish look at his son's attention caught in this direction.
/Could it be that these Second Elder and Third Elder had already aligned themselves with the young crown prince consort?/
/Why else would his son make such arrangements?/
The Emperor felt a glimmer of insight. He offered a smile that seemed to convey camaraderie as he observed the two elders making their way into the main hall.
"These venerable elders have emerged from their seclusion to ensure justice for my son. Your efforts are deeply appreciated."
"It's our duty."
Both elders donned long black robes. One appeared rather lean with a ruddy nose, exuding vitality and alertness.
The other had a more portly figure, his ample form even crowned with a landlord's hat. Upon reaching the center of the main hall, he winked playfully at Qiao Mu.
Her Excellency Lady Qiaoqiao remained impassive.
Having encountered these two elderly gentlemen in Shuntian Prefecture previously, Qiao Mu recognized them without difficulty.
The one with the ruddy nose had an insatiable fondness for spirits, treating it almost as his life's sustenance. He even once raided her collection of winter fruit liquor.
Later on, after the Pangu Tribe and the Jing Family dispatched assassins after her, this elderly gentleman attempted, albeit futilely, to help clean up the aftermath. Though the Emperor's idea, it still had his involvement!
Considering the Scarlet Sky Breaker ship he had gifted her, Qiaoqiao found herself slightly less disdainful of him.
On the other hand, the plumper elder, an unabashed food lover, had once snatched her bowl of porridge. A true gastronome.
Seeing that these two old brothers were present, Fourth Elder involuntarily displayed an embarrassed countenance and inquired with a hint of chagrin, "Why have Second Elder and Third Elder emerged from their seclusion all of a sudden?"
"If you persist in your closed-door cultivation, do you intend to defy the very heavens themselves?" Second Elder rebuked Fourth Elder, his brandy-tinged nose twitching with indignation.
/Very well!/
/He had to restore his favorable standing in the eyes of the young lady!/
Driven by this resolve, he needed to firmly establish his presence before Third Elder could manage to do so.
Fourth Elder regarded his brother with a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. He couldn't fathom whom he had inadvertently offended, nor could he comprehend the sudden barrage of reprimands.
