Qiao Mu was rooted to the edge of the pond as she checked her face from all angles without any signs of stopping, her small face full of bewilderment.
A series of chaotic footsteps travelled past her ears. When she turned her head over, she saw quite a few maidservants hastily running past her on the cobblestone path.
“Hurry up, hurry up!”
“Family Head ordered for everyone to assemble at the main entrance.”
“The crown prince’s carriage has already arrived at the entrance.”
“Ah—” The maidservants’ excited screams rose and fell in disarray.
They had long heard that His Highness the Crown Prince was a peerless pretty boy that didn’t lose out to Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master’s beauty.
What to do? They were so excited! His Highness the Crown Prince rarely appeared in public normally. Ahhhhhh, so he was coming to the Qin Estate today?
“Quickly help me take a look. Look at me, did my makeup run?”
“Heavens, if I had known, I would’ve worn that begonia hairpin today.”
The little fellow had already thrown the women’s squeals to the back of her mind.
Qiao Mu didn’t have time to think it over and abruptly scampered towards the kitchen.
That idiot, why did he really come?
There were people who wanted your life, you dummy!
You’re an aloof and detached crown prince. Why were you joining in on the fun for no reason? Didn’t you know the rule of thumb that banquets were fertile ground for enemies’ conspiracies?
The little fellow ran to the kitchen’s back door in one stretch, and with a graceful leap, she perched on top of the kitchen’s beams. She squatted there while supporting her chin with her hands, observing closely for a while.
The people in the kitchen were currently buzzing about in a frenzy.
People pushed in handcarts loaded with all kinds of ingredients in an assembly-line fashion. It was very busy as people performed their assigned tasks: washing, chopping, boiling, sautéeing.
One of the kitchen manager’s men was currently shouting repeatedly, “Hurry up, hurry up! Why are you dillydallying so much? I said to quickly wash it, the pot is almost ready for it!”
“The guests have already been seated in their places, and the banquet is about to begin. Everyone, hasten up, ah! Quickly, quickly, quickly, quickly!”
Qiao Mu was still squatting on the beam, but she pursed her lips in frustration.
An idea suddenly popped into her mind. If she sent this feast into chaos and turmoil, would a certain person run back to the palace in a fit of anger?
Our dear Qiao Mu blinked her eyes, and her gaze landed on a line of dishes that had been set aside, ready to serve.
A talisman suddenly appeared at her fingertips. After the little fellow silently activated the talisman, her figure instantly vanished from on top of the beam.
Before long, a bowl lid swayed while floating up into the air, hovering in empty space. A pile of seasonings also flew over from nearby.
Very quickly, a bunch of oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, etc., were sprinkled inside…
Intermediate-level talisman—invisibility talisman: It made a person invisible for a quarter of an hour, but was ineffective in front of those with higher cultivation.
After triggering the fourth jade slip, she newly learned several intermediate-level talismans. The diamond talisman was the first type, and the invisibility talisman was the second.
Qiao Mu was finally satisfied after making sure to add a lot of extra ingredients to each plate.
After squatting there and busying herself for a while, Qiao Mu realized that there hadn’t been any anomalies.
She couldn’t help being puzzled. Could it be that Family Head Qin didn’t plan on poisoning the food but had rather prepared an assassination?
However, poisoning food was indeed a bit on the low-end. The crown prince had a specialized doctor beside him that would first examine all the food he was served.
Our dear Qiao Mu drifted out of the kitchen while contemplating, heading in the direction of the Qin Estate’s center courtyard.
Hm, what kind of expressions would they show once they tried the well-seasoned dishes?
If Duan Yue that germophobe were to eat a mouthful of mud, haha, his expression would definitely be exceptionally entertaining!
At this time, Qin Estate’s patriarch, along with his family members, was currently welcoming Crown Prince Mo with a bow at the wide-open main entrance.
The guests had also been informed, and they simultaneously stepped forward to give their salutations.
Mo Lian soon alighted from the carriage, and his indifferent gaze fixated on Family Head Qin, who was at the head of the procession.