"Both of your Highnesses have arrived, just waiting to taste the cake you made."
Wang Ying, holding the Duster, stepped in with a straight back, looking down on everyone with an air of superiority.
"Eunuch Wang." Everyone was bowing as they greeted him, and naturally, Chen Mo couldn't be the one to stand out. He bent slightly as well, saying, "Eunuch Wang, it is ready."
Chen Mo pointed to the birthday cake on the table.
"Is this the peculiar cake you mentioned?" Wang Ying circled around the birthday cake, then said, "Peculiar indeed, but so big, how do you eat it?"
"You have to cut it with a knife." Chen Mo took out a small wooden blade he prepared earlier and showed it to Wang Ying.
"Hmm, take it over then." Wang Ying had a young eunuch taste a bit, waited about a quarter of an hour, then tasted it himself, ensuring the cake's overall aesthetic remained intact, before instructing Chen Mo to take it over.
"Yes." Chen Mo squinted his eyes slightly, so this is poison testing. So many rules in the Imperial Palace.
The original owner really put him in a tough spot.
If every day went on like this, he could guarantee he wouldn't survive the chaos nine days later.
...
Chen Mo initially thought that once Wang Ying had someone inspect it, it would be over.
But upon reaching outside the Empress's bedroom, he found four women dressed as guards standing outside, each with a heroic demeanor and a distinct charm.
Chen Mo was stopped right at the doorstep.
A woman with a blank expression approached, pulled out a pouch from her bosom, took out a Silver Needle, pricked it into the cake, and hurriedly held it up to the sun for examination.
Only when the Silver Needle showed no change in color did she say, "You may enter."
Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief and entered, trembling.
Even though the cake was fine, being treated this way was still nerve-wracking.
Just entering the outer hall, he heard a burst of laughter from inside, with a coquettish laugh that refreshed Chen Mo like a spring breeze, a voice as melodious as a nightingale.
"Who's outside?" Just as Chen Mo paused, a voice, somewhat deep, came from the inner hall, and the conversation inside ceased.
"Is it Little Hong?" Xiao Yunxi's voice followed immediately.
"Reporting to the Empress, it's this servant, the cake you requested is ready." Chen Mo respectfully said.
"Come in then."
"Yes."
Chen Mo took a deep breath, lifted the beaded curtain, and carried the birthday cake inside.
At his first glance, he saw the beautiful women reclining on the couch.
The older one was naturally Empress Xiao.
The younger one should be Princess Fu Mao.
The young girl bore some resemblance to Empress Xiao, dressed in formal attire, with willow eyebrows and almond eyes, skin as white as jade, extremely graceful, about fifteen or sixteen years old, looking over with slightly puckered red lips: "Mother, is this the little eunuch by your side? How handsome!"
At those words, Chen Mo shivered, bending lower, hiding behind the cake.
Damn it, this woman trying to frame me.
Xiao Yunxi smiled gently: "Fujin, you scared him."
"Huh? Mother, I clearly praised him, how did I scare him?" Zhao Fujin's face showed confusion.
Xiao Yunxi did not explain, turning her gaze to the item in Chen Mo's hand, she said: "Little Hong, is this the cake you mentioned? It's indeed quite peculiar."
"Reporting to the Empress, it is." Chen Mo said.
"Hmm, present it here."
"Yes."
...
Chen Mo walked up quickly, not daring to look up, intending to leave after setting it down, when Zhao Fujin called out: "Little... Hong, this cake... I've never seen such a thing before. Does it have a name?"
Chen Mo glanced up briefly, then lowered his head, saying: "Reporting to the Empress, this cake is called a Birth... Birthday Cake."
"Birthday Cake?!" Zhao Fujin's eyes lit up.
"Birthday Cake?" Xiao Yunxi was taken aback upon hearing the name of the cake, then said to Chen Mo: "Little Hong, you are thoughtful."
"This is what this servant should do." Chen Mo said.
He didn't want to stand out.
He was completely forced into this.
No choice but to go through with it.
He could make only a few types of cakes.
And only the birthday cake was presentable.
"Little Hong? What is your real name?" At that moment, a handsome young man dressed in a Four-Clawed Python Robe sitting below suddenly spoke up.
Chen Mo looked over at the voice, seeing a face full of authority, seemingly not much different in age from himself, around eighteen or nineteen, yet that air of long-held power invoked a sense of reverence.
"Crown Prince, this servant is named Chen Hong." Chen Mo said respectfully, with a hint of fear in his voice.
Suddenly, the man stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder, Chen Mo suddenly felt a strange force entering his body, warm and comforting.
But soon a sharp pain ran through his shoulder, making Chen Mo immediately kneel on the ground, cold sweat pouring from the pain.
But Chen Mo couldn't care about the pain at this moment, hastily kneeling to plead with the man.
Although he didn't know how he offended the Crown Prince, his life was cheap and he had no right to question the Crown Prince.
In any case, begging for mercy was the only way.
Meanwhile, a system prompt also rang in his mind.
[Ding! Orange talent has been expanded!]
"Chong'er, what are you doing? Today is your sister's birthday, no blood should be shed." Xiao Yunxi was startled by Zhao Chong's sudden action.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Zhao Fujin also widened her eyes at Zhao Chong.
Bowing slightly towards Xiao Yunxi, Zhao Chong respectfully said: "Mother, it's my mistake, I thought Little Hong was a Martial Artist."
A flicker of rainbow light passed through Zhao Chong's eyes.
After speaking, Zhao Chong flicked a Jade Bottle from his sleeve to Chen Mo, saying: "Apply it once in the morning and evening, you will feel better in two days."
"Thank you, thank you Crown Prince." Chen Mo felt his entire right shoulder weakened, but soon he felt the pain in his right shoulder gradually subsiding.
"Little Hong, you may go and rest first." Although all of this was just Zhao Chong's suspicion, Xiao Yunxi certainly wouldn't blame her son for the sake of a eunuch.
"Yes."
Chen Mo put down the wooden blade, explaining it was for cutting the cake, then retreated.
...
Outer hall.
Seeing Chen Mo emerge injured, Wang Ying was startled and quickly asked what happened. Upon learning it was merely a test, he breathed a sigh of relief, and upon leaving the bedroom, said: "Little Chen, you're quite lucky, the Crown Prince is now a Fourth Grade master, if he really wanted your life, with your frail body, you'd be long gone, let alone being gifted medicine..."
Wang Ying rambled on, essentially advising Chen Mo not to hold a grudge against the Crown Prince.
What a consummate sycophant.
Chen Mo smiled bitterly: "I wouldn't dare."
"Not daring is best, otherwise, your life and death would be at the Crown Prince's whim." After saying that, Wang Ying left.
Watching Wang Ying's departing figure, Chen Mo's gaze turned gloomy.