768: Chapter 768 The First Toast, to Mr. Ye!

Duke Hilder's mouth twitched.

He finally understood why Felix had fallen into this man's hands.

It wasn't because Felix was stupid, but because this man's appearance was too deceptive.

Who could have imagined that a young man wearing street-market clothes could drag the High Priest of Eagle Country down from his pedestal?

No one could have even imagined...

That a twenty-something-year-old brat could make the entire nobility of Eagle Country sit here waiting for him!

So Felix fell.

He didn't fall unjustly at all.

Ye Chen walked into the hall, swept his gaze across the room, and said indifferently, "Yo, quite grand."

The Queen stood up from the main seat, a smile on her face.

"Mr. Ye, please sit."

Ye Chen nodded, walked to the empty seat on the Queen's right, and sat down.

That seat had originally been reserved for the most distinguished guests.

Those who had sat in that position before included foreign heads of state or merchants with wealth rivaling a nation.

Never had a young person been able to sit in that position.

But today, someone had done it.

Euphemia skipped over to Ye Chen's side and sat down in the empty seat next to him.

Then, she tilted her head and flashed a brilliant smile at the nobles opposite them.

"Hmph! You're all stunned, aren't you? You didn't expect this, did you! Ye Chen is just that amazing!"

And a person like this... is the only one worthy of me!!!

The Queen raised her wine glass.

"Everyone, I have invited you all here today for one reason only."

She paused, her gaze falling on Ye Chen.

"To thank Mr. Ye for rooting out that scoundrel, the High Priest, for Eagle Country."

"If it weren't for Mr. Ye, the High Priest might have continued to deceive the people of Eagle Country for ten, twenty, or even more years."

"The grievances of those victims might never have been cleared."

"Therefore, I propose that the first glass of wine be a toast to Mr. Ye."

Having said this, she raised her wine glass, tilted her head back, and drained it in one gulp.

The nobles' breathing hitched as they collectively raised their glasses and followed suit, draining them in one gulp.

"To Mr. Ye!"

Ye Chen picked up his glass, took a sip, and set it down.

"You're too kind. It was just a small matter."

A small matter. These four words were like a knife, stabbing into the heart of every noble present.

He took down the High Priest as a "small matter"? If he actually got serious, what would happen?

Duke Hilder's face turned even uglier. He set down his wine glass, his hand clenching tightly under the table.

He remembered the letter he had asked Hatton to deliver to the High Priest's residence last night.

In that letter, he had written a lot. He wrote about his dissatisfaction with Ye Chen, about Ye Chen's "defilement" of the Eagle Country royal bloodline, and his request for the High Priest to step forward and "clean up the house"...

He thought the High Priest could handle Ye Chen. And the result? The High Priest was finished.

And he, Hilder, was sitting here right now, acting like nothing had happened, raising his glass to toast Ye Chen.

Ironic. It was too ironic.

But the most ironic part was... if he wanted to get through this, he had to rely on Ye Chen's attitude.

Therefore, the only way was...

Duke Hilder took a deep breath and stood up from his chair.

The eyes of everyone in the hall fell on him, full of confusion. What was this old fox, who had been calling the shots in Eagle Country politics for decades, doing right now?

However, ignoring the entire room, Duke Hilder straightened his suit lapels and walked up to Ye Chen.

Then, he bent over at a ninety-degree angle and bowed deeply.

"Mr. Ye, on behalf of the Kent Family, I apologize to you."

Ye Chen asked indifferently, "What are you apologizing to me for?"

Duke Hilder hurriedly explained.

"Yesterday, my son Felix spoke rudely to you; it is because I failed to teach him well."

"Today, in front of Her Majesty the Queen and all the nobles, I am making amends to you."

Having said this, he straightened up, turned his head toward his seat, and his voice suddenly became cold and sharp.

"Felix! Get over here!"

Felix's face was pale as paper. He didn't want to go, but he had no choice.

Hilder grabbed him by the back of the neck and, like holding down a chicken, forced his head down.

"Apologize."

Felix felt deeply humiliated, but he had to speak.

"Mr... Mr. Ye, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you a hick yesterday, I shouldn't have said you were wearing street-market clothes, I shouldn't have..."

"Enough." Hilder interrupted him. "Kneel."

Felix's knees went weak, and he knelt directly on the ground.

The hall was deathly silent. The nobles looked at each other.

The Kent Family, one of the oldest and most illustrious ducal families in Eagle Country, was currently kneeling like a schoolchild who had made a mistake before a Long Country man wearing a white T-shirt.

This scene was even more shocking than the videos of the High Priest from earlier today.

Was it... really necessary to make such a big fuss? Or was it that the Kent Family had something to hide? Otherwise... it shouldn't have come to this, right?

Ye Chen sat in his chair, turned his head, and glanced at Euphemia, who was snickering beside him.

"Mia, are the knees of you nobles in Eagle Country not very sturdy?"

Euphemia was stunned for a moment. "Huh?"

Ye Chen said with a straight face.

"Why do you kneel at the drop of a hat?"

"I've said it before, young people nowadays need to know how to practice restraint."

"If you don't practice restraint, you end up looking like this, with weak waists and knees."

Euphemia: "..." The nobles in the hall: "..."

Some wanted to laugh but held it in with great difficulty. Some couldn't hold it in and choked on their red wine, coughing until their faces turned bright red.

The Queen sat on the main seat, her mouth twitching slightly, and raised her wine glass to cover half her face.

Duke Hilder's face turned the color of a pig's liver. He raised his head and tried hard to squeeze out a smile that was uglier than crying.

"Mr. Ye, you are joking."

"I am not joking." Ye Chen set down his wine glass and looked at him seriously. "I am sincere."

"And I might as well tell you, I am a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and I can treat kidney deficiency."

"It only costs 888,000, and the prescription will be delivered to your door. Do you want one?"

Hilder: "..." Fuck! Was this guy trying to embarrass them on purpose?

If he accepted, it would be tantamount to admitting his son had kidney deficiency. But if he didn't accept, wouldn't his bow and his son's kneeling be all for nothing???

Felix was kneeling on the ground, his face turning an even deeper shade of purple. Humiliation! This guy was definitely humiliating him!

However, in fact, they had all misunderstood Ye Chen. Ye Chen really could tell that he was not capable...

Ye Chen sighed. "Alright, get up."

"Huh?" Felix looked up, his face full of confusion.

"I said get up." Ye Chen waved his hand. "I'm not a judge in your Eagle Country, what's the point of you kneeling to me? I don't take cases. If you are here to buy a prescription, I would welcome that."

Felix was stunned for a moment and instinctively looked at his father.

Hilder gave a wry smile and explained, "Mr. Ye, actually... it was us who asked the High Priest to go and cause trouble for you."

That's right. He knew that no matter how he tried to hide it, it was useless. Whether it was discovered by the royal family or by Ye Chen, it would be a fatal blow.

And a great man knows when to bend and when to stretch. By admitting it directly, perhaps there might still be room for maneuver.

As for the layout of more than ten years? Push it back, talk about it later...

However, following his admission, the entire banquet hall fell into a deathly silence.

All gazes first lingered on Duke Hilder for a few seconds, then collectively turned toward Ye Chen.

What did Hilder just say? He asked the High Priest to cause trouble for Ye Chen? That means... it was because he was stirring up a hornet's nest behind the scenes. Therefore, the High Priest was exposed, and that was why the protest with tens of thousands of people happened afterward. And they were the instigators???

Euphemia's eyes widened. "You are despicable!" "How could you do such a thing???"

Hilder did not look at her, his gaze locked firmly on Ye Chen, waiting for this young man's verdict.

Felix was kneeling on the ground, his whole body trembling. He knew what his father was doing... His father was using the centuries-old foundation of the Kent Family to gamble for a chance to survive. Gambling that Ye Chen wouldn't bother to hold it against them. Gambling that the Queen would take the Kent Family's past contributions into account and deal with them leniently!!!

The Queen sat on the main seat, her expression gradually turning cold. "Hilder, do you know what you are saying?"

Hilder took a deep breath, turned around, and bowed deeply to the Queen. "Your Majesty, I do."

"Regarding the High Priest, I was the one who had Hatton deliver the letter."

"I wanted to use the High Priest's hand to drive Mr. Ye out of Eagle Country, so that Felix would have the opportunity to..." He paused, not continuing.

But everyone understood the meaning behind his words. To give Felix the opportunity to get close to Euphemia, the opportunity to complete the marriage alliance that had been planned for over a decade.

The looks in the eyes of the nobles in the hall became strange. The Kent Family had been entrenched in Eagle Country politics for centuries; their influence was too great, and their reach too long, and many had long since been displeased with them. They just lacked the opportunity. Now, Hilder was essentially handing them the knife himself.

For a moment, many people around were already restless, preparing to kick them while they were down.

The Queen set down her wine glass. "Good, very good indeed!"

Her gaze then fell upon Ye Chen. "Mr. Ye, what is your judgment?"