Chapter 70 I will never choose only one

In the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival arrived! Chu Huaiyu held a banquet at the Jiuzhou Qingyan, and all the princes and ministers came to attend.

Empress Dowager Yu and Empress Dowager Rong, dressed in their finest attire, sat on the left side of the hall. Empress Dowager Yu wore a bright yellow palace dress and a phoenix crown, her expression dignified. Empress Dowager Rong wore a royal blue brocade dress with gold embroidery, a red gold hairpin inlaid with rubies tucked into her hair, her eyes filled with pride.

The two empress dowagers were exchanging words, each secretly vying to outdo the other at today's banquet.

Today, Chu Huaiyu was dressed in a black court robe with gold dragon patterns. The gold dragons on the dark silk were lifelike, highlighting his noble and dignified imperial demeanor to the fullest.

He and Du Xianyue entered the hall one after the other. Everyone in the hall stood up and bowed, shouting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

Chu Huaiyu raised his hand to signal everyone to dispense with formalities, then pulled Du Xianyue's hand and made her sit down beside him. The two of them looked like a harmonious couple.

Du Xianyue's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes filled with shyness and love, and she said softly, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Lu Zhaoxue silently stepped back to Wei Gonggong's side.

As the banquet began, the dancers gracefully entered the hall. Their exquisite dancing skills drew continuous praise from the crowd. In the middle of the dancers sat a man wearing a black cloak, playing the guqin. He also wore a black mask on his face.

Upon seeing the man, Chu Huaiyu's expression changed, her eyes darkened, and she seemed to be deep in thought.

When the music ended, the dancers bowed and took their leave, and the man also bowed and left with them.

After the banquet, Chu Huaiyu dismissed everyone, not even allowing Eunuch Wei to accompany him, and went to the Star-Picking Tower alone.

"Father, what brings you here today?" Chu Huaiyu looked at the "former emperor" beside him, his tone calm but tinged with a hint of apprehension.

That's right! The man who played the guzheng at the banquet just now was none other than the late "Emperor"! Emperor Mingwu smiled and his gaze fell on Chu Huaiyu.

"Huaiyu, do you still remember what your father said to you back then?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's expression changed drastically, and his eyes darkened further. "Father, I don't know which sentence you are referring to."

The smile on Emperor Mingwu's lips gradually faded, and he frowned. "Huaiyu, it seems you still haven't taken my words to heart!"

“I told you back then that you could only choose between power and beauty, and you resolutely chose power.”

Chu Huaiyu snorted coldly, "Father, back then I was just a prince, so I could only choose one! But now I am the ruler of this world! Therefore, my choice will never be to choose one again!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Mingwu gave a bitter smile. "And what about Siheng? Are you going to exterminate him completely?!"

After a long pause, Chu Huaiyu finally spoke, "I won't now."

"Well answered, very well! You may not know now, but who knows if you won't in the future! It's just a pity that Siheng is now blind and useless, so he no longer poses a threat to you..."

Suddenly, with a muffled thud, Lu Zhaoxue staggered and bumped into something. She took a few steps forward, looking at Emperor Mingwu and Chu Huaiyu in disbelief, "What were you just saying?! Siheng, he..."

Then, Chu Huaiyu looked at Emperor Mingwu and snorted coldly. He truly lived up to his reputation as a "good father"! He had schemed against him once again!

Lu Zhaoxue wanted to step forward and question Emperor Mingwu, but Chu Huaiyu suddenly pulled her into his arms. Lu Zhaoxue trembled slightly in his arms, her eyes filled with fear.

Lu Zhaoxue suddenly raised her head, grabbed Chu Huaiyu's arm tightly with both hands, and asked sharply, "Chu Huaiyu! What happened to Siheng? Didn't you promise me you would let him go?! You lied to me again!"

Lu Zhaoxue felt as if her heart was being torn apart. At this moment, she couldn't care about anything else and just wanted to get an answer from Chu Huaiyu.

"Chu Huaiyu! Answer me!"

"Lu Zhaoxue, calm down! Things aren't what you think. I didn't hurt Chu Siheng..." Chu Huaiyu pressed down on Lu Zhaoxue's shoulder, his tone tinged with panic.

"Then explain yourself clearly, Siheng, he..." Before Lu Zhaoxue could finish speaking, her vision suddenly went black and she fainted.

Upon seeing this, Chu Huaiyu's pupils suddenly contracted. He quickly picked up Lu Zhaoxue and walked outside, shouting, "Quickly summon the imperial physician for me!"