Chapter 258 World Ten (Extra) Swan

When Chu Shi arrived in this world, the first person he saw upon opening his eyes was not his gentle mother, Concubine Shu, but a piece of bright yellow cloth. According to the midwife who delivered the baby at the time, newborn babies always squint their eyes, and over time, the slits in their eyes will gradually appear, revealing their round, bulging pupils.

But Chu Shi was different. When he was brought before Emperor Shuncheng by the female doctor, he spied on the bright yellow horn. Later, when Chu Shi had grown teeth and spoke vaguely, he told Concubine Shu about it.

The Concubine Shu, dressed in a demure palace dress, seemed not to believe it. She just touched Chu Shi's back and said softly, "My son is very wise. He will definitely be something extraordinary in the future."

He was not an ordinary person. If he was born in an ordinary family, he would have been granted a title of nobility and become a prime minister, enjoying high official salaries. But Chu Shi was a son of the royal family. If he was not an ordinary person, he would not have been content to be a minister, but would have sought a position on the throne.

Seizing the throne didn't seem difficult. After all, Emperor Shuncheng had no heirs, and his only high-ranking concubine was Imperial Consort Zhong. But while Zhong Xianghan was an Imperial Consort, she wasn't a favorite. When Consort Shu and Chu Shi went to deliver sweet soup to Emperor Shuncheng, they encountered Zhong Xianghan, who turned them away.

Zhong Xianghan looked down at Concubine Shu and her son coldly, with disgust flashing in her beautiful black eyes.

It was not until Emperor Shuncheng ordered the eunuch to take the sweet soup from Concubine Shu and welcome her into the palace.

Zhong Xianghan, who had been calm just now, had a beautiful face that finally broke open. She was filled with anger and pointed at the young eunuch and said, "You lowly servant, you just said that His Majesty was busy with government affairs and couldn't see me, but now you are inviting Concubine Shu in..."

The short Chu Shi broke free from the palace maid's arms, walked to Concubine Shu's side, and looked up at Zhong Xianghan.

Chu Shi just thought Zhong Xianghan was stupid for Emperor Shuncheng treating her differently.

Even the most ordinary palace maid could understand that Emperor Shuncheng disliked Zhong Xianghan and deliberately offended her.

If Zhong Xianghan had any brains, he would have swallowed his anger and returned to the palace to make plans.

But Zhong Xianghan, as Concubine Shu had repeatedly told Chu Shi, was clearly a woman of family background, devoid of any scheming. Concubine Shu sighed softly, "If such a foolish woman hadn't been favored by the Zhong family, I would have long since given up on her..."

Chu Shi thought that his mother was also lying. The reason why Concubine Shu did not frame Zhong Xianghan was not because she was concerned about the Zhong family, but because it was a secret warning from Emperor Cheng.

Outside the palace.

Zhong Xianghan eventually left, but in the confrontation between the Imperial Concubine and the Concubine Shu, Imperial Concubine Zhong was clearly the loser.

But she held her head high, without any sign of dejection.

Concubine Shu led Chu Shi into the main hall, her face full of gentleness and tenderness as she personally served the sweet soup. However, she intentionally let Emperor Shuncheng see the burn marks on her fingers.

Emperor Shuncheng frowned, brought Concubine Shu to his arms, and said with a distressed tone: "It's such a small matter, it's better to let the palace maids do it, why do you have to do it yourself?"

Concubine Shu nestled in Emperor Shuncheng's arms and shook her head gently: "I am willing to make sweet soup for Your Majesty."

That weak appearance was nothing like the Concubine Shu who had just been scheming and arguing with Zhong Xianghan outside the palace.

But Emperor Shuncheng was obviously very fond of this. They didn't care at all that Chu Shi was still present, and they fell onto the couch playfully.

As for the bowl of sweet soup that was cooked by the palace maid and served by Concubine Shu, it had all been spilled over and splashed onto Concubine Shu's skirt.

Emperor Shuncheng's voice was hoarse and full of patience: "I will change your clothes..."

The palace maid serving beside Concubine Shu looked around hurriedly for Chu Shi's figure.

When the maid discovered Chu Shi, he was staring motionlessly at the emperor and his concubines, their eyes wide open, on the couch. Startled, the maid crouched down and carried Chu Shi away. Even after leaving the palace, the maid was still terrified: "Young Master, why did you stay there... But at such a young age, perhaps you don't remember anything. It doesn't matter..."

Chu Shi's long eyelashes flickered slightly, and he remained silent.

I heard that the eaves of the Imperial Garden are hung with colorful glass lanterns.

Chu Shi was about to go and see. Although he was small, he walked quickly and soon left all the palace maids behind.

Chu Shi originally thought that he was the first person to come and see the colored glass lanterns.

But when he arrived at the Imperial Garden, he found that there were palace maids waiting there. Through the layers of palace maids, Chu Shi saw Chu Boyu.

Chu Shi was the Sixth Prince, and Chu Boyu the Fifth. However, their ages were only a month apart. Chu Boyu was taller than Chu Shi, and his face resembled Zhong Xianghan's—gorgeous, intense, and tinged with the arrogance of a superior.

Chu Shi opened his lips, took a few steps closer, and called out, "Brother..."

He should call Chu Boyu brother.

Chu Boyu didn't even look at him, but turned to the palace servant and said, "Let's go."

Although Zhong Xianghan was not favored, with the Zhong family around, no one dared to treat her badly, and naturally no one dared to look down on Chu Boyu.

Chu Shi watched Chu Boyu's receding figure and silently clenched his sleeves.

The palace servants finally caught up with Chu Shi and said flatteringly, "Young Master, whichever colored glass lantern you like, I will bring it back to you."

Chu Shi shook his head and said in a low voice: "I don't like any of them."

Zhong Xianghan was sent to the cold palace, but she was not deprived of her position like other concubines who lost favor.

Concubine Shu was watching the various treasures presented by other concubines to please her, and whispered, "It's all for the Zhong family..."

Before Concubine Shu finished her words, she turned and saw Chu Shi. She gently beckoned Chu Shi to her side. A jade Buddha statue, suspended by a red silk thread, hung around Chu Shi's neck.

Concubine Shu was very satisfied. She tapped Chu Shi's nose with her finger and said softly, "In the future, Shi'er will be your father's favorite child. Are you happy or not?"

Chu Shi raised his face, and the corners of his lips curved: "Happy."

Without Zhong Xianghan, Chu Boyu became an extremely embarrassing existence in the palace.

Everyone can bully Chu Boyu, from the prince to the humble palace maid.

Chu Shi was one of them. He was not like the others, beating and kicking Chu Boyu like an uncivilized barbarian.

Chu Shi learned Concubine Shu's methods. He bullied Chu Boyu again and again, making himself embarrassed, and then put the blame on Chu Boyu.

When he saw Emperor Shuncheng coming, hope flashed in Chu Boyu's eyes.

But soon, he learned that Emperor Shuncheng believed Chu Shi's words, and his dark eyes became dim again.

Chu Shi finally saw that Chu Boyu, who was as noble and proud as a swan, gradually became humble. He no longer held his back high, but intentionally or unintentionally avoided everyone's sight.

Soon, Chu Boyu was demoted to Shu City by Emperor Shuncheng because of his mistakes.

Chu Shi inquired about the situation in Shu City. It was desolate and cold, and it was not a place where the noble swans could stay.

However, Emperor Shuncheng, under the pretext of venting his anger on Chu Shi, threw Chu Boyu to Shu City and ordered the officials of Shu City to treat Chu Boyu poorly.

When Concubine Shu learned that Emperor Shuncheng had achieved this, she was overjoyed and thought to herself that without Concubine Zhong standing in her way, she would be crowned as the empress in no time.

Chu Shi's eyebrows were indifferent. He believed that even if Zhong Xianghan was gone, Emperor Shuncheng would not make Concubine Shu the empress.

Because when Emperor Shuncheng looked at Concubine Shu, he only looked at her with the eyes of a beloved pet, as if Concubine Shu was a cat or a dog, but not a complete person.

Things turned out just as Chu Shi had expected. From the age of six to twelve, Concubine Shu's dream of becoming queen was never realized.

Countless beautiful concubines were sent to Emperor Shuncheng's bed, but his favorite was still Concubine Shu.

From her initial disappointment, Concubine Shu gradually began to cheer herself up and find reasonable excuses for Emperor Shuncheng.

——Her status was too low, and the ministers could not be convinced by her being made queen, so Emperor Shuncheng did not appoint a queen for a long time.

——Emperor Shuncheng still doted on her, otherwise he would not have loved her so much. Among all his ministers, he treated Chu Shi the best.

When Emperor Shuncheng died, he did not pass the throne to Chu Shi, but gave the throne to Chu Boyu who was suffering in Shu City.

Concubine Shu was now in a trance. She smashed the precious porcelain in the palace and said, "Your Majesty would never do this. It must be the Zhong family who harmed Your Majesty and forged the imperial edict. It must be so!"

After saying this, Concubine Shu wanted to look for the court officials, but before she could even step out of the palace gate, she was blocked by General Zhong, who was covered in armor.

Chu Shi had seen the handwriting of the imperial edict, and it was indeed written by Emperor Shuncheng.

However, it is unknown whether Emperor Shuncheng wrote it willingly or was threatened by General Zhong.

If Concubine Shu were to speculate, it would definitely be the Zhong family's ulterior motives, forcing or even forging Emperor Shuncheng's handwriting. However, if Chu Shi were to speculate, he would be more inclined to the former.

In Chu Shi's eyes, Emperor Shuncheng should have been a good father.

After all, Chu Shi was particularly favored, and Emperor Shuncheng agreed to everything he asked for.

But in reality, in Chu Shi's heart, Emperor Shuncheng was a completely cold-blooded person.

Emperor Shuncheng did not love anyone but himself. It was not that Emperor Shuncheng could not see that the concubines were vying for his favor and the princes were rejecting Chu Boyu's tricks.

But he seemed to be watching a play, enjoying himself and not exposing it.

The reason why Zhong Xianghan was abandoned was not because of Concubine Shu's frame-up, but because Emperor Shuncheng disliked Zhong Xianghan's arrogance from the bottom of his heart. He preferred gentle beauties, which would fill his heart with heroic spirit.

Emperor Shuncheng tried to teach Zhong Xianghan a lesson, but this was the most favored Concubine Zhong at home.

Ever since being treated differently by Emperor Shuncheng in front of the palace, he has never set foot here again. How could this not frustrate Emperor Shuncheng?

Shufei's frame-up was the trigger, and the person behind the scenes pulling the strings was Emperor Shuncheng.

As for why Emperor Shuncheng suddenly changed his mind when he was dying.

Perhaps Emperor Shuncheng felt that the hardships they had endured in the past few years had taught Concubine Zhong and her son how to be gentle and considerate.

Since the goal has been achieved, from a calm imperial perspective, Emperor Shuncheng believes that it is most appropriate to hand over the throne to Chu Boyu, who has the support of the Zhong family.

But it is obvious that Concubine Shu cannot accept the outcome where the winner becomes the king and the loser becomes the bandit, or Concubine Shu simply cannot accept that she is the loser.

In the dungeon, Concubine Shu was in a miserable state. As the culprit who had framed Zhong Xianghan and sent her to the cold palace, she naturally would not be treated gently.

But even at this point, Concubine Shu did not give up. She humbled herself in front of Zhong Xianghan, softly confessed her sins, and begged Zhong Xianghan to spare Chu Shi's life. Zhong Xianghan did not comment.

Late at night, moonlight streamed through the dungeon window, illuminating the dirty straw.

Concubine Shu hugged Chu Shi, who was almost taller than herself, and said in a gentle voice mixed with cruelty: "Shi'er, you must live. You are the only one left for me..."

Chu Shi really wanted to say that if they were living like this, they would just be struggling to survive, so it would be better for them to die quickly and accompany each other in the underworld.

But Chu Shi felt that Concubine Shu was trembling, as if she regarded him as her only support.

If Chu Shi had said this, the last string of Shufei's heart would have been broken.

Therefore, Chu Shi said nothing, but just stroked Shufei's back and comforted her silently.

But the next day, Concubine Shu personally broke Chu Shi's legs to prove to Zhong Xianghan that they, mother and son, posed no threat.

Concubine Shu has always been cruel and shows no mercy to her own children.

The pain of the torn tendons in his legs made Chu Shi's forehead sweat. He gritted his teeth and looked at Concubine Shu in disbelief. He wanted to ask in his heart: Is it what Concubine Shu wanted for him to have both his legs disabled and live like this? Has Concubine Shu ever asked him what he thought?

But Chu Shi couldn't say anything. The huge pain made him faint suddenly.

When he woke up again, what Chu Shi saw was the corpse of Concubine Shu and a letter explaining his crimes.

Chu Shi survived, but he survived as a disabled person.

He was not used to using a wheelchair, and every time he turned the wheels, his palms would become red and swollen.

But Chu Shi could only get used to it. After all, he was no longer the most beloved son of Emperor Shuncheng, but just a useless person who posed no threat.

Chu Shi moved his wheelchair and walked to the corridor. He saw a thin figure in the corner of the palace wall, burying something in the grass.

Even though he hadn't seen him for several years, Chu Shi could recognize him at a glance. It was Chu Boyu.

However, the once high-ranking swan now seems to have become a docile turtle.

After Chu Boyu left, Chu Shi walked to the corner of the wall, parted the grass, and found a snow-white lop-eared rabbit.

Chu Shi imitated Chu Boyu's behavior and called the rabbit, but the lop-eared rabbit shrank back and refused to come out.

Chu Shi felt a sharp pain on his forehead. He had seen clearly how this lop-eared rabbit had relied on Chu Boyu. Now, it was him who was being treated the same way...

Chu Shirang's lop-eared rabbit was discovered by the bored palace servants. Chased by the servants, the lop-eared rabbit ran to the side of the well.

But obviously, the rabbit's little brain is not capable of jumping into a well.

Chu Shi turned the wheelchair, picked up the soft flesh on the lop-eared rabbit's neck, and threw it into the dark well.

With a thud, it seemed to hit Chu Shi's heart.

Chu Shi knew very well that Emperor Shuncheng was cold-blooded, and as the son of Emperor Shuncheng, Chu Shi was not a good person either.

Chu Shi thought of Chu Boyu, who also had the blood of Emperor Shuncheng and was probably just as cold-blooded. His restless heart gradually calmed down.

At the banquet, Chu Shi looked at Chu Boyu's lukewarm appearance and couldn't help but imagine: What if Chu Boyu was raised in the palace since he was a child, and had never been deliberately excluded and thrown into Shu City to suffer?

At this moment, Chu Boyu should be a noble swan, with an imperial aura all over his body, as if he was born to be a monarch.

The raccoon cat suddenly rushed to the platform, scaring the dancer who was performing. Chu Shi looked away with a lack of interest.

Chu Shi had seen many tricks in the harem from Concubine Shu.

Concubine Shu never thought that these schemes were women's methods, which were not up to standard and should not be seen by Chu Shi.

Concubine Shu thought that she was not qualified to be the queen because of her status.

As the son of Concubine Shu, Chu Shi will definitely become the monarch in the future.

Only by seeing through these schemes can you avoid being fooled by women.

Chu Shi really saw that one of the concubines bowed and begged for mercy, claiming that the civet cat was hers.

Chu Shi sneered in his heart. It was quite novel to use a civet cat to compete for favor and attract everyone's attention.

But this beautiful girl did not attract Chu Boyu's attention.

Instead, it was the frail dancer who won the emperor's love because the raccoon cat was injured.

But she was just a dancer from the Jiaofangsi. To the emperor, she was not worthy of his attention. At most, she was a toy for his entertainment when he was bored.

In Chu Shi's imagination, Chu Boyu, who was gentle in nature, should obey Empress Dowager Zhong's words in everything.

Chu Shi smiled lightly. As the first concubine, even the first position in bed, Chu Boyu would probably have to follow the orders of Empress Dowager Zhong.

However, Chu Shi did not expect that Chu Boyu’s first concubine would be a humble dancer from the Jiaofang Division.

Chu Boyu even went against Empress Dowager Zhong's wishes for the first time for the sake of the dancer.

Chu Shi and the dancer Bao Shan had met several times. Chu Shi had to admit that Bao Shan's beauty and charming demeanor were enough to make any man fall for her. But Chu Boyu shouldn't have been among those men.

But Chu Boyu just loved the fan as if it were a treasure.

This was not what Chu Shi wanted. In his opinion, Emperor Shuncheng did not have a good end, and Chu Shi himself became a useless person. Why should Chu Boyu have a happy life?

Such a cold-blooded bloodline deserves to go to hell together.

Chu Shi deliberately approached the treasure fan. The moment the soft body fell on Chu Shi, even he, who was always cold-hearted, couldn't help being dazed.

Baoshan is indeed as weak as Concubine Shu. No wonder Empress Dowager Zhong is so wary of her.

But Baoshan is different from Shufei. She is naive and childish.

It was as if she really regarded Chu Boyu as her loving husband.

Chu Shi looked at the shyness that appeared on the porcelain-white cheek, and resentment surged in his heart.

Chu Shi spread the news of their intimacy to Empress Dowager Zhong, who then ordered a young eunuch to deliberately tell Chu Boyu how Prince Gong Chu Shi and Bao Shan were a perfect match. As expected, Chu Boyu became furious and distanced himself from Bao Shan.

The moment Chu Shi was summoned into the palace, he was extremely calm and had already made up his mind to never return.

Chu Shi was thinking about what expression would appear on his face when he angered Chu Boyu and Chu Boyu executed him.

Chu Shi hadn't thought it through yet, but he had thought clearly about what to say before he died.

He wanted to tell Chu Boyu: "Brother, I am your younger brother. Do you remember me now?"

As for the precious fan, Chu Boyu, out of jealousy, would inevitably end the beauty's life.

Thinking of the frail beauty and her miserable death, Chu Shi couldn't help but feel moved.

After all, it is hard to bear to see such a soft body suddenly become cold.

But to Chu Shi's surprise, Chu Boyu restrained himself.

Chu Shi returned to Prince Gong's Mansion safely, and soon heard the news of the empress's appointment. The candidate for the empress was not the favored Lan Zhaoyuan, but a newly selected concubine.

What a similar scene.

Just like when Zhong Xianghan was sent to the cold palace, rumors spread in the palace that Concubine Shu would soon become the empress. However, until Emperor Shuncheng passed away, no empress was appointed.

Now Chu Boyu has made someone else his queen and keeps his beloved Bao Shan as a concubine. What's the difference between him and Shun Chengdi?

During the sacrificial ceremony, Chu Shi stood quietly by, watching Chu Boyu walk up the white marble steps and the eunuch read out the decree.

Chu Shi watched the situation turn around, Chu Boyu stretched out his hand towards the treasure fan, and the emperor and empress shared the congratulations of the ministers.

Everyone present knew that it was Chu Boyu who changed the decree on who would become the empress.

As for why Empress Dowager Zhong was not angry, it was probably related to General Zhong who did not appear at the sacrificial ceremony.

Chu Shi had to admit that although they had the same blood, Chu Boyu, Chu Shi, and Emperor Shuncheng were not the same kind of people.

The fact that Chu Boyu could make a dancer his queen and treat her as a treasure, and dismissed all the concubines, clearly shows that he was different from the romantic Emperor Shuncheng.

Chu Shi wanted to meet the queen, but was rejected by Chu Boyu.

But a few days later, Chu Shi received an imperial decree granting Prince Gong a fiefdom - Shu City. He was ordered to leave immediately and was not allowed to return to the capital without being summoned.

When Chu Shi arrived in Shu City, he found that the population was thriving and the streets were bustling, with no trace of the bitter cold of the past.

The guard finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Chu Boyu had thrown Chu Shi into the barren land in revenge.

Unexpectedly, Shu City had already been properly governed and was no longer as beautiful as it used to be.

Chu Shi sat in a wheelchair, looking up in the direction of the capital. He laughed softly, his whole body trembling with laughter, and murmured.

"Brother, I really can't stand up to you."

A swan is always a swan. Even if it becomes a tortoise, it will struggle out of the mud and become a remarkable swan again.