Chapter 11 Did I ever say I would grant your request?
Lu Zhaoxue looked up at the sound and met Chu Siheng's deep and firm eyes. The tension that had been taut in her heart for so long quietly eased a little.
Lu Zhaoxue gave a faint smile, which was somewhat relieved, but also contained a hint of bitterness.
Then, Lu Zhaoxue nodded slightly to Chu Siheng.
Yes, she was not alone; she could rely on Chu Siheng. But as soon as this thought arose, it was suppressed by Lu Zhaoxue's deeper concerns.
She had already caused Chu Siheng to fall from his position as crown prince and become a prisoner. Now that he was bedridden, how could she possibly drag him into any more trouble?
Lu Zhaoxue couldn't bear to let Chu Siheng fall into an even more dangerous situation; she already owed Chu Siheng enough.
As night deepened, Chu Siheng had already fallen into a deep sleep. Lu Zhaoxue sat by the bedside, watching Chu Siheng for a long time. Finally, she made up her mind and quietly got up to leave.
Lu Zhaoxue walked to the entrance of the garden and whispered to the guards on duty that she had important business to discuss with His Majesty and asked them to announce her presence.
...
Inside the Baohua Hall, Chu Huaiyu leaned back on the dragon throne, his eyes half-closed, watching the dancers gracefully performing below the stage with a languid expression.
The dancers, dressed in light and colorful costumes, moved gracefully, their skirts billowing in the air.
Chu Huaiyu picked up the white jade wine cup on the table, took a small sip of the mellow wine, and his expression was inscrutable.
"Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei is requesting an audience, saying he has important matters to report," the attendant whispered in Chu Huaiyu's ear.
Chu Huaiyu waved his hand, and the music and dance temporarily ceased.
Eunuch Wei bowed as he entered the hall and whispered, "Your Majesty, the deposed Crown Princess Lu Zhaoxue is requesting an audience outside the hall, saying she has urgent business to discuss with you."
Chu Huaiyu paused for a moment, his fingertips gently stroking the cool glass, a playful glint in his eyes.
Then, Chu Huaiyu calmly instructed, "Have all the dancers leave and summon Lu Zhaoxue."
Before long, Lu Zhaoxue followed the eunuch into Baohua Hall, just as she brushed past a group of dancers who had just left.
The dancers' clothing was somewhat revealing, with skirts that were short enough to reach just above the knee, exposing the lines of their shoulders and necks. This sight made Lu Zhaoxue's ears burn, and she subconsciously lowered her head.
Upon entering the main hall, Lu Zhaoxue curtsied and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise." Chu Huaiyu's tone was low and emotionless.
Lu Zhaoxue stood up as instructed, lowered her head, and slowly stated her purpose: "Your Majesty, I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to bring my younger sister, Lu Zhaoxing, into Jingyou Garden for care."
"My younger sister is young and it is inconvenient for her to be away from home. I hope Your Majesty will be understanding."
After speaking, Lu Zhaoxue waited quietly. For a long time, the hall was silent, and she still did not hear Chu Huaiyu's reply.
Lu Zhaoxue's heart tightened slightly, and she couldn't help but slowly raise her head to look up at the top of the hall, where she met Chu Huaiyu's gaze.
Chu Huaiyu's eyes were as deep as an abyss, and his gaze toward Lu Zhaoxue carried an indescribable sense of oppression.
Lu Zhaoxue swallowed nervously, her fingers clenching tightly inside her sleeve. She didn't know what Chu Huaiyu was thinking.
Chu Huaiyu remained silent, staring directly at Lu Zhaoxue with a sharp, piercing gaze that made Lu Zhaoxue feel uneasy.
Seeing this, Eunuch Wei, who was standing to the side, was afraid that the atmosphere would become too stagnant, so he quickly covered his mouth and coughed lightly, trying to break the suffocating silence.
Chu Huaiyu slowly withdrew his gaze, put down his wine cup, and leaned back on the cushion of the dragon throne, speaking in a somewhat dismissive tone:
"Lu Zhaoxue, I remember that you were most skilled at the Dance of the Startled Swan back then, which amazed everyone at the palace banquet. Today, perform a dance for me."
Lu Zhaoxue was startled and looked at Chu Huaiyu in disbelief, but Chu Huaiyu's expression was serious, and his eyes carried an undeniable force, clearly not joking.
Lu Zhaoxue instantly understood.
Chu Huaiyu didn't want to see any amazing dance; he clearly wanted to see her, this frightened bird, wagging her tail and begging for mercy in front of him, completely at his mercy.
Chu Huaiyu only wanted to humiliate her.
Lu Zhaoxue bit her lower lip, forcibly suppressing the anger and shame surging in her heart. As long as she could bring Lu Zhaoxing to her side, what did this humiliation matter?
Lu Zhaoxue took a deep breath and was about to bow in agreement and prepare to dance when Chu Huaiyu suddenly called out to her.
"etc."
Chu Huaiyu raised his hand, a playful smile playing on his lips: "Go and change into the costumes those dancers wore before, then come and dance for me."
Lu Zhaoxue's face flushed red instantly. She remembered the revealing clothes of the dancers earlier; their necklines were very low and their skirts were ridiculously short.
That wasn't a proper dance costume at all; it was clearly a glamorous outfit meant to please men! Chu Huaiyu was doing it on purpose, deliberately trampling on her dignity and wantonly humiliating her!
Lu Zhaoxue clenched her fists, suppressing the humiliation in her heart, and said coldly, "Your Majesty, I was punished in the past, and my body is covered with scars. If I were to wear such a revealing dance costume, I fear it would offend Your Majesty's eyes and frighten Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to reconsider!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's smile vanished instantly, his expression darkened, and the atmosphere around him suddenly became tense.
Chu Huaiyu's cold eyes churned with unfathomable emotions, including anger and a hint of barely perceptible heartache.
Chu Huaiyu gazed at Lu Zhaoxue's stubborn face and remained silent for a long time before slowly raising his hand and saying in a somewhat unnatural tone, "Then there's no need to change. Just jump."
Lu Zhaoxue breathed a sigh of relief, but she dared not relax at all, after all, she had not danced for a long time, and her figure was no longer as flexible and supple as before.
But thinking of her younger sister, Lu Zhaoxue could only grit her teeth and dance. Without any musical accompaniment, she relied on her memory to slowly stretch her body, raise her hands, turn around, and twirl.
Lu Zhaoxue's movements were somewhat clumsy, even stiff, and the rhythm was not very coherent. She had long lost the agility and amazement she had when she danced back then.
Lu Zhaoxue exerted all her strength in every movement, and a light sweat quickly seeped from her forehead, sliding down her temples, making her pale skin appear even whiter and more translucent.
A moment later, the clumsy dance finally ended. Lu Zhaoxue, slightly out of breath, raised her head, her beautiful eyes filled with expectation and pleading.
Lu Zhaoxue looked at Chu Huaiyu on the high seat and said, "Your Majesty, the dance is over. May we take Zhaoxing to Jingyou Garden?"
Chu Huaiyu looked at the beads of sweat on Lu Zhaoxue's temples and the expectation in her eyes, and suddenly chuckled softly.
Chu Huaiyu's tone was somewhat mocking: "Lu Zhaoxue, did I say that I would grant your request if you danced?"
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