Chapter 82 Palace Banquet Turmoil
Just after lunch, a scout in black rushed in to report, without making any attempt to avoid Lu Zhaoxue.
She clearly heard that Chu Siheng had arrived in Kyoto and was resting at the inn.
Chu Huaiyu waved away the scouts and glanced at Lu Zhaoxue with a hint of probing in his eyes.
Lu Zhaoxue felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze.
He picked up the teacup on the table and pretended to sip tea, thus concealing his inner turmoil.
"Chu Siheng is coming back. You must want to see him, right?"
Chu Huaiyu suddenly spoke, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Then you shall join me at the welcoming banquet tonight."
Lu Zhaoxue paused slightly in her hand holding the teacup, a few drops of tea splashing onto her fingertips, bringing a touch of coolness.
She wiped her mouth, never expecting Chu Huaiyu to be so "generous".
This left her momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Chu Huaiyu looked at her like this and sneered inwardly.
He knew her too well; if he forbade her to see him, she would definitely find a way to go to Chu Siheng.
If he finds out, he'll be furious.
Since that's the case, why not let them meet openly and honestly?
By the way... it'll also make her give up completely this time!
Lu Zhaoxue suddenly realized that she hadn't bought any new clothes in a long time.
But then she thought, no matter how beautifully she dressed up, Chu Siheng wouldn't be able to see her...
She couldn't help but smile bitterly, her eyes filled with desolation.
As night falls, the Kyoto sky is ablaze with stars, and the blue-tiled roofs trace graceful curves against the night sky, stretching across the staggered buildings.
Lu Zhaoxue followed behind Chu Huaiyu, her steps slow and steady.
But her heart was pounding like a drum, almost leaping out of her chest.
The thought of seeing Chu Siheng soon made her tense up.
She had only walked a few dozen steps when a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on her back.
Upon arriving at the main hall, as a Noble Consort, she and Liu Ruohua sat on either side of Chu Huaiyu.
Empress Du Xianyue suffered a miscarriage and is still recuperating, so she did not attend today's banquet.
As soon as Lu Zhaoxue sat down, she looked up and carefully examined the audience below, but she still couldn't see that familiar figure.
A sense of disappointment crossed her mind.
Just as she was about to lower her head, she suddenly heard a eunuch's high-pitched announcement from outside the hall: "The King of Mo Nan has arrived—"
Lu Zhaoxue's heart clenched, and she subconsciously raised her head, her gaze fixed intently on the outside of the hall.
However, at the same time, Chu Huaiyu also turned his head to look at her beside him.
She could clearly feel the chill in Chu Huaiyu's eyes.
Knowing that he was suppressing his anger, Lu Zhaoxue didn't care anymore; if he wanted to be angry, then so be it.
She gripped the handkerchief tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning white from the force.
Siheng...
It's been so long, I hope you're doing well.
She watched as Chu Siheng's steady footsteps approached from afar, accompanied by his hoarse and restrained voice: "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty."
"Rise."
Chu Huaiyu withdrew his gaze from Lu Zhaoxue's face, forcing a smile onto his gloomy expression.
"The Princess Consort of Mo Nan greets Your Majesty." A gentle and melodious female voice rang out.
"Rise."
Princess of the Southern Desert...
These words were like a sharp, icy knife, piercing deeply into Lu Zhaoxue's heart.
She suddenly looked at the beautiful couple standing in the center of the hall.
The man was dressed in a moon-white long robe, with a piece of warm, lustrous jade tied around his waist.
His eyes were covered by a white veil, and he was tall and aloof.
He simply stood there quietly, like a hermit living apart from the world.
The woman beside him wore a pink jacket and a white skirt, her face, lightly made up, was as beautiful as a peach blossom.
The woman gazed at Chu Siheng beside her with deep affection and focus, carefully helping him to his seat at the table.
Lu Zhaoxue's gaze was fixed on their intertwined arms.
She instantly understood why Chu Huaiyu had allowed her to see Chu Siheng today.
He already knew that Chu Siheng was already married, didn't he?
And that princess of the southern desert was none other than Qianyun, who had traveled to the southern desert with Chu Siheng back then.
Lu Zhaoxue felt a sudden tightness in her chest.
Her heart ached as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, and she could hardly breathe.
She just wanted to escape from here immediately!
She never wanted to see Chu Siheng and Qianyun so intimate again...
"Consort Chen..."
Chu Huaiyu suddenly called her name, and she was startled.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chu Siheng in the audience slightly turn his head in his direction.
She quickly suppressed her racing heartbeat and whispered in response:
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
"You've spilled the wine on your table."
Chu Huaiyu's voice came slowly and deliberately.
Lu Zhaoxue then realized that she had been too nervous and had subconsciously gripped the wine glass in front of her, spilling the wine on the table.
She quickly put down her wine cup and called over a maid to wipe the table clean, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment.
After this little incident, everyone got down to business and began discussing the various matters related to the ancestral worship ceremony.
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