Chapter 87 Everything is a Mistake
After Lu Zhaoxue finished bathing, the steam in the palace had not yet dissipated, and the room was filled with a fragrant aroma.
Lu Zhaoxue was wearing a moon-white silk lining robe, the sash hanging loosely to her side, and she was breathing softly.
At this moment, she leaned against the soft couch, her jet-black hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, with water droplets still clinging to the ends.
Her fingertips unconsciously traced the patterns on the edge of the couch, her eyes filled with a blank, dazed look.
It was as if her soul was still immersed in the warm bath, lingering there for a long time.
A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall, steady and powerful, each step like a precise tap on her heart.
Without even looking, she knew the person who came was Chu Huaiyu.
In a panic, she quickly composed herself and closed her eyes.
She deliberately made her breathing even and long, pretending to be fast asleep.
With a creak, the door was gently pushed open.
Chu Huaiyu stood tall against the light, the gold threads embroidered on his black dragon robe swirling in the dim light, exuding an imposing aura.
His gaze swept over the woman on the bed, then suddenly fixed on her bare, white neck.
A hint of desire flashed in his eyes, but he still managed to suppress the restlessness in his heart.
He then bent down and carefully picked her up, placing her back on the bed, his movements carrying a subtle tenderness.
He ordered Eunuch Wei in a deep voice, "Summon the imperial physician."
The imperial physician rushed over with his medicine chest. After examining her, he bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is perfectly fine."
"It's just that my internal energy has been depleted for a long time, which is why I haven't improved; in fact, I seem to be getting weaker every day. I need to rest and recuperate properly in the future and absolutely avoid any further mental or emotional strain."
Chu Huaiyu listened in silence, his face mostly obscured by the shadows in the room, making it impossible to discern his expression.
He waved his hand, signaling the imperial physician to leave.
Then he sat down on the chair by the couch, his gaze fixed on Lu Zhaoxue's face.
His eyes were complex and hard to decipher, containing a dark restraint, a nameless irritation, and a trace of worry that even he himself was unaware of.
Lu Zhaoxue had been pretending to be asleep, but the stress of the past few days, coupled with the languor after her bath, made her unable to resist the urge to sleep and she fell into a deep sleep without realizing it.
When I woke up again, I was awakened by the voice of Eunuch Wei outside the door.
"Your Majesty, the Empress has been imprisoned in the Cold Palace, but she is crying and making a scene, insisting on seeing Your Majesty. Please give your instructions."
"Hmm." Chu Huaiyu's voice carried a hint of impatience.
He then slowly stood up, and before leaving, he took one last deep look at Lu Zhaoxue, his eyes seeming to hold a thousand unspoken words.
In the end, it all turned into a barely audible sigh, and then he turned and strode away.
The palace doors were gently closed, and Lu Zhaoxue suddenly opened her eyes.
At this moment, her mind was filled with doubt.
Du Xianyue was banished to the Cold Palace and imprisoned?
What exactly happened?
Not long after, Haitang and Lu Zhaoxing came in together carrying the medicinal soup.
The two huddled together, whispering to each other, shaking their heads and sighing as they spoke.
Lu Zhaoxue lifted the quilt and got out of bed. She walked up to them and asked softly, "What happened? I think I heard that Her Majesty the Empress was banished to the Cold Palace?"
When Haitang saw that she had woken up, she quickly replied, "Your Majesty, you heard right, His Majesty wants to depose the Empress!"
"The deposed empress..." Lu Zhaoxue stood there stunned, her mind blank, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
"Your Majesty, you don't know yet, do you?"
Haitang added, "I heard it's because the Empress's brother, General Du, plotted a rebellion during today's ancestral worship ceremony..."
"Treason?" Lu Zhaoxue murmured the two words over and over again, her heart filled with turmoil.
The Du family were founding heroes and loyal officials for generations, so why would they suddenly rebel?
I'm afraid he was forced into rebellion step by step by Chu Huaiyu.
She sighed softly, recalling the scene when Chu Huaiyu married Du Xianyue.
At that time, he married Du Xianyue, the eldest daughter of the Du family. In the years following their marriage, he did not take any other women as concubines and doted on Du Xianyue.
This made all the women in the Great Zhou Dynasty extremely envious.
Everyone says that the two of them are a match made in heaven.
In retrospect, it was nothing more than an elaborate scam...
Chu Huaiyu's so-called favor towards Du Xianyue was merely because the Du family held military power; Du Xianyue was nothing more than a bargaining chip for him to consolidate his rule.
Now that he has gradually eroded the Du family's power and stripped them of their military authority, Du Xianyue has lost her usefulness.
Lu Zhaoxue believed that all the women who fell in love with Chu Huaiyu met with bad ends.
Because this person has no heart at all.
"Your Majesty, are you... feeling sorry for the Empress?"
Haitang brought over a plate of delicate pastries, tilted her head, and asked with a puzzled look.
Lu Zhaoxue smiled calmly, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
How could she possibly feel sorry for Du Xianyue?
Compared to the Du family, the Lu family's fate was far more tragic.
Her reputation was ruined, she was stigmatized as "a woman who served two husbands," her sister went insane after her engagement was broken off, her father died tragically, and her mother committed suicide...
The pain she endured was far greater than that of Du Xianyue.
"You two must not talk nonsense outside. There are many people in the palace, and it's easy for others to overhear," Lu Zhaoxue gently warned.
Haitang and Lu Zhaoxing quickly nodded obediently, indicating that they would not discuss the matter further.
When it was time for dinner, Lu Zhaoxue was instructing Haitang to serve the meal when a young eunuch rushed over to report.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty will be coming to dine shortly. Please wait a moment."
Helpless, Lu Zhaoxue had no choice but to have Haitang bring over a plate of lotus root starch and osmanthus sugar cake to temporarily fill her stomach.
——
Inside the Cold Palace, Du Xianyue knelt on the cold ground, her once beautiful and delicate face now devoid of its former arrogance.
She gripped Chu Huaiyu's clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, and choked out:
"Your Majesty, I truly have no idea what my father and brother have done. I beg Your Majesty to spare the Du family, and spare me as well..."
"Du Xianyue." Chu Huaiyu's voice was calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
He slowly leaned down to look at her, his eyes reflecting Du Xianyue's tear-streaked face.
But there was not a trace of pity in his eyes.
Du Xianyue thought he had taken pity on her, so she quickly forced a flattering smile: "Your Majesty..."
"Your brother is a traitor, and according to the laws of this dynasty, his entire family should be executed." Chu Huaiyu's voice was cold.
"But out of consideration for General Du's meritorious service in supporting the emperor, I spared the Du family from extermination..."
Furthermore, in order to mitigate his own punishment, your brother has already confessed to the Dali Temple about General Du's old case of illegally possessing weapons from many years ago.
Du Xianyue gasped in shock, her lips trembling violently, but she couldn't utter a single word.
She met Chu Huaiyu's gaze in disbelief, and seeing his ambiguous smile, her heart sank.
Du Xianyue knew he wasn't lying to her.
Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground, muttering to herself:
"No...it's impossible...my brother wouldn't do that."
How could he possibly betray his father, betray the Du family…”
"If you don't believe me, you can go to the Dali Temple now and confront Du Feng face to face."
Chu Huaiyu rubbed his temples and looked out the window.
He suddenly realized that Lu Zhaoxue must be getting impatient by now.
Chu Huaiyu sighed softly and turned to leave, but Du Xianyue stopped him firmly.
She knew that once Chu Huaiyu left today, she would never have another chance to turn things around.
What awaits her from now on is only endless years in the cold palace.
She stared wide-eyed at Chu Huaiyu, her voice carrying a final glimmer of hope:
"But Your Majesty, I am innocent!"
"My love for you has been unwavering all these years, as clear as day. How could you treat me like this?"
“Du Xianyue, the Du family has committed a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family.”
Chu Huaiyu's voice was completely flat, as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.
"His Majesty……"
Du Xianyue smiled bitterly, and suddenly understood everything.
The execution of nine generations of his family was merely an excuse; what he truly wanted was to completely eradicate the Du family, this major threat.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry, her face as pale as paper, yet she still asked, unwilling to give up:
"Your Majesty, you used to dote on Yue'er so much, so why are you treating her like this now?"
She already had a vague answer in her heart, but she still refused to believe it.
She still hoped that he could deceive her with a lie.
Chu Huaiyu suddenly curled his lips into a faint smile.
His face was still as dazzling as when she first saw him, but it no longer stirred any emotion in her.
Du Xianyue vaguely recalled the palace banquet from years ago.
At that time, Chu Huaiyu stood among a group of princes, tall and imposing, and captivated her at first glance.
At that time, the Du family did not want her to marry a member of the royal family, but she fell deeply in love with Chu Huaiyu and insisted on marrying him.
Unfortunately, when Chu Huaiyu was choosing a concubine, he selected Lu Zhaoxue, leaving her heartbroken and devastated.
Unexpectedly, news of Lu Zhaoxue's affair with Chu Siheng spread throughout the capital.
Enraged, Chu Huaiyu broke off his engagement with Lu Zhaoxue and married her instead.
At that time, she felt like the happiest woman in the world because she had finally married the love of her dreams.
But now it seems that she took the wrong path from the very beginning.
She not only ruined herself, but also dragged the entire Du family down with her.
"Du Xianyue, I have never loved you."
Never.
Chu Huaiyu's voice was icy cold, like a sharp blade that pierced through Du Xianyue's last illusions.
He married Du Xianyue only because of Emperor Mingwu's "deathbed" threats and his mother's constant pressure.
Even though he was extremely unwilling, he had no choice.
In order to obtain the supreme imperial throne, he had to compromise.
Over the past few years, he has been utterly fed up with every time he pretended to be a loving and respectful husband to Du Xianyue.
Now that she has no more use to him, there is no need for her to appear in his and Lu Zhaoxue's world anymore.
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