Chapter 5 A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs
Time slips away silently, and in the blink of an eye, the annual birthday celebration arrives.
On this day, the Forbidden City was brightly lit, and the Hundred Flowers Garden was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. The new emperor, Chu Huaiyu, was going to hold a banquet here to celebrate the birthday of all the civil and military officials.
The bright moonlight shone on the magnificent pavilions and towers. Officials, dressed in their court robes, took advantage of the festive occasion to curry favor with the new emperor, each bringing carefully prepared rare treasures as gifts.
At this moment, Chu Huaiyu sat upright on the dragon throne in the main seat. His bright yellow dragon robe made him look even more majestic, and his face was extremely handsome.
Chu Huaiyu listened as the officials below enthusiastically described the rare and precious treasures they had presented.
There are luminous pearls brought as tribute from the Western Regions, pearls harvested from the blue sea, large corals presented by lamas, and rare calligraphy and paintings by famous artists.
Throughout, Chu Huaiyu's lips curled into a faint smile, yet the smile seemed both genuine and feigned.
On the surface, Chu Huaiyu appeared quite interested in these treasures, but deep in his eyes was an unfathomable indifference, as if these rare treasures before him could not capture his heart.
"Your Majesty, I have something to offer." The Minister of Rites stepped forward and bowed, presenting a brocade box.
The Minister of Rites said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this jade bracelet was originally owned by Princess Lan Qi of the previous dynasty. After the fall of the previous dynasty, the bracelet was lost to the common people and its whereabouts remain unknown to this day."
“Coincidentally, I saw it by chance in a pawn shop a few days ago and bought it at a high price. Today I have come to present it to Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu's smile vanished, and his deep black eyes suddenly darkened. His gaze was fixed on the brocade box, filled with a complex and unreadable emotion.
Upon seeing this, Eunuch Wei quickly stepped forward, took the brocade box, carefully opened it, and presented the jade bracelet inside to Chu Huaiyu.
The pair of jade bracelets were dark green all over and had a warm, smooth texture; they were indeed rare treasures.
Chu Huaiyu reached out and gently picked up the jade bracelet, his fingertips caressing the cool jade surface. He stared at it intently, as if lost in some distant memory.
Seeing this, Empress Du Xianyue, who was sitting next to Chu Huaiyu, covered her mouth and giggled, her voice soft and melodious: "Your Majesty is so focused, do you like this jade bracelet?"
"I also greatly admire this jade bracelet; it is truly no ordinary item. I wonder if Your Majesty would be so kind as to bestow it upon me?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Huaiyu slowly came to his senses. He gently put down the jade bracelet in his hand and instructed Eunuch Wei, "The color of this jade bracelet is too dull, and the quality is also mediocre. Take it away."
After saying this, Chu Huaiyu turned to look at Empress Du Xianyue. The darkness in his eyes had dissipated, replaced by a gentle smile.
"Moon, you are so bright and beautiful. How can such a dull color be worthy of you?"
Upon hearing this, a fleeting hint of disappointment flashed in Du Xianyue's eyes, but she quickly replaced it with a gentle smile and nodded obediently, saying, "Your Majesty is absolutely right."
The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments still filled the Bai Le Yuan (Hundred Paradise) park, and the flattering voices of the officials continued to fill the air.
But Chu Huaiyu's gaze once again drifted into the distance, landing on the bright moon, and deep in his eyes was a trace of bewilderment that no one could understand.
At this moment, inside the Cining Palace.
The lingering string music from the amusement park caused Empress Dowager Yu to suddenly tighten her grip on the white jade spoon, then slam it into the porcelain bowl with a clatter, splashing a few drops of porridge onto the table.
Empress Dowager Yu pushed the entire bowl of lily and lotus seed porridge aside with disgust, the porcelain bowl making a dull thud as it collided with the table.
"In previous years, the Emperor's birthday celebrations were always celebrated with grand banquets in the Imperial Palace. How dignified they were!" As she spoke, Empress Dowager Yu's chest heaved violently.
"Now look what's happened! Chu Huaiyu just had to choose this Bai Le Yuan (Hundred Paradise) to hold his banquet, so close to my palace. Isn't he deliberately doing this to show me what's going on?!"
"Chu Huaiyu deliberately put on a show of singing and dancing right under our noses, mocking our loss of power and making us feel resentful!"
At this moment, the string music in the Bai Le Yuan (a music academy) rose a few notches, and the cheerful tune sounded particularly jarring to Empress Dowager Yu's ears.
Empress Dowager Yu couldn't help but sneer, saying indignantly, "Hmph, it really is a case of a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs!"
"Mother, be careful what you say." Chu Siheng, who was standing to the side, frowned upon hearing this, his tone full of helplessness.
"Mother, there are many eyes and ears in the palace now. Please do not say such things again. If they reach His Majesty's ears, it will only bring trouble upon us."
Chu Siheng's face was already pale from a long illness, and now his eyes were filled with worry, fearing that his mother's impulsive actions would bring them further trouble.
"Hmph, with Lu Zhaoxue around, what are we afraid of? Even if we do nothing, Chu Huaiyu still sees us as a thorn in his side!"
After speaking, Empress Dowager Yu gave Lu Zhaoxue, who was standing to the side, a cold glance. The disgust and contempt in her eyes were undisguised, as if even looking at Lu Zhaoxue would taint her vision.
"Mother!"
"Alright! You may all go back now. I'm exhausted and need to rest!"
Throughout the entire process, Lu Zhaoxue kept her head down and eyes lowered. She understood that Empress Dowager Yu's hatred stemmed from that accident years ago.
If it weren't for her, Chu Siheng would still be the high and mighty Crown Prince, and Empress Dowager Yu wouldn't have to be confined to Cining Palace, having to watch Chu Huaiyu's mood every day.
She acknowledges this guilt.
After Lu Zhaoxue and Chu Siheng left Cining Palace, the evening breeze carried the chill of the autumn night. Chu Siheng looked at Lu Zhaoxue, who remained meek and obedient beside him, and couldn't help but sigh.
Chu Siheng's tone was full of complex emotions: "Axue, the Empress Dowager's attitude towards you is far too harsh. Yet she often summons you to the palace, could it be that..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue smiled faintly and said softly, "Siheng, you don't need to overthink it. Life in the palace is dull, and my mother was short of someone to talk to at the time. She summoned me to the palace just to chat."
Chu Siheng wanted to say something more, but suddenly his chest trembled violently, and he began to cough violently.
Lu Zhaoxue's heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward, reaching out to gently pat his back. Lu Zhaoxue slowly helped Chu Siheng catch his breath, her eyes filled with uncontrollable worry.
"Siheng, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell again?"
Chu Siheng shook his head slightly, and after his cough subsided a little, he took Lu Zhaoxue's cool hand in his own.
The warmth in Chu Siheng's palm carried a faint warmth. Lu Zhaoxue was afraid that he would lose his balance and fall, so she did not struggle and let Chu Siheng hold her hand, while gently supporting Chu Siheng's arm with her other hand.
Just then, a very faint rustling sound came from the base of the wall, like withered leaves being accidentally crushed, or like someone secretly hiding in the shadows and spying.
Lu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously glanced to the side, only to catch a glimpse of a hem of clothing flashing past the end of the palace wall.
She pursed her lips, thinking that it might be a palace servant passing by, or a spy monitoring her and Chu Siheng.
Lu Zhaoxue recalled that after Chu Huaiyu ascended the throne, although he did not completely eliminate Chu Siheng, he had "properly settled" Chu Siheng in this remote Jingyou Garden.
"It was ostensibly resettlement, but in reality, it was confinement."
Apart from holidays when they could come out to accompany Empress Dowager Yu, they had to ask permission to go out on ordinary days and were not allowed to step out of Jingyou Garden at will. It was as if Chu Huaiyu was afraid that they would have any connection with the outside world.
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