Chapter 38 I Hate Deceit and Treachery
Chu Siheng listened quietly to Lu Zhaoxue's story. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but when the words came to his lips, he felt that any words would be pale and powerless. In the end, he could only let out a deep sigh.
Before the incident at the Eastern Palace, Chu Siheng's impression of Chu Huaiyu was that he was aloof and indifferent, as if court disputes and the struggle for the throne had nothing to do with him.
But it wasn't until Chu Siheng fell from grace that he belatedly realized that Chu Huaiyu had merely concealed his ambition beneath a gentle facade, deceiving everyone, including Lu Zhaoxue, and even him, the former crown prince.
However, to be fair, Chu Huaiyu's ruthless and politically astute personality is indeed more suitable for being a supreme "lonely ruler" than his indecisive and averse to fighting personality.
No wonder the Emperor did not hesitate to depose him as Crown Prince and instead support Chu Huaiyu to the throne. It seems that the Emperor had long planned to do so, and that incident was just an opportunity for the Emperor to push him to the throne.
Lu Zhaoxue looked at Chu Siheng and thought that they were the truly suitable people. They didn't have so much scheming and intrigue in their hearts, but it was precisely because of this that they ended up like this.
Within these high walls of the palace, in this cannibalistic place where everyone tries to climb over others, if you can't trample others underfoot, you'll only be trampled on.
Lu Zhaoxue hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Siheng, have you ever thought about taking it back..."
"I hadn't thought about it." Chu Siheng interrupted Lu Zhaoxue before she could finish speaking. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
Chu Siheng knew that his mother, the Yu family, and those who had once followed him all hoped to help him regain the throne, but Chu Siheng was tired of it. He was tired of being surrounded by trivial matters of the court and power struggles every day.
Although he is now trapped in this secluded garden, he has Lu Zhaoxue by his side and can chat with her every day, which he feels is enough to comfort him for the rest of his life.
Lu Zhaoxue nodded; she understood what Chu Siheng was thinking.
“Ah Xue, do you know? I was made crown prince at birth, and my father named me Siheng, which means to think through the ages and uphold balance.”
"Everyone says that I, the Crown Prince, was born to be blessed with great glory and that I am the chosen one. But no one knows that this glory is nothing more than a thousand shackles on my body, locking away all my love, hate, anger and infatuation."
"When I was young, I saw my mother punish a palace maid who had been favored by my father. My mother used a gold hairpin to slash the maid's cheek. The maid kowtowed and begged for mercy, but my mother just smiled coldly and gestured to the nanny beside her to pierce the maid's body with silver needles one by one. The maid screamed in agony..."
“I was so scared that I was trembling all over and stumbled away, but the tragic state of the palace maid kept haunting my dreams. It was from that moment that I finally understood that this magnificent palace was never a paradise on earth, but a cage soaked in blood and tears.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue lowered her eyes. She hadn't expected that such a thing had happened to Chu Siheng when he was a child.
After a moment of silence, Chu Siheng continued, "I often think how wonderful it would be if I were an ordinary person. I wouldn't have to scheme and plot every step of the way, I wouldn't have to watch the people around me fight each other for power, and I wouldn't have to sacrifice my own joys and sorrows for the so-called 'family, country, and world'."
"I just want to stay in a small courtyard, plant a few willows, plant half an acre of peach blossoms, and wait for the woman I love."
"I want to stroll with her through ten miles of apricot blossoms in spring, admire the fragrance of lotus flowers in the pond in summer, sit and drink under the moon in autumn, and warm each other by the fire in winter."
“There is no deceit or bloodshed in our life together, only the years and the long years.”
After that, Chu Siheng and Lu Zhaoxue started chatting about trivial matters, from past regrets to expectations for the future, and time passed by unnoticed.
Before they knew it, the two of them had talked all night long, and it was during this night that Lu Zhaoxue and Chu Siheng got to know each other better.
Looking at the already brightening sky outside the window, Lu Zhaoxue quickly said to Chu Siheng, "Siheng, you should get some sleep first, otherwise I'm afraid your body won't be able to handle it."
Chu Siheng responded softly, then pulled Lu Zhaoxue into his arms. Lu Zhaoxue did not struggle, closed her eyes and fell asleep. Chu Siheng gazed at Lu Zhaoxue's face quietly, as if trying to imprint her image deep in his heart.
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