Chapter 163 Chu Huaiyu Escapes
The snow in the plum garden gradually stopped, and the subtle fragrance of red plum blossoms, as if carried by a cool breeze, drifted into the palace.
Chu Siheng led Lu Zhaoxue home through the snow, while the brazier inside the Chengqian Palace burned brightly.
After entering the palace, Chu Siheng dismissed all the palace servants, even Haitang, who was guarding outside the door, was sent away. The palace door was gently closed, shutting out the wind, snow and noise outside.
As soon as Lu Zhaoxue took off her fox fur cloak, her wrist was gripped tightly by Chu Siheng's warm grip.
Chu Siheng embraced her from behind, his chest pressed against her back, and the lingering chill on Lu Zhaoxue's body was warmed by his body temperature.
"Ah Xue." Chu Siheng's voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of tenderness.
He rested his chin on the top of Lu Zhaoxue's head and gently stroked the red agate jade bracelet on her wrist.
"Did you enjoy admiring the plum blossoms today?"
Lu Zhaoxue's palms were still cool from the outside, but they warmed up quickly as Chu Siheng held them tightly in his hands.
Lu Zhaoxue nodded slightly, a smile playing on her lips: "Of course I'm happy, but Siheng, the flute music you played isn't as beautiful as it was that year. It seems you've become rusty."
Mentioning the past, Chu Siheng tightened his arms around Lu Zhaoxue, his warm breath brushing against her ear, causing her to tremble slightly.
"Then I must start practicing hard again, and I absolutely cannot let Xue down."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue's heart skipped a beat. She turned around and met Chu Siheng's deep eyes.
Those eyes held the swirling snow, the crimson plum blossoms, and above all, an unyielding tenderness and passion unique to Lu Zhaoxue.
She raised her hand and touched Chu Siheng's eyebrows and eyes, her fingertips gently tracing his brow. Chu Siheng's eyes, which had been furrowed with worry due to political affairs and frosted with coldness due to the war, were now filled with tenderness.
"Great, really great."
Chu Siheng chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss Lu Zhaoxue's lips.
The kiss was passionate and lingering.
Chu Siheng's lips were slightly cool, yet carried a burning temperature. As they lingered and caressed each other, Lu Zhaoxue's breathing gradually became erratic.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around Chu Siheng's clothes, and her body gradually softened as she leaned into his arms.
The palace lanterns inside the hall swayed, casting a warm yellow glow on the two people, stretching their embracing shadows long.
Chu Siheng picked up Lu Zhaoxue and carried her slowly into the inner room. The brocade quilt was covered with a thick fur coat embroidered with twin lotus flowers.
This was specially commissioned by Chu Siheng and rushed to be made by the Imperial Household Department.
He carefully placed Lu Zhaoxue on the bed, and as he leaned over, strands of his hair fell and brushed against Lu Zhaoxue's cheek.
Lu Zhaoxue looked up at Chu Siheng, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her eyes glistening with moisture, as if they held a pool of spring water.
Chu Siheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he leaned down and kissed the corner of Lu Zhaoxue's eye.
"Ah Xue, Ah Xue..." Chu Siheng's voice was low and hoarse, pleading.
"From now on, year after year, you will stay with me like you are today, okay?"
Lu Zhaoxue nodded, and the two looked at each other silently for a while.
Then, Lu Zhaoxue raised her hand and hugged Chu Siheng's neck, kissing his lips, her tongue trembling slightly, responding with delicate whispers.
Chu Siheng's eyes instantly filled with an intense, overwhelming affection. He deepened the kiss, his fingers gently tracing Lu Zhaoxue's eyebrows, nose, and lips.
He meticulously traced Lu Zhaoxue's outline inch by inch.
The snow outside the window started falling heavily again, the soft rustling of the falling snow mingling with the low murmurs and sighs inside the palace.
The firelight from the stove flickered, reflecting the lotus scroll pattern on the curtains, creating a tender and lingering effect.
When Chu Siheng touched Lu Zhaoxue's slightly cool skin, he couldn't help but sigh softly and hugged her tightly, trying to warm her up with his body heat.
Lu Zhaoxue buried her face in his chest, quietly listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
Just like that, Lu Zhaoxue felt completely at ease.
Chu Siheng's kisses landed on the top of her head, her forehead, and the corners of her eyes, delicate and tender, filled with endless affection.
"Ah Xue, you have always been my lifelong desire." Chu Siheng's lips remained close to Lu Zhaoxue's ear.
"The most precious thing in this world is never this supreme power, but the smile between your brows, Ah Xue, and every day and night I spend embracing you."
Lu Zhaoxue's eyes reddened slightly as she raised her hand to hug Chu Siheng back, her fingers tracing the faint scars on his back.
She knew that Chu Siheng loved her very much and cherished her more than the country or his own life.
The curtains hung down gently, thus isolating the hustle and bustle of the world.
The warmth from the heater spread out, turning the room into a gentle space, a sweet taste of time.
Snow falls silently, plum blossoms exude a delicate fragrance.
...
Chu Huaiyu has been imprisoned for five months. The north wind, carrying snowflakes, beats against the mottled prison door, making a whistling sound.
The iron shackles in the shadows were chillingly cold, but Chu Huaiyu simply lowered his eyes and kept rubbing a deep scar on his wrist.
Suddenly, the sound of clashing weapons rang out in the distance, breaking the deathly silence of Gong Ye.
Chu Huaiyu suddenly raised his eyes, and the gloom and ruthlessness that had been building up in his eyes surged out instantly.
The moment the prison door was forced open, the stench of blood mixed with the wind and snow rushed in. The leading lieutenant, covered in blood, knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, we are late!"
The sounds of fighting erupted on the palace road: the muffled thud of arrows piercing flesh, the sharp clash of swords, and the hoarse shouts of confidants woven together an impenetrable net.
Chu Huaiyu took the longsword handed to him, and the blade grazed the throat of an imperial guard. Blood splattered on his pale face, and it was surprisingly hot.
They rushed out over the corpses, each step crushing the flesh and blood of their comrades.
The imperial city receded further and further behind them, while the road ahead became increasingly clear, stained with blood.
On the night he escaped the capital, Chu Huaiyu stood atop a mountain, gazing at the distant lights of the imperial city, and clenched his fists.
Chu Huaiyu still holds one-third of the military power.
Three days later, a brand-new dragon flag was raised atop the city wall of Dongdi. Chu Huaiyu, dressed in a black dragon robe, stood atop a high platform, his voice resounding throughout the land: "Chu Siheng has usurped the throne and wreaked havoc on the government, harming his own brothers! Today, I ascend the throne in Dongdi, vowing to purge the court of corrupt officials and overthrow the legitimate dynasty!"
From then on, the war drums sounded every day.
Chu Huaiyu's iron cavalry broke through the frozen soil of the border, and the imperial reinforcements also charged towards the eastern fortifications time and time again.
Blood stained the snow, and the flames of war raged across the fields. Chu Siheng and Chu Huaiyu, brothers who had once stood side by side to admire the flowers of Chang'an, once again became mortal enemies facing each other across the river.
Meanwhile, Lu Zhaoxue, far away in the deep palace of the capital, trembled as she heard the battle report coming from outside the palace walls.
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