Chapter 32 Neglecting Du Xianyue
The memorials in the imperial study were piled up like a small mountain. Chu Huaiyu put down his vermilion brush and raised his hand to rub his temples.
"Your Majesty, it is already late at night." Eunuch Wei bowed and stood to one side, his voice extremely low, for fear of disturbing the emperor's thoughts.
Chu Huaiyu stood up, brushed off the non-existent creases on his dragon robe, and strode straight out of the hall.
...
Chu Huaiyu leaned back on the dragon throne, his posture languid. He looked indifferently at the dancers below the stage. Each of the dancers was dressed in gorgeous costumes, their movements as graceful as butterflies, exuding charm and allure.
But when Chu Huaiyu's gaze swept over those pretty faces and graceful figures, he felt only boredom. His fingertips unconsciously tapped the armrest, and for some reason, Lu Zhaoxue's image appeared in his mind again.
Suddenly, the string music in the hall became tender and poignant. Chu Huaiyu came back to his senses and saw a group of dancers slowly retreating, and a woman with a veil slowly walking out.
The woman's clothing was extremely daring. As she walked, her pair of fair, jade-like legs were faintly visible. She danced with delicate steps, approaching Chu Huaiyu step by step. Every movement of the woman was full of indescribable charm.
Seeing this, Eunuch Wei quickly led the other palace servants to retreat.
When the woman walked up to Chu Huaiyu, Chu Huaiyu's eyes darkened. Then, the woman gently put her hand on Chu Huaiyu's shoulder, trying to snuggle into his arms.
Chu Huaiyu suddenly pushed the woman to the ground, and the veil slipped off her face, revealing a face covered in tears. It was none other than Du Xianyue!
At this moment, Du Xianyue's frail appearance was extremely pitiful. She fell to the ground, her skirt spreading out and revealing more of her skin.
Any other man would surely be moved by her, but Chu Huaiyu remained expressionless. He suddenly stood up, looking down at Du Xianyue, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "Du Xianyue, do you even know who you are?"
Upon hearing this, Du Xianyue trembled slightly. The grievances, resentment, and shame of being neglected by Chu Huaiyu these past few days, as well as the courage to do this, all erupted at this moment, and Du Xianyue's tears fell uncontrollably.
"Your Majesty, I... I just wanted to come and keep you company. It has been a long time since you last visited Yue'er Palace."
Chu Huaiyu sneered, his tone full of sarcasm: "Du Xianyue, as the Empress, you actually lowered yourself to disguise yourself as a dancer. After doing such a shameless thing, how can you still have the face to be my Empress?!"
These words were like a sharp blade, piercing Du Xianyue's heart. Her face turned deathly pale instantly, and she hurriedly stepped forward to grab Chu Huaiyu's clothes.
"Your Majesty, I didn't mean it... I was just too afraid of losing Your Majesty, that's why I did that..."
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Chu Huaiyu abruptly shoved Du Xianyue away, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust as he looked at her: "The Empress is morally deficient and has failed in her decorum! From this day forward, the Empress is to be confined to the palace. Without my decree, no one is permitted to enter or leave the Empress's palace!"
Tears blurred Du Xianyue's vision. She couldn't believe that Chu Huaiyu would treat her like this. She stared blankly at Chu Huaiyu's gloomy face, her heart turning cold.
Overwhelmed by endless grievances and resentment, Du Xianyue was almost unable to hold on any longer. But she still remembered her identity and could only suppress her heartache, prostrate herself on the ground, and say in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty... obeys the decree."
Chu Huaiyu didn't even glance at Du Xianyue again before turning around and striding away, his back view cold and ruthless, without a trace of lingering affection.
After hearing the whole story from outside the palace, Eunuch Wei sighed softly and quickly followed Chu Huaiyu.
In fact, Eunuch Wei roughly understood the source of His Majesty's anger. His Majesty already harbored resentment towards the Empress because of the incident in the Imperial Garden, and now that she had done something so outrageous, it was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire.
Chu Huaiyu did not return to his bedchamber, but went straight to the Imperial Garden. He dismissed all the palace servants, leaving only Eunuch Wei to wait by his side.
Eunuch Wei had some warm pastries and tea prepared and said softly, "Your Majesty, you haven't had dinner yet, please eat something."
Chu Huaiyu's face was expressionless, his eyes filled with endless weariness and loneliness. He glanced at Eunuch Wei, gave a faint "hmm," and then picked up a pastry and put it in his mouth.
After a while, Eunuch Wei cautiously asked again, "Your Majesty, is it because of the matter of deposing...Miss Lu that you have been neglecting the Empress?"
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