Chapter 95 The Storm Is Brewing
Time flies, and the summer heat has quietly crept in along with the wind, and in the blink of an eye, it's the scorching summer.
The palace remained peaceful and tranquil, as if none of the previous intrigues and undercurrents had ever occurred.
Only Lu Zhaoxue, who was inside these red brick walls, understood.
"The palace is a place that devours people," and this is no exaggeration.
That afternoon, Lu Zhaoxue lay on a cool couch under the eaves, idly flipping through the portraits of the young women presented by the Imperial Household Department.
This is Chu Huaiyu's first talent show since he ascended the throne.
Officials from all over the country did their best to select all kinds of beauties to send to the palace.
As the scrolls were unfurled, they revealed a dazzling array of beautiful women, leaving Lu Zhaoxue dazzled.
These women are all incredibly beautiful and exceptionally talented. If they were all brought into the palace, the harem would likely never be peaceful again.
Lu Zhaoxue put down the painting, picked up the hot tea that Haitang handed her, and took a small sip.
He secretly wondered: What kind of woman does Chu Huaiyu like?
Despite knowing him for many years, Lu Zhaoxue could never see through his heart.
When she was young, she thought he liked someone like her.
Later, she felt that he treated Du Xianyue and Liu Ruohua differently.
But now she realizes that perhaps the only person he truly loves is himself.
"Sigh..." A soft sigh escaped her lips.
Seeing this, the palace maid Haitang quickly stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, what is causing you to sigh?"
Lu Zhaoxue raised her eyes, her gaze slowly falling on the paintings.
"I find these beauties all to be exceptionally charming, and I really don't know how to advise His Majesty."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, His Majesty will surely love someone like you the most," Haitang reassured her with a smile.
"Your Majesty, please choose according to your own appearance, and I guarantee you won't make a mistake."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxue simply smiled faintly and remained silent.
She stood up, walked to the eaves, and gazed aimlessly at the distant palace walls, feeling utterly lost.
After much deliberation, she finally decided not to get involved in this mess.
Empress Dowager Rong has repeatedly urged Chu Huaiyu to select concubines, so she must have been preparing for this for a long time.
"Go tell the Imperial Household Department that they will handle the selection of the imperial concubines entirely, and say it is my decree," Lu Zhaoxue said slowly.
"yes."
——
As night falls, the noisy chirping of cicadas from the daytime fades away, leaving only complete silence in the world.
Lu Zhaoxue had just rested when she heard light footsteps coming from inside the hall.
She knew without even thinking that Chu Huaiyu had arrived.
Lu Zhaoxue simply closed her eyes and pretended to be fast asleep.
Chu Huaiyu tiptoed to the bedside, got on the bed, and gently put his arm around Lu Zhaoxue's waist.
His palms were icy cold, causing Lu Zhaoxue to instinctively flinch.
Chu Huaiyu noticed her reaction and silently withdrew his hand.
His warm chest remained pressed tightly against her back, and his unique scent lingered around Lu Zhaoxue.
Lu Zhaoxue knew that he had been troubled by thorny issues in the court these past few days, and therefore often returned to the inner palace late at night, so he must be extremely tired.
But what does this have to do with her?
She was actually hoping that Chu Huaiyu would be too tired to come anymore.
"Are you asleep?" Chu Huaiyu asked in a low voice, his tone revealing obvious fatigue.
Lu Zhaoxue did not respond, and only the steady breathing of the two remained in the hall.
That night, I had no dreams until dawn.
The next morning, Lu Zhaoxue opened her eyes and found herself lying in Chu Huaiyu's arms.
She tried carefully to push him away, but as soon as she moved, she saw him frown slightly.
Upon seeing this, Lu Zhaoxue immediately held her breath and dared not move again.
Chu Huaiyu slept until noon, and no one dared to disturb him.
He didn't open his eyes until the sun was higher in the sky, his eyes filled with a hint of confusion as he woke up.
His voice was hoarse as he asked, "How long have I been asleep?"
As he spoke, he unconsciously tightened his arms around Lu Zhaoxue, pulling her close as if afraid she would run away.
“Your Majesty, it is already noon,” Lu Zhaoxue replied softly.
Chu Huaiyu was slightly taken aback, seemingly in disbelief.
He released his arms from Lu Zhaoxue and got out of bed.
Walking to the window and pushing it open, the blinding sunlight instantly flooded into the hall, causing Chu Huaiyu to squint.
"I was quite tired after dealing with official business all day yesterday."
He pressed his temples and explained to Lu Zhaoxue in a low voice.
"Well, Your Majesty should rest well these next few days."
Lu Zhaoxue also sat up from the bed. Looking at the dark circles under Chu Huaiyu's eyes that he couldn't hide, a sense of doubt arose in her heart.
[PS: There's going to be some really exciting plot developments tomorrow! I'm writing like crazy!]
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