Chapter 39 Entanglement.
Yuan Chaolu said, "This humble woman truly does not understand what Your Majesty is saying."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a huge commotion came from outside the window, coming from the direction of the rear courtyard of the palace, accompanied by the howl of a leopard. Xiao Zhuo heard the noise, glanced at Yuan Chaolu, and got up to stride outside.
"Your Majesty!" Yuan Chaolu reached out to pull him, but he grabbed her hand and strode out.
Zhong Changjun, who was waiting for instructions outside the hall, was stunned when she saw this. Xiao Zhuo did not stop, but pulled her all the way to the back of Luoxia Hall, stumbling all the way until they entered the grove.
The rain poured down like rivers flowing down from the sky. In the rain, the agile cheetah was pawing the ground with its four limbs, its muscles bulging like a small mountain. When the two approached the cheetah, they saw that the excavated soil had piled up to their calves, and a small pit appeared under the golden lion.
Seeing this, Yuan Chaolu reached out her soaked hands and grabbed Xiao Zhuo's wrist, trying to explain to him, but she was no match for the man's strength. Feeling the wrist slip from her palm, she half-squatted down by the pit.
Bones and limbs were unearthed from beneath the mud, and the torrential rain washed them away, revealing their true form, along with a strong, pungent stench.
Hot air billowed from the golden lion's mouth as Xiao Zhuo pulled on the reins from behind. Beneath its forelimbs, more fragmented limbs and bones were unearthed.
The torrential rain and thunder seemed to fall on Yuan Chaolu's ears. She watched as Xiao Zhuo rested one hand on his knee and casually examined the broken bones with the other before raising his head.
His gaze was icy, and Yuan Chaolu's entire body was gradually soaked by the chill of the rain.
The corpse, the murder weapon, and the witness testimony from the palace servants... the suspect couldn't be clearer.
Xiao Zhuo stood up, asked her for a handkerchief, and wiped the dirt off his fingertips.
Yuan Chaolu kept her face down, then raised her head after a moment, her eyelashes trembling slightly, and said, "He bullied me."
Rainwater dampened her eyebrows and eyes, and two clear streaks slid down from her eyes, making it impossible to tell whether they were tears or rain streaks. The pitiful look in her eyes intensified, and the corners of her eyes turned red.
"It was Lu Yu who tried to take advantage of me, and I did this to protect myself..."
She reached out and touched Xiao Zhuo's arm with both hands, "Third Brother."
But this delicate appearance couldn't mask Xiao Zhuo's cold expression. His eyes reflected her paper-thin face, and he sneered, "I asked you the truth three times in the palace, but you lied to me each time. Lu Yu was harmed by you, and your haste to marry Pei Xi is also because of this—it was the two of you who did it together, wasn't it?"
He took a step closer, and Yuan Chaolu was enveloped by his aura. The tears in her eyes trembled even more violently. "I thought Your Majesty would pity my plight after hearing my words."
"Stop this nonsense," Xiao Zhuo asked in a low voice, his phoenix eyes slightly cold. "I'm asking you about your crime of deceiving the emperor."
Yuan Chaolu raised her head and met his gaze in the cold rain, saying, "Lu Yu covets me and has offended me several times. He is also the Empress Dowager's nephew and the son of the Lu family. With such a powerful Lu family, how can I, a weakling with no one to back me up, possibly resist? Can Your Majesty understand my situation?"
Her eyes were clear, revealing resentment and stubbornness. "Lord Pei helped me because he couldn't bear to see me being oppressed by power. This matter has nothing to do with him. I begged him to keep it a secret. Lord Pei is a good person, but if His Majesty had been by my side at that time, would His Majesty have helped me, or would he have upheld the law and held me accountable as he is now?"
Xiao Zhuo heard that she herself was in dire straits and was still trying to exonerate Pei Xi. His mockery was almost overflowing from his eyes. "She really is someone who never listens to advice."
At this moment, Yuan Chaolu reached out and pulled his arm, looking him in the eye: "Lu Yu was able to approach me several times, all at the behest of the Empress Dowager. I have a very difficult time in the academy. Why didn't I tell His Majesty? It's because I don't trust His Majesty and I'm afraid that His Majesty won't stand by my side."
Xiao Zhuo's voice was cold and hard: "So you trust Pei Xi?"
“Yes, he likes me.” Yuan Chaolu seemed to be holding her breath. “Why wouldn’t I believe him? He has done so much for me, I should be grateful to him.”
Her voice echoed in the cold wind, each word spoken through gritted teeth. Her shivering figure trembled in the wind, and the cold rain made her seem as if she would be blown away at any moment.
"Third Brother," she suddenly softened, taking a step forward, tears welling up in her eyes, "Could you help me deal with the rest of the corpses?"
The young man standing in front of her already had a cold and aloof demeanor, and his black robe, soaked by the rain and clinging to his body, made him appear even more imposing.
He stood in the rain, coldly looking down at the corpses at his feet, unmoved.
Yuan Chaolu grabbed his hand again. "Third brother, you've always been so good to me. I truly consider you my brother. Can you be even better to me? I can't ask anyone else but you."
His long eyes peered through the rain and mist. Such a person seemed to be born without emotions. In the past, Yuan Chaolu would have naturally avoided him, but now she couldn't let her efforts go to waste. She still had to find out about her sister's affair with Lu Changli.
A moment later, he pulled her hand away and finally squatted down.
With this action, Yuan Chaolu breathed a sigh of relief.
The emperor summoned Zhong Changjun and ordered him to dispose of the remaining corpses. Upon seeing the scene in the pit, Zhong Changjun subconsciously glanced at Yuan Chaolu.
Xiao Zhuo said, "Clean this place up for her, and give the Lu family a plausible reason to let this matter drop."
For her, the dismemberment and moving of the body with Pei Xi over the past few days, as well as the anxiety of concealing the truth, had left a lingering shadow on her heart. But the emperor's words easily dispelled everything.
Xiao Zhuo turned and walked out. Yuan Chaolu snapped out of his daze and quickly followed. The golden lion beside him suddenly stopped and turned around to look, its fur bristling and its aura imposing.
Yuan Chaolu stopped walking, but still stepped forward and bypassed Jin Ni, quickly walking to his side. As the two passed under the corridor, he casually picked up the umbrella in the corner of the wall and held it over Jin Ni's head.
"With such heavy rain, Your Majesty didn't even take an umbrella? Don't get wet and harm your health. Your Majesty, I thank you for your kindness."
He didn't answer, walking incredibly fast. Yuan Chaolu, lifting her skirt, couldn't keep up at all. "Your Majesty hasn't taken the incense yet. Could you wait a moment?"
"Need not."
Yuan Chaolu simply shoved the umbrella into his hand, stepped back, and was immediately drenched by the rain. "Then later, I will send the fragrant wood to Your Majesty's palace."
Xiao Zhuo then raised his eyes, his dark, cold pupils reflecting her face. He saw her shivering slightly from the rain, a grateful smile on her cheeks, the panic from moments before gone.
What kind of complex heart lies beneath this mask? At times, she is calm and bold, capable of killing without hesitation, driven solely by a desire to achieve her goals; at other times, she is weak and pitiful, revealing a vulnerability that makes her seem easily bullied…
Yuan Chaolu opened his mouth as if to say something, but Xiao Zhuo didn't want to hear another word and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
**
Inside the Xuande Hall, palace servants stood respectfully, a silence that was broken when the emperor strode in from outside.
As he took off his robe, he walked towards the inner hall. His thin face was covered with glistening water droplets, which slid down his cheeks and neck. His clothes outlined the strong and slender lines of his upper body.
The emperor was in a bad mood when he returned from outside, his brows and eyes so heavy they seemed to drip water.
The palace servants dared not approach, exchanging glances outside the inner palace curtains. Since their leader, Zhong Changjun, had not yet returned, they dared not enter rashly. These days, the emperor had been haggard and plagued by nightmares, and today they did not know what had angered him.
Inside the inner hall, Xiao Zhuo removed layers of wet clothes, picked up a loose, clean robe and put it on, then walked towards the window.
He had been avoiding Yuan Chaolu for several days, but the fire in his heart had not been vented. Upon seeing her today, it surged up in a way that was far greater than before.
The last time she realized she had mistaken him for the Prince of Yan and tried to seduce him, she was able to chat with him as if nothing had happened. Now, he had only ignored her for a few days, and she was already at the point of discussing marriage with Pei Xi.
He stood by the window, his fingers resting on the window frame, gazing at the vast rain and mist, a faint smile playing on his lips.
For decades, the world was in turmoil, and the land beneath our feet was soaked in blood and flesh. Xiao Zhuo had seen many desolate scenes of piled bones and uninhabited landscapes since he was young. Forged in such a cruel background, his mind became twisted and unlike that of an ordinary person.
He sheathed his desires, knowing full well that burning greed is a pit of fire and indulging in lust is a sea of suffering. Over the years, he has done an excellent job, and almost nothing external has been able to shake his heart.
Only...
He uttered a single, soft word: "Her."
Xiao Zhuo's robe was slightly open, exposing large areas of skin to the air, as he walked towards the inner chamber behind the inner hall.
Behind the inner hall of Xuande Hall, there is another inner hall, which is extremely hidden. Stepping into it, you can see that the walls are covered with paintings.
Once a desire has arisen, there is no need to suppress it. Just become familiar with it, master it, and finally tame it.
He was already very familiar with this process of battling desire. In the gap between calmness and desire, he could even experience the pleasure of surviving and being pushed to the limit.
He didn't think he would be controlled by Yuan Chaolu. But how far could this desire lead him?
He really wanted to see it.
In the end, he was able to suppress his desires.
Never lost.
Xiao Zhuo slowly unfurled a scroll on the table. When the emperor was teaching the sons of noble families, they were already proficient in all six arts of a gentleman, and the art of painting was one of them that was not worth mentioning separately.
At this moment, the silk handkerchief in his hand shimmered softly in the light, as if covered by a thin veil of mist. As the scroll unfurled, the graceful female figure in the painting appeared and disappeared, finally breaking through the veil and slowly revealing her true form.
The candlelight was dazzling, making the man's silhouette appear even more aloof and cold. Xiao Zhuo looked down at his own desires painted on the scroll, then raised his hand and picked up a paintbrush.
The delicate and graceful brushstrokes flow across the silk, outlining the female form as if gently caressing the skin. Every curve is exceptionally vivid under the candlelight, and even the finest textures are revealed in exquisite detail.
Behind him, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the entire wall as if it were a dream, with the same face depicted in the scrolls, the graceful and charming figure swaying as if it would burst out of the silk at any moment.
...
When Yuan Chaolu arrived at the emperor's palace under the moonlight, the palace was brightly lit.
Inside the Xuande Hall, the emperor was still discussing matters with his ministers.
Zhong Changjun led her to the outside of the inner palace and asked her to wait there. Yuan Chaolu smiled and said "Okay," then saw Zhong Changjun turn to go to the study to serve the emperor.
She looked down at the sachet in her hand, embroidered with intertwined branches and filled with carefully selected fragrant wood, then looked up at the empty inner palace. After a long while, the emperor still hadn't emerged from the main hall where he held court. Yuan Chaolu hesitated for a moment, then finally entered the inner palace.
The emperor's inner palace was deep and secluded. The last time she stepped into it, she felt an invisible pressure. Yuan Chaolu stood in front of the dragon bed, slightly raising her fingertips to tie the sachet to the golden hook of the curtain.
The fragrance of the wood is subtle and can calm the mind and help cultivate one's character; the aroma wafts through the gauze curtains.
Yuan Chaolu hung the remaining sachets in various places in the hall. Not intending to stay long, she was about to leave when she heard a soft sound. A gust of wind smashed open the carved window and rushed in with rain.
Yuan Chaolu went forward to close the window, only to see a piece of paper floating in from somewhere inside the hall. It fluttered and danced in the wind several times before finally landing at his feet.
It seemed to have been blown in by the wind from deep within the inner sanctuary.
Yuan Chaolu glanced at it with a puzzled look, then lowered his head to pick up the scroll. It was an unintentional action, but what came into view was the painting of a naked woman entangled with the emperor.
The woman in the painting has flushed cheeks, her body is lying horizontally, and her long hair is draped behind her. Her figure is outlined by the delicate brushwork, and even the blush on her skin is depicted in great detail.
And the person depicted in the drawing of eyebrows and eyes was none other than herself.
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