63. A guest arrives.
Seeing that Ouyang Ziren had put aside all distractions and was focusing on using his internal energy to protect the heart meridian of the Prince of Xiaoyao, Liu Hanruo sighed. She knew that there was no use saying anything now. The only thing she could do was to ensure that no external factors affected the two of them.
Having figured out what to do, Liu Hanruo turned around, coldly surveyed everyone present, and calmly gave the order:
"Pass down the order: no noise or disturbance is allowed inside or outside the Prince's mansion today. No one is allowed to approach Shuiyue Pavilion. Anyone who disobeys this order will be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and expelled from the Prince's mansion!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Liu Hanruo, preoccupied with the carefree prince, had no time to linger with them. She waved her hand and said:
"You may all leave."
Everyone took their leave, except for Liu Hanxue, who seemed to have some objections. Looking at Liu Hanruo, she said disdainfully:
"Hmph... Unlike some people who don't know how to assess their own abilities and take a chicken feather as an imperial edict, it's disgusting! Meixiang, I'm tired, quickly help me back to rest."
After Liu Hanxue finished speaking, she walked out without even bowing, completely ignoring Liu Hanruo, who didn't seem to care.
However, many things are predestined. Just then, a middle-aged, slightly overweight man suddenly barged in, stumbling and looking back every now and then, appearing very flustered.
One laboriously went out, the other rushed in recklessly, and then, by sheer coincidence, they both fell to the ground with a thud. The impact left Liu Hanxue dizzy and disoriented, with scrapes and bruises on her hands and feet, causing her to cry out in pain and begin cursing:
"You filthy lackey! You're asking for death! Are you in such a hurry to be reincarnated?!"
Upon hearing the shouts, Liu Hanruo frowned and instinctively glanced at Ouyang Ziren and the Carefree Prince. She saw Ouyang Ziren's brows furrowed, sweat beading on his forehead, clearly affected and breathing erratically. To prevent the situation from worsening, Liu Hanruo quickly went to the door and looked at Liu Hanxue lying on the ground. She coldly rebuked her:
"Shouting and yelling like this, what kind of behavior is this?! Get out of here right now!"
After reprimanding Liu Hanxue, Liu Hanruo turned to return to her inner room, only to find Liu Hanxue suddenly shouting loudly:
"Liu Hanruo, are you blind or what? Didn't you see that I was bumped into by that dog servant and I'm injured all over? As soon as we came out, instead of scolding that dog servant, you started reprimanding me. Do you really think you're something special?"
Liu Hanruo slightly raised her eyes, glanced at Liu Hanxue, and said coldly:
"In my eyes, nothing is more important than saving the Prince. Regardless of the reason, anyone who disobeys orders and makes a loud noise, no matter who they are, will be severely punished by me!"
"Liu Hanruo, you vile woman, who gave you the audacity to lecture me? Don't you know your place? You should know that in the Prince's heart, only I am unique, and you... Hahahahahaha!" Liu Hanxue suddenly laughed wildly, "It's not that I look down on you, but that in the Prince's eyes you don't exist at all. All the favor and honor are just a facade, a tool to deceive people. Everything is only to protect me, using you as a target. To put it bluntly, you are just a dispensable existence! You have no right to lecture me!"
Liu Hanxue laughed arrogantly, her words full of provocation, momentarily forgetting that Liu Hanruo was no longer the Liu Hanruo she used to bully without ever fighting back. Liu Hanruo raised her hand and slapped Liu Hanruo repeatedly, one after another, murmuring:
"This slap was for the sake of the Prince! The Prince's life is hanging by a thread, and he is at a critical juncture. He cannot be disturbed by the outside world. Yet you, as the Prince's favorite concubine, are so reckless and make a scene, disregarding the Prince's life and death. It is a waste that the Prince cherishes you so much!"
"This slap is for your arrogance, your inability to distinguish between superiors and inferiors, your lack of humility in front of me, and your wanton insults. Is there any semblance of ladylike conduct in such behavior?!"
"Liu Hanxue, let me put it more clearly. In the Yu family, the Prince and I are husband and wife, while you are merely his concubine. No matter how favored you are, you should still abide by the rules and treat me with courtesy in front of me. Otherwise, what is the point of the rules?! In the Yu country, I am a first-rank princess consort personally appointed by the Emperor, while you are just a concubine. Your humiliation of me today is nothing short of a blatant slap in the face to the Emperor. Such disregard for the law—have you ever considered the consequences?!"
Seeing Liu Hanruo bring up the Emperor, Liu Hanxue felt extremely resentful, but there was nothing she could do. She was extremely unwilling, but she had to restrain herself. She gritted her teeth in anger and glared at Liu Hanruo with venomous eyes, as if she wanted to devour her alive.
Seeing that Liu Hanxue would not say anything more, Liu Hanruo then turned her gaze to the impetuous servant and spoke calmly:
"Zhao Silu, as the chief steward of the Prince's mansion, should have remained calm in the face of adversity. Why is he acting so recklessly?"
"Your Highness, yes, yes, His Majesty has arrived."
As soon as Zhao Silu finished speaking, he heard a series of footsteps and a very authoritative voice:
"What a memorable slap! What an eloquent and persuasive princess consort!"
Liu Hanruo was the first to curtsy and perform the full ceremony, displaying impeccable manners in every gesture. In contrast, Liu Hanxue, still weak from the effects of the medicine, could only rely on her maid Dongmei for support. However, a maid is a maid, and how could she not be nervous in front of the Emperor? She stood trembling, her legs shaking, unsure of how to react.
As the emperor, accustomed to being fawned upon by the masses, he was instantly enraged to see that the two men showed no intention of kneeling before him. He blamed the Prince of Xiaoyao for everything, secretly pondering:
What a scoundrel Chu Che! He always seemed so honest and proper, but I never expected him to be such a hypocrite. And then I remembered the argument I heard from afar. With that in mind, I formed a preconceived notion and a thought formed in my mind.
Yes, needless to say, it must be due to Chu Che's influence. Otherwise, how could a mere woman be so bold as to not even bow to me! Hmph!
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The emperor's expression became gloomy, his face grew darker and darker, and even his eyes changed, becoming ruthless, as if a trace of murderous intent flashed across them.
Meixiang was, after all, just a maid. Although she had seen a lot of the world, this was the first time she had been so close to the Emperor. Her already uneasy heart was terrified when she felt the Emperor's meaningful gaze. Her whole body went limp and she knelt down with a thud. Liu Hanxue, who lost her support, fell forward as well.
As fate would have it, Liu Hanxue fell right where the Emperor was, and by sheer coincidence, this led to Liu Hanxue throwing herself into his arms.
The Emperor had come in disguise, accompanied only by a personal eunuch. Before he could react, he was suddenly embraced. Due to the momentum, the Emperor took a slight step back and reflexively hugged her. A rich fragrance of roses wafted over, and the softness covering his hands seemed to have a unique attraction, guiding the Emperor to lower his head slightly. The magnificent, partially concealed deep cleavage stimulated the Emperor's senses in various places. Naturally, his hands became restless, and something beneath him immediately had the most natural instinctive reaction, becoming exceptionally hard.
At this moment, the most embarrassed person was Liu Hanxue herself. Because of the direct physical contact, she had already felt a firm erection pressing against her. On one hand, she felt ashamed and angry, and on the other hand, she felt proud. She was ashamed and angry because of the emperor's unrestrained and impudent caresses, but proud because she was so charming that even the emperor, who was used to seeing beauties, was captivated by her. This strongly satisfied her self-esteem.
Caught in this conflicting state of mind, Liu Hanxue hesitated to speak, wanting to refuse yet also wanting to accept.
Liu Hanruo truly disapproved of everything before her, and was extremely disdainful, thinking to herself:
As an emperor, he had three thousand beauties in his harem, and could have any woman he wanted. In the end, he didn't even spare the wives and concubines of his subjects. Such absurdity and debauchery made the common people's lives a tragedy.
On the other side, the Emperor was oblivious to Liu Hanruo's disdainful gaze. He had already focused all his attention on Liu Hanxue, even forgetting the purpose of his trip. He was only thinking about how to pin Liu Hanxue down and ravage her. Just thinking about that pleasure made the Emperor's breathing quicken, and his hands became more and more exaggerated, moving downwards.
Seeing the increasingly explicit content, Liu Hanruo coughed awkwardly to acknowledge her presence. This cough slightly drew the Emperor's attention back, and he remembered the purpose of his visit. The Emperor awkwardly cleared his throat, released her, and pushed Liu Hanxue next to Meixiang. After catching his breath, he looked at Liu Hanruo and asked:
"Your Highness, I recently heard that Prince Xiaoyao was critically ill, which greatly worried me. That's why I disguised myself and came here. I wonder how he is now, and whether he is out of danger?"
Liu Hanruo had heard many rumors about the delicate relationship between the Prince of Xiaoyao and the current emperor. Although they were scattered, she at least knew some of the most basic things.
For example, the carefree prince's achievements overshadowed the emperor's, and their relationship seemed to have long been superficial, maintaining only a facade of respect. Furthermore, how could a monarch tolerate another sleeping soundly beside him, especially since the current emperor was extremely suspicious and probably wished for the carefree prince's demise?
The Emperor came in disguise, ostensibly to visit the sick, but in reality to investigate the situation. If the Emperor finds out that Prince Xiaoyao can still be saved, it might cause more complications. For now, we can only stall for time and wait as long as we can get through three hours.
"On behalf of the Prince, I thank Your Majesty. The imperial physician said that the Prince... his chances of survival are slim..." Liu Hanruo said, her eyes glazed over, tears welling up in her eyes, her voice choked with sobs.
Hearing this, the Emperor was extremely pleased and secretly delighted.
Chu Che, Chu Che, I never thought you'd end up like this, hahaha! So many years have passed, and I've lived in constant fear. Now, I've finally removed this thorn in my side! From now on, I can rest easy, hahaha! But just to be absolutely sure, I must witness this with my own eyes!
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