On his way to the Imperial Study, Chu Yansheng spotted a slender, pale pink figure in the distance. He stared at it for a while, and the more he looked, the more it resembled Yun Chaoxi. Chu Yansheng felt that this was truly a perfect opportunity sent by heaven.
He asked the eunuch leading the way to wait a moment, then strode up to Yun Chaoxi and blocked her path.
"Chaoxi, it really is you!" Chu Yansheng was overjoyed. "Why did you enter the palace without saying a word? Did I do something wrong to upset you?"
In his excitement, he tried to grasp Yun Chaoxi's shoulder, but she turned away to avoid him.
"Young Master Chu, please have some self-respect. Do I need to report to you before entering the palace? We have no relationship whatsoever." Yun Chaoxi showed him no respect whatsoever.
"How can you say we're not related? We went to the market together before. You don't like going to crowded places, but you were willing to accompany me to see the lanterns in the crowded streets. When you went to the temple with your family to burn incense, you even specially asked for a good luck charm for me. The flowers I gave you were also carefully kept by you..."
"We clearly have a deep affection for each other, and I know you like me. I was planning to go to your house today to express my desire to marry you, but I didn't expect the servants in your household to say that you've already entered the palace. Could it be that all of this was a lie?"
Chu Yansheng gazed deeply into Yun Chaoxi's eyes, trying to move her with memories of the past. He knew Yun Chaoxi liked him, and if he could make her recall the good things about him, he could then ask her for help.
In this way, with Yun constantly whispering sweet nothings in the emperor's ear, the emperor might be more likely to make the decision to adopt him sooner.
Yun Chaoxi immediately guessed what he was thinking. Chu Yansheng was as stupid as a pig. If it weren't for Lin Zhirou by his side giving him advice, he would never have been able to sit on the throne of the crown prince on his own.
If it were my former self, hearing him say these words would have made me saddened by the changes in things, and I would have regarded him as the white moonlight in my heart.
But now, having experienced the pain of having her family wiped out, her only goal is to make Chu Yansheng suffer a terrible death!
"You really have a big face. You fell in love with me after just two outings?"
"Don't look at me with that gaze you think is affectionate; it disgusts me. Now that I'm in the palace, is your next step to find a woman of similar social standing to get close to and curry favor with?"
Yun Chaoxi's scumbag remarks stunned Chu Yansheng, and as he listened, he felt embarrassed that his lies had been exposed.
He felt that Yun Chaoxi had become a stranger.
"A good dog doesn't block the way, get out of the way! If I see you again, I'll call the palace servants and tell them you're harassing the emperor's concubine!"
Yun Chaoxi led the dumbfounded Zhu'er away leisurely, leaving Chu Yansheng standing there in a daze.
Little did they know that this scene was witnessed by Eunuch Liu from afar, who then went back and reported it to Chu Xiao.
Eunuch Liu meant nothing by it; he simply mentioned that the Prince of Yu's heir had entered the palace and was talking to Consort Yun, and would come to request an audience soon.
When Chu Yansheng composed himself and stepped into the imperial study, he was met by an emperor in a bad mood.
"Your Majesty, I am here today to report on the progress of flood control in Jiangnan. Thanks to the efforts of myself, local officials, and the people, the dikes have been raised by nearly ten feet, preventing floodwaters from overflowing and inundating houses. The affected people have also been properly resettled."
This task is simple. There is a lot of rain in Jiangnan, which often floods the dikes. Every year, people are sent to raise the dikes to prevent large-scale flooding. Chu Yansheng only needs to reinforce the dikes as in previous years to complete the task, which can be considered a contribution to flood control.
He thought he would receive praise from Chu Xiao after his report, but Chu Xiao threw down his pen, leaned back in his rosewood chair, glanced at him, and then looked at his face.
“Floods occur in Jiangnan every year. I have entrusted this matter to you. Instead of thinking about how to divert the water, you have simply been using sand and soil to raise the dikes. This is not a long-term solution.”
"Your Majesty, in previous years we only raised the dikes; diverting the water requires time and manpower..."
"I did not expect you to complete this in a short time. Never mind, you are no longer needed for this matter. I will arrange for someone else to handle it."
"Your Majesty!" Chu Yansheng felt like he was doing something thankless. He had done this in previous years without any objections, so why was His Majesty objecting this year?!
Seeing that Chu Xiao had not changed his mind, Chu Yansheng had no choice but to agree, and then asked, "Does Your Majesty have any other tasks that I need to perform?"
At this crucial moment when a crown prince is being chosen from among the collateral branches, Chu Yansheng naturally needs to perform well and let the emperor see his abilities.
Chu Xiao said, "There is one thing. After you leave the palace, go to Prince Jing's residence and tell the Crown Prince that I have entrusted him with the matter of the floods in Jiangnan and that he should set off as soon as possible."
Chu Yansheng, "..."
The emperor is just unhappy with him, isn't he? That's it, isn't it?!
"yes."
After everyone left, Chu Xiao summoned An Er and instructed him to investigate the matter between Yun Chaoxi and Chu Yansheng.
When Eunuch Liu came to tell him, he only said that the two were talking outside the Imperial Study and seemed to know each other, but he didn't know what they were talking about. Chu Xiao didn't want to guess, nor did he have the face to ask. It was simplest to find out directly.
...
Lady Li finished eating the pastries while kneeling, her knees bleeding profusely. She was helped back to the palace by a palace maid, who then went to fetch the imperial physician.
When the imperial physician arrived, Consort Li, seemingly out of her mind, began tearing at her clothes and trying to rub against him, startling him so much that he jumped back three feet.
"Young Master Li! What are you doing!"
"I feel so awful! Ah~ Yun Chaoxi must have put something in the pastries! Imperial Physician, come here~ examine me... ah~"
The imperial physician was so frightened he got goosebumps. He ordered his men to hold Lady Li down before daring to step forward and take her pulse. He ultimately concluded that Lady Li hadn't received any herbal medicine; she was simply experiencing arousal...
The Emperor's punishment of Consort Li for Yun Chaoxi's sake quickly became known to the other concubines. Shocked, they all harbored different thoughts. Some were envious and jealous, some felt Yun Chaoxi was about to gain favor, and some began sending snacks and tea to the Imperial Study daily.
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