Everyone in the room turned around at once to look at the approaching crowd.
There were not many people, just a few palace maids, guards and eunuchs, surrounding the majestic emperor in front of them.
Dugu Ling walked beside him, her head slightly lowered, the large white fox fur hood covering half of his face.
Chu Yuan immediately understood; it seemed that Dugu Jue was still the one in control of that body.
But he didn't just leave; he kindly brought the emperor along. Was he afraid that she, his newly formed ally, would suffer a loss?
A smile crept onto her lips. After Dugu Yue and Dugu Pingting led their maids out to greet them, Chu Yuan also got up and followed.
Because Dugu Ran had difficulty walking, he walked a little slower, and Chu Yuan happened to be in the same row as him.
Their eyes met. Dugu Ran's gaze was gloomy, his face expressionless, while Chu Yuan stared at him without blinking, her face equally expressionless...
The only difference was that Chu Yuan's eyes were sparkling.
Dugu Ran was a little stunned. This princess of a fallen kingdom was always rather naive, just like Dugu Yue, both silly and innocent. But she was really beautiful, which was why most of the young masters from noble families in the capital didn't mind her status and were willing to play with her.
Of course, it's just for fun; marrying her is out of the question.
Not only would she offer no support, but she might also incur the wrath of her father, the emperor. Furthermore, most people still viewed her as someone who was half her father, even though he had never expressed any romantic feelings towards her over the years.
Wow!
Chu Yuan suddenly and silently made a face at Dugu Ran when no one was paying attention.
Dugu Ran, “…” Has she gone mad?
Ahead, Dugu Yue's voice was slightly shrill, "Crown Prince, you... how could you be with Father? I clearly saw it before—"
Dugu Jue slightly raised his chin, his fur partially obscuring his face, and his sharp phoenix eyes glanced sideways at Dugu Yue.
The latter choked uncontrollably, and his voice stopped abruptly.
How terrifying...
Why did the Crown Prince look at me like that just now?
The Crown Prince is not like this at all on a normal day!
Dugu Yue was puzzled, utterly puzzled, but her heart was pounding and her hands and feet were cold; she was completely stunned by the glare Dugu Jue had given her just now.
"Moon, what do you see?" Gu Dutianxiong asked with concern.
He had drunk a bit too much at the banquet, so the Crown Prince took the initiative to accompany him out to sober up. Dugu Tianxiong had no suspicions at all, and was even touched that the Crown Prince, despite being unwell, still remembered to show filial piety.
Normally, Dugu Tianxiong wouldn't insist that Dugu Ling attend such banquets, since his health was really too poor. He couldn't stand or sit for long periods, nor could he drink too much alcohol. Sometimes, even eating a little bit of food that didn't suit his stomach would make him fall ill and bedridden.
However, this was the Empress Dowager's 60th birthday, and the palace hadn't held a celebratory event for many years, so they decided to have a grand celebration.
It was both for the Empress Dowager and to bring good fortune to the Dugu clan.
If the Crown Prince attends, he might be able to benefit from the event.
Seeing that the Crown Prince was still weak and had even put on a fox fur cloak since it was only early autumn, Dugu Tianxiong felt that this method was useful and his drowsy mind cleared up with joy!
The voice that asked Dugu Yue was even more gentle and loving.
There's nothing he can do; he has few children, so he doesn't have the means to be a strict father even if he wanted to.
Dugu Yue was stunned, a feeling of panic lingering in her heart, and her voice became stammering, "I...I saw Sister Ji Yun..."
"Princess, since Ji Yun has come to offer her birthday wishes, isn't it normal for you to see me?"
Chu Yuan, with her bright and beautiful eyes, curtsied and appeared in everyone's sight.
Today, she wore a bright yellow palace dress, which was beautiful and elegant, but not too eye-catching. Combined with her exquisite beauty, it caught Dugu Tianxiong's eye.
Noticing her father's gaze fixed on Chu Yuan's face, Dugu Yue became even more displeased. She stepped forward, took Dugu Tianxiong's hand, and cut off his gaze. "Father, she ran here all by herself to escape the hustle and bustle, making so many of us come looking for her. She has no manners at all."
He thought to himself, "They really are from a barbarian land. Even if they live in the capital for another hundred years, they will still be barbaric."
Chu Yuan pursed her lips, unconcerned, but took a step back and winked at Dugu Jue without making a sound.
The latter didn't even glance at her out of the corner of his eye, as if he couldn't see her at all!
Dugu Tianxiong was well aware of the rivalry between the two girls; it was nothing more than a competition—comparing clothes and jewelry, and seeing who was more attractive to men.
This is precisely why he finds it difficult to regard the still-childish Ji Yunyuan as a proper woman, but rather as a young girl of the same generation.
Dugu Tianxiong was not a womanizer; apart from Consort Chen, whom he favored, the others in his harem were all rather ordinary.
The purpose of having three palaces and six courtyards was primarily to produce offspring.
However, after so many years, no good news came, and Dugu Tianxiong gave up.
Now, all he wants is for the Crown Prince to be healthy enough to last until the time of his death, so that he can have a few more children to continue the Dugu family's rule. That would be wonderful.
“Yue’er, today is your grandmother’s birthday, so don’t cause any trouble.” Dugu Tianxiong said, but then he heard Dugu Ling coughing slightly. He immediately turned all his attention to her. “Is the Crown Prince feeling unwell? Let’s go back inside the palace. It’s really windy outside.”
Dugu Yue stuck out her tongue, reached out to feel where the wind was stronger.
Father Emperor clearly favors his elder brother, the Crown Prince!
He's just a sickly person; I don't know what's so good about him.
Thinking this, Dugu Yue dared not act rashly and could only obediently follow back to the main hall.
Chu Yuan also walked in the group, her gaze quietly falling on the pale and frail Dugu Jue in front of her. She thought to herself, "He's not actually that cold-hearted, is he?"
Dugu Ling was benevolent, righteous, respectful, and obedient—of course, that's a nice way of putting it.
To put it bluntly, he was cowardly and naive, the kind of person who would even disobey the orders of the maids in the Crown Prince's residence.
The key issue is that he doesn't establish his authority or teach any lessons. He just lets his servants say one thing to his face and another behind his back, making the Crown Prince's residence a mess. When he goes out and encounters a beggar who stole his money, he will ask the beggar if his family is really in financial difficulty, and then have his servants give him a bag of silver.
Therefore, everyone in the world knows that the Crown Prince is a kind and good person, and if he becomes emperor in the future, everyone will surely have a better life.
This is just wishful thinking on the part of ignorant people.
According to Chu Yuan, if Dugu Ling were to become emperor, the world would be just like his current Crown Prince's residence—it would inevitably descend into chaos sooner or later.
Unfortunately, as soon as she returned to the banquet, she was targeted by someone with ulterior motives.
She said sarcastically, "So, Consort Ji Yun is here too. I thought so many people were leaving because something terrible had happened. Turns out they were looking for you? What, Consort Ji Yun, a slave of a fallen kingdom, is serving someone more noble than the Empress Dowager?"
****
On the last day of this month, I'll be posting one more chapter.
Starting next month, I'll be getting full attendance bonuses, so I need at least 4000 per day.
I'm not entirely satisfied with the writing of these new worlds, so I might revise them, but that won't stop you from continuing to read, my little darlings!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
