Bowing down to serve the powerful (Part 2)
Zhu Hua slowly walked into the flower hall.
"Second brother, while you're still young and your body is still strong, why don't you try harder and have a few more children?"
"Or you could throw your son Sheng'er into a pack of wolves to toughen him up, and maybe he'll develop some backbone. Otherwise, if he remains naive and incompetent, he'll one day become the king who brings about the downfall of a kingdom."
The last six words, though seemingly light, struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.
Zhu Sheng was still a child. He burst into tears and was held tightly in Cheng Yuzhi's arms, trembling all over.
Seeing Zhu Sheng crying and making a fuss, Zhu Hua pursed her lips listlessly: "It was just a joke, little Sheng, why are you so easily teased?"
This isn't teasing, it's clearly...
Zhiwei looked up, subconsciously trying to anticipate Zhu Liji's reaction.
Zhu Liji put down the jade cup in his hand, and the sound of the bottom of the cup lightly tapping the table was exceptionally clear in the silence.
He raised his eyes, and there was only a suffocating indifference in them.
Zhu Hua continued to smile as she walked in front of the crowd. Despite the thick layer of powder covering her face, her exquisite features were still striking.
Red lips and gorgeous dress, a long red skirt with layers like flames, gold thread twisted into peacock feathers, embroidered with various mythical beast totems.
Zhu Hua walked to the center of the main hall, casually bowed slightly to Shen Danxi, and said, "Your subject is late, please forgive me, Mother."
"Your subject?" Only one person in the entire Great Zhao could speak like that. Zhiwei was shocked. The person in front of her was Princess Heqing, the elder sister of Zhu Liji and Zhu Mingyu.
So young.
Zhiwei recalled the rumors she had heard that Princess Qing and Zhu Liji were both part of the court's strategy to control the current emperor.
When the Emperor was still the Marquis of Jiping, the late Emperor sent him to the frontier to guard the pass. Fearing that his power would become too great and his ambition would grow, the late Emperor, under the pretext of "understanding the long distance," forced him to leave his infant daughter in the palace and entrust her to the Empress Dowager to raise personally.
Later, the late emperor felt that one woman was not enough, so he forcibly summoned Zhu Liji to the capital as a hostage.
If Zhu Liji was forced to travel from a young age out of necessity, then this princess probably had very few days to see her close relatives from birth.
Perhaps out of a sense of indebtedness, the first person the new emperor appointed upon ascending the throne was neither the empress nor the crown prince, but Princess Heqing.
The Emperor and Empress doted on Princess Heqing, and renovated her residence to be more luxurious than any previous princess's residence. No matter how rare or precious the treasures were, they were always sent there first.
Without a doubt, Zhu Hua was a daughter who was pampered to the extreme.
"Oh my goodness, how did you manage to bring such a big Buddha here?" Li Mingjing sobered up almost the instant he saw Zhu Hua. He grabbed Jiang Qin's sleeve, his face as if he had swallowed a fly. "I bet your prince is about to get a taste of his own medicine."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Hua turned around. She smiled and glanced at Li Mingjing, who immediately lowered his head and closed his mouth.
Zhu Hua then turned to Zhu Liji and said softly, "Mother, I didn't want to be late, but someone has become too proud and forgotten their roots, even forgetting about my elder sister. If my maid hadn't told me, I'm afraid I would have missed this warm family banquet."
His words were ill-intentioned, so Zhu Liji put down his cup.
"Sister, but you haven't had time to take your medicine today."
Zhu Liji said softly, "This is a family banquet. If you want to find someone to joke with, you can go find those actors in your palace who are treasured by you."
These words caused an uproar at the banquet.
To put it nicely, they were actors; to put it bluntly, Princess Changqing was fond of men, a fact known throughout the capital. The men she kept in her palace were not actors, but rather a string of handsome young lovers.
It's one thing for people to discuss such things in private, but for his own brother to point it out in front of everyone shows that he's not giving Zhu Hua any face at all.
Several of the specially invited close advisors began to wipe away sweat, and some of the crown prince's confidants were clearly excited, cheering for their master's rebuttal and muttering to themselves.
"This is the eldest princess who caused her husband's death. She has no manners at all. No wonder the former crown prince deliberately set fire to her palace when he was defeated."
"Speaking of which, her ex-husband died suddenly and died of his injuries. It was only about two months before and after she entered the manor."
"Who cares if she's Princess He? His Highness the Crown Prince is of noble status; would he dare to embarrass someone in public?"
"And the Crown Prince, though incompetent, is still His Highness the Crown Prince's only child. How can we allow a mere woman to speak ill of him so casually..."
Those below the hall were all close, loyal, and important officials. Confident that they would not be punished, they dared to speak frankly.
Zhiwei felt a chill run down her spine as she secretly observed Shen Danxi's expression on the Mingtai platform. Her gentle and composed smile had vanished, replaced by furrowed brows.
Zhiwei knew that Shen Danxi was bound to speak up and stop the ministers.
Unexpectedly, an accident occurred.
Zhu Hua lifted her vermilion floor-length gown and walked toward the nearest courtier.
She picked up the jade pot from the table and, without hesitation, poured all the wine inside onto the heads of her close ministers.
The wine was good, and Wang Lisheng was thoroughly drenched.
He felt a jolt to his scalp as the icy liquid streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks, soaking into his face and forehead, dripping clear droplets that traced winding lines on his skin.
The rich aroma of the wine still lingered on my lips and tongue, but the coolness felt like needles pricking through my skull, making my very soul tremble.
The vibrant hem of her skirt brushed against the cold floor tiles. Zhu Hua leaned slightly forward, and a pearl-embroidered shoe tip peeked out from under her vermilion skirt. She stepped forward and stopped right on a small puddle of wine in front of Wang Lisheng.
“The shoes are dirty,” Zhu Hua stated.
"My lord, my shoes are dirty."
Zhu Hua frowned as if she were a victim, or a child who had lost something precious, her face innocent: "Just now, your wine cup was unsteady, disturbing me. Since you disturbed me first, I will trouble you to lick the dirt off my shoes for me."
What utter nonsense is this, turning black into white?! Everyone present was dumbfounded.
"Hua'er!" Shen Danxi, who had been silent until now, finally couldn't sit still any longer. Her usually dignified face showed an unusual sternness. "This is a family banquet. How dare you be so insolent? Apologize to Minister Wang now!"
"Apologize?" Zhu Hua raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
She still had a wronged expression, with a face like that of a Buddha or Bodhisattva, and her red lips slightly upturned, just like the newly blooming petals on the lotus seat of Guanyin in the temple.
"Why should I apologize? These are my favorite shoes." Zhu Hua's eyes darkened quickly. "I already said it was just a joke."
Zhu Hua turned around and said to his mother, repeating, "Mother, please don't be angry. I was just joking."
"How can we make meritorious people bow down? Even if they are wrong, there are plenty of people who can apologize on their behalf."
"You're right, aren't you, little page?"
Zhu Hua lazily straightened up, his eyes darting around, and he spotted an interesting prey: the young servant who was also trembling like a leaf—Wang Lisheng's personal attendant.
"The master's breach of etiquette has disturbed the noble guests; this is a terrible disaster. As a servant..." Zhu Hua's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an undeniable force, "It is only natural for a servant to take the blame for his master."
Zhu Hua spoke casually, as if it were just a casual conversation, and beckoned to the young servant: "You, come here."
"Lick it clean for your master."
Upon hearing this, the servant's face turned ashen.
He had never seen anything like it before. He shuddered violently as a wave of immense fear washed over him, tearing his mind apart.
He trembled all over, a sob escaped his throat, and snot gushed uncontrollably from his nose.
Like a manipulated puppet, he used both hands and feet to crawl toward the shoe stained with wine.
The crawling process was incredibly long, and the sweet wine smell mixed with the fishy odor made the servant's stomach churn.
He closed his eyes, seemingly trying to shut out the hellish scene, but felt the burning gaze on his back even more clearly.
His whole body was trembling so violently that he could barely support himself. Desperately and incredibly slowly, he stuck out the tip of his tongue.
The moist, slightly warm tip of her tongue trembled as it touched the cold, smooth pearl on the tip of Zhu Hua's shoe, a symbol of supreme nobility.
With a very slight hiss, the tip of the tongue quickly retracted, then extended again, leaving a sticky, stringy trail.
“Continue,” Zhu Hua said.
The servant curled up, burying his head on the ground like a herded animal, his shoulders twitching violently as he licked and wiped away the tiny, almost imperceptible wine stain with the tip of his tongue.
"Serving the princess is the greatest honor for a lowly servant," the servant said with a fawning smile.
Several more long breaths passed.
No one stopped it.
a long time.
Zhu Hua seemed to find it boring and yawned several times in a row.
She waved her hand, withdrew her foot, noticed the saliva stains on the shoe, narrowed her eyes, and kicked off the expensive pearl-embroidered shoes.
"Well done."
"Here you go." Zhu Hua straightened up, her smooth foot stepping on the servant's back.
She glanced around again, her gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Cheng Yuzhi, the tightly pursed-lipped Zhu Mingyu, and the Zhiwei who was trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. Finally, her gaze settled on Zhu Liji's face, leaving behind a meaningful and sarcastic sneer.
"Mother, I shall take my leave now." Zhu Hua turned around on her own, head held high, like a burning, ominous flame, and left the suffocating banquet hall.
The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments once again resounded throughout the palace, and beautiful maids sang and danced continuously; everything returned to its former glory.
Shen Danxi continued to smile at the head of the table.
The guests responded to each other as if it were just a passing breeze. Cheng Yuzhi, carrying Zhu Sheng who had cried himself to sleep, left first, her back view frail.
The night wind blew in from outside the palace, carrying a chill, but Zhiwei felt no warmth at all; her fingertips remained icy cold.
Just now, before Zhu Hua left, his cold gaze seemed to have swept over her intentionally or unintentionally, bringing a sticky and fearful feeling of being locked on by a venomous snake. Zhiwei was still shaken and felt a faint smell of blood on the tip of her nose.
Is it just my imagination?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
