Chapter 71 The banquet under the deer's cry sounds nice, like keeping a beauty hidden away, but it's more like...
"Shen Qing, you may dispense with the formalities."
Chu Yueyuan took a few steps forward, and the two figures on the blue bricks overlapped. She said softly, "It is really abrupt to invite you so late at night. I think Shen Qing must also find it strange."
Shen Zizhan lowered his eyes, staring at the intertwined figures on the floor tiles, his five fingers gripping the lantern pole tightly: "Your Highness, have you encountered any difficulties in the palace?"
Chu Yueyuan shook her head, considering that it wasn't easy for the two of them to meet privately, so she went straight to the point: "Not long ago, Madam Shen came to see me and mentioned the engagement between Shen Qing and Miss Lin..."
Shen Zizhan suddenly raised his head, his gaze falling on the woman's calm face. His Adam's apple bobbed, but he did not speak.
Chu Yueyuan smiled slightly: "It's quite a coincidence. Before I entered the palace, I had met the granddaughter of Headmaster Lin a few times. Miss Lin was gentle and kind-hearted. She was one of the few young ladies from noble families who were willing to chat with me at that time."
The palace lantern in the man's hand trembled, and the figure cast on the bluestone slab blurred. He pursed his thin lips and asked, "What is the meaning behind Your Highness's words to me?"
Looking into his clear, amber eyes, Chu Yueyuan felt a pang of reluctance, but still said earnestly, "I am not worthy of your waiting, Shen Qing. Besides... your waiting will not bring any results, but will only cause your loved ones to worry about you. Since we are on different paths, I hope you will not look back and cherish the person in front of you."
"How does Your Highness know that there is no future for us?"
"I am the widow of the late emperor, and Shen Qing is a promising minister. You and I are like trees on opposite banks of a river. No matter how much we grow and develop, we will never cross paths again."
Shen Zizhan's gaze was fixed on the woman's face, his brows furrowed with deep regret. His voice was hoarse: "No, you and I should have been like birds flying wing to wing on a tall tree. It's my fault for being so incompetent that I failed to protect you and let them lock you in this cage."
He raised his hand and pointed to the towering palace wall, a crimson glint spreading across the corner of his eye, his voice laced with suppressed anger: "I know you don't want to stay here."
Chu Yueyuan lowered her eyes, as if guessing what he was about to say, and interrupted him first: "Then what does Shen Qing intend to do for me? Is it to remove the lock on this cage, or to dismantle the cage? I might as well make it clear to you today. Even if you break this cage, I will not fly out, because within these palace walls, there are people I cannot let go of, and things that have not yet been settled."
The silk lantern in Shen Zizhan's hand was blown out by a gust of wind, and the moment the candlelight disappeared, he sank into the deep darkness of the night.
Chu Yueyuan stepped forward with the lantern in hand. The flickering light illuminated the man's forlorn face. She couldn't bear it and softened her voice: "Though old dreams are beautiful, they are eventually gone. It's better to move on. If Shen Qing meets other women, perhaps he will forget those old dreams."
Shen Zizhan's lips curled into a faint smile: "So Your Highness summoned me tonight to persuade me to marry the Lin family's daughter."
Having said all she could, Chu Yueyuan knew that if she didn't completely sever the man's lingering feelings, this inextricable entanglement would eventually drag him into the abyss. If he were further manipulated by those with ulterior motives and dragged into court intrigues, the consequences would be unimaginable. She hardened her heart and said:
"Whether she's the daughter of the Lin family or the lady of the Jiang family, in any case... the person you will marry through proper channels in the future will definitely not be..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man grabbed her wrist, gripping it so tightly that it hurt.
Shen Zizhan abruptly pulled the woman into his arms, a dark light flickering in his eyes, like a ember remaining deep within ashes. He stared intently at her, his tone full of meaning:
"Does Your Highness know where you will end up?"
Chu Yueyuan was slightly taken aback. She had never seen a man like this before. His amber eyes had lost their warm luster and were so dark that they were chilling. Even the elegant lily of the valley fragrance on him was now tinged with coldness.
Shen Zizhan stared intently at the woman, as if trying to see the tenderness he once felt in her eyes, but was disappointed to find only calmness. Suddenly, it felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, the pain almost suffocating him.
He slightly curled the corners of his lips: "Does Your Highness know that since the collapse of the imperial mausoleum in the suburbs of the capital, the Regent has secretly ordered the Ministry of Works to draw up blueprints to rebuild a memorial tower in the palace?"
In fact, the area of the imperial mausoleum collapse was not large. The burial chamber inside the underground palace was not damaged; only the memorial hall in the southwest corner collapsed.
The Memorial Tower was built by the founding emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty to mourn his deceased wife. The tower not only houses nine golden Buddha statues, but also contains thousands of volumes of Sanskrit scriptures from the Western Regions and relics.
Over the course of a century, this place gradually became a retreat for the Xiao imperial family. Historical records show that several empress dowagers, in their later years, chose to move to the memorial tower to recite scriptures and chant Buddhist prayers rather than live in the palace.
Chu Yueyuan once mentioned to the Regent that she would chant sutras to pray for him, which meant that when he came to rule the world, she would move with Xiao Yun to the imperial mausoleum in the suburbs of the capital.
Now that the memorial tower has collapsed, it should be rebuilt on the original site. However, the Regent ordered the Ministry of Works to build the tower in the palace. Then, Shen Zizhan asked her if she knew where she was going.
An absurd thought exploded in her mind like a thunderclap. Chu Yueyuan's eyes flickered with surprise and bewilderment.
Shen Zizhan released the woman's wrist, his palm caressing her snowy cheek. His eyes regained their usual clear and bright color, sparkling with starlight. His voice was gentle, like a seductive spell.
"Now...Does Your Highness permit me to destroy this golden cage?"
"I...I...I..."
Chu Yueyuan was still reeling from the shocking news. Her thoughts were in turmoil, and she didn't know how to respond.
Has Pei gone mad?
She refused to be his empress, so he decided to build a pagoda in the palace. To put it nicely, it was to keep his beloved in a golden house; to put it bluntly, it was to suppress his widowed sister-in-law.
No wonder even the three rules couldn't restrain him lately; his behavior has become increasingly unrestrained. That bastard lunatic! So he was secretly... setting up this inescapable trap behind her back!
As Chu Yueyuan was in a daze, a hoarse cough suddenly rang out from the shadows.
Shen Zizhan's brow twitched slightly. When he realized that the sound was coming from the woods behind them, his eyes darkened. He quickly withdrew his hand from the woman's cheek and turned to protect her behind him.
The night wind swept through the woods, and the depths, where the moonlight could not penetrate, were shrouded in darkness. Apart from the rustling of the leaves on the treetops, there was no other sound.
Chu Yueyuan clutched her chest, and after her rapid heartbeat subsided slightly, she whispered, "Perhaps just a palace servant passing by..."
Knowing that their secret rendezvous should not be witnessed, she added, "I have taken note of Shen Qing's reminder. As for your engagement with Miss Lin..."
Chu Yueyuan sighed, "I only hope that you will have a smooth life in the future." She looked at him, her watery eyes shimmering, "Just like... before you met me."
He was the pride of the capital, destined to live a life of luxury and brilliance, freely expressing his lofty ambitions and leaving his mark on history.
A bitter feeling welled up in Shen Zizhan's throat. His palm, which had just touched the woman's cheek, still carried her warmth and scent, but he couldn't hold on to it. He could only let the feeling dissipate from his palm little by little.
Ultimately, it's because he wasn't positioned high enough. If he could have been higher, high enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with that man...
Perhaps, he has the power to hold her.
Shen Zizhan clenched his fists, suppressing the surging emotions in his chest, and said in a hoarse voice, "As long as Your Highness is doing well, I will be at ease."
A sudden gust of night wind caused the palace lanterns to sway unsteadily, and Chu Yueyuan's heart pounded with anxiety. She pointed to the rockery not far away and said, "There is a path there. If you go through it, you will reach the bridge in the middle of the lake. After crossing the bridge, you will find the banquet. I will take another path."
She had been out for a while, and to avoid attracting attention, it was best for her to part ways with Shen Zizhan and return to the banquet.
"Your Highness, please take care."
"Shen Qing is the same."
Shen Zizhan bent down and walked into the secluded path of the artificial hill. The bottom of the pond, which had been cleared of water, still had puddles of varying depths. His indigo robe swept across the water's surface, quickly spreading several winding, dark water streaks, just like the lingering shadow between his brows.
Emerging from the narrow, secluded path, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before us.
Shen Zizhan's gaze faltered slightly, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.
Under the moonlight, a woman dressed in plain clothes stood quietly on the stone bridge. Her eyes were like a clear spring, so clear that they could see into the deepest secrets of people's hearts.
She gracefully bowed to Shen Zizhan, her voice ethereal as smoke: "Perhaps... I can relieve Lord Shen's worries."
———
After watching Shen Zizhan leave, Chu Yueyuan prepared to return to the banquet.
Just then, the soft rustling of leaves came from the woods. Chu Yueyuan's heart tightened, and she took a few steps back warily. Just as she was about to call out to Jin Tong, she saw a pair of hands push aside the branches, revealing a face that she knew very well.
Chu Yueyuan's expression immediately darkened.
The visitor was none other than her biological father, Chu Shuheng.
Chu Shuheng possessed a handsome appearance that rivaled that of the Regent, especially his pair of peach blossom eyes, which were full of tenderness and melancholy, making them irresistible to women.
In his youth, Chu Shuheng's elegant demeanor made Hu Shi choose him alone among many suitors, despite his humble background. After passing the imperial examination, he distinguished himself at the Deer Cry Banquet, which made even a noblewoman like Du Shi fall in love with him at first sight.
Even time has been exceptionally kind to this handsome man, adding only a few faint lines at the corners of his eyes. His refined features remain distinct, and the sharpness of his youth has faded, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Chu Yueyuan clenched her knuckles, her long nails digging deep into her palms. She coldly glared at her father's bent back. If she could, she would want him to bow his back to her mother's memorial tablet for the rest of his life.
"Was the person spying in the woods just now Lord Chu?"
"Your Majesty, I did not spy on you. I only wish to remind you that men and women should not be treated as separate matters, and that etiquette should not be shared personally."
Chu Yueyuan sneered: "Lord Chu is full of righteous words, but he himself is a heartless man who abandoned his wife who shared his hardships. Doesn't he feel ashamed?"
Chu Shuheng straightened up and quietly examined the woman, just like a father examining his daughter.
“Yuan’er, I admit that I wronged your mother a lot back then because of my career. I never explained the reasons to you. Now that you are sitting on the throne, you should be able to see clearly that even though the Regent is trying to reform, most of the successful candidates at the Deer Cry Banquet are still from aristocratic families. Why is that?”
“A sheet of Xuan paper costs twenty coins, a wolf-hair brush costs three hundred coins, and a copy of the ‘Great Treatise on the Book of Changes’ costs five hundred strings of cash. It’s not easy to support a scholar. Your mother used her dowry to send me to the capital for the imperial examinations. For this kindness alone, I will never betray her! That year, I ranked second in the palace examination and should have entered the Hanlin Academy…”
At this point, Chu Shuheng's lips curled into a bitter smile: "However, I waited bitterly at the post station for three months, until my travel money was exhausted, only to find out that the position of Hanlin Compiler had already been taken by a young man from a prominent family who ranked last in the third class. At that moment, I suddenly realized that in this intricately connected capital, without the help of a powerful figure, even if I waited until my life was completely exhausted, I would not receive an official appointment!"
He lowered his head, his face filled with remorse: "Back then, I was only thinking about making a name for myself... After Du married into the family, I wrote a letter overnight and sent it to Yangzhou to explain to your mother the reason for my marriage. But the messenger fell seriously ill on the way, and the letter never reached her."
The palace lanterns swayed in the night breeze, and the candlelight illuminated the man's scarlet official robe. The crisscrossing folds of the robe were sometimes deep and sometimes shallow, like old, unhealed marks.
The creases on a robe can be smoothed out with a hot iron, but how can the wrinkles accumulated in one's heart over many years be smoothed out with just a few words?
Chu Yueyuan smiled, but there was no smile in her eyes: "Lord Chu said he wouldn't explain, but he still explained so much."
She turned around and said in a calm tone, "If you have nothing else to attend to, I will take my leave."
"Your Highness, please wait!"
Chu Shuheng didn't mind the woman's indifferent and aloof attitude at all; his eyes still revealed a loving smile: "Has the poison in His Majesty's body been completely eliminated?"
Chu Yueyuan froze in her tracks, a horrifying guess creeping into her mind. She whirled around, her delicate eyebrows slightly raised: "It was you who poisoned Madam Du."
"As a father, I can't let my daughter's hands be stained with blood..."
Chu Shuheng's tone was terrifyingly calm, as if he had not poisoned his own wife, but rather a stray cat or dog that had wandered into the courtyard.
He added, "I was unaware of this matter until I heard the news of Your Majesty's illness and secretly investigated the maidservants around Lady Du, only then did I discover what she had done."
Chu Yueyuan believed this, because she knew her father too well.
When she was young, in order to please him, she would pester her mother almost every day to ask about her father, what he liked to eat, what books he usually read, where he went after court, and when he could come to sit in their Fuxiang Courtyard.
She knew him even better than he knew himself.
She knew his ambition trapped under thorns. Since the decline of the Du family, he had lost his support in the court. Like a bird with broken wings, he had been stuck in the position of Vice Minister of Works for ten years. Despite his outstanding political achievements, he could not advance any further.
She knew even more that although he was cautious and deliberately avoided the vortex of factional strife, the wildfire in his heart had never been extinguished.
Therefore, he would never be as foolish as the Du family, who would destroy Xiao Yun's body, which would mean cutting off his path to the cabinet.
Chu Yueyuan gazed at the white hair at the man's temples. Even with a few white hairs, he was still an absolute handsome man. Even at the palace banquet just now, the women looked at this lonely widower with pity in their eyes.
If the women knew that this refined and affectionate widower was the real murderer of his wife, they would probably be shocked.
Chu Yueyuan smiled lightly, "Lord Chu, you have shown great righteousness by putting aside your own family, and tonight you have followed me here. Could it be that you have come to claim credit?"
"No, I want to advise Your Highness to sever ties with the Regent as soon as possible. The two of you have different goals, and if you continue down this path, you are destined to both suffer losses."
Chu Shuheng stared at the woman, his eyes revealing deep worry: "His Highness wants the Emperor to be safe, and the Regent wants the Great Qi Dynasty to change hands. The situation is still uncertain. He can be a protective talisman for His Highness and the Emperor, but once the situation changes, he will become a death warrant for the two of you!"
Chu Yueyuan's dimples were shallow: "Lord Chu judges others by his own standards, so naturally he sees everyone as having ulterior motives."
Chu Shuheng pointed to the broken silk lamp on the ground and said earnestly, "Weren't the words of Prince Shen just now enough to make Your Highness realize the truth? The Regent Prince's reconstruction of the memorial tower is a preparation for the future imprisonment of Yun'er."
"Even if he takes pity on your past relationship and ensures your safety and a life of luxury, what about his fierce generals? What about his enemies in the court? If Yun'er doesn't die, the Xiao family lineage is always at risk of being resurrected. In the end, who will be the one to sacrifice themselves in the fight between the two sides?"
The small candlelight flickered in the wind, its faint glow illuminating the woman's pale face, the light in her watery eyes shimmering.
Chu Shuheng stared at her face, his gaze deep and unfathomable, and asked again, emphasizing his words:
"Your Highness, who do you think will ultimately be the one to sacrifice?"
"I believe..."
Chu Yueyuan took a slow breath, and when she looked up again, the flames in her eyes were extremely bright: "Lord Chu is so working so hard to sow discord between me and the Regent, you must have already sided with Prince Anxian."
Seeing the man remain silent, a faint smile appeared on her lips: "Previously, I was not sure who was behind the Du family, but after hearing Father's words, I understand everything now."
"In order to seize the right to raise the emperor from me, Lady Du obtained the incense pills through the Duke of Fengguo. Prince Anxian knew about this, but my father was kept in the dark. That's why he immediately suspected Lady Du after learning that the emperor was ill. Killing her to silence her was also a way to sacrifice a pawn to save the king."
Chu Yueyuan also vaguely sensed that the alliance between Chu Shuheng and Prince Anxian might not be reliable. Prince Anxian was eager for quick success and instant benefits, while her father was the type to proceed cautiously step by step.
Chu Shuheng gazed at his daughter, as if seeing her clearly for the first time. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, then the corners of his lips turned up, and he smiled with great satisfaction.
"If only Yuan'er were a boy... what a pity..."
He sighed regretfully, but his face still held a kind smile: "Yes, I have joined the faction of Prince Anxian. Now the two factions in the court are clearly divided. If I don't stand on one side, I will look out of place."
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly: "Judging from Lord Chu's tone, you don't want to serve Prince Anxian?"
Chu Shuheng lightly flicked the creases on his sleeve and said calmly, "Yuan'er, have you ever heard the story in the 'Strategies of the Warring States' about the clam and the fisherman who benefits from the fight between the crane and the clam?"
Chu Yueyuan suddenly realized that the man was watching from the sidelines, observing the Regent and Prince Anxian fight like a clam and a clam, and then becoming the fisherman who would reap the rewards when both were exhausted.
If the regent is defeated, he will be the most meritorious minister under King Anxian, and will naturally rise rapidly in rank, be ennobled and appointed prime minister;
If Prince Anxian loses power, he can use his status as the "grandfather of the emperor" to win over the supporters of the monarchy and replace Prince Anxian in the court.
Sure enough, this was the father she knew—hypocritical with two faces.
Chu Shuheng leaned half a step closer to her, raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder, saying sincerely:
“Yuan’er, you are a hundred times more intelligent than Shihua, and now you are deeply favored by the Regent. Rather than tying your future to a man who is unwilling to give you a title, why not use his influence to strengthen your own power and solidify the foundation of our Chu clan? Even if things change in the future, you and Yun’er will have a way out…”
Chu Yueyuan found it somewhat laughable. As a child, she longed to hear her father say those words, to acknowledge that she was better than her sister. Back then, she would practice the piano all night long and memorize an entire book of poems just to hear those words.
However, at this moment, when she heard this belated affirmation, she felt nothing but utter absurdity.
There was even a feeling of nausea.
She dodged his feigned concern, her gaze coldly fixed on the person closest to her by blood, and solemnly said:
"I said this to Lady Du before, and I will say it again to Lord Chu today: no matter how I live in the palace, I will not let Yun'er get involved in court struggles."
Chu Shuheng's hand froze in mid-air, the fatherly smile on his face gradually faded, and his eyes darkened.
“Yuan’er, if you continue to act so stubbornly, you will harm Yun’er sooner or later.”
Chu Yueyuan moved the palace lantern away, creating a boundary of light and shadow between the father and daughter. Her tone was calm:
"Whether the future fate of the Empress and the Emperor is good or bad is none of Lord Chu's concern. You should spend more time thinking about how to mend the rift between you and Prince Anxian."
After saying that, she turned and left, not wanting to have anything to do with this person anymore.
However, a whisper drifted from the shadows behind her, as if a ghost were whispering in her ear: "If the Regent knew Yoon-ah's true identity, my dear, would you still be so certain?"
In an instant, the octagonal palace lantern in her hand crashed to the ground, and the only light... went out.
———
At the Deer Cry Banquet, wine cups clinked and fine liquor swirld in golden goblets, and the guests' faces glowed with happiness as they chatted and laughed.
Several noble ladies, emboldened by a touch of wine, inadvertently dropped their handkerchiefs to the ground, letting the night wind carry them to the end of the banquet, where they were snatched up by a group of young men dressed in scholar's robes.
Compared to the lively atmosphere at the end of the table, the seats at the head of the table were much quieter.
Pei Muwei glanced sideways at the empty table on his right, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
Xiao Yun was rubbing his stomach and burping when he saw a palace servant serving him a plate of chilled dumplings. His eyes lit up, and he quickly started counting on his fingers:
"One, two, three,... seven, Mother said we can only eat a few dishes?... Hmm... it must be eight..."
He scooped up a cold dumpling, when he suddenly heard the Regent's cold voice: "Does Your Majesty know where the Empress Dowager has gone?"
Xiao Yun quickly raised his head and asked in a flustered manner, "Has Mother arrived?"
Seeing that his mother was nowhere to be seen, he breathed a sigh of relief, quickly swallowed a cold rice ball, and muttered as he chewed, "Mother went to change her clothes... Oh, right, if Mother asks about my uncle, just say that I only ate seven dishes!"
Pei Muwei slowly scanned the guests at the banquet. When he saw Meng Xun sparring with the martial arts champion, his cold and stern brows softened slightly. However, when his gaze fell on the empty sandalwood chair next to Shen Xiang, his eyes darkened, and he immediately got up and left the table.
The imperial garden was filled with the sounds of music and the fragrance of perfume. A light pink silk handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks fluttered down in the night breeze, landing precisely at the edge of the man's python-patterned boots. He didn't even glance at it, simply stepping over the handkerchief and striding towards the side hall.
After the figure in black disappeared into the depths of the hall, a murmur of giggles arose from the banquet hall. A woman with a gold hairpin in her hair glanced sideways at the blushing young woman beside her and deliberately raised her voice:
"Don't be discouraged, sister. When you become a widow, this handkerchief you threw away will naturally become a coveted prize in the eyes of noblemen..."
The laughter at the table grew even louder.
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