Chapter 1280 - 1280 A Nasty Mess With Kindnesses and Wrongs!
Chapter 1280 A Nasty Mess With Kindnesses and Wrongs!
“Master, Prince Zhou went to see the Empress.” After entering the room, Xiao Xuanzi reported to Chu Liuchen, who was standing before the window.
Chu Liuchen was dressed in a black robe with a wide collar. The wind blowing through the window was cold. In the darkness, only this room had a trace of light. His figure looked only in black and white, exuding a gloomy and strange aura.
“Keep an eye on him!” Chu Liuchen said without looking back.
“Then… What about First Miss Shao?” Xiao Xuanzi asked. Their people had been watching First Miss Shao and found she had secretly contacted people outside the mansion. In the end, they found out that the person behind the scenes was under the command of Commandery Prince Cheng.
“If she leaves the mansion, try to send her to Chu Liuyue,” Chu Liuchen said indifferently, slightly curling up his delicate lip.
“Will she leave Prince Zhou?” Xiao Xuanzi smacked his lips and asked. First Miss Shao was now favored by Prince Zhou. Compared with Infanta Yuan’an, she was the one Prince Zhou cared about. Would she be willing to leave at this time?
“She will leave. Keep an eye on her. If she wants to go back to find Commandery Prince Cheng, inform Chu Liuyue’s people first.” Chu Liuchen said casually. As he turned to walk out, his wide sleeves moved along, leaving a dark trace. They fluttered a little under the orange light but still looked dark.
“Yes, I understand!” Xiao Xuanzi followed out and said.
They went downstairs. Instead of going to the inner court, Chu Liuchen went straight to the side door to the imperial harem. When the door opened, Chu Liuchen strode out into the Palace. Two royal guards were hiding in the dark outside. When they saw Chu Liuchen step out, they came out of the hiding place and bowed respectfully to him. Then they retreated silently as if no one had ever appeared there.
Chu Liuchen took a path to the Emperor’s Imperial Study, and Xiao Xuanzi followed closely behind him. Since both of them were dressed in dark clothes, so their figures were not conspicuous at night.
There was a shortcut leading to the Emperor’s Imperial Study. It was inconspicuous during the day. There was a locked door in the middle of this path. No one would come here. At night, many trusted guards of the Emperor would hide along the way. As such, no one could reach this door without permission.
As Chu Liuchen walked over, these secret guards showed up one after another. After bowing to Chu Liuchen, they returned to their original positions. When they arrived at the door, a guard came out of his hiding place and opened it. Chu Liuchen entered the door with Xiao Xuanzi, and the door was locked again. Then, the path still looked like a dark dead end.
After pa.s.sing through the door, they reached a small courtyard and went around its front door. Then, there appeared another path. They were now very close to the Imperial Study.
The Emperor was still in the Imperial Study with the lamp lighted. Hearing the sound outside, he raised his head and saw Chu Liuchen. A faint smile emerged on his pale face. He had short dry coughs. Involuntarily, he turned his eyes to the screen behind him and looked back calmly.
“Greetings, Uncle the Emperor.” Chu Liuchen stepped forward and bowed.
“Sit down first!” The Emperor gave a slight cough again and said mildly. Under the light, he looked frail and leaned against the chair in low spirits.
“What have you found so far?” After Chu Liuchen sat down, the Emperor coughed again and asked.
“Nothing in particular, but I found something strange… My Second Brother went to the Empress’s place today,” Chu Liuchen said bluntly.
The Emperor looked sullen. After a long while, he said, “Keep an eye on Chu Liuzhou.”
“Yes!” Chu Liuchen answered indifferently.
The Emperor pointed to the two stacks of memorials beside him and said, “Take them away and reply to them later!”
“Uncle the Emperor, you can ask Eldest Brother to deal with them.” Chu Liuchen looked up at the two piles of memorials and refused.
“Chen’er… Consort Lan…” The Emperor frowned and carefully observed Chu Liuchen’s expression with guilt in his eyes.
“Uncle the Emperor, I know nothing about her!” Chu Liuchen stood up and bowed deeply to the Emperor. “You are in poor health and should take good care of yourself. Don’t worry too much!”
He was leaving without any intention of playing up to him.
The Emperor sighed. At this time, Chu Liuyue, Chu Liuzhou, and Chu Liuxin would be sensible enough to say something to flatter him. None of them was as careless as him. Thinking of his self-abandon actions in the past, the Emperor knew Chu Liuchen almost had no intention to b.u.t.ter him up for the throne. His heart softened. Chu Liuchen was the most like him!
The Emperor felt the most rea.s.sured to use him. The other sons might hurt him for the throne, but this child was the least likely to have such an idea. The Emperor felt guilty about many things, but he could do nothing. He was most sorry for this child.
Xiao Xuanzi walked after Chu Liuchen, holding the memorials in his arms. Seeing Chu Liuchen leave, the Emperor sighed heavily again.
Footsteps came from behind, and a woman appeared behind the screen with tears on her fair-skinned face. It was Consort Lan. Gazing affectionately after Chu Liuchen’s receding figure, she whispered, “Chen’er!”
She sobbed too bitterly to speak.
The Emperor stood up. When he walked up to Consort Lan, he took her hand, pulled her to sit on a large dragon chair aside, and comforted her softly, “Don’t cry. Chen’er…”
“Does he hate me… Does he hate me deeply…” Consort Lan cried with sadness in her eyes. “It has been so many years. He has never been close to me since he was a child. No matter what I gave him, he didn’t want it… He… Can’t he accept me?”
“Don’t be so sad… He will figure it out slowly.” The Emperor comforted her.
“I don’t think he could come around. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have abandoned himself to despair. I know it’s all… my fault… I’m a sinner…” Consort Lan burst into tears. If it hadn’t been for Chu Liuchen, she would have broken down long ago. He was the only reason that kept her going. “Back then… Back then, I said if anything bad happened to Chen’er, I would follow him…”
“Don’t mention these past things. Chen’er has always been fine, hasn’t he? You also said that he used to live in self-abandon. Now he is fine and enjoys his life with his beloved wife. He may be upset when he learns about something, but he won’t do anything stupid. In the past, he gave himself up as hopeless, but he won’t think so now.”
The Emperor looked at Consort Lan’s sad face, held her hand, and comforted her. “It’s all my fault. I let you and your son down. Because of me, you two got into serious trouble. I will make up for it. Trust me. Chen’er will be fine, and so will you.”
As the Emperor, he could choose any woman he liked. But in fact, his most beloved woman was only this one right before him. Because of many unexpected things, they couldn’t be together. Although they accompanied each other now, he had to conceal her ident.i.ty.
“Chen’er must have known it a long time ago.” Consort Lan looked up at the Emperor with tears, but her eyes were empty. Though her eyes were on the Emperor, she seemed to look at another person through him.
“He is so smart… He should have guessed it long ago.” The Emperor sighed. He had no choice in this matter. He felt something bad would happen to Chu Liuchen, the child he protected wholeheartedly. He felt even more afraid that something terrible might happen to Consort Lan. He had been carefully guarding her in the depths of the Palace for so many years. Even the Empress had no right to see her, let alone ask Consort Lan to salute her.
They had guessed many times whether Chu Liuchen knew the truth or not. However, they were too embarra.s.sed to tell him the truth. They carefully protected him for fear that he would die if he took things too hard.
They had been carefully cheris.h.i.+ng him for so many years because they wanted Chu Liuchen to be fine. Consort Lan would find various ways to please Chu Liuchen. It was okay when Chu Liuchen was little and ignorant. But Chu Liuchen detested Consort Lan when he grew up a little. Moreover, he would throw away all the things she sent over.
“He hates me… He still hates me!” Hearing the Emperor’s words, Consort Lan burst into tears.
“It’s okay. He has Princess Chen now, and he treats his young wife very well,” the Emperor comforted softly. Lowering his head, he coughed lightly a few more times. His health was getting worse day by day. Though he had been taking medicine recently, he didn’t get better. The imperial physicians had said his illness was not serious, but why couldn’t he recover?
In the room, the aroma of burning incense made of sandalwood was the best for calming the mind, but the Emperor still felt uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Consort Lan wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She observed the Emperor’s face and said anxiously, “I’ll ask the imperial physician to come over and check on you.”
“It’s okay. This happens a lot. Maybe I’m old!” The Emperor said indifferently, reaching out to hold Consort Lan’s hand. After thinking for a while, he said, “If I let Chen’er inherit the throne, are you willing to go around with me? Just the two of us!”
“Your Majesty… You…” Consort Lan raised her eyes in surprise when she understood what the Emperor meant.
“Yes, that’s what you think. I’m tired and old. Chen’er has grown up and is healthy. I’ve asked the imperial physician. Chen’er is fine now. He looks weak, but in fact, he is stronger than ordinary people. Although he was not strong in the past, he has been practicing martial arts. This can be regarded as his hobby!”
The Emperor said.
Consort Lan cried even more sadly. Others practiced martial arts for self-defense, but Chu Liuchen did it only because he liked it. He kept practicing it even if he had just vomited blood and even fainted at last. He could exert every ounce of energy for his hobby. Consort Lan once secretly saw this scene and felt very distressed.
“His pretty young wife is perfect… He loves her very much… Fortunately, she is with him.” Consort Lan cried and said. She was delighted that Chu Liuchen could marry a woman who could inspire him. Otherwise, he might still have no urge to progress and soon pa.s.s away in desperation. Just because of this, Consort Lan couldn’t be more grateful to Shao Wanru.
Without Shao Wanru, Chu Liuchen wouldn’t have changed for the better. Consort Lan was very clear about this.
“Well, stop crying. It will harm your health. You are not in perfect condition!” the Emperor said.
Consort Lan had been living in seclusion for so many years. Although no one disturbed her, she had always been depressed. The Emperor said again, “You will have to accompany me to see these beautiful rivers and mountains in the future. Take good care of yourself. I will fulfill all my promises to you.”
“Really?” Consort Lan lifted her tearful eyes.
“Of course!” the Emperor said softly.
“Your Majesty, the Empress is here!” A eunuch came in and lowered his head, not daring to stare at them.
“Why would she come here at this time?” Consort Lan stopped crying.