Chapter 798 Chu Liuxin Blocking the Way
“Thanks for your kindness, Your Grace. My Imperial Grandmother has already drawn up the decree and will soon issue it!” Chu Liuchen said with a smile.
“The Empress Dowager has even drawn up the decree?”
The Empress was stunned for a moment and immediately asked, “Which family is she from?”
She felt scared. If Chu Liuyue begged the daughter of this family just now, she would inevitably provoke the Empress Dowager and the Emperor if she granted his request. Suddenly, cold sweat appeared on her back.
“Have I almost fallen into Chu Liuyue’s trap just now?
“So that’s why Chu Liuyue didn’t ask His Majesty for marriage but came to me instead.” The Empress wore a long face and her eyes showed anger.
If she rushed to issue the decree, it would be hard for her to explain it to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Chu Liuchen seemed to be satisfied now. Otherwise, he would have opposed it long ago.
This person was unlike her well-behaved son. If he didn’t like the lady, he would make a scene. So he liked her. If she ordered the lady he liked to marry Chu Liuyue, the Empress could almost foresee her next situation.
Not only did a cold sweat break out on her back, but also on her forehead. She clenched the handkerchief with her fingers twitching.
“The Fifth Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion has been taking care of Secondary Consort Shao here these days. Your Grace should have seen her before,” Chu Liuchen said lazily. Since the matter had been settled, he was not afraid that someone would hurt her secretly.
He’d better report it to the Empress lest she should make a wrong marriage arrangement and cause unnecessary trouble.
The Empress moved and asked slowly, “The granddaughter of Rui’an Great Elder Princess?”
“Yes, my Imperial Grandmother thinks she is nice, and so does my uncle. Originally, my Imperial Grandmother wanted to give an order after the Consort Selection, but she said it was the right time now. There should be an edict to Duke Xing’s Mansion in two days!” Chu Liuchen narrowed his eyes and said lazily and casually.
It was hard to know if he was satisfied with this marriage, but one thing was certain, he did not object.
The Empress suddenly felt that everything was clear. She had heard that the Empress Dowager liked Shao Wanru three years ago, but had not taken any action since then. Moreover, she felt that Chu Liuchen did not seem to like anyone, so she did not take it seriously.
Now it seemed to be true!
However, when she thought about it carefully, she found that it seemed to be the case. Compared with others, Shao Wanru had come into contact with Chu Liuchen several times and seemed to be not bad in the Empress’s eyes. The invalid was such a casual person that she could get along well with him.
The Emperor and the Empress Dowager had always doted on him, so they thought it was not a big deal.
“It is indeed a good marriage and she is a nice lady, but now Duke Xing’s Mansion…” the Empress said tentatively. She paused for a while as if she didn’t know what to say.
Chu Liuchen replied naturally, “I know what you are worried about, Your Grace. But this kind of thing has nothing to do with Fifth Miss Shao. She didn’t grow up in Duke Xing’s Mansion and has an estranged relations.h.i.+p with them. I heard that those in Duke Xing’s Mansion have always disliked her and treated her worse than the daughter of a concubine!”
Chu Liuchen spoke casually with the corners of his eyes raised slightly. It was hard to see through his feeling, and he even smiled gently. He picked up the teacup elegantly and took a sip, and then slowly put it down. He looked up at the Empress and said with a smile, “Your Grace, please don’t order Fifth Miss Shao to others again.”
The Empress nodded and said, “I understand!” She had already cursed Chu Liuyue in secret and almost made a big mistake.
Having achieved his goal, Chu Liuchen stood up, cupped his hands, and said, “Thank you, Your Grace. I have something else to do, please excuse me!”
“Prince Chen, do whatever you want!” The Empress was very polite and smiled gently.
Chu Liuchen nodded, turned around, and strode away.
When the Empress saw him leave, the smile on her face gradually faded. With a cold look, she picked up the teacup and heavily threw it to the ground. She scolded uncontrollably, “You guys don’t take me seriously and are fooling me!”
One of her trusted maids hastily called out in a low voice, “Your Grace!”
“One wanted me to oppose His Majesty and the Empress Dowager so that he could reap the benefits. The other’s marriage is not up to me, and I didn’t intend to meddle in it. But I know nothing after the edict has been made. Wouldn’t it be my fault if I married the lady to someone else?”
The Empress was so angry that she felt tightness in the chest. Chu Liuyue trapped her, and Chu Liuchen’s marriage was related to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.
“For so many years, I have been managing the harem for His Majesty and have been filial to the Empress Dowager. I don’t like what she doesn’t like. Moreover, I must find someone she’ll like and send her to her. But now, I have been regarded as an outsider…”
The Empress’s eyes turned red when she spoke. She picked up a handkerchief to wiped her tears and felt more and more wronged.
“I’m the Empress. It’s normal for me to arrange a marriage for the princes. But now it seems that I can’t decide the marriage.”
“Your Grace, don’t be angry. It might be decided by the Empress Dowager, and His Majesty didn’t have time to tell you about it. He’s not in a good mood after what happened today. You can’t bother him for Prince Chen!” The palace maid advised while ordering someone to serve tea again.
It was obvious that the Emperor was in a bad mood now. Whoever ran into him would be unlucky.
“I know, and I won’t bother His Majesty at this moment, but I can’t sallow my anger!” The Empress wiped away her tears and said with hatred, “Since he has entered the ranking, he can be considered the son of His Majesty, so he should at least address me respectfully when seeing me. Look at him, he seems to be very polite but has never regarded me as a decent elder. It must be because of Prince Yue that he came to me at this time!”
Considering what had happened, how could the Empress not understand that the two were here to make trouble for her?
“Your Grace, please watch your words!” The palace maid was shocked. She waved her hand and drove the others out of the hall.
After they had left, the palace maid said in a low voice, “Your Grace, you’d better not talk about Prince Chen in the future!”
The palace maid was a Nanny brought by the Empress from her home. Since the Empress entered the palace, she had been following her, so she knew something about her and grew cautious.
Suddenly, the Empress felt wronged and waved the handkerchief impatiently. “If I were not careful enough, I would have shouted out the matter over there. Look…”
“Your Grace, how could you talk about that! I beg you not!” The Nanny’s face changed as she hurriedly reached out to cover the Empress’s mouth.
The Empress pushed her away and said angrily, “I know. I can’t tell anyone about it. Others only know that I am the mistress of the harem, but they don’t know who His Majesty really cares about. He’s been protecting her for so many years, but I can’t even take a look at her. I’m forbidden to visit her on the grounds that she’s grounded. It’s just because His Majesty is afraid that I will do something to her!”
The Empress got angrier and angrier. She began to lose her temper.
“My good Empress, please stop saying that. If His Majesty… His Majesty knows…” The old Nanny knelt in front of the Empress and shook her hand with both her hands. Her face turned pale, and she was trembling in panic.
She was really scared, and her teeth were chattering. This reminded the Empress of what had happened back then. She felt humiliated and angry. She gritted her teeth and made cracking sounds.
How could she forget that she was almost deposed because of a few more words…
Shao Wanru didn’t expect to meet Chu Liuxin when returning to the Chuxiu Palace. He stood behind a tree at the corner of the Chuxiu Palace. If Yujie hadn’t noticed him, Shao Wanru wouldn’t have noticed him in the shadow.
Chu Liuxin was completely different from before.
In the past, he was free-spirited. As the youngest prince, he looked innocent despite the fact that his mother was scheming. Even if he was about the same age as Shao Wanru, she took him as a younger brother like Hao’er.
But Chu Liuxin was different now. He was gloomy and his eyes were empty and dark. He stood under the tree and watched Shao Wanru get out of the sedan chair. Then he walked over and stopped in front of her.
As they stood close to each other, Shao Wanru saw Chu Liuxin clearly. He did not look good. His face was as white as a sheet, just like Chu Liuchen’s sick face. His clothes were wrinkled. Although he was still him, he was completely different from before.
If he looked about the same age as Hao’er before, he now looked like a real prince, with the unique indifference and even darkness of the royal family. His clear eyes now were gloomy.
“Greetings, Your Highness!” Shao Wanru lowered her head and bowed.
“Shao Yanru… how is she?” Chu Liuxin asked in a hoa.r.s.e voice that he never had before. It could be seen that he hadn’t spoken for a while.
Eunuch Liu looked at his master uneasily. Since they came out of the Phoenix Palace of the Empress, his master looked weird. What was more, he had been waiting at the door of the Chuxiu Palace. Did he deliberately come to block Fifth Miss Shao?