klisemfg Chapter 696 The Princess's Audience
Chapter 696 The Princess's Audience
"Do you think I don't know what's going on with Xu Bin?"
Don't let his seemingly carefree lifestyle fool you; he's incredibly ambitious. Originally, he and Fan Huarong were on par, but Fan Huarong's status rose dramatically after marrying his cousin, and he's probably been green with envy ever since.
Chu Yungui understood perfectly. His elder brother was always busy with important matters and naturally disdained to deal with these people.
However, he did know these people quite well.
"Fan Huarong must have figured things out by now. He got into a fight with Xu Bin back then, and it seems like it was pretty serious."
Chu Junting wasn't surprised. "He's really not a responsible person. Didn't you guys realize before how much he likes to complain and blame others?"
Chu Yungui gave an awkward smile. When Lu Qingxue got married, his elder brother was busy fighting wars abroad and naturally didn't know about these things. However, he didn't notice it at the time either.
"Back then, he was so infatuated with his cousin that everyone in the capital knew about it. Anyone who saw him would think he had a pure and innocent heart."
Moreover, even after marriage, he was always considerate. Now that the news of the divorce has spread, everyone is stunned; no one could have imagined he would do such a thing.
Chu Yungui shrugged. "You can only say that he's unlucky and stupid. Actually, it's not that my cousin doesn't allow him to take a concubine. He made the promise himself back then, and now she's keeping it from him like he's an idiot."
"Let's not talk about that guy anymore. My second brother committed suicide in his residence today. Didn't you know?"
"Committed suicide? But was rescued?" Chu Junting raised an eyebrow.
Chu Yungui nodded, "The steward discovered them and rescued them. I heard they're making a fuss about seeing the Emperor no matter what."
How serious are the injuries?
"I heard it's quite serious, but I don't know the specifics and I haven't seen it myself."
When the Emperor heard this news, his face turned grim, especially since a banquet was already being prepared for that evening. For him to cause such a scene at this time meant he was trying to force the Emperor to release him by threatening suicide.
A hint of disdain flashed in Chu Yungui's eyes; he knew this guy wouldn't stop.
"Don't worry about it. Father will never let him out. The more he makes trouble, the worse it will get."
Chu Junting remained calm. He understood his father's temperament and knew that Chu Tianche had committed an unforgivable crime; otherwise, his father would not have issued such a severe order.
It is absolutely impossible for policies to be changed frequently.
“I heard that Consort Zhong was causing trouble in the Cold Palace. Later, someone went to the Cold Palace and taught her a lesson. It seems that she fell seriously ill.”
Chu Yungui thought about the news he had heard in the palace today. However, Consort Zhong was already in a situation where everyone was kicking her while she was down. Just the fact that the Fourth Prince's mother was disfigured meant that no one would let her go.
"Consort Zhong...I'm afraid she won't live much longer. Anyone who enters the Cold Palace will soon be met with bad news."
Chu Junting remained indifferent; being in the inner palace, the power struggles among the concubines were beyond question.
If things are peaceful on ordinary days, there's no opportunity for revenge. But once you're out of support in the palace, killing someone becomes incredibly easy.
Chu Yungui naturally knew this as well. Having grown up in the palace, they had seen plenty of dirty tricks and were far from the naivety of ordinary people.
Consort Zhong... she definitely won't survive.
"Brother, you and your wife have been married for a while now, why haven't you had any good news yet? Are you perhaps planning to have children later?"
Chu Yun returned to his interest. He was quite conflicted about the matter. On the one hand, he was thinking that he had finally married Huan'er and wanted to enjoy their life together.
On the other hand, the thought that if Huan'er got pregnant, they would soon have their own child was quite interesting.
Chu Junting paused slightly, then said, "Let nature take its course in these matters."
Chu Yungui looked at him suspiciously, "Don't you want a child who looks like your sister-in-law? You and your sister-in-law are both so good-looking, your child will definitely be exceptionally beautiful!"
"You seem so excited, could it be that Huan'er is pregnant?"
"Hehe, I was thinking that after getting married, you could get pregnant at any time, right?"
Chu Yungui scratched the back of his head. He didn't really understand either, but he happened to be talking about it with Huan'er, and he became happy as he talked about it.
Chu Junting also wants a child, but everything depends on Zhen'er's wishes. Judging from her reactions recently, she doesn't seem to have any intention of not having a child.
It seems... he needs to work harder. After all, he's the older brother, and he can't let his younger brother beat him to it.
Song Ruozhen only felt Chu Junting's gaze on her, but she didn't know what that gaze meant...
When everyone arrived at the banquet hall, looking at the magnificent hall and the grand scale of the event, everyone understood that the banquet was meticulously prepared by the palace.
Song Ruozhen and Gu Huan'er sat down next to their husbands.
"The imperial kitchen will probably prepare all sorts of delicious food today. I just heard that Father Emperor is treating us specially, and today's performance is exceptionally wonderful." Gu Huan'er said with anticipation.
Song Ruozhen smiled slightly and saw that everyone had arrived. The Emperor and Empress came together, and she stood up and bowed respectfully.
"I have met the Emperor, the Queen."
The sound echoed throughout the hall, sounding exceptionally loud.
"Please take your seats, everyone."
The Emperor was in a good mood because the Qi Yue Dynasty had shown great sincerity this time, not only bringing generous tributes but also adopting a humble attitude.
His gaze unconsciously drifted to Chu Junting. In truth, the reason they were in this situation was largely thanks to his brave and skilled son.
Without his great achievements on the battlefield, the border wars would have raged on, the people would have been displaced, the soldiers would have lost their lives, not to mention the silver needed for provisions.
Back when the retired emperor was alive, the Qi Yue Dynasty was a major threat, and the emperor was extremely arrogant. But now, seeing the changes, he was very pleased.
Chu Junting noticed the Emperor's gaze, smiled and looked over, raising the cup in his hand.
The Empress witnessed this scene and was even more delighted. The actions of the Qi Yue Dynasty today further highlighted the merits of her son.
The officials present were naturally aware of this matter, and they felt that as the eldest son of the King of Chu, and having made such a great contribution, the King must be even more favored by the Emperor.
Soon, the eunuch's voice rang out.
"The princess and envoy of the Qi-Yue Dynasty pay their respects!"
The surroundings quieted down instantly, and everyone turned to look behind them, eager to see the princess of the Qi Yue Dynasty.
Soon, a woman dressed in a light blue dress slowly walked over and came into everyone's view.
Her long hair was braided and cascaded down her back, adorned with tiny blue butterfly hair ornaments. Her features were striking and deep, and her attire was unique, making her look like an elf descended to earth—truly beautiful.