Chu Yu greeted, and Chu Zhaowei and a few others followed suit, making their way towards the front courtyard’s floral hall.
The Emperor watched the boisterous group, suddenly feeling a sense of sorrow. How wonderful it would be if Chu Yu could always remain carefree, not involved in state affairs, living as an idle Prince!
But he knew it was impossible.
If those matters remained undiscovered, perhaps the calm could last. But once found out...
"The first to act has the advantage, the latecomer suffers the misfortune."
"Self-preservation is the law of nature."
He had done nothing wrong, the only mistake being that both he and Chu Yu were born into the royal family.
And there was only one throne!
The Emperor wouldn’t linger outside the palace for long, but upon leaving, he called the loyal Prince to his side, "Uncle, that woman, have Aunt bring her into the palace at some time!"
The loyal Prince paused, pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes!"
There are plenty of beauties in the world; why hang oneself on a single branch.
After the Emperor left, the loyal Prince laughed helplessly, his other thoughts now vanished.
Slightly inebriated, he stumbled towards the main courtyard with a servant assisting him. The loyal Prince’s mind was clearer, yet still blurred.
But unexpectedly, a wave of fragrance wafted by, tantalizing his senses.
The loyal Prince paused, followed the scent, and waved the servant away, indicating he should leave. He staggered forward on his own.
The servant frowned, standing still for a moment before turning to inform the loyal Prince’s wife of the incident.
As the loyal Prince stumbled forward, he never expected to crash into somebody full on.
A familiar flirtatious voice came through, and the loyal Prince’s eyes narrowed, but his large hand still encircled the waist of the beauty in his arms.
Though his vision was foggy, he knew that she was Le Xun, the beauty glimpsed in the garden earlier.
Those provocative thoughts surged forth; any potential misconduct could merely be blamed on drunken impulses.
Alcohol emboldens the hero’s daring, and the loyal Prince no longer cared about the Emperor. He swept Le Xun into his arms, and with misty eyes, spotted a room. Without much thought, he carried her toward it.
Le Xun was almost scared to death.
She was out of options. Someone had sent her a letter detailing her background clearly, demanding that she have an affair with the loyal Prince, or else her secrets would be revealed.
Illicit relations with her father, or with her father’s subordinates—any one of those accusations could kill her multiple times.
Her dream of glory and wealth had not even begun; how could it end?
She quickly had her maid leave and went out to find the loyal Prince. As luck would have it, the inebriated loyal Prince was on his way.
Initially hesitant, upon seeing the loyal Prince, who appeared to be in his forties or fifties, exuding noble and scholarly charm, ruggedly handsome with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his presence exuding the stability of a middle-aged man, her heart fluttered.
What was once reluctance now turned into willing complicity.
She called out, allowing the loyal Prince to carry her into the room, but then began to struggle for fear of being discovered seducing him.
"No, don’t, Prince, please don’t!"
Her urgent voice carried a hint of coquettishness.
Her little hands frantically pushed against him, yet her gestures were inviting.
Her body twisted, sparking fire.
The loyal Prince was beyond caring at that point, tossing her onto the soft couch and quickly pinning her underneath him.
He then kissed her deeply.
The strong smell of alcohol and the heat of his kisses nearly stripped them both of their clothing, making it seem inevitable.
Le Xun was also expectant.
The loyal Prince was more than ready to act, but then he heard laughter at the door, along with a shuffling sound.
Chu Zhaowei said while pushing Chu Renzhi beside him.