Ping Zhao Lu

"Get up." Chu Yunxiao had a calm expression, with no visible change on his face. He just waved his hand casually, signaling everyone present to stand up.

Then, he walked side by side with Xu Zhouye and headed towards the center of the building.

The two of them walked steadily and with upright postures, just like a perfect couple.

When they reached the center, they both stopped and bowed respectfully to the Queen Mother.

Queen Mother Jiang's expression darkened at this moment.

I didn’t know what was going on, so I would have thought it was their birthday celebration.

Even though she was unhappy, she still had to maintain a dignified and kind appearance, so she quickly put on a forced smile and said, "Hurry up and take a seat!"

Chu Yunxiao and Xu Zhouye nodded slightly, then took their seats. Almost as soon as they sat down, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang out.

"The Emperor and the Empress truly have a bond stronger than gold, a bond we are truly envious of. Just now, I was wondering to the Empress Dowager why you hadn't appeared yet, and I never expected you to arrive just now."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone looked towards the person who had spoken.

I saw a man sitting at the fourth table on the lower left. He had a handsome face and a graceful temperament. He was wearing a snow-white brocade robe, which made him look even more romantic and dashing.

This person is none other than the emperor's concubine - Luo Siyan.

Xu Zhouye's eyes darkened slightly, and he turned to look at Luo Siyan coldly.

He still had some impression of Luo Siyan.

This man was the illegitimate son of Marquis Lecheng. Because his father was bent on currying favor with the royal family, he forced him into the palace and made him Chu Yunxiao's concubine.

In his previous life, this person had always been timid and cautious, never daring to stand out for fear of getting into trouble.

But now it seems that the situation is different...

The aura he exuded was completely different from that of his previous life.

Xu Zhouye retracted his gaze and said, "Lord Luo, you're joking. It just so happens that the banquet won't start until a quarter of an hour later, so it's not too late. Queen Mother has always been open-minded and casual, so she certainly won't mind these things." He turned to look at Queen Mother Jiang, "Isn't that right, Queen Mother?"

If she said no, it would ruin her image in front of everyone. Queen Mother Jiang bent her well-maintained hands slightly on her knees, and said with a kind smile, "These are just trivial matters. I'm extremely happy that you can come and celebrate my birthday."

Upon hearing this, Luo Siyan smiled slightly and said no more.

He first calmly examined the emperor sitting on the high throne, then cast his gaze on Xu Zhouye beside him. He then lowered his eyes, as if he was secretly pondering something in his heart.

After a moment, he raised his head again and looked straight at Chu Yunxiao.

And at this moment, the emperor's gaze happened to be cast in his direction.

When their eyes met, Luo Siyan's mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

His eyes, as blue as lake water, met the emperor's gaze for a moment, but only for a moment before quickly looking away.

Xu Zhouye saw all of this, but he didn't pay much attention to Chu Yunxiao. Instead, he picked up the wine cup and filled himself a glass of wine.

As the wine slowly flowed into the glass, the darkness in his eyes became deeper and deeper.

Chu Heyuan sat next to Prince Huai. He looked around boredly. When he saw his father's concubines, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "Father has so many concubines, and they are all beauties. Doesn't my father feel uncomfortable?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunzheng glanced up at Xu Zhouye, who looked unhappy, and then lowered his gaze, "Who can accept sharing their husband with someone else?"

The reason why Xu Zhouye rejected him was nothing more than the fact that he wandered around in the fragrant bushes, picked flowers and grass everywhere, and that worthless oath.

What Xu Zhouye wants is to be with someone for the rest of his life.

For a playboy like him with a playful nature, this is really a bit difficult for him.

Xu Zhouye could refuse him, but he could not refuse his royal brother.

It was a matter of an imperial decree.

Who would dare to resist and risk the lives of their entire clan?

Thinking of this, Chu Yunzheng couldn't help but sigh.

"Fourth Prince is right. I will only marry one person from now on!" Chu Heyuan said with a firm gaze and a serious expression. His small face was full of seriousness, as if he had already made up his mind.

Chu Yunzheng looked at the young yet ambitious prince in front of him and couldn't help laughing. He reached out and gently tapped Chu Heyuan on the forehead, teasing him, "You, at such a young age, are already thinking about your future?"

Chu Heyuan, however, looked very proud, raised his chin, and answered confidently: "Prepare for a rainy day, understand? I have to think about the future now, so that I can be prepared for any eventuality!"

Hearing this, Chu Yunzheng was stunned at first, then shook his head helplessly, muttering to himself: Can this matter be prevented in the first place? When this little guy inherits the throne in the future, will he be able to dismiss the six palaces in one go?

Just as he was thinking about it, an official in the crowd suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness's attire today is truly remarkable and very different from your usual style."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to Chu Yunzheng.

"That's true. It really gives people a different feeling." Another official echoed.

"Yes, yes, it's very beautiful!" Everyone present nodded in praise.

Faced with these overwhelming words of praise, Chu Yunzheng remained calm and composed, without any ripples.

He nodded slightly and politely responded, "Thank you for your compliments, everyone. Wearing the same style of clothes for a long time will inevitably make you tired, so I occasionally like to change my taste and try some new styles."

Xu Zhouye was drinking alone the whole time and didn't pay attention to what was happening over there. When he heard what Chu Yunzheng said, his heart tightened.

You'll get tired of wearing the same style of clothes too much...

Will that person be able to do it too?

Thinking of this, his thoughts surged like the tide, and he could not calm down. The corner of his eye involuntarily glanced at Chu Yunxiao beside him, and the right hand holding the wine glass tightened unconsciously, with such great force that it seemed as if he wanted to crush the wine glass.

At this moment, a puzzled voice suddenly rang out from the table: "But...how come the prince's dress is so similar to the queen's?"

This sentence was like a huge rock thrown into the lake, instantly causing a thousand waves and successfully attracting everyone's attention.

The originally lively banquet suddenly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at the person who was speaking, as if they were under a spell.

As the man finished speaking, everyone's curiosity was instantly ignited, and pairs of eyes moved back and forth between Xu Zhouye and Chu Yunzheng like searchlights.

Xu Zhouye's heart suddenly sank, as if falling into a bottomless abyss, and a chill quickly spread from his spine to his whole body.

He raised his head slightly nervously, his eyes looking through the crowd straight at Chu Yunzheng.

You don’t know until you see it. When Xu Zhouye saw it, he was completely stunned.

I saw that the dress Chu Yunzheng was wearing was almost identical to the one he was wearing, except for the color and the different animal patterns!

For a moment, Chu Yunzheng's face was filled with astonishment. He was completely frozen on the spot, at a loss as to what to do.

When Concubine Xian and Concubine Li who were sitting opposite saw this scene, they all showed gloating expressions on their faces, with cunning glints in their eyes, as if they were waiting to see the show.

The emperor, who was high above, had a frighteningly gloomy face at this moment, as if a terrible storm was about to come, and people dared not look directly at him.

Some of the more courageous people began to whisper in low voices: "Back when the Queen was still the young master of the Duke's Mansion, she and the Prince of Huai had a passionate love affair..."

Another person quickly joined in, saying, "Everyone knows this. It's all old news. Don't mention it anymore."

However, although they said so, their eyes full of gossip never left Xu Zhouye and Chu Yunzheng.

These voices undoubtedly made Xu Zhouye the target of public criticism.

Seeing this, Queen Mother Jiang's tense expression finally relaxed, a barely perceptible smile creeping up the corners of her mouth. Seeing the Queen suffer such a setback, she felt a genuine sense of relief and joy.

Especially the virtuous concubine, whose face revealed an undisguised smug look.

She raised her chin slightly and looked at Xu Zhouye provocatively.

"That's what I was thinking. So that's the reason! Yesterday, I presented the Queen with a formal dress, but she refused it, saying she had already ordered the Clothing Bureau to make her a more luxurious one. I never thought it would be..."

Lipin spoke in a sweet voice, but stopped abruptly. She then glanced meaningfully at Chu Yunzheng who was not far away.

At this moment, someone in the crowd who hadn't been able to control his mouth suddenly shouted, "Could this be...an old love?"

As soon as he opened his mouth, the air seemed to freeze.

The man realized that he had said something wrong and his face turned pale with fright. He hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands, lowered his head in fear, and dared not say another word.

However, it was precisely because of this rash remark that the atmosphere in the entire building became increasingly solemn and oppressive.

Xu Zhouye looked at the people around him with concern.

However, at this moment, Chu Yunxiao's face was cold and he had no intention of paying any attention to him.