h.e.l.looo readers! Sorry for the suppper late release, I will try to catch up by this week and hopefully release an extra chapter if I have time!
Enjoy the Chapter!
Seeing him now, he appeared to be around 50 years old, with a serene and benevolent bearing, but within this tumultuous imperial palace, who truly was as they seemed. Under closer examination, she noticed he had a pair of sharp slender eyes.
Fortunately, that night she was concealed beneath a red marital head covering else she feared she'd be recognized by this shrewd Chang gong gong.
Huangfu Wu Shuang hastily changed into his court attires and followed Chang gong gong to the Imperial Hall.
Huangfu Wu Shuang left for half a day and didn't return to Eastern Palace until dark. When he finally returned, he rendered the little eunuchs and maidservants to silence with his somber expression. As dinner time approached, the maidservants scurried back and forth, presenting various dishes on the table before going to a.s.sist Huangfu Wu Shuang.
As soon as the dishes were all perfectly displayed, with a graze of his hand, Huangfu Wu Shuang had overturned the table.
"How can this prince have the appet.i.te to eat?" Huangfu Wu Shuang coldly remarked with his solemn face. Beneath those curled lashes, his beautiful little face was enshrouded in darkness. Clasping his hands behind his back, he began to pace back and forth.
"Imperial Father said this incident of losing 300,000 taels of silver had many suspicious aspects but this prince still has to be punished. Imperial Father ordered this prince to reflect for 2 days and prohibited this prince from going out. Though this is not a severe punishment, Imperial Father has decided to have Wu Shang's coming of age ceremony, even bestowing him the t.i.tle Kang w.a.n.g and prepared him a residence. After 2 days, he will move to his Kang Residence."
Hearing this, Hua Zhu Yu was very surprised. Huangfu Wu Shang had never been favored. She heard that last year he turned 15 years old but was not able to have his coming of age ceremony. Now, to suddenly have a ceremony and grant him a prince t.i.tle, it appears His Majesty has begun to take notice of this unfavored prince.
But who can this matter be blamed on? Can only fault Huangfu Wu Shuang for losing a huge sum of relief silver on this journey. It's not that the Emperor doesn't understand his situation, but that he had ultimately failed in his task.
Though the emperor did not severely punish Huangfu Wu Shuang, to a.s.sume Huangfu Wu Shang's coming of age ceremony was no different than reprimanding Huangfu Wu Shuang, an even crueler punishment.
This was undoubtedly a warning, but also an insight into the emperor's thoughts.
It seems many surprising changes developed in court because of this matter.
When night begun to descend, Huangfu Wu Shuang still did not stop his pacing. Once the moon hovered high in the sky, Huangfu Wu Shuang could no longer hold it in and summoned Hua Zhu Yu and Jixiang, even bringing a group of guards with him as he left the palace in a haste.
Huangfu Wu Shang had just been given the t.i.tle Kang w.a.n.g. Today, he was hosting a banquet at his residence yet a crown prince like Huangfu Wu Shuang did not receive an invitation. In truth, Huangfu Wu Shuang did not want to attend the banquet, if he went he would just be bidding more trouble but he ultimately could not resist.
Located in Jinyu Fang, the Kang Residence was situated west of the imperial city.
Jinyu Fang was where the majority of court officials resided. It was a place that had convenient access to water and was rich in verdant greeneries. Standing on the street from afar, one could see two large trees implanted in front of each residence.
The Hou Residence, where Hua Zhu Yu lived was also located in Jinyu Fang. After she returned to Yu City, she had stealthily went back one night for a visit and saw the entire Huo Residence sealed. After witnessing such a desolate sight, she did not dare to return, fearing she could not suppress the sorrows in her heart.
And tonight, Hua Zhu Yu did not expect that she would once again return to Huo Residence.
It's just that this place was no longer Huo Residence but Kang w.a.n.g Residence.
She heard that the residence His Majesty intended to bestow to Kang w.a.n.g was still in the midst of construction and it wouldn't be finished till half a year later, hence Huo Residence became his temporary residence.
Standing in front of the residence, facing those familiar vermillion gate doors, waves of emotions arose within her. Gazing up above the entrance, she saw the three characters His Majesty had personally bestowed, Kang w.a.n.g Residence. Those three characters were exceptionally large and distinct, like a sharp dagger piercing through her line of sight.
Hua Zhu Yu closed her eyes, and when she finally opened them, a frostiness emerged with those pair of eyes.
At the entrance, carriages of n.o.ble aristocrats could be seen. It appears it wasn't just a few courtiers who had come tonight.
When Huangfu Wu Shuang's horse carriage arrived, an eunuch of the Kang w.a.n.g Residence rushed inside to announce his arrival. Before an incense stick of time, Kang w.a.n.g Huangfu Wu Shang had personally arrived at the gate to welcome him.
Kang w.a.n.g had someone a.s.sisting him since he had a leg injury since young so he could not exert much force. Although walking was still a difficult task for him, compared to before it was a bit easier.
"Shang di 1, you must be careful, walking is not convenient for you, why come out and welcome for!" Huangfu Wu Shuang's lips hooked up as a gorgeous smile akin to a spring flower blossomed on his face, full of purity and harmlessness. Obviously, this little devil deliberately wanted to remind everyone that Kang w.a.n.g was a handicap.
With a natural smile still hanging on his lips, Kang w.a.n.g replied, "Crown Prince ge ge, it's your first time here, how can Wu Shang dare to neglect, please (welcome)!"
With a faint smile and hands clasped behind his back, Huangfu Wu Shuang entered the residence.
Inside, the residence was enveloped in brilliant lights and festive atmosphere with maidservants in dazzling attires walking about non-stop with lanterns in hand like fairies from heaven.
Tonight, was Kang w.a.n.g's first official meeting with courtiers since before he was just a handicapped prince that was not favored nor respected.
The banquet was held in the back garden which had a pond where white lotus flowers blossomed. Beside the pond was a large open s.p.a.ce and in the southern and northern areas were two pavilions located far from one another that were named "Duo Yan" and "Liu Xia" respectively. Facing Duo Yan was a garden of begonias while Lui Xia was facing a garden of .
At this time, all three flowers were in full bloom hence this banquet of Kang w.a.n.g was held here.
Sure enough, Hua Zhu Yu's guess was not wrong. After they pa.s.sed the corridor they soon arrived at the back garden.
Between Duo Yan and Lui Xia was the banquet in all its grandeur with numerous musicians present, surrounded by a forest of blooming flowers. A lively sight.
The more dazzling the scene, the more heartbroken Hua Zhu Yu felt.
She still remembers clearly when she was very young, her father would host a celebration banquet every year, each one always lively and impressive.
After she followed her father to guard the borders, it's been a long time since she has witnessed such an extravagant sight. But seeing such a scene in her residence today, though it was the same place, though it was as lively as before, how she felt now was completely different from back then.
The place remains, but the people have gone.
Huangfu Wu Shuang was leisurely walking while enjoying the beautiful floral scenery. "This is quite unexpected. Though the architecture of your residence is not very grand, this garden is very unique, truly refined." He then suddenly lowered his voice to whisper to Kang w.a.n.g, " Shang di, all the people of Huo Residence have been executed and you even dare to enter here, aren't you afraid you'll be haunted by ghosts at night?"
Hearing this, Kang w.a.n.g’s faced paled as he replied, “Crown Prince ge ge truly knows how to jest!"
Whilst conversing, they had soon arrived at Duo Yan pavilion. An eunuch quickly came and raised his voice to announce, "Crown Prince has arrived!"
Hearing that the crown prince had arrived, all the guests rushed out of the seats to kneel and bellow, "Crown prince, qian sui qian sui qian qian sui! 2"
Huangfu Wu Shuang waved his hand and courteously said, "You may all rise, today Shang di was bestowed a prince t.i.tle, can't blame everyone for coming to celebrate with Shang di, this prince came to join in on the celebration, everyone does not need to be weary, no need to be so courteous!" He then went to sit in the seat at the center of the banquet.
Upon seeing the crown prince's arrival, these lot of courtiers became apprehensive and anxious.
Though these courtiers felt slightly dissatisfied with Huangfu Wu Shuang's unbridled att.i.tude, they still feared him. Who knew what this little devil would do, because Huangfu Wu Shuang had always been like that, very impulsive.
Since Huangfu Wu Shuang was the crown prince, they thought that in the future he'll become the emperor, but lately, it seems as though His Majesty was favoring the second prince more. And recently the crown prince had failed in providing relief funds to the populace of Jiangbei. There were even rumors circulating around the streets that His Majesty has intentions of deposing the crown prince.
Consequently, these courtiers dared to attend Kang w.a.n.g's banquet, thinking the crown prince would not show up but who knew he would come. Furthermore, as soon as he spoke, such satirical words came out, causing them to feel restless as they were left to mull over their individual thoughts.
Hua Zhu Yu and Jixiang stood behind Huangfu Wu Shuang. Her pair of eyes swept around the crowd and saw that within this banquet hall, besides the courtiers, there were also a few young n.o.ble misses present. She was surprised but after careful consideration, she realized what was going on.
These courtiers were not experts of conjecture. Seeing Kang w.a.n.g rise in station, they wanted to present him their daughter's hands in marriage. If down the road, Kang w.a.n.g has the capability, then it truly was a road to honor and prosperity. Since Southern Kingdom was considered more liberal, these young misses were able to attend the banquet.
Seeing this, Huangfu Wu Shuang's face became grim but after seeing a certain girl, his beautiful face became pale as paper while his eyes were set ablaze, emitting a torrid fervor.
Following Huangfu Wu Shuang's gaze, Hua Zhu Yu saw the young lady quietly sitting amid the banquet: Wen Wan.
t/n
di means younger brotherThis is usually said to members of the imperial family to wish them good health and live long lives
Its kinda sad to see siblings fighting each other just for power and the fact that the Emperor, their father, is the one instigating it