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Chapitre 31

If he hadn't pulled back from the brink in time, wouldn't they have been... sharing a passionate night of lovemaking...?

Damn it, what was he thinking! He awkwardly covered the tent that had formed between his legs, horrified. He was actually having an arousal for a man?!

Could it be that his sexual orientation is changing, and he's starting to like men? No, no, that's impossible! He doesn't have homosexual tendencies; he's a normal man!

Yes, he's a normal man. He only likes women, not men...

As if to convince himself, he leaped downstairs, grabbed a woman at random, threw her onto the bed, and impatiently pressed himself against her...

After an incense stick had burned, Chu Xuyao climbed off the woman in frustration, hastily put on his clothes in a daze, jumped out of the window, and left Juhua Pavilion.

How could this be...? He seems to have lost all sexual interest in women; that beautiful woman just now didn't arouse him at all...

Brother Luo, what kind of curse did you cast on him...?

"Who goes there! Show yourself!" Chu Xuyao stopped abruptly and shouted coldly, his iron palm sliding towards his waist.

"Greetings, Master Chu!" A man in black suddenly appeared from nowhere and knelt on one knee in front of Chu Xuyao.

"What's up?"

"An urgent secret report from the Imperial City!" With that, the man in black presented the wax-sealed report with both hands.

Taking the secret report, Chu Xuyao gently shook off the outer layer of white wax with his palm, opened the report, and stared at the dense black characters on the parchment.

It seems the old man can't wait to make his move! And it's time for him to return to the capital! This is for the best; separating from Luo Di will give him time to sort out this tangled web of emotions…

With a complex expression, Chu Xuyao glanced in the direction of the Murong residence, closed his eyes, and resolutely turned away, leaving the city with a tall and straight back view...

Inside the Qiankun Palace, Dongfang Lie wearily rubbed his temples, then lay back on the large armchair, sighing with a bitter and helpless tone: "Xuyao, I truly never imagined that for twenty-six years, my own uncle would have been preparing to usurp the throne since the moment I was born! This is the kinship of the royal family! Thinner than paper, more indifferent than water... Alas, is the throne really that good? Is it worth risking his life for? To seize what belongs to his nephew? He is my own uncle, the Prime Minister of the Dongfang Dynasty, second only to the emperor. What more could he possibly want? Why must he take such a risk, making him exhausted, and me even more exhausted! Even if he were to obtain the throne, so what? He has no sons, and his only two daughters are married to his two nephews. Wouldn't he be without an heir after ascending the throne? I truly don't understand what my uncle is thinking! Alas, I don't understand, I just don't understand..."

Chu Xuyao didn't know where to begin, lowering his head slightly and silently sipping his drink. The imperial family is the most ruthless place; royal affairs are always the most intractable and difficult problems in the world. The minds of royals are often intricate and complex, forever unfathomable and unfathomable. Being born into royalty grants one a glamorous and dazzling status from birth, but it also means a lifetime of weariness—physically weary, and mentally even more so…

"...Your Majesty, please don't make things difficult for this servant. His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to enter and disturb us..."

"How dare you! Who do you think I am?! Get out of my way!"

"Your Majesty the Empress..."

"You dog slave! You dare to rebel! If you don't get out of my way, I'll take your dog's life!"

...

The faint noise coming from outside the palace gates made Dongfang Lie frown in displeasure. He sat up slightly and impatiently called out towards the door, "Alright! Let the Empress in!"

With a pitiful cry of pain outside the door, Liu Ruxu pushed the door open and entered. Following the light shining from outside, those in the palace could vaguely see the little eunuch who had just been kicked down on the stone steps.

With delicate steps and a sweet smile on her face, Liu Ruxu gracefully walked towards Dongfang Lie on the couch, carrying a jade plate with a white porcelain bowl in her slender hands.

"Your Majesty, Cousin—" The soft, sweet whisper made one's bones melt three times over.

With one arm around Liu Ruxu's slender waist, Dongfang Lie habitually curled his lips into a wicked smile: "What delicious food has Xu'er brought me, hmm?"

"Cousin, come and try this. This is a white fungus and ginseng soup that I personally cooked for you, Your Majesty." Carefully holding up the jade plate, Liu Ruxu picked up the white jade spoon on the plate, elegantly scooped a spoonful of soup from the porcelain bowl, gently blew on it, and then smiled as she brought it to Dongfang Lie's lips.

"Xu'er is truly a woman who can grace the hall and cook in the kitchen! Hmm, just smelling this aroma makes me impatient!" Dongfang Lie squinted his eyes, inhaling the fragrance of the soup with a look of pure bliss, his face radiating satisfaction.

"Then, Your Majesty, you must eat more!" Liu Ruxu brought the spoon closer to Dongfang Lie's lips, the cool porcelain touching his bright red lips.

Her red lips slowly parted under Liu Ruxu's expectant gaze, and the spoon full of soup was pushed inch by inch into Dongfang Lie's mouth with the movement of her fair hand. But just as Liu Ruxu slightly turned her wrist and saw that the soup was about to slip into Dongfang Lie's mouth, a hint of panic mixed with secret joy flashed in her phoenix eyes.

How could Liu Ruxu's unusual gaze escape Dongfang Lie's sharp eyes! His head snapped back like lightning, and just before the soup fell into his mouth, Dongfang Lie successfully pulled the spoon out of his mouth.

“Cousin, you…” Liu Ruxu looked at Dongfang Lie, whose expression was uncertain, her delicate body trembling slightly. The bowls and plates clattered because of her trembling, which was particularly abrupt and jarring in the silent hall.

Chu Xuyao, who was sipping tea nearby, witnessed this scene and naturally had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Holding his teacup, Chu Xuyao remained expressionless, but the ruthless killing intent in his eyes was chilling!

Dongfang Lie remained silent, snatched the porcelain bowl from Liu Ruxu's hand, picked up a silver ingot, and threw it into the ginseng soup.

Upon seeing this, Liu Ruxu's expression changed drastically. Her once rosy and radiant face turned deathly pale in an instant, ashen and lifeless.

Liu Ruxu's reaction made Dongfang Lie's handsome face even more gloomy, his eyes churning with terrifying waves of emotion. Gripping the jade porcelain spoon tightly, he slowly scooped the silver ingot from the bottom of the soup, his eyes narrowed as he stared intently at the ingot rising in the ripples…

The silver didn't change color?! Dongfang Lie paused in astonishment, suspiciously examining the silver in his hand from left to right.

"Summon Physician Liu!" Setting down his teacup, Chu Xuyao shouted towards the palace entrance. How could he miss Liu Ruxu's relieved expression, a clear sign of relief after surviving a close call! This Liu Ruxu was definitely suspicious!

"That's right!" Dongfang Lie suddenly realized, his peach blossom eyes flashing with a sharp, cold light. Silver can only be used to test for poison, not for testing for Gu!

Volume One: Pear Blossom Courtyard Under the Melting Moon, Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Inside Story of the Liu Family

Oh my god, what... what is going on...?

*Thud!* While its owner was still in a daze, the grape in its mouth rolled towards its lips with all its might. After pausing for a few seconds at the corner of its lips, it finally made freefall and successfully escaped the tragic fate of being peeled and eaten, landing safely!

Looking at Dongfang Lie's pale face, Chu Xuyao's cold face, and the rows of archers behind them, their bows drawn and ready to fire a volley of arrows at the first command, Rongyue remained in the same position as when she picked grapes, her almond-shaped eyes wide open like lanterns, staring blankly at this sudden scene that left her completely bewildered.

"Search!" Dongfang Lie raised his hand and made a 'charge' gesture to the guards behind him. Instantly, hundreds of guards spread out from both sides, wielding spears and swords, and swept across Rongyue's entire courtyard.

Pots and pans flew everywhere, chickens ran and dogs barked, and the yard was in complete chaos! Looking at the mess in the yard, Rongyue thought of two idioms: "locusts crossing the border" and "Japanese devils entering the village".

"Liu Rongyue, I didn't expect you to be hiding here!" Dongfang Lie's sarcastic remark pulled Rongyue back to her senses. Focusing her gaze on Dongfang Lie, whose handsome face was grim and who had somehow appeared before her, Rongyue's mind raced, and she seemed to understand the current situation a little better.

"Your Majesty, we have not found Prime Minister Liu!" The commander of the guards, dressed in black armor and holding a red tassel, ran a few steps away from Dongfang Lie, knelt on one knee, and reported respectfully.

"Nothing?" Dongfang Lie's face was clouded with gloom, and his sharp, cold gaze turned to Rong Yue, who had been silent all along. Rong Yue shuddered, suddenly feeling as if she were being targeted by a venomous snake.

Bending down to lean closer to Rongyue, who was reclining on the soft couch, Dongfang Lie lifted Rongyue's delicate chin: "Tell me, where is your father?"