NCCnovel Chapter 353: Hearing About the Past
Chapter 353: Hearing About the Past
Chapter 353: Hearing the Past
Princess Xiangping released Shen Bin's hand and knelt on the ground, clutching Lu Yu's robes, pleading, "Please, don't ruin my dream, don't ruin it." Tears streamed down her face as she gripped Lu Yu's hand tightly. Lu Yu, however, showed no mercy; he simply pulled his robes back.
"Only the Emperor can resolve this matter. You should hurry to the Emperor's palace; perhaps you can still salvage this marriage," Lu Yu said coldly to Shen Bin. Shen Bin stared at Lu Yu, somewhat dazed, wondering why he had suddenly become so cold, even in his tone. Seeing Lu Yu's anxious gaze, he immediately ran out of Xiangping Palace.
"No, no, you can't, you can't..." Princess Xiangping stared at Shen Bin's retreating figure, frozen in place, unsure of what to do. She cried out, trying to get Shen Bin back, but it was no use. She crawled towards the door, but suddenly a hand grabbed her clothes.
"Princess, you'd better come with me." Lu Yu pulled Princess Xiangping up from the ground without any pity. He forcibly dragged her up, gagged her with a cloth, and restrained her hands from behind.
Lu Yu forcibly dragged her to the Qingyi Palace. Princess Xiangping looked at Lu Yu, who was holding her, in horror. She was even more frightened when Lu Yu took her outside the Xiangping Palace, not knowing what Lu Yu wanted to do next.
Shen Bin, who had run out of Xiangping Palace first, went straight to Qingyi Palace. As soon as he arrived outside the main hall, the door was opened by Eunuch Feng, who seemed to have known that Shen Bin would come here. After opening the door, he bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Shen. His Majesty is already waiting for you inside."
After speaking, he made way for Shen Bin to enter. Shen Bin went in without hesitation, and Eunuch Feng gently closed the door after he entered. As soon as he entered, he saw a golden shadow, and by the moonlight, he could see the dragon head on the yellow shadow, which exuded a sense of majesty.
Shen Bin immediately knelt on the ground and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I humbly beg Your Majesty to rescind your decree. I would rather die than marry Princess Xiangping." As he spoke, he slammed his head heavily onto the ground. Upon hearing the sound, Eunuch Feng broke out in a cold sweat.
The yellow-clad figure turned around, looked at Shen Bin kneeling on the ground, and frowned slightly. He moved his lips, but swallowed the words that were about to come out. He slowly walked over, bent down to help Shen Bin up, and just as his hand touched Shen Bin's clothes, Shen Bin said, "If Your Majesty does not agree today, I would rather kneel here and die."
His hand lingered on the fabric of the emperor's clothes. The emperor hesitated, unsure of what to do next. He withdrew his hand, clenching it weakly inside his sleeve, before finally letting it slowly and helplessly loosen.
Shen Bin knelt on the ground, not even glancing at the Emperor's current dejected and helpless state. The eunuch Feng standing nearby had never seen the Emperor like this before. He was a man who had unified the world, yet he lacked the ambition and ruthlessness one would expect.
Several nights, before going to bed, the Emperor looked at Eunuch Feng with anticipation and said, "Eunuch Feng, tell me... can I let someone else sit on this dragon throne?" He looked at Eunuch Feng, wanting to know his answer, but each time Eunuch Feng's words always disappointed him.
"Your Majesty, you are the supreme ruler, and no one can replace you in this position." This was what Eunuch Feng always replied to him. In his heart, he always sneered at himself. This empire, this dragon throne, was nothing more than something won by countless soldiers with their cold corpses. The supreme ruler? It was all nonsense. The only reason he was allowed to sit on this dragon throne, and the only reason he was willing to sit on it, was because of what his mother had said years ago.
"Your Majesty, what are you doing? This is unacceptable, Lord Shen! You should get up quickly!" Shen Bin, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly heard Eunuch Feng exclaim in surprise, calling his name. He looked up and saw the Emperor taking off his dragon robe, and was very shocked.
Upon ascending the throne, the emperor dons a yellow robe, which he must wear for the rest of his life. This robe, adorned with dragon patterns, is believed to ward off all poisons, including evil spirits. Removing the dragon robe means certain death. Otherwise, the emperor must wear it for life.
Seeing this, Lu Yu didn't know what to do. He stood up to stop him, but the emperor waved him off and pushed Eunuch Feng aside as well. The two men looked at the emperor's strange behavior with confusion, but dared not disobey the order, and could only let him continue to take off his dragon robe.
After removing his dragon robe, leaving only his underpants and white shirt, the Emperor examined his clothes, scrutinized them, and nodded in satisfaction. Shen Bin, seeing the Emperor's reaction, wondered if he had lost his mind.
"Tonight, I'll tell you a story, without any formalities between ruler and subject." As the emperor spoke, he sat cross-legged on the ground, startling Eunuch Feng, who quickly stepped forward to help the emperor up, saying, "Your Majesty, you are of noble birth, this is unacceptable, unacceptable!" The emperor ignored him and instead pulled Eunuch Feng to sit on the ground with him.
The Emperor beckoned to Shen Bin, gesturing for him to sit down as well. Shen Bin was filled with doubt, but he still went over and sat cross-legged.
Unfamiliar with the layout of the Azure Robe Palace, Lu Yu treaded cautiously with every step. It was dark, and he couldn't see clearly, worrying about taking the wrong turn or being attacked. The closer he got to the palace, the more resisted Princess Xiangping seemed, struggling to break free. He had to increase his strength, afraid she might escape if he wasn't careful.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Qingyi Palace, Princess Xiangping attempted to force the door open, but instead heard a familiar voice inside. The person inside said, "The death of Xiangping's birth mother dates back ten years." Hearing this, Princess Xiangping stopped, wanting to know what the person inside would say next, yet also not wanting to hear it.
But they were helplessly imprisoned by Lu Yu, unable to escape or run away. The two inside the house and the two outside stood there, listening to the emperor recount the past.
The emperor's name was Xiao An. When he was thirteen years old, the late emperor passed away. An imperial edict was issued to confer the title of Grand Empress Dowager on Xiao An's mother. Xiao An observed two years of mourning after the late emperor's death, during which time the Grand Empress Dowager ruled from behind the curtain.
Over the course of two years, the Empress Dowager, disregarding the objections of her ministers, appeared in court and interfered in politics. She also used this time to seize military power and win over the people. Her influence grew daily, and after Xiao An completed his two-year mourning period, the Empress Dowager, against all odds, placed him on the throne.
The next day, Xiao An refused to get up for the morning court session in his palace. The Empress Dowager was already in court early, but Xiao An still hadn't appeared. She sent someone to Xiao An's palace to find out what was going on. The Empress Dowager was very displeased to learn that Xiao An was staying in bed. She ordered the eunuch to announce the end of the court session.
Then she went to Xiao An's palace, pulled back the covers, and was even angrier to see Xiao An lying on the bed, not asleep. She scolded, "Why didn't you go to the morning court?"