Chapter 55: His Majesty

Chapter 55: His Majesty

Lu ZhaoPing thought about it and felt that the statement was correct. A little temper or jealousy from Brother Ji could be easily soothed with a few words from her.

But if the emperor chose this critical moment to visit, he would inevitably encounter Mr. Xie, who was pregnant, creating an awkward situation.

The emperor's family happiness is crucial for the future of the Southern Chu nation.

After weighing her options, Lu ZhaoPing calmed down and decided to appease Secretary Ji first before proactively confessing to her brother, so the siblings could discuss their strategy together.

She asked Qi Yun, the maid who had just reported the news, to look after Mr. Xie inside the room, while she hurriedly fixed her appearance with a small mirror and rushed to the main hall of the princess's residence.

However, before she could get far, she heard the sound of an argument coming from a guest room not far behind her. On one side was her headstrong sister-in-law, who couldn't be left alone, and on the other, her always reasonable fiancé. Lu ZhaoPing hesitated only momentarily before decisively turning back.

Upon entering the room, the scene did not disappoint her. With just one glance missed, "Xie Yan" had once again made enemies within the residence. This time, the one arguing with him was none other than Qi Yun, who had just been sent to the room.

Although Qi Yun was young, she had served by Lu ZhaoPing's side since childhood, and naturally, she was familiar with the jade peace charms bestowed by the emperor and the princess. However, upon entering the room, she found that the princess's personal and private item, which should have been worn close to her body, was being twirled around the slender fingers of an unfamiliar young man.

The peace amulet was a gift from the late emperor, crafted from extremely valuable jade. After meticulous carving, there were only two of these amulets in existence.

It's unthinkable that someone as revered as the emperor would let anyone close enough to take his jade pendant. The princess has been in love with the era's most talented scholar, Ji Shangshu, for many years, and it's unlikely she would give such an important item to someone else. Therefore, it's clear that the jade pendant in this person's hands was stolen when they weren't looking!

Stealing ordinary belongings is one thing, but to steal the sole memento left by the deceased emperor to the princess! Qi Yun, fiercely protective of her mistress, didn't hesitate to confront the thief, demanding the return of the jade peace amulet.

Yet the strikingly handsome young man didn't take her seriously at all, not only refusing to admit any wrongdoing but also audaciously wearing the jade pendant around his neck...

How could a royal artifact be so casually worn by just anyone?

Just as Qi Yun hesitated whether to physically retrieve it, the princess returned. Lu Zhao Ping intervened to stop the servants from treating the young sister-in-law as a thief, placing herself between Qi Yun and Xie Gongzi.

The fierce argument and Qi Yun's adamant claim that the jade was her princess's personal item confirmed Xie Xuan Yuan's suspicions. Rising from the bed, his hazel eyes flashed with anger and an indescribable sense of grievance to the onlooker.

"So this is what you meant by 'not familiar'? If you don't recognize this item, then it must mean the servant was mistaken, and this is but a worthless counterfeit. In that case, I see no harm in smashing it right here today, do I?"

With that, the tyrant started to remove the amulet, threatening to smash it...

This threat clearly worked. Before he could take any drastic action, Lu Zhao Ping swiftly grabbed his wrist. The usually composed Princess of Southern Chu showed a hint of anxiety: "Master Xie, please, don't be rash. This item is indeed very important to me... to my imperial brother."

Yet Xie Xuan Yuan remained unmoved: "Just a moment ago you claimed not to be familiar with it, and now it's suddenly important to you and your brother? Does the Southern Chu royal family always contradict themselves so blatantly?"

His words were excessively sharp and cutting, prompting Qi Yun to defend her mistress vehemently: "Audacious scoundrel, how dare you slander His Majesty and the Princess! If His Majesty were to hear of this, he would surely have you executed along with your entire family!"

Caught between undeniable evidence and witnesses, Lu Zhao Ping found herself unable to retort.

Seeing the princess's reaction, Xie Xuan Yuan revealed a disdainful and cold smile, his attitude becoming even more brazen: "Very well! Then let's have your emperor come and execute me himself!"

Qi Yun had never encountered someone so bold as to disregard even the emperor. And her princess, who never allows a single word against His Majesty, now oddly remained silent.

She quietly approached Lu Zhao Ping, pleading softly: "Your Highness, please say something. If this continues, this man might just tear the roof off our mansion..."

Lu Zhao Ping shook her head with an innocent tone, "Then we must let him do as he pleases... I'm powerless against him."

"Why not send for His Majesty?"

Lu Zhao Ping continued shaking her head helplessly, "Alas, you don't understand. Even the Emperor has no sway over him."

Qi Yun was stunned, her view of Xie Xuan Yuan shifting to one of awe. It was her first time realizing that there could be someone the Emperor himself could not control.

If there was anyone beyond the Emperor's reach... it might just be the Emperor's favored consort from the stories of the princess. After all, it's said that even heroes have a hard time with beauty.

Unaware of the dramatic change in perception others had of him, Xie Xuan Yuan clung to the thread of the jade peace amulet, his demeanor becoming increasingly aggressive: "Since you admit there's nothing you can do, then speak plainly. How long do you and your brother intend to deceive?"

Lu Zhao Ping thought she could feign ignorance a bit longer, but now it seemed the truth was about to be uncovered!

To show sincerity and to calm her increasingly agitated sister-in-law, she had no choice but to remove her own identical peace amulet, clarifying for Xie Xuan Yuan in front of everyone: "Though the two amulets look exactly alike, the one Master Xie holds is indeed not mine."

Those aware of the amulet's origin discreetly looked away. If it wasn't the princess's, it could only belong to the Emperor. This revelation, along with the princess's ambiguous tolerance, pointed towards one conclusion...

This young master must be a secret concubine the Emperor had placed under the princess's care!

The room fell silent. With personal and material evidence present, even the tyrant himself had to concede. There was no unparalleled beauty named Lu Guifei; only the shameless deceiver, the Emperor of Southern Chu!

The so-called Lu Chang Ping, after a night of passion, became addicted and didn't flee to save his life but instead sought every opportunity to be close to him.

Thus, as he embarked on a personal campaign, the Emperor of Southern Chu joined him. As he desperately sought news of his "wife," Lu Chang Ping donned women's attire again for a secret rendezvous.

It seemed the Emperor had grown tired of this role-playing game and, unwilling to take responsibility, vanished without a trace.

Despite the Emperor's performance not being flawless, every detail from his finely contoured, soft-to-the-touch face to his voice, similar to Lu Guifei's, hinted at a strange connection between the Emperor and "Lu Guifei."

Yet Xie Xuan Yuan was an emperor himself. Putting himself in the other's shoes, he couldn't believe that a man of such high stature would willingly dress as a woman and refer to himself as "your servant."

It seems even the heavens mock his presumptuousness, allowing him to be duped into marriage by a cross-dressing enemy monarch!

Moreover, it was not just a simple case of deception; he was also carrying a child in his belly, bearing the bloodlines of two royal families.

The deeper Xie Xuan Yuan thought, the angrier he became. His face, which could rival the most beautiful in Southern Chu, took on a crazed expression under the scorching of his rage.

He stared at Lu Zhao Ping's beautiful face, which greatly resembled Lady Lu's, with unblinking eyes, his eye sockets reddening.

Just when Lu Zhao Ping thought he was about to burst into tears, her deceived, heartbroken little sister-in-law suddenly lashed out at her.

He seemed to have some foundation; even now, with a pregnancy of over five months, his burst of energy was astonishingly powerful.

Lu Zhao Ping was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, and could only dodge in a rush while internally lamenting her situation.

She was truly naive. She knew her sister-in-law had a fiery temper and could act impulsively when faced with the truth, but she never imagined that she would be implicated simply because she resembled the "faithless" imperial brother.

Fortunately, the other was not completely irrational. At least, to Lu Zhao Ping's limited understanding of martial arts, the moves used by Mr. Xie seemed more like simple grappling techniques than lethal strikes.

Torn between her dear brother and his wife, with whom he had a falling out, Lu Zhao Ping felt caught in the middle. Just as she hesitated, wondering whether to yield and let herself be captured as a hostage, the other suddenly stopped their attack and curled up on the ground in agony, clutching their stomach...

It was clear, without needing to think, that the combination of rage and forced exertion had once again upset the little ancestor in the belly.

Xie Xuan Yuan's pain was so intense that his vision darkened. The tears that had filled his beautiful phoenix eyes also fell into his hair as he closed his eyes. But when he opened them again, his handsome features were shrouded in a dense gloom that could not be dispersed.

Lu Zhao Ping watched in shock, words of comfort stuck in her throat, unable to be voiced.

It was evident that Young Master Xie hailed from a distinguished background, blessed with wealth and prosperity. Had it not been for the unfortunate mishaps caused by his imperial brother, he would have been enjoying endless glory and riches in the Northern Wei capital... Only true love could lead to such a downfall, leaving him destitute and far from home.

The more she thought about it, the more she sympathized with the young sister-in-law. Unknowingly, her words softened: "Don't worry, I'll call the emperor right away to see you!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan Yuan moved his lips, wanting to say he didn’t need that liar of a South Chu emperor's pity. But, overwhelmed by pain, he eventually turned his head away, remaining silent.

Princess Zhao Yun immediately sent for the imperial physician, then swiftly made her way to the main hall, taking with her the innocent-faced Secretary Ji. Together, they galloped towards the palace.

……

As the emperor's beloved sister, Princess Zhao Yun naturally had the privilege of riding her horse within the palace grounds. Her journey was smooth and unobstructed until she reached her brother's sleeping quarters, only to discover a significant problem.

It turned out that while she was rushing to the palace, her brother had just finished reviewing the day's memorials and finally had time to sort out his complicated household affairs.

At this morning's court session, a bold official took the lead in presenting a memorial, directly criticizing the Grand Princess for publicly redeeming a male courtesan at the Hui Chun Tower. Although Emperor Lu was indulgent towards his sister and seldom interfered with her preferences, he couldn't help but worry about health and safety issues.

However, before he could voice his concerns, Ji Shangshu, standing at the forefront of the civilian officials, began to defend the Grand Princess. Ji Yuzhe staunchly protected her, even engaging in verbal battles with the scholars, eventually extinguishing the impeachment attempts of the officials one by one...

Yet, the matter wasn't completely settled, as just yesterday, someone had indeed seen the Grand Princess entering the Hui Chun Tower, and her personal guards were even seen carrying out a young man who was unconscious.

Knowing there must be some misunderstanding, Lu Changping took the initiative to visit, hoping to have a sincere talk with Zhao Ping.

He traveled light on his way, aiming not to pressure Zhao Ping too much. However, as the siblings often visited each other, even his attempt to keep a low profile couldn't prevent the servants in the princess's mansion from recognizing him.

Normally, Zhao Ping would personally welcome him, bypassing many formalities. But today, with Zhao Ping absent, the steward of the Grand Princess's mansion didn't dare to neglect Emperor Lu, offering him an exceptionally respectful welcome.

Just at the entrance, an eunuch's shrill voice announced, "His Majesty has arrived," followed by the mansion's numerous servants and maids kneeling in the courtyard, forming a grand yet orderly assembly.

With the Emperor's sudden visit, everyone in the Grand Princess's mansion stopped their tasks to welcome him at the main entrance, including the imperial physician who had just treated the pregnant husband. Even the tyrant, who had just stopped having stomach pains, was helped out of bed and made his difficult way to the front courtyard.

Before reaching the main gate, Xie Xuan Yuan saw the crowd kneeling densely ahead and couldn't help but sneer, "Such grandeur in small South Chu, bowing and scraping. Who is this distinguished guest that commands such deference?"

The servant supporting him, knowing he was under the Grand Princess's care, dared not let him continue his reckless talk, softly reminding, "Be cautious with your words, Your Highness. It's the Emperor who has come this time."

"What..." Xie Xuan Yuan, who had been carefully watching his step while holding his belly, froze for a moment upon hearing that, then abruptly looked up.

Almost no one in the courtyard was standing, offering an unobstructed view far ahead. And at that center of attention stood a young man, tall and elegant.

His dark silk attire, adorned with subtle gold embroidery, glittered under the sunlight. As the distance closed, the embroidery of the imperial dragon, exclusive to the royal family, became discernible.

The somber and dignified outfit did not hide his striking appearance; instead, it made his skin appear even whiter and his lips redder, captivating anyone with just a glance.

Initially, Xie Xuan Yuan indeed couldn't resist the temptation of such an exceptional beauty, even losing sleep and appetite over him. Yet, seeing that familiar face again now, his expression turned terrifyingly menacing, as if ready to devour someone on the spot.

The servant who had been supporting him was so frightened by his look that he knelt down first, hastily tugging at Xie Xuan Yuan's hem, "Shouldn't you pay your respects upon seeing His Majesty?"

Just as the servant began to suspect that Young Master Xie was bewitched by the emperor’s beauty, losing his senses, the Emperor of South Chu seemed to glance in their direction. Realizing his impudence, the servant quickly bowed deeply, exclaiming, "Long live the emperor, may you live forever."

This call caught Long Ping's attention, who naturally turned towards them, intending to tell them not to be overly formal. But he wished he hadn’t looked; it struck him like a bolt from the blue.

Standing conspicuously beside the young servant was a visibly pregnant tyrant, who was staring straight at him. Whether it was the intensity of the emotions in that gaze or Emperor Lu feeling guilty as if caught in the act, he found himself breaking out in a cold sweat under the scrutiny.

The tyrant locked eyes with Lu Changping, his gaze as clear as autumn waters. Tilting his head slightly, he parted his thin lips and teased, "Your Majesty? Long live the Emperor?"

Having been the Emperor of Nan Chu for so long, Lu was accustomed to being addressed as "Your Majesty." Yet, when these words fell from the tyrant's lips, he found himself completely at a loss, rooted to the spot.

He took long strides towards the tyrant, reaching him in three steps, and took his hand with an evident lack of confidence.

He knew all too well the temperament of the little tyrant. At this point, the only way to escape unscathed was to convince him that he was not, had not, and had nothing to do with the Emperor of Nan Chu at all!

But at this juncture, who would believe such an obvious lie?

Emperor Lu was so anxious that he couldn't utter a word for a long time, finally closing his beautiful peach blossom eyes in anguish.

But the harsh reality did not afford Emperor Lu any chance to bury his head in the sand. Following the young servant's lead, those who had been waiting to pay their respects to the Emperor immediately began to chant long live the Emperor.

It seemed to confirm his suspicions, as Xie Xuan Yuan disdainfully swatted his hand away, his smile mocking, "Are you also going to tell me that they have all mistaken someone else for me?"

Emperor Lu shook his head honestly. He had long given up on such unrealistic fantasies.

At this critical moment, a crisp sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the entrance of the princess's mansion. Following that, Princess Zhao Yun, who bore a striking resemblance to Emperor Lu, dismounted her horse and appeared before everyone's eyes.

Catching sight of her brother facing her, she immediately launched into a rapid-fire tirade, "Brother, how did you manage to cause such a commotion this time? Do you know I've hidden my sister-in-law in the mansion? If the little sister-in-law finds out, it could lead to..."

Before she could finish, the tyrant beside Emperor Lu had already turned around, asking, "Lead to what?"

Lu Zhao Ping froze on the spot, his sentence abruptly cut off.

The three of them, standing face to face for once, were left in silence...

Xie Xuan Yuan clearly despised this conspiracy of marriage deception between the twins.

First, he scrutinized the genuine "Lady Lu" in front of him, then glanced at the high-quality imitation "Lady Lu" diagonally across. Finally, he gritted his teeth and delivered his verdict to the siblings: "Both frauds."

When he accused the Lu siblings of being frauds, a hint of mockery played at the corners of his mouth, yet his eyes dimmed with sorrow. The forlorn expression was heartbreakingly pitiful to behold.

In that moment, Emperor Lu felt as if the marriage he had painstakingly maintained with cross-dressing and lies was about to end...

The author has a message:

Sorry to have kept you waiting, I accidentally wrote until now. Finally, in this chapter, the last veil of the beautiful Lu is stripped away~