Untouchable Lovers-Chapter 144 - 132: Attacking the Palace Again (Part 2)
Chapter 144: Chapter 132: Attacking the Palace Again (Part 2)
As she shifted her gaze back, a trace of determination had formed in Chu Yu’s eyes.
Liu Ziyue was very pleased with what he had done the day before. Seeing Chu Yu, he eagerly wanted to boast to her about the pleasure of humiliating others. His three uncles were caged, looking at him through the gaps with pitiful and pleading eyes. His blood was boiling, and in this twisted pleasure, he experienced an unprecedented delight.
Because of this delight, he hardly took to heart what a group of old ministers lectured him about today.
Liu Ziyue was completely unaware that he was rushing down the path of becoming a psychopath.
As Chu Yu walked alongside Liu Ziyue, she suddenly felt as if a gaze had harshly stabbed at her. Turning her head, it was not Shen Qingzhi as she had expected, but another old man.
The term “old” could not be overlooked; in the bureaucratic world, promotions and interactions sometimes required seniority. The older the age, the deeper the qualifications. At that moment, besides Chu Yu, Liu Ziyue, and a young eunuch, the study was nearly filled with old men who held significant status and prestige in the court, and each of their words carried great weight.
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However, sometimes, another implication of being old was stubbornness. Therefore, they could not forgive Liu Ziyue for imprisoning and humiliating his own uncles, believing it fell short of an emperor’s moral standards, and they kept advising him on this matter.
Once Liu Ziyue saw Chu Yu, he grew impatient with the old men’s persistence. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, “You may all leave. I will consider the matters concerning the three princes. I want to speak with Sister now.”
“Your Majesty!” A slightly haughty voice interjected. Chu Yu turned to see it was the old man who had stabbed her with his gaze earlier. He was dressed more opulently and solemnly than other ministers around, and he scolded Liu Ziyue as if reprimanding his own grandson, “Your Majesty is not young anymore, and should know the proprieties. Princess Huiji did not bow when she saw Your Majesty, and now walks beside you, which is against the etiquette.”
“Besides, I hope Your Majesty will release the three princes soon to appease them.”
Chu Yu was curious who this old man was who dared to speak to the emperor in such a way, but then she heard Liu Ziyue coldly say, “Liu Yigong, do not presume that just because you are my great-uncle, you can be so presumptuous. I am the Emperor.”
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
As these words were uttered, Liu Yigong’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately quieted down. At that moment, Chu Yu also understood his identity; Liu Yigong must be Liu Ziyue’s grandfather’s brother, essentially from his grandfather’s generation. It was no wonder he scolded Liu Ziyue as if he was scolding his own grandson. Given his status as a royal and a veteran of three dynasties, he indeed bore more significance than other veterans.
But this was… excessively forgetful. Chu Yu sighed inwardly.
Because of his reliance on his status, he dared to scold Liu Ziyue like that. He only remembered that he was Liu Ziyue’s great-uncle but forgot another of Liu Ziyue’s identities: Emperor.
To grant life or death was inherently an emperor’s power.
Chu Yu stood close and saw it clearly, anger was already flickering in the depths of Liu Ziyue’s eyes.
Chu Yu smiled, pretending not to hear what Liu Yigong was saying, and expressed her reason for coming: “Your Majesty, I heard that you have imprisoned the three princes. May I ask why?”
Liu Ziyue responded, “Sister, there is a reason for my actions. Liu Chang lived with them the day before yesterday, and I had guards watching all four of them, but Liu Chang ran away. Those three must have been his accomplices.” His tone was slightly aggrieved, seeming as though it was everyone else’s fault.
Chu Yu glanced at Wang Xuanmo who understood immediately and was the first to take his leave. Seeing someone make the first move, other ministers began to leave as well, and soon only Liu Ziyue and Chu Yu were left in the study.
Liu Ziyue sulked for a while before saying, “Sister, you aren’t here to persuade me to release those three bad guys, are you?” Suddenly, he remembered that Chu Yu had always opposed his killing of the three princes.
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As Chu Yu walked out of the palace gate, she unexpectedly found that next to her carriage, there was another carriage parked side by side, and Yue Jiefei was watching it warily, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
As she approached the two carriages, the other party pulled back the carriage curtain, and through the gap, Chu Yu saw a face, old but vigorous, belonging to Wang Xuanmo.
Chu Yu nodded slightly to Wang Xuanmo and then boarded her carriage. The two carriages moved slowly side by side, and nearly touching, small windows of both carriages faced each other.
Chu Yu sat close to the small window, and heard a voice from outside: “Did the Princess come out?” Wang Xuanmo was speaking through the window directly across from her.
Chu Yu closed her eyes and said faintly, “Just now, I advised His Majesty to kill the three princes.” As the words left her mouth, the cold tone of her own voice surprised her.
Earlier Liu Ziyue had asked her if she was going to plead for the three princes, yet now, she had advised Liu Ziyue to kill them.
This was the first time since her arrival that she had actively chosen to seek the death of someone with whom she had no personal grievances. The feeling was far from pleasant. Since uttering those words until she stepped out and saw Wang Xuanmo, her mood had been quite somber.
But she was acutely aware that she was not in the wrong. Previously, she had asked Liu Ziyue not to trouble the three princes because it wasn’t yet a matter of life and death. If it was possible to avoid fatalities, she had hoped for a peaceful resolution. However, now there was no turning back. While she was slightly distracted and out of the city seeking help, Liu Ziyue had committed an irreversible act. He had deeply humiliated the three princes, planting seeds of hatred in their hearts. If they were released, who knew how many incidents might arise in the future?
Emotionally, she was reluctant to see people die, but rationally, Chu Yu knew this was a scenario destined for death unless one party perished. Otherwise, this hatred would continue indefinitely.
So, Chu Yu persuaded Liu Ziyue to kill the three men at an opportune moment using a reasonable excuse, to completely eliminate the potential disaster.
Either do nothing,, or if action was taken, it should be like thunder from beyond the heavens, swift and decisive, achieving success in a single strike.
Humiliation and such were unnecessary; quickly killing the people involved was of utmost importance.
Chu Yu gently exhaled and slowly said, “I wonder, General Wang, what is your opinion?”
After a while, from the window came a somewhat relieved voice of the Wang family’s head: “The Princess has finally made up her mind.”
Chu Yu couldn’t help but feel surprised. She turned her head to peer through the small window at Wang Xuanmo’s expression in the carriage opposite hers. But just then, Wang Xuanmo’s carriage sped up slightly, and the windows misaligned. Chu Yu saw only a fleeting blurry shadow, and it took a while for the window to align again: “General Wang, why say such a thing? Have I never been resolute before?”
Wang Xuanmo softly chuckled, “That, Princess, is something you know best in your heart.”
Chu Yu was silent. Indeed, Wang Xuanmo was not wrong. In politics, being soft-hearted and hesitant were the most unwelcome burdens. She needed to cast them aside.
Even now, Chu Yu still found it somewhat miraculous; she had never dreamed that she would become akin to an accomplice to a tyrannical ruler, encouraging the Emperor to kill. Should this be known, she would probably face severe public censure.
To test Wang Xuanmo’s stance, Chu Yu shared what she had done, but didn’t expect his reaction, and couldn’t resist asking, “Whom do you truly serve?” He did not seem to be loyal to the Emperor, but he had also not shown partiality to the three princes.
Wang Xuanmo slowly said, “I serve the Wang family.”
Through the two small windows, Chu Yu finally saw clearly Wang Xuanmo’s appearance at that moment—an elderly man nearly engulfed in shadows, his gaze unusually sharp and resolute—”I serve only the Wang family.” He would cooperate with whoever benefitted the Wang family.
It was that simple.
All else is illusion; only interests are the eternal truth.
Chu Yu slowly extended her hand towards the nearly juxtaposed window: “It’s a deal.”
Their hands clapped in the air, not touching, each withdrawing back, thus sealing the agreement. And the two carriages that had been traveling side by side thus parted ways.
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“When you return, tell the head of the family that I have done what he asked, and hereafter he should not disturb me at whim.” Xiao Bie said coldly, upon returning to his home when he saw someone sitting quietly inside, unsurprised by the person’s presence: “Prince Yiyang, Liu Chang, has already safely departed. You may leave as well.”
The man stood up, performed a courtesy towards Xiao Bie, and said, “Why won’t you agree to return to the Xiao Family, young master? The old master holds you in high regard and even intends to hand over the control of the Xiao Family to you…”
Xiao Bie cut him off, his tone brooking no argument, “Everyone has their own ambitions. My mind is made up; you need not persuade me further. If you do not leave, then I will.”
Not wishing to have a verbal conflict with Xiao Bie, the man left hastily: “I shall take my leave first.”
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Although Chu Yu had proposed killing the three princes, every time Liu Ziyue thought about taking action, he was stopped by either this reason or that person. It seemed as if some uncontrollable force was, bizarrely, contending with the efforts made by Chu Yu.
Each time she was thwarted, Chu Yu felt the urgency, but deep inside, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Perhaps the tense political situation had affected Jiankang City; this year, Jiankang City’s autumn was exceptionally bleak. The leisure activities of the aristocratic families had lessened, creating a somber atmosphere. However, this gloomy atmosphere was disrupted by the arrival of one person.
That person was known as—the World’s First Beauty.
