bookcurios Chapter 206: Explanation (Part )
Chapter 206: Explanation (Part )
"Tell me, tell me."
Chu Huanjun was defeated and finally realized that it would be useless to use unreasonable tactics against Tao Yao.
The two men abandoned their horses and walked for a while before finding a small teahouse to sit in. It was already late at night, and the owner of the teahouse was about to close, but when he saw the two men enter, he lit the lantern again.
"My two guests, what would you like to drink?"
"A pot of fresh Longjing tea."
Chu Huanjun placed a silver ingot on the table. The teahouse owner blushed and said awkwardly, "Oh, dear guest, I'm almost closing time. It's hard to give you change."
Seeing this, Tao Yao pulled some small change from her waist bag and placed it on the table, saying with a smile, "Boss, no need for change. You were about to close anyway, and it was wrong of us to bother you so late. Consider this extra money a thank you gift."
After Tao Yao finished speaking, the smile on the teahouse owner's face became deeper and deeper. He happily accepted all the money and went about making tea.
"Two guests, please take your seats!"
Tao Yao chose a seat near the window, while Chu Huanjun sat across from her at the table. Not long after, a freshly boiled cup of Longjing tea was served.
Because the tip was so generous, in addition to a pot of Longjing tea, the boss also gave us a plate of fried peanuts and melon seeds.
Tao Yao looked at the fried nuts on the plate, her eyes lit up, and she put them into her mouth one by one, just like a little squirrel.
Chu Huanjun smiled as he watched her wolf down her food. He poured her tea and said softly, "Didn't you say you have no appetite after eating? I don't think you have no appetite at all."
Tao Yao wasn't actually full, but she still rolled her eyes at Chu Huanjun and said stubbornly, "I have one stomach for eating, one for drinking tea, and one for eating sunflower seeds and peanuts."
Chu Huanjun was amused by her and said, "Eat slowly, no one will snatch it from you."
As he spoke, he handed a cup of slightly cold tea to Tao Yao and said, "Drink some tea, don't choke."
Tao Yao put down the melon seeds and peanuts in her hand, took the teacup, drank the tea in one gulp, and then wiped the tea from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve while asking, "Can you speak now?"
Chu Huanjun smiled and nodded, saying, "What do you want to know? Just ask."
"Zuo Tang is an important official in the court. On the surface, you and him don't seem to have any conflicts of interest, but behind the scenes, you are secretly enemies. Why?"
Tao Yao was not polite and asked directly what he was thinking without beating around the bush.
Upon hearing this, Chu Huanjun pulled down the curtain beside him and whispered, "You're actually a lot smarter than I thought—why do you want to know about these things?"
Tao Yao frowned and said, "You just said that I can ask whatever I want to know."
Chu Huanjun smiled slyly: "Then I didn't say I had to answer you."
Tao Yao rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't give me that."
Chu Huanjun smiled and sighed, then said as he brewed some tea, "It's a long story... Zuo Tang and I have had a grudge since we were kids."
For Chu Huanjun, the past was like a layer of dirt locked in his heart. It had been hidden deep within him for so long that even he had almost forgotten it—but even if he had forgotten it, that layer of dirt would always be there, forever.
If we compare him with Lu Che, the biggest difference between them is their attitude towards hatred.
Lu Che regards hatred as a scar on his life and intends to spend his entire life repaying the long-lasting pain.
Chu Huanjun, however, only saw hatred as a brief pain in his life. Once it passed, it was like turning over a page in a book, and the rest was a brand new chapter.
He didn't allow himself to look back, and neither did his mother.
So even if he were to dig up the dusty past again, turn himself into a book, spread it out completely, and place it in front of Tao Yao so that she could see it clearly, Chu Huanjun would not feel embarrassed.
As cup after cup of tea was brewed, Chu Huanjun recounted the details of the past that he still remembered clearly, bit by bit, along with the hot tea.
Fifteen years ago, just after Chu Huanjun's fifth birthday, the Emperor bestowed upon him the Crown Prince's Imperial Seal. According to the laws of the Great Chu Palace, the Crown Prince's Imperial Seal could only be bestowed upon a prince after he had reached adulthood and performed the "Jigui" (coming of age) ceremony. Although Chu Huanjun was the only prince in the palace, he was still only five years old, a young boy who couldn't even hold a bow and arrow.
Although all the civil and military officials in the court agreed that the emperor was too hasty in granting the prince's seal to the little prince so early, most of them dared not speak out.
The emperor favors Concubine Yi in the harem, and the little prince is the son of Concubine Yi and the only prince now. The prince's seal falls on his head. Even if others have their own opinions, they don't know where to start.
That year, the brothers Zuo Tang and Zuo Di were still two insignificant officials in the court. It was time for them to do something earth-shattering to add luster to their official careers. Therefore, the matter of the Crown Prince's Jade Seal gave them an opportunity to show their abilities.
At that time, most of the court officials were close confidants of the Empress, and the Emperor had always turned a blind eye to this. The Empress had been childless for many years, and supporting Chu Huanjun to become the Crown Prince was one of her plans. However, Chu Huanjun was, after all, the son of another concubine, and the son of Concubine Yi, whom the Emperor favored. It was not easy for the Empress to take advantage of this.
There are hundreds of powerful and flattering people in the court, but there are only a few who dare to actually do practical work. Zuo Tang and Zuo Di are the ones who are not afraid of wearing shoes even if they are barefoot, and they have enough courage to take risks and do things.
Zuo Tang calculated that the emperor felt empty inside and powerless because he had no one to help him. He also calculated that the queen wanted a good son with real power, so he conspired with Zuo Di to stage a drama.
They first murdered Concubine Yi, allowing Chu Huanjun to be adopted by the Queen. Then, they framed another innocent civil official, even spreading rumors that the official and Concubine Yi were secretly having an affair.
Later, the queen became pregnant for the first time in her life. Because she was anxious, she whispered in the emperor's ear at night to remove the empty title of crown prince from Chu Huanjun and keep it for the unborn child in the queen's belly.
Perhaps it was really God's will and karma that the queen suffered a miscarriage before the sixth month of her pregnancy.
From then on, in order to prevent the joke of the crown prince's seal being turned upside down and circulated, the emperor left the crown prince's position vacant for many years.
"That's it."
After saying this, Chu Huanjun suddenly felt much more relaxed. He sighed deeply and said with a smile, "When my mother died, I didn't even have the chance to see her for the last time. What a pity."