Chapter 30: An Unexpected Turn at the Birthday Banquet

“I was wondering why we had not seen Fourth Brother today. So he went to Hengzhou,” Chu Xiong said, sounding equally disappointed.

“The last time I saw Fourth Brother was also two years ago. I had thought I might get to see him today, but I never expected him to have already left the Capital,” Crown Prince Chu Qiao said with a regretful sigh.

The other princes also began speaking one after another, recounting when they had last seen the Fourth Prince.

Clearly, the Fourth Prince was quite well liked among the princes.

At that moment, the Thirteenth Prince’s eyes shifted, and he suddenly said, “Although Fourth Brother did not come to attend this birthday banquet in person, at least he did not forget the gift.”

“Unlike certain people. Not showing up is one thing, but not even preparing a gift? That truly shows no regard at all for Noble Consort Ronghua.”

The moment those words were spoken, the other princes’ eyes lit up at once, and they curiously asked whom the Thirteenth Prince was referring to.

After all, Noble Consort Ronghua alone currently enjoyed the Emperor’s favor, and her influence in the harem was enough to contend with the Empress herself.

On top of that, Noble Consort Ronghua also had two excellent sons.

And yet there was actually someone in the Great Xuan Dynasty who dared not give Noble Consort Ronghua even the slightest face!

“Who else could it be? Is it not that Seventh Prince Chu Feng, who was just recently elevated to the rank of Three-Pearl Imperial Prince?”

“As far as I know, all the other princes, even those who had been banished to the provinces, still prepared gifts and had them sent over. Chu Feng alone has shown no gesture at all,” the Thirteenth Prince said disdainfully.

When the other princes heard that, their gazes could not help but shift toward Chu Jingyun and Chu Jingshan.

Chu Jingyun acted as though he had heard nothing and calmly continued drinking.

Chu Jingshan, on the other hand, immediately looked rather unsightly, his eyes darkening.

It had been one thing not to mention Chu Feng, but the moment his name came up, the killing intent in Chu Jingshan’s heart became impossible to suppress.

Although no one knew the exact circumstances surrounding the destruction of the Primordial Yang Sect, Chu Jingshan knew perfectly well that Chu Feng absolutely could not be uninvolved.

In Chu Jingshan’s heart, Chu Feng had long since become someone standing on the opposite side. In the future, he absolutely could not be allowed to live.

“Seventh Brother is already on the road to the Capital. Perhaps something happened and he forgot.”

“Once he returns to the Capital, I will remind him to apologize to Noble Consort Ronghua,” Crown Prince Chu Qiao said, stepping in to smooth things over.

Since the Crown Prince had spoken, the other princes dropped the matter and did not continue the topic.

Just then, a eunuch hurried into the hall, stooping as he carried several letters in both hands.

Seeing this, the princes and ministers in the hall all set down their wine cups and turned their attention toward the eunuch.

“This servant pays his respects to Your Majesty. Just now, men from His Highness the Seventh Prince delivered several letters and specifically instructed this servant to place them into Your Majesty’s hands,” the eunuch said in a low voice as he knelt on the floor.

Letters sent by the Seventh Prince?

Everyone in the hall was taken aback, and their curiosity was immediately stirred.

Chu Jingshan stared at the letters in the eunuch’s hands, his brows tightly knitted, an ominous feeling winding through his heart.

“Could these be the gift the Seventh Prince sent?”

“Hah, I do not think so. What precious object could possibly be inside a few shabby envelopes?”

“Then what exactly is in those envelopes?”

“...”

The princes began whispering among themselves.

On the dragon throne at the front of the hall, Chu Aotian revealed a look of surprise.

“Present them.”

A eunuch brought the letters to Chu Aotian’s hands, and Chu Aotian picked them up and began opening them one by one.

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone watched every move of the Emperor.

As time passed bit by bit, the expressions of the people in the hall gradually grew grave. They could all sense that the atmosphere in the hall was becoming increasingly wrong.

Upon the dragon throne, each time Chu Aotian finished reading one letter, his face turned colder, and a suffocating pressure spread from around him.

At his side, Noble Consort Ronghua clearly saw the killing intent rising in Chu Aotian’s eyes.

“Your Majesty, what is written in those letters?” Noble Consort Ronghua asked gently, her tone probing.

“Hmph!”

After setting down the last letter he had read, Chu Aotian turned his head and cast a cold glance at Noble Consort Ronghua before giving a sharp snort.

In the very next instant, under countless disbelieving gazes, Chu Aotian suddenly raised his hand and slapped Noble Consort Ronghua across the face without warning.

The blow was so heavy that it sent Noble Consort Ronghua sprawling onto the ground, and a vivid red handprint instantly appeared on her once-fair cheek.

Collapsed on the floor, tears welled in Noble Consort Ronghua’s eyes as she looked at Chu Aotian.

“Your Majesty, what has this consort done wrong? Why are you striking me?”

Ever since she had entered the palace, Chu Aotian had never once struck her. Even when she had committed small mistakes in the past, he had only punished her lightly as a mere formality.

Yet in the face of the pitiful and tearful Noble Consort Ronghua, Chu Aotian showed not the slightest trace of pity.

“And you still have the nerve to ask me? Open your eyes wide and take a good look at why I am striking you!”

Chu Aotian flung all the letters straight into Noble Consort Ronghua’s face.

Noble Consort Ronghua picked them up in confusion and began reading them. But the moment she saw what was written inside, her whole body began trembling, and her face filled with terror.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself now?” Chu Aotian demanded harshly, his eyes full of disgust.

At that moment, the dazzling Purple Moon Jade set into Noble Consort Ronghua’s crown was like a thorn driven deep into Chu Aotian’s heart.

With a sweep of his arm, Chu Aotian shattered Noble Consort Ronghua’s crown with a bang, and the Purple Moon Jade floated before him.

“Transmit My decree. From this moment onward, strip Noble Consort Ronghua of all rank and status and cast her into the Cold Palace!” Chu Aotian ordered.

The moment those words fell, several Imperial Guards entered the hall and directly dragged Noble Consort Ronghua away.

In the hall, as they watched Noble Consort Ronghua being taken away, everyone remained silent as cicadas in winter.

It was often said that when an emperor flew into a rage, corpses would float for ten thousand li.

None of them dared stand out at a time like this and court death for themselves.

The other ministers might choose silence, but Noble Consort Ronghua’s two sons could not simply watch their mother be cast into the Cold Palace.

Chu Jingyun and Chu Jingshan hurriedly stepped forward, dropped to their knees, and pleaded for mercy.

“Father Emperor, what exactly did my mother do wrong that you would cast her into the Cold Palace?” Chu Jingyun asked, looking directly at Chu Aotian.

“Father Emperor, show mercy! No matter how great my mother’s crime is, your son is willing to bear the punishment in her stead! I beg Father Emperor not to cast my mother into the Cold Palace,” Chu Jingshan pleaded.

Upon the dragon throne, Chu Aotian looked down at the two kneeling below. His gaze settled upon Chu Jingshan, and a cold smile repeatedly appeared on his lips.

“You certainly are filial. But it is not yet your turn to display that filial piety.”

“You should first explain the contents of these letters to me!”

An elderly eunuch with delicate features picked up the letters from the ground and handed them to Chu Jingshan.

The moment Chu Jingshan saw the handwriting in the letters, his mind exploded with a roar, and a deep fear rose within him.

Suppressing that fear by force, Chu Jingshan still clung to a sliver of hope as he turned to read the contents of the letters.

Inside the hall, the others remained silent as they watched Chu Jingshan. At some unknown point, cold sweat had already covered his forehead.

“Big Brother, what do you think is written in those letters?” Chu Xiong asked in a low voice as he leaned over toward Chu Qiao, looking thoroughly entertained.

Chu Qiao’s eyes were deep as he replied, “You are asking that while already knowing the answer?”

“It seems we truly underestimated our Seventh Brother...”