Chapter 58: The Unresigned Crown Prince

An old saying goes that one man's joy is another man's sorrow. While the common folk of Yancheng were hastily constructing defensive systems to fend off the invading Jie tribe, the powerful elites far away in the capital of Jingcheng remained utterly immersed in the festivities of the New Year. Within the imperial palace, apart from spending the first day of the new year in Empress Zhang's quarters, Zhao Wuji spent practically every subsequent night at the Qiulan Palace. Located near the imperial back garden, Qiulan Palace was currently housing the two peerless dancers from the New Year banquet. Looking at the breathtaking beauty lying beside him, Zhao Wuji could not help but sigh inwardly. He felt as though he had lived his past few decades in vain. For the sake of imperial power, he had been forced to marry women from various prominent aristocratic clans. Although every single one of them was dignified and proper, their appearances paled completely in comparison to the two exquisite creatures before him. Empress Zhang was born into the Guanzhong Zhang clan. The people of Guanzhong had always been robust in build, and residing near the northwestern frontier meant that most of them lacked particularly delicate skin. Empress Zhang was no exception—not only was her physique sturdy, but her skin was also rough. Yet, as his most crucial political supporter, he had been forced to marry a woman he did not love. Whether for seizing supreme authority or for self-preservation, he had to cling to the formidable backing of the Zhang clan. Next was the Xue family. Situated in the south, the women of the Xue family naturally possessed much fairer skin than Empress Zhang from the north. While her facial features and figure left something to be desired, a single phrase best described her: plump and fair. On the contrary, Consort Jin, born into a military lineage, maintained an exceptional physique and spirit due to her lifelong practice of martial arts, ranking her among the most attractive in the inner palace. Naturally, as an emperor, he was never short of women. Aside from these aristocratic consorts, there were other women of decent beauty. However, in his younger days, Zhao Wuji's heart and mind had been entirely consumed by imperial power. Before ascending the throne, he thought of nothing else day and night except how to capture it; once it was in his hands, he obsessed constantly over how to consolidate his rule and keep the various powerful clans in check, never sparing the time or effort to favor women who offered no practical utility.

The appearance of the two peerless beauties at the New Year banquet—with their delicate, refined faces, tender skin, and soul-stirring allure—seemed to rekindle Zhao Wuji's dormant desires as a man.

Zhao Wuji viciously kneaded the woman's tender breasts. A soft moan escaped her lips, and a flush rapidly spread across her face.

The woman fluttered her eyelashes, wrapped her arms around Zhao Wuji's neck, and murmured softly, "Ah, Your Majesty is too mighty! Your humble servant is almost worn out by Your Majesty."

Zhao Wuji chuckled and said, "Oh? Am I truly that formidable?"

"Of course! How would this humble servant dare to deceive Your Majesty? If you don't believe me, ask Sister Yuzhu," the blushing beauty replied with a shy expression.

Hearing this, the other peerless woman nearby hurriedly chimed in, "Your Majesty is the true dragon descended to earth, so naturally you are mighty. For the two of us sisters to serve Your Majesty and bathe in your imperial favor is a blessing cultivated over countless lifetimes." As the woman named Yuzhu spoke, her slender fingers continuously stroked Zhao Wuji's chest before sliding downward.

Zhao Wuji felt a wave of numbness ripple through his body, followed by a deep intake of breath.

"Your Majesty, let this humble servant serve you once more," the woman whispered softly, nibbling gently on his earlobe.

Zhao Wuji laughed heartily. "We've already done it several times. I'm growing a bit tired. Let's leave it for tomorrow."

"Oh, come now, Your Majesty! With your dragon-like vigor, let alone just once, I am certain Your Majesty could easily go another two or three times." Yuzhu let out a coquettish whine and, without waiting for Zhao Wuji's consent, straddled his waist of her own accord...

Meanwhile, back at the Crown Prince's residence, ever since returning from the banquet, Crown Prince Zhao Chong had been somewhat absent-minded, frequently recalling the two breathtaking women from the feast. He had already found out that his imperial father had arranged for the two women to stay at Qiulan Palace near the back garden. Word had it that every night, cries and moans echoed from Qiulan Palace as his father spent his nights there, arousing even greater jealousy in the Crown Prince toward Zhao Wuji's occupation of the throne.

Gazing at the two portraits spread out before his desk, Zhao Chong let out a helpless sigh. Such peerless beauties, yet he, the Crown Prince, could not even have them! His heart burned with a mixture of depression and resentment. Zhao Wuji was still in fairly robust health, while he himself was already in his twenties. At this rate, who knew when he would ever ascend the throne? With this thought, Zhao Chong violently smashed his teacup against the floor.

Hearing the commotion inside, the eunuch outside the door hurried in to investigate. As soon as he stepped across the threshold, the young eunuch spotted the Crown Prince sitting in the chair before the desk with a murderous expression.

Without a word, the eunuch walked over to the shattered pieces of porcelain and began picking them up one by one. As the Crown Prince's personal confidant, how could he fail to notice the Crown Prince's changing moods over the past few days? After gathering the shards, the eunuch did not immediately withdraw from the room. Instead, he stepped closer to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, perhaps this servant should accompany you out for a stroll? Ever since the New Year celebrations, you haven't entered the palace for several days to pay your respects to the Empress."

The Crown Prince remained silent, offering no response.

Seeing this, the eunuch continued, "This servant hears that the plum blossoms in the imperial back garden are currently in full bloom, and the imperial consorts are going there to admire them. Why doesn't this servant accompany Your Highness to take a look?"

Upon hearing the young eunuch's words, a strange glint flashed in Zhao Chong's eyes. He looked up at the eunuch and asked, "Dequan, do you think this year's plum blossoms are lovely?"

The eunuch gave a knowing chuckle and replied, "The plum blossoms are naturally lovely, but I imagine the back garden holds more than just plum blossoms; there are likely other flowers as well, which I am sure Your Highness would appreciate."

Zhao Chong understood the underlying hint. "The flowers are of little importance; paying respects to the Empress mother is what matters. Let us go."

"As you command, Your Highness."

Seated on a bronze palanquin, the Crown Prince was carried toward the inner palace. The East Palace actually shared a border with the imperial palace, situated on its eastern side. The bearers carried the palanquin straight toward Wanfu Palace, where the Empress resided.

Upon arriving outside Wanfu Palace, the Crown Prince and his entourage entered, but the eunuch named Dequan did not accompany him inside. Instead, he turned and headed deeper into the imperial palace. Familiar with every corner of the palace, Dequan reached the vicinity of the back garden shortly. Passing by Qiulan Palace, he exchanged a few whispered words with a palace maid before turning back toward Wanfu Palace.

As the Crown Prince's personal attendant, everyone knew what Dequan's status entailed, so even the eunuchs and maids of Wanfu Palace treated him with the utmost respect. Dequan stood waiting outside the door. Judging that enough time had passed, he quietly lifted the door curtain and slipped softly into the room. Once inside, he simply stood quietly by the entrance. Glancing at Dequan, the Crown Prince said nothing out loud. After exchanging a few polite words with Empress Zhang and claiming he had other matters to attend to and would return another day to pay his respects, he rose and took his leave.