Chương 25: A Gift for the First Meeting

Biên tập viên: Atlas Studios

The charming and gentle thoughts in Rong Jin's mind dissipated instantly.

Chu Liuyue is the one who has affected my reputation for years because of her status as a loser. She even sold the hunting ground without consulting me, causing me to lose face in front of the imperial families' sons.

If he didn't take his revenge by ten times or more, he would have been the Crown Prince for nothing!

Rong Jin forced himself to suppress his anger and walked straight forward.

The crowd was shocked to discover that he was actually heading towards Chu Liuyue.

He looked condescendingly at Chu Liuyue while maintaining a calm demeanor, but anyone could see the turbulent waves beneath his seemingly calm disposition.

Countless pairs of eyes stared intently at the two.

First Elder and the others immediately stood up and bowed. "Pleased to meet Your Highness."

However, Rong Jin ignored them. His eyes were trained on Chu Liuyue as he asked pointedly, "Are you Chu Liuyue?"

Chu Liuyue met his eyes and answered frankly. "Exactly."

Rong Jin slowly clenched his hands in his sleeves. He thought Chu Liuyue would panic, but the young girl before him was calm. He couldn't see any uneasiness in her at all! Where did she get her courage from?

"You're not very old, but you have a lot of guts. I thought you wouldn't dare to come today."

Chu Liuyue blinked her eyes. "What made you think that I wouldn't dare to come? Your Highness, didn't you send word to the Chu family and demand that I come today?"

Rong Jin choked at once. Then, he sneered. "You really have a sharp tongue."

Chu Liuyue smiled and responded, "Thank you for your compliments, Your Highness."

Rong Jin glared at her before he turned around and headed towards his seat.

First Elder turned and gave her a disgusted look. "You don't know…"

"First Elder, if you wish to embarrass yourself in public, feel free to scold me," said Chu Liuyue lightly and sat down again calmly.

It suddenly dawned on First Elder that they were in Mingcui Palace, not the Chu family estate.

Everyone was waiting to see them make a fool of themselves. It would be bad if they made a scene now.

After much self-restraint on his part, First Elder finally waved his sleeve violently and kept quiet.

The Crown Prince obviously hated Chu Liuyue and was bound to throw a fit later. He would simply have to kick her out when the time came.

…

The palace quickly resumed its bustle, but many people were still secretly checking out Chu Liuyue.

She didn't seem to mind as she sat peacefully in her seat. In reality, she had already swiftly checked them out.

Apart from the topmost position in the middle where His Majesty and the Empress were seated, the main hall was divided into two parts from the left and right.

The ones sitting at the very front were the princes and princesses of noble status.

As she had already inquired earlier, His Majesty had given birth to a total of nine princes and three princesses. Among whom three princes and one princess had died prematurely.

Currently, there were only six princes and two princesses alive.

Seated across from the Crown Prince was a man dressed in a black powerful suit. He looked about the same age as the Third Prince, but his features were rigid yet handsome. Even his temperament was completely different. He had a murderous aura. It could only be honed on the battlefield.

He was the Third Prince, Rong Jiu.

He joined the Northwest Army at the age of 15. As a young general, he had a prestigious reputation in the army. For this precise reason, he could stand up against the Crown Prince even though his birth mother was only a noble lady.

The court had long been secretly divided into two factions. The Crown Prince might have the advantage, but Rong Jiu was also not to be underestimated.

On Rong Jin's side was naturally the Fifth Prince, Rong Qi, who was born from the same mother. He was also one of the only two princes with a title other than the Crown Prince.

The Eighth Princess and the Ninth Prince, Rong Shu and Rong Feng, were seated next to Rong Jiu. However, there were a few empty seats.

Further back were the four great family clans—Si, Gu, Chu, and Lu—on both sides.

The Chu family was seated behind the Gu family. The Lu family was seated opposite them, behind the Si family.

Among the four families, the Si family was the most powerful while the Chu family was the weakest.

Originally, the Chu family had enjoyed a higher status than the Lu family. But over the years, they had fallen out of favor while the Lu family surpassed them with their wealth and sat in the third position.

Shortly after Rong Jin sat down, a burst of laughter suddenly came from outside the palace. At the same time, a loud and majestic summon could be heard.

"His Majesty has arrived. The Empress has arrived."

Here they come!

Everyone rose quickly and bowed in unison towards the direction of the Emperor and his Empress.

"Long live His Majesty!"

Chu Liuyue did the same as everyone else.

"Hahaha. Everyone, rise. Today is the Prince's birthday banquet. There's no need to be so formal." A middle-aged man's powerful laughter rang throughout the palace. "Alright. Zhen Zhen, go look for your brother too."

Only then did everyone see the Fourth Princess, Rong Zhen, who was behind the Empress. She was also born to the current Empress—a true First Princess. She looked about 16 to 17 years old. Her gorgeous palace attire set off her face with increasing beauty.

"Then Father Emperor has promised Zhen Zhen?"

Emperor Jiawen smiled in favor. "Of course! You're the most mischievous of all. Look at the rest of them. None can rival your trouble-making ability. If I don't agree, I'm afraid you're going to create a mess today."

Rong Zhen wrinkled her nose, but there was a coquettish smile on her face as she happily made her way to sit beside Rong Jin.

Any fool could see how much Emperor Jiawen doted on her.

Everyone sat only after the Empress had settled down.

Chu Liuyue quickly looked up and stole a glance at the Emperor.

Emperor Jiawen, Rong Xiao.

The last time she saw him was during the Grand Court Meeting.

All of Tianling Dynasty's affiliated countries would come to seek an audience during the Grand Court Meeting, which was held once every three years.

Those of Rong Xiao's status, however, could only stand at the very end. They basically didn't even have the right to speak to her. But she had an excellent memory. She was already preparing to take over her father's position at that time, so she was very careful to remember everyone's appearance and their relationship with each other.

Compared to that time, Rong Xiao seemed to have aged. His face and aura were very different. Yes, at that time, he was humble and could only stand among the crowd, looking up to her from afar.

Now, however, his and her position had been completely flipped!

She quickly withdrew her gaze after only one glance.

Emperor Jiawen was aware of the strange gaze falling on him. But when he tried to look, he didn't find anything unusual.

As soon as Rong Zhen sat down, she saw the gloomy look on Rong Jin's face. She suddenly recalled something and looked toward the Chu family.

She only managed to see a slender frame because Chu Liuyue was seated in the second row.

She leaned close to Rong Jin and asked softly, "Is that her?"

Rong Jin muttered a 'hmm.'

"Hmph! Who does she think she is? Don't worry, Brother. I'll help you out."

Rong Jin moved his eyebrows but made no attempt to stop her. This was a tacit acceptance.

Rong Zhen was rude and arrogant, and she always did things out of the ordinary. However, because her parents doted on her, nothing would happen to her even if she made a mess of things.

As the Crown Prince, he would be at a disadvantage if he got himself into trouble with a woman because of a hunting ground. It would be perfect for Rong Zhen to step in.

In the middle of the conversation, Rong Zhen opened her mouth and asked loudly, "I'm sure this is the 'famous' Miss Chu, right?"

Everyone quiet down. Then, they immediately realized that Rong Zhen was going to find fault with Chu Liuyue.

Chu Liuyue raised her eyes.

Rong Zhen smiled unkindly and said, "I haven't seen you much throughout all these years. Today, I feel like I've seen you for the first time. I plan to give you a gift for our first meeting." With that, she clapped her hands.

"Someone, come and present the treasure that I won the day before yesterday."

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Chương 26: I'm Willing to Try!

Biên tập viên: Atlas Studios

A huge cage covered with black cloth was moved over. The crowd couldn't guess what was inside. However, Chu Liuyue could smell the light fishy scent, and she narrowed her eyes.

Rong Zhen stepped forward and pulled the cloth away.

Shua!

A golden-yellow python was coiled up inside the cage. Its body was as thick as a human thigh. Its layers of pale golden scales reflected the cold lighting. Its blood-red vertical pupils were more like two sharp daggers, cruel and indifferent. It was a Golden Python, a third-grade beast.

The sudden sight of light caused it to be alert. It raised its huge head, showed its fangs, and made hissing sounds which sounded creepy.

The crowd in the palace were taken aback by the sudden revelation of this huge creature. Even Emperor Jiawen, who was seated up there, appeared to be surprised.

He then followed Rong Zhen's line of sight and looked over. A young girl's unfamiliar face appeared before him.

In his heart, he already knew that it was the Big Missy of the Chu family, Chu Ning's daughter—Chu Liuyue—who had a marriage agreement with Rong Jin.

"Zhen Zhen, what are you doing?" asked Emperor Jiawen. "This is your brother's birthday banquet, not the place for you to fool around." He remembered that Chu Liuyue was born with a lacking Yuan meridian and that she was unable to cultivate for her entire life.

How was she going to handle this third-grade Golden Python? He wasn't concerned about Chu Liuyue, but she had an existing marriage agreement with Rong Jin. It wouldn't be good if things got ugly. Besides, if he indulged Rong Zhen with so many pairs of eyes on them, people would think that the royal family was ruthless. They would think that they treated Chu Liuyue so shabbily because she was a loser.

Instead, Rong Zhen laughed. "Father, this is my first time meeting Big Missy Chu. I like her so much that I want to give her the Golden Python that I tried extremely hard to obtain. I caught it myself. I initially wanted to keep it as a pet, but my meeting with Miss Chu is fated. I am willing to part with it, no matter how painful it is for me."

She looked at Chu Liuyue and said, "I'm guessing that Big Chu Missy hasn't obtained a contracted fiend yet, right?"

A few snickers came from the crowd.

What kind of contracted fiend could a good-for-nothing have?

Quite a number of eyes sarcastically landed on Chu Liuyue as they waited for a good show to start.

Rong Zhen pulled a face as though she was displeased. "What? Is it possible that Big Chu Missy doesn't care for the Golden Python that I'm giving her?" She was the most favored true-born princess of the country. Who would dare to say they didn't like what she was giving them?

Chu Liuyue stood up. "The Fourth Princess is so kind. I am very grateful from the bottom of my heart. Why wouldn't I like it?"

Only then did Rong Zhen smile again. She crooked a finger at Chu Liuyue as though she was summoning a lowly servant. "Since you are so grateful to me, why don't you come here and accept your gift?"

Chu Liuyue paused for a moment before moving forward. She first bowed to Emperor Jiawen, then she looked at Rong Zhen and bowed again. Her movements were very standardized, but they were even better executed than any of the palace's training sisters.

All her movements were as smooth as a flowing river; it was pleasing to the eyes. Most importantly, she was carrying herself like royalty. Her disposition was more distinguished than that of the true-born princess, Rong Zhen, herself.

Despite the fact that she was wearing old clothes with frayed edges, and her small face was unpainted, she stood out more strikingly than the gorgeous Princess Rong Zhen—who had dressed with care for the occasion.

Like a pearl, she would be the first to attract everyone's attention in any location.

Some people couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"Isn't Chu Liuyue a born good-for-nothing and was thrown into the pile of inferiors since she was a child? How is it that she is so well-mannered?"

"It's kind of strange! No one in the Chu family even took her seriously, so how can they be teaching her this? Was she taught specifically before entering the palace?" The voice of the person who said this gradually diminished.

All of them came from great families, so they naturally knew very well that these rules could not be learned in a matter of a day. That noble and elegant temperament simply couldn't be cultivated overnight.

"… How is that possible? Even Chu Xianmin didn't have such nobility and elegance."

"Not to mention Chu Xianmin, don't you see that even the Fourth Princess can't be compared to her?"

The crowd didn't dare to say this openly. But with one look exchanged after another, they knew what everyone else was thinking.

Rong Zhen definitely sensed this too. A surge of anger arose from within her. What is Chu Liuyue pretending to be? She didn't believe that this loser could stir any waves. "Miss Chu, although this python is my gift to you, there is a condition."

Rong Zhen's scarlet lips curved into a smile as she pointed at the Golden Python. "This is a newly-captured Golden Python. It is wild and untamed. If you want to be its master, you will have to defeat it. So, how about you fight it instead?"

The atmosphere froze instantly. Nobody expected Rong Zhen to make such a request.

Chu Liuyue is a loser. She will only die if she fights the third-grade Golden Python. Emperor Jiawen frowned without waiting for Chu Liuyue to speak. "Zhen Zhen, stop your nonsense!"

The smile on Rong Zhen's face disappeared, and she said coldly, "Father, I am not messing around. I'm doing this for a reason! Do you know that she sold the hunting ground belonging to my brother, the Crown Prince, for private use?"

Emperor Jiawen was stunned. "What?"

"Brother put in a lot of effort into that hunting ground. In the end, it was all for naught! He had been generous enough to leave her alone, but as his sister, I can't stand it. This Golden Python might be a third-grade fiend. However, it can't compare to what Brother has lost!"

She raised her voice as she looked at Chu Liuyue. "Are you going to admit it or not?"

Emperor Jiawen finally recalled that he had indeed given a hunting ground to Chu Liuyue. She actually sold it? In any case, it was something I personally bestowed to her. How could she sell it away so casually?

This caused Emperor Jiawen to harbor some dissatisfaction toward Chu Liuyue. But if he were to agree with Rong Zhen's proposition, it was possible that Chu Liuyue might not live until the end of the day.

"Your Majesty, Chu Ning is willing to atone for my daughter's sins." At this moment, Chu Ning suddenly stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

Emperor Jiawen's attitude somewhat relented slightly when he saw Chu Ning. After pondering for a while, he finally nodded. "This is possible." Although Chu Ning was no longer the same, it shouldn't be too dangerous for him to deal with a third-grade Golden Python. Moreover, he was Chu Liuyue's father. It would be most appropriate for him to step in.

On the one hand, it saved the Crown Prince and the royal family from embarrassment; on the other hand, the father-daughter duo's lives wouldn't be in real danger.

In that instant, Chu Liuyue suddenly stepped forward. "I am willing to try."

Rong Zhen had been annoyed about losing an opportunity to teach Chu Liuyue a lesson, but she didn't expect her to take the initiative to come forward on her own!

"What did you say? Say that again."

Chu Liuyue raised her chin. Her black and pure eyes were as brilliant as the stars. "I said that I am willing to try. I will fight the Golden Python."

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