Lose My Heart to the Lovely Kitten Princess - Chapter 59

Chapter 59 Backstabbers are the worst
The moment imperial consort Su finished her sentence, the atmosphere froze for a while.

Imperial consort Zhao looked at the empress on the main seat. She was drinking tea expressionlessly with her head lowered.

She was utterly composed and certainly lived up to her status as empress.

After all, the empress took years to get over the eldest prince’s death back in the day.

Cheng Xiaoxiao felt exhausted from listening to this. However, she had roughly figured it out. The woman sitting on the right of the main seat in green was imperial consort Zhao, and the one on the left was the evil imperial consort Su who liked to shit stir.

She raised her paw and scratched her head. It was tiring listening to all this palace intrigue.

She was going to leave!

Cheng Xiaoxiao was about to head back to the pillar behind Chu Yunshen. Then she noticed the government officials on the east side of the table split into two factions engaged in an argument.

It sounded exciting!

So Cheng Xiaoxiao wanted to join in!

She darted out from behind the chair and went to one of the pillars behind the east side of the table, and pricked her ears to listen.

“Commander Su, be careful with your words. Prince Jing is His Majesty’s son after all.”

A middle-aged man in a dark blue official robe spoke. A golden pheasant was embroidered in gold and colored thread on his chest. Judging from the uniform, he was a second-grade civil servant.

The man called, ‘Commander Su’, sitting next to him was roughly 17 to 18-years-old and was dressed in a similar dark blue official robe. The only difference was the woven lion on his chest.

From the looks of it, it was a second-grade military official uniform.

Despite his young age, he was a second-grade government official, so he was not to be underestimated.

“Sir Song, stop pretending. I know what you nerds are thinking. At least I have the guts to speak up! Prince Jing is worse off than a commoner now that he has lost favor.”

Su Liang mockingly laughed before he picked up his teacup and finished its contents before he continued, “It’s a disgrace for a high and mighty prince to solve cases at the justice department!”

“Commander Su, you are drunk!” The minister of rites, Song Lan, held his cup and looked at the tea as he reminded Su Liang, “I suggest you be careful with your words.”

This Su Liang!

He was too green!

Couldn’t he have picked a better time?

How could he come half-drunk?

Also, he was such a blabbermouth!

A simpleton will always be a simpleton!

Prince Jing was sitting across them. How could he say he was no better than a commoner?

Then again, no one could blame him for his audacity. Anyone else would have gotten executed.

He could act so brazenly because his uncle was Su Feiying and his aunt was imperial consort Su.

“Why should I watch my tongue? Was I wrong? It was just a little case. Did we have to celebrate with such fanfare? Her Majesty repeatedly asked His Majesty to get all the court officials to celebrate with the prince who has committed a serious mistake! Even my uncle only gets such a lavish party when he wins battles!”

“Her Majesty is the nation’s mother. She treats each prince like her own. Moreover, Prince Jing has been fighting our wars for years and has military accomplishments. Now he cracked a tough case and made the culprit confess his crimes. All the citizens in the capital are praising him for his fairness and integrity. Of course, he deserves a victory banquet!”

“That’s right! Prince Jing defended our borders for years. Also, he lost his mother when he was young and lacked a mother’s love. Her Majesty was just being kind when she suggested holding a victory dinner,” chimed the minister of agriculture, Xiahou Xinghuo.

“Why are you cornering Commander Su? He’s just drunk. Why take his words seriously? A man dressed in a dark blue official robe with a leopard embroidered on his chest, who was a third-grade military official, helped Su Liang.

“Sir Liu, let me go. I’m not drunk.”

Su Liang pushed the deputy minister of war, Liu Ce, aside. Then he stood up and looked at those nerds who kept commending the empress and said, “Have you ever fought wars or witnessed one? Prince Jing is cruel and ruthless by nature and provoked a hostile nation. Then he secretly executed Wu’s envoy. Have you forgotten all his deeds already?”

“Stop arguing.”

The imperial academy head, Wang Chong, got off his seat and stood between Su Liang and the officials and mediated, “It’s just a victory banquet. Why argue about it? It all depends on who His Majesty prefers!”

“Yup, stop arguing.” The minister of personnel, Zhan Taiye, walked up behind the imperial academy head, Wang Chong, and nodded and chimed, “In any case, His Majesty likes Prince Qing and not Prince Jing!”

“Prince Jing is pretty good! Although he is young, he has military exploits. Also, he cracked a case recently. He is certainly able to support His Majesty in the future,” retorted Song Lan.

“Heh,” laughed Su Liang coldly as he lay prone on the table and acted drunk while Wang Chong and Song Lan could be heard arguing.

His eyes glinted as he kept them lowered.

The two old geezers could no longer stand it.

Imperial consort Zhao’s father was the grand secretariat, and both of them were his students.

So they naturally supported the eighth prince.

He deliberately agitated the empress’ supporters so that that they would praise Prince Jing.

Su Liang’s aunt told him to muddy the waters as much as he could.

He wondered whether his aunt was satisfied with the outcome.

Cheng Xiaoxiao sat behind the pillar and watched the scene for a long time and finally figured it out.

The officials supported the empress’ adopted son, Chu Yelin, imperial consort Zhao’s son, Chu Jinshuo, or imperial consort Zhao’s son, Chu Hongyi.

Cheng Xiaoxiao glanced at Su Liang, who was lying prone on the table.

He clearly started the fight and was sleeping as though it had nothing to do with him.

After watching so many television dramas about palace intrigue, Cheng Xiaoxiao had an inkling that Su Liang was sober.

Some officials sat and drank tea the entire time without saying anything.

The justice department secretary, Di Yangze, the deputy minister of the ministry of personnel, Gu Ruoshan, and some other officials who appeared very high ranking merely sat and drank tea calmly.

They seemed as though they did not witness any of this.

A shrill voice echoed through the air while they fought to no end, “His Majesty is here.”

The hall fell silent.

Cheng Xiaoxiao shrank her body and craned her head out from behind the pillar.

A middle-aged man appeared at the hall entrance.

He was dressed in a yellow dragon robe. His face was well-chiseled, and he had the perfect brows, making him look valiant. He pursed his lips and frowned as though he was annoyed. However, the frown made people respect him innately.

The officials, emperor’s children, empress, and imperial consorts stood up and bowed to the emperor when he arrived in the hall.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

“Greetings, Father!”

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

Chu Hongzhen sat on the dragon engraved chair with the empress by his side.

Chu Hongzhen looked at everyone and said, “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Thank you, Father!”

Everyone hurriedly knelt and thanked him.

Chu Hongzhen looked at imperial consort Su on his left and said worriedly, “My dear, aren’t you unwell? You should have stayed at your quarters to rest.”

Concern was written all over Chu Hongzhen’s face.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m fine.”

Imperial consort Su got up from her seat and bowed and said, “Also, things haven’t been so lively in the palace for a long time. I really want to join in too.”

“Take a seat, my dear.”

Chu Hongzhen raised his hand and gestured for imperial consort Su to dispense with formalities.

Then he glanced at Chu Yunshen sitting in the third seat and waved to Yuan Qing.

Yuan Qing stepped forward immediately. He stood in front of Chu Hongzhen and listened. After Chu Hongzhen was done, Yuan Qing straightened his back and raised his head to say shrilly, “Prince Jing solved a case and will be rewarded with a bottle of 100-year-old osmanthus wine.”

The moment he finished his sentence, a eunuch came over with a bottle of wine wrapped in gold fabric from behind the hall. He walked up to Chu Yunshen. Then he placed the wine on Chu Yunshen’s table.

“Thank you, Father!”

Chu Yunshen got up from his seat and walked up to the dragon engraved chair before he knelt and thanked Chu Hongzhen.

“Rise.”

Chu Hongzhen raised his hand expressionlessly and glanced coldly at Chu Yunshen as he knelt.

Then he turned to look at the officials on the east side of the table and said, “This is Prince Jing’s victory banquet, so you can dispense with formalities.”

The government officials got up and stood on the space next to the table and knelt to thank Chu Hongzhen, “Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“Yunshen has set a good example for all the princes. From now on, all of you should learn from him,” said the empress to the princes on the west side of the table with a smile on her face.

“Yes, Mother.”

The princes got up and bowed to the empress.

“I think all the boys from aristocratic families can learn from him too,” added imperial consort Su as she smiled.

If the empress wanted to hold Prince Jing up, imperial consort Su would do it even harder.

“Yes, Imperial Consort Su!” said the officials in unison.

Despite his displeasure, Chu Hongzhen swallowed his anger. The royal family’s reputation was of utmost importance since all officials were present. Instead, he waved his hand at Yuan Qing.

“Let the dinner commence.”

The moment the shrill voice finished his sentence, fine wine, roasted meat, cured meat, and wild game were placed on their table as the harp played melodiously in the background while a gentle breeze blew.

Chu Hongyi drank wine as he looked at the wine on Chu Yunshen’s table eagerly.

Chu Jinshuo suddenly stood up and went to the center of the hall while everyone drank happily. He bowed to Chu Hongzhen and said, “Father, I brought Wan Xia here to liven things up. With your permission, she can begin.”

“Mhm.”

Chu Hongzhen took a sip of wine before he nodded to Chu Jinshuo.

Chu Jinshuo sat back down on his seat and clapped behind him.

CLAP CLAP!

A tall, slender, lithe woman walked in from outside the hall.

She was dressed in a light white gauze dress with her shoulders showing, and the outfit complemented her flawless complexion.

Her wrists were fair and unsullied and didn’t need any adornment.

Her perfect figure could be faintly seen. Her long black hair was casually done up with a simple but elegant hairpin.

An elegant smile radiated from her unmade up face.

Her misty eyes were slightly cold.

She had long slender hands and a glowing complexion.

She had a fine waist and a willowy body.

The music played, and the woman started to dance gracefully.

Qimeng Garden went quiet.

Her broad sleeves fluttered like colorful clouds while her hair moved along to the beat. Her fine, supple waist went backward into a backbend.

Her sleeves went over the cherry blossoms in the vases and made them fly into the air before coming down like cherry blossom rain.