newbobooks Chapter 110 Long Live the Emperor!
Chapter 110 Long Live the Emperor!
Three days later, at dusk.
Listening to the Rain Manor, Red Sleeve Pavilion.
Xu Fenghua stood in front of the large rosewood dressing table. Outside the window, the setting sun was like blood, painting the last golden-red halo on her pale face.
Two young maids, one on her left and one on her right, were carefully helping her change her clothes.
This palace dress was extremely gorgeous, tightly wrapping around her slender yet upright body, like a magnificent shackle tailor-made for her.
The makeup was done quickly.
Xu Fenghua slowly stood up.
The weight of her palace dress made it difficult for her to stand up; she needed to adjust her breathing slightly.
She took one last look at the unfamiliar yet glamorous image of Consort Hua in the mirror, then turned around and walked steadily toward the door.
We walked out of the Zhao residence.
The two vermilion gates of the Zhao residence, which were usually tightly closed and exuded wealth and majesty, were wide open at this moment.
The long street outside the gate was already packed with Suzhou residents who had rushed over after hearing the news.
Three days is enough time for this truly astonishing news to spread to every corner of Suzhou through various overt and covert channels.
During the emperor's southern tour, he visited the Zhao residence and forcibly took Xu's eldest daughter, who had been married for six years, as his concubine!
This news was like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar.
Ethics, social order, royal dignity, the reactions of the Xu and Zhao families...
Each point is enough to keep ordinary people talking for ten days or half a month.
At this moment, witnessing the "leading lady" about to be taken away, the murmurs in the crowd hummed like a tidal wave.
Although he dared not speak loudly out of fear of imperial power, his voice still reached Xu Fenghua's ears clearly.
"Look, she's out! It really is Miss Xu..."
"Tsk tsk, this outfit... has she really risen from humble beginnings to become a phoenix?"
"What phoenix! What a disaster... I heard that Young Master Zhao fainted on the spot, and even Old Master Zhao kowtowed until his head bled, but it was no use!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down! Are you out of your mind? That's the Emperor!"
"Isn't the Xu family supposed to be guarding the northern border? How come they... Sigh, beauty is a curse."
"I don't think it's necessarily a cause of trouble; perhaps... they have no choice. Haven't you noticed that these past few days, not even a fly can get into the Zhao family's house?"
"Poor Young Master Zhao, this hat..."
"Look over there, Young Master Zhao is coming out too!"
Xu Fenghua's gaze calmly swept over the dark mass of people.
Those gazes, whether curious, sympathetic, disdainful, or gloating, were like countless tiny knives, slowly carving away at her skin.
However, she did not try to hide the complex emotions on her face.
Instead, she allowed the deep resistance, helpless submission, and a hint of embarrassment and paleness from being watched in public to clearly show on her face.
Her chin was slightly raised, maintaining the last vestige of her precarious pride as a noblewoman and future imperial concubine.
But the tightly pursed lips, the slightly trembling eyelashes, and the reddened eyes all perfectly conveyed a sense of being "forced."
She didn't need to say anything; her appearance was the most powerful response to outside speculation.
See, I did not do it voluntarily.
I was forced to this point by this overwhelming power and this inviolable imperial decree.
The crowd parted to make way for her "ex-husband," Zhao Wenxuan, at the end of the path.
In just three days, Zhao Wenxuan seemed to have aged ten years.
He was dressed in a plain long robe, his face was ashen, his eyes were sunken, and his once handsome face was filled with numbness and despair.
He stood there blankly, staring at Xu Fenghua who had arrived in her finest attire, his eyes red and brimming with tears.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she dared not let them fall, like a child lost in a storm, helpless and pitiful.
Xu Fenghua did not pause in her steps, and her gaze did not linger on him for more than a moment.
It was as if the man she had been married to in name for six years was just an insignificant stone on the roadside.
Just as she was about to completely leave the center of attention, Zhao Mingcheng quickly chased after her from inside the door.
The Zhao Mingcheng of this moment was completely different from the old man who had kowtowed and begged in the hall three days ago.
He changed into a relatively decent dark silk shirt, and his face was plastered with a fawning and respectful smile.
Then, facing Xu Fenghua, he bowed deeply and spoke in a loud voice:
"Respectfully bidding farewell to... Consort Hua! May Your Highness enjoy lasting blessings after entering the palace!"
They only did the superficial work.
However, just as he bowed closer to Xu Fenghua, taking the opportunity of the greeting...
The smiling face instantly twisted, and a voice, hushed so low that only the two of them could hear, spoke with a venomous hatred:
"You jinx! You bring disaster upon your Xu family, and now you want to bring this utter disgrace upon my Zhao family, so that we will never be able to hold our heads high again! The foundation of my Zhao family's ancestors will be destroyed in your hands!"
Xu Fenghua didn't stop walking, nor did she even move her eyes.
However, from an angle unseen by anyone, a hint of sadness flashed across her eyes.
A jinx? A source of misfortune?
maybe.
From the moment she was born into the Xu family, from the moment she was forced to marry into the Zhao family, from the moment she refused to be mediocre and secretly seized power, perhaps it was destined that her life would never be peaceful.
Yeah.
She whispered silently to herself.
Since they've already been branded as a source of trouble, let's make this trouble even more chaotic.
Just then—
At the end of the long street, came the sound of uniform, heavy, and rhythmic footsteps, and the rumbling of wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs.
"They're here! The welcoming procession has arrived!"
A stir ran through the crowd, but it was quickly suppressed by an even greater sense of awe, and the murmurs ceased abruptly.
Everyone, including Zhao Mingcheng who had just been gritting his teeth, instantly adopted the most submissive expressions and turned to look in the direction of the sound.
Then, like wheat fields blown down by a strong wind, they all knelt down, their foreheads touching the ground, not daring to look up.
Xu Fenghua also stopped and, in accordance with etiquette, slowly and gracefully knelt on the stone steps in front of the mansion gate.
The deep purple palace dress spread out like a violet suddenly pressed into the dust.
What came into view was a luxurious motorcade and guard team far exceeding the scale of ordinary concubines' processions.
Two hundred elite soldiers in full black armor led the way.
They carried long halberds, their steps were firm and resounding, and the rubbing of their armor plates produced a chilling metallic hum as they moved.
The silent yet powerful aura instantly dispelled all the noise of the street, leaving only a suffocating sense of oppression.
Following the Imperial Guards were eight officials in ceremonial robes riding pure white steeds.
Further back is the main body of the convoy.
At the very front was a bright yellow, gilded imperial carriage pulled by six pure white horses.
The imperial carriage was enormous, like a small, mobile palace. The carriage was carved with a pattern of nine dragons playing with a pearl, so lifelike that it reflected a dazzling golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun. The windows were covered with bright yellow crepe gauze, making it impossible to see inside.
This was clearly a royal procession, yet it was used to welcome a concubine. The profound meaning behind it and the favor it displayed were astonishing.
Following the imperial carriage were four smaller but equally exquisite and luxurious vermilion-wheeled carriages with canopies, which were prepared for the accompanying palace maids, nannies, and their belongings.
On both sides and behind the convoy, there was a dense mass of at least 1,800 fully armed soldiers guarding it.
This force, numbering over two thousand, filled the entire long street, with banners waving and weapons flying everywhere, exuding an unparalleled awe-inspiring power in its silence.
This wasn't a welcoming ceremony for a concubine; it was more like an armed escort, a grand procession of power, announcing to everyone.
Imperial power is here; those who obey it prosper, and those who defy it... there are no defyers.
"Welcome, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"