Wen Chu’s gaze trembled slightly as he quickly withdrew his sight, sweeping across the ministers in the court: “Do any of my beloved ministers have matters to submit?”
Wen Chu held no real power, and attending the morning court was merely a formality. Important matters of state were reported by the ministers to Xie Huaixiao, leaving only trivial, inconsequential matters to be reported to Wen Chu.
The Junior Official of the Ministry of Rites stepped forward holding a ceremonial tablet and bowed: “Your Majesty, the Prince Regent’s birthday is approaching. Should the birthday banquet be held in the Mingguang Palace or the Zhong’an Palace?”
Another sycophantic dog! Gu Qingfang lowered his face to conceal his anger, feeling an involuntary wave of worry for Wen Chu. He feared how painful it must be for him, seeing that grand birthday banquets within the imperial palace were traditionally held exclusively by the Emperor or the Empress Dowager, yet it was now being hijacked by Xie Huaixiao to do as he pleased.
“Mingguang Palace, let’s say. It is the most spacious.”
Wen Chu’s expression remained calm, devoid of any visible emotion, his phoenix eyes gazing at the man standing at the very head of the line.
The image of the first time he ever saw him surfaced in his mind.
At that time, he was still a carefree youth. When he saw Xie Huaixiao—who had just passed the imperial examination as the top scholar—in the Imperial Study, he had looked at him with curiosity. In return, Xie Huaixiao had smiled at him with curved brows, radiant like the breeze and the bright moon, pure and elegant like a jade tree.
Now, everything felt as though it were separated by a lifetime.
Wen Chu gathered his thoughts and asked, “The Prince Regent must be twenty-eight years old, is he not?”
Xie Huaixiao immediately teased, “His Majesty remembers so clearly. What kind of birthday banquet are you planning to throw for your subject this time?”
Wen Chu’s eyes curved slightly: “I will give the Prince Regent a surprise.”
Xie Huaixiao’s thin lips curled up: “Very well, I look forward to it.”
With an exhausted expression, Wen Chu closed his eyes and pressed his fingertips against the bridge of his nose: “I am tired. I shall return first.”
The officials bowed in unison: “Respectfully sending off Your Majesty.”
Xie Huaixiao frowned slightly. When he saw Wen Chu open his phoenix eyes, a flash of tears flickered deep within his pupils.
Wen Chu changed out of his imperial court robes and, as usual, went to the Eastern Palace to wake Yu’er. He personally helped Yu’er wash up, and once that was finished, the eunuchs began serving the meal.
Just as Wen Chu led Yu’er to sit down by the dining table, Xie Huaixiao walked in and sat down beside him, clearly intending to share the meal with Wen Chu.
Over the years, the number of times Xie Huaixiao had dined in the palace could be counted on one hand. Wen Chu was momentarily startled, raising his eyes to check the sky: “You finished the morning court earlier than usual today!”
“There were no major matters in court, so it adjourned early.” Xie Huaixiao hooked a finger at Yu’er. With curved eyebrows, Yu’er toddled over happily and was scooped up into Xie Huaixiao’s lap.
Witnessing this scene, a wave of emotions rippled through the depths of Wen Chu’s eyes. He lowered his gaze, picked up a teacup, and asked with apparent nonchalance: “I heard that the Longshu Kingdom has sent envoys. Since guests have come from afar, why doesn’t the Prince Regent go entertain them?”
Xie Huaixiao’s motion of rubbing Yu’er’s little cheek paused. His dark eyes stared fixedly at Wen Chu for a moment before he said, “Your Majesty is quite well-informed.”
With his expression as steady as usual, Wen Chu replied calmly, “I went to the Imperial Study yesterday and glanced through a few memorials, so naturally, I found out.”
Xie Huaixiao withdrew his gaze and continued teasing Yu’er: “The envoys of the Longshu Kingdom are being entertained by the protocol officers.”
With a soft “hmph,” he added, “A bunch of low-ranking officials what need is there for me to entertain them personally? Once the military might of our Great Zhou grows powerful, we will surely trample those other countries beneath our feet.”
Wen Chu said, “But right now, the Great Zhou is still very weak and needs to pay tribute to the Longshu Kingdom,”—not to mention having to send Yu’er away as a hostage.
As he spoke, Wen Chu reached out and scooped Yu’er back from Xie Huaixiao’s arms, seating the child beside him to put some distance between himself and Xie Huaixiao.
Xie Huaixiao frowned as he looked at Wen Chu’s cold and distant expression.
Once breakfast was fully laid out, a palace maid picked up the ivory chopsticks and prepared to serve food for Xie Huaixiao, but she was stopped by him: “Have His Majesty do it.”
The palace maid could not help but freeze in shock. The most menial of tasks was actually being assigned to the supreme Emperor.
It was evident that Xie Huaixiao was deliberately humiliating and demeaning Wen Chu.