Chapter 48: Tired of the New

Chu Yu was certain of one thing—Princess Shanyin had the ability to influence the emperor Liu Ziye’s judgment and decision. However, she would need to take some time to gauge the extent of this influence from now on.

While Chu Yu was not surprised by the knowledge of this matter, on the contrary, she panicked. Had she discovered that her influence was far greater than she had imagined earlier, she realized that she might have panicked even more.

She felt just like a person who found no joy in spending money and was given the key that unlocked the most precious treasure chest.

Chu Yu made small talk with Liu Ziye casually and spent another fearful half a day in the palace. She listened to the young emperor behaving like a spoiled child seeking her affection occasionally and throwing a tantrum with a sullen expression occasionally because he wanted to kill someone. Her anxiety for the past half a day prepared the endurance of her heart. She was finally relieved when she found that her name was no longer mentioned by the time she left the palace.

She was not in a rush when she left the palace. Instead, she took her time to look around the place leisurely while strolling back to her carriage and attempted to memorize the environment secretly.

While she was looking around, Chu Yu noticed someone’s presence. There was actually quite a large number of people in the palace. However, this person drew Chu Yu’s attention such that she stopped walking involuntarily and studied him deeply without blinking.

It was a young man around 17 or 18 years old. Although he was not as handsome as Liu Se or Mo Xiang, he could be compared to Huan Yuan. Chu Yu was already capable of judging one’s beauty without bias after experiencing all the beautiful men in her life these days. However, this young man was truly very different.

His eyes were crystal clear but were not as deep-set as Rong Zhi’s. He had eyes that seemed as pure and innocent as a newborn infant. The purity exuded from the area between his eyes was almost breathtaking. Even though he was walking in a place where power and lust were incredibly concentrated, Chu Yu felt like he was above the secular world. He was completely not tainted by the love, hatred, greed, and lust of the mortal world. This young man was unadulterated.

He was dressed in a purple robe that was almost dragging on the ground. A layer of fine gauze enshrouded his robe and rippled in the wind as he walked, making him appear as ephemeral as an immortal.

The young man was around Rong Zhi’s age and even his quality was rather similar as well. Nevertheless, the difference between the two men was as vast as the sky and the sea; they were poles apart. Rong Zhi was deep beyond comprehension akin to the endless black hole of the universe. There was no way Chu Yu could see his true thoughts. On the other hand, this young man was akin to a flawless crystal that was uncontaminated by a speckle of dust. He was crystal clear and pure in plain sight.

As if the young man noticed Chu Yu’s attention, he stopped walking and turned his head ever so slightly to the side to steal a glimpse at her. He revealed a slight smile when he saw her, then he nodded once before he began walking forward once again.

The accompanying eunuch by Chu Yu’s side observed her countenance. He whispered into her ears softly, “Your Highness Princess, that’s the imperial astronomer, Tian Rujing. He is the descendant of the Cloud Brocade Mountain and is very skilled in magic arts. If you’re suffering from any form of bad luck, you can seek the Celestial Master astronomer’s assistance to drive out any evil spirits. The Celestial Master is in the palace specifically to drive out the evil spirits haunting the area.”

The official position of an imperial astronomer was nothing but a position arranged by the system. The imperial astronomer had a leisurely duty on typical days whereby his sole duty was to calculate the calendar. However, Tian Rujing’s other position was a Celestial Master who pledged his loyalty to the imperial household. As a result, no one in the palace dared to look down upon him despite his rank not being that impressive.

Celestial Master?

Chu Yu’s conceived impression of Tian Rujing immediately vanished after recollecting the meaning of the term ‘Celestial Master’. The young man with such pure quality was actually a make-believe psychic? That was a rather stark contrast, was it not?

In this world, one should not judge a book based on its appearance.

…

After returning to her carriage, Chu Yu had already forgotten about the young man she met in the palace earlier. No matter how pure or inconsistent he was, Tian Rujing was unrelated to her. Neither did she need his service to drive out the evil spirits nor did she lust for his beauty. After taking a glance at each other from afar, both of them would not cross each other’s paths anymore.

Other than the plushy cushions and the low tea table, there was an additional item in the carriage at that moment. It was a young man that was bound in a very artistic manner. He was dressed in a fresh set of garments and his hair was also slightly moist. Chu Yu studied the ropes for a moment and discovered that they were not tied by an ordinary expert. Even if she could untie it, it would take her five to six minutes at the very least.

The young man’s mouth was stuffed with a white handkerchief. He was trying to speak, but all he could do was whine. His eyes were filled with tears of rage and injustice. The radiance flickering in his eyes were akin to sharp swords that stabbed Chu Yu.

The young man was precisely the gift Liu Ziye had given his sister. He was Chen Shenzhi. Liu Ziye felt that there was no better time to settle Chen Shenzhi than now since it would save him the trouble of meeting him again. Therefore, he dictated the order to send Chen Shenzhi to Chu Yu’s carriage after giving him a thorough bath during the time he spent chatting with her. If she was interested, she could enjoy the reward on the way back to the residence. Otherwise, if she was not in a rush, then she could savor the reward slowly after taking him back to her residence.

At present, the carriage was being driven back to the residence. Chu Yu sat expressionlessly inside the carriage and endured being cut into pieces by Chen Shenzhi’s sharp gaze. Her mind was filled with feeble bittersweet thoughts. Even though she saved a life by doing so, the young man would have to become a male consort just to stay alive. This was surely something that a young man with great ambition could not put up with.

However, Chu Yu was not planning to tell Chen Shenzhi the truth. She also did not have the intention to earn his appreciation. She saved this person’s life due to a fleeting moment of pity. It was not some grand gesture of sentiment, so she was not planning to open her heart to this man. As long as she could entrap this man in the Princess’s Imperial Residence, she would be considered to have achieved a preliminary victory. As for the future, she still had the time to plan meticulously at her own pace.

Upon returning to the residence, Chu Yu ordered her people to make arrangements for Chen Shenzhi’s room. He was assigned to live in an old room that belonged to a dismissed male consort. That way, his identity would be considered verified. She also ordered someone to guard the room strictly in order to prevent him from committing suicide rashly.

She suddenly turned around and looked at Chen Shenzhi whose face had turned ashen before she left. This was the first conversation between both of them since they met. “If you truly have the intention to seek your own doom, it’s very difficult for others to stop you. However, you must understand that it’s easier to die and harder to live. If you were to die here today, then you’ll only die a lowly male consort in my Princess’s Imperial Residence. That’s all you’ll ever be.”

Chen Shenzhi’s eyes were glowing brightly as he listened to her. Chu Yu was already aware that she had done her part dispelling his negativity. Then, she left with a peace of mind.

…

The moment Chu Yu brought a bound man to the residence, someone notified Rong Zhi who was playing chess. He placed the chesspiece down with his good hand in a slow and steady manner when he heard the news. “Alright, I know. Please return now.”

At the same time, Huan Yuan was also notified about the news on his side. He was stunned for a moment upon hearing the news. His expression changed again and again. After a long while, he waved his hand to dismiss the messenger.

The people in the residence reacted differently from one another. Even though Liu Se was anxious, there was nothing he could do, so he continued to cultivate his quality with great effort.

Yue Jiefei was the most worried out of all. “So, it turns out that the Princess has had a change of taste recently. She fancies wealthy men holding stable positions. These are people not to be trifled with. Does that mean that my duty is becoming more troublesome from now on?”