Chapter 353: Chapter 353 Summer Garden Opens (3)
The emperor paused briefly, then chuckled and shook his head, "Prince Chen, your princess is no simple woman."
Dugu Chen pursed his lips, lifted his eyelids to glance at the emperor, and said indifferently, "I believe so too." No wonder his lady asked him to drink this floral tea; it was all part of her plans for her greenhouse.
The emperor looked helplessly at Dugu Chen, truly a never-ending sense of humor.
"Where did you get this teacup?" The exquisite teacup paired with the unique floral tea, Dugu Chen really knew how to enjoy life. The emperor felt instantly dissatisfied, using those outdated things himself, and his fingers slowly clenched under the cover of his wide sleeves, resting on the chair.
Dugu Chen swept his gaze and turned to look at his lady with a faint smile, "My lady has been working on this at home, and I must say, I am quite fond of it too."
Dugu Han’s smiling face gradually turned cold as he put down his teacup, "I heard you were bedridden and I was very worried. I didn’t expect to visit you today and find you looking refreshed and not at all ill, which makes me wonder."
"You have come at an inopportune time, Your Majesty. I recovered yesterday," he replied sparingly, not even granting a glance.
"Since you have recovered, attend the court tomorrow. I have matters to discuss with you and the other princes." He stood up immediately, his patience worn thin with staying any longer, which would only drive him mad if not to death. Just as he reached the entrance of the front hall and remembered something, he turned to Dugu Chen and said, "You can choose not to go, but if I issue a decree and you dare to defy it again, do not blame our years of brotherhood if they come to an end."
"Brotherhood? Is it buying my head with gold like hiring an assassin? Brotherhood? Is it attempting to reclaim military power while I’m absent? Brotherhood? Is it trying to charge the Prince Residence with unfounded accusations of disrespect and blasphemy against the imperial family? This is the brotherhood you speak of? I disdain it." He stood up from his chair, his eyes intently fixed on the emperor, each word indicting these acts of ’brotherhood’.
Approaching Dugu Han, he scoffed coldly, "If it weren’t for you, why would I have run to the barracks at the age of ten? If it weren’t for you, how could I endure so many life-and-death situations, wounded all over, clinging to life by sheer willpower, climbing over countless corpses to reach this position? Do you think you could have ascended the throne without my support? Ha, you even dare covet my military power, as if you could handle it."
Dugu Han didn’t expect such a reaction, completely caught off guard, his face flushed with embarrassment in front of everyone at Prince Mei Residence, choking back his response, "Hmph, all of that was your choice. I never asked you to do it. Now that I am the emperor, you repeatedly contradict me, which is intolerable."
"Nobody is asking you to bear it." He glanced disdainfully at him. Truly too tired to speak any longer, and speaking of bearing, thinking Prince An and his Uncle Hou Wei siding with him and holding hostages would make them listen to him was ludicrous.
"You... are utterly unreasonable," Dugu Han knew he couldn’t kill him now in his anger, it wasn’t the right time yet.
"I am tired, Your Majesty. Take care on your way out." Turning, he reached for Feng Xuxu who was sitting nearby, and the two of them walked away slowly, leaving only their backs to Dugu Han.
The next day, Dugu Chen remained at home and did not attend the early court session. The emperor did not issue any more edicts but instead kept sending tonics to Prince Mei Residence constantly, with an unfathomable motive. Life went on quietly.
On the tenth of March, there was good news from the greenhouse; the flowers had begun to bloom a little. Feng Xuxu rushed out happily, her wait of over three months finally coming to fruition.
In the afternoon, Jueqing, Zongzheng Zehang, Beitang Xuan, and Beitang Qinmeng visited.
"Commoners pay respects to the princess, may the princess be blessed with ten thousand fortunes." Seeing Feng Xuxu arrive alone, they all felt a sudden sense of relief.
