Chapter 200: Fair Lu Chao Chao
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The Empress Dowager was stunned.
“Grandmother, some money is too hard to take,” the little one said, acting like a miniature adult, her chubby hands clasped behind her back.
Her round, pudgy face was full of resistance.
“Hahahaha!” The Empress Dowager laughed so heartily that she doubled over, unable to stand upright. Even the nannies behind her couldn’t help but smile, their faces lighting up.
Tears of laughter welled up.
“What’s bringing you so much joy? Tell me so I can hear it too.” The Emperor, still at the entrance of the hall, had caught wind of the Empress Dowager’s delightful laughter.
Lately, her health had been poor. On top of that, troubles with her maiden family had caused her to fall ill for several days, her distress over the Xiao family nearly leading them to ruin.
The Empress Dowager wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, still chuckling.
“Look at this little rascal! She refuses to accept the red envelope wishing her academic success, saying it burns her heart to take it. How adorable…” Empress Dowager Xiao’s hearty laugh seemed to dispel the gloomy air she had carried for days.
The Emperor noticed Lu Chao Chao glaring at him, her small face flushed with anger. His heart sank.
Ah, this was about his decision to enroll her in school early.
Sure enough…
Lu Chao Chao crossed her stubby arms over her chest, glaring at him with wide eyes, and let out a resounding, “Hmph!”
She wanted to look cool and aloof, but her short arms and plump figure made it impossible to fully cross her arms.
The Emperor suppressed his laughter.
“Your Emperor Dad even invited several chefs just for you! They’re from all corners of the realm—without stepping outside, you can taste the flavors of the entire land,” he teased.
“Ah, it would truly be a shame if Chao Chao doesn’t start school.”
A hint of hesitation flickered across Lu Chao Chao’s expression.
The Emperor sighed dramatically. “I even thought, if Chao Chao agrees to start school, I’ll add a drumstick to her meal every day. Oh, forget it, forget it.”
“And one of the chefs specializes in making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. What a masterpiece!” He smacked his lips and recited, “Its fragrance travels far; even a monk abandons his vows to leap over the wall for a taste. Chao Chao, if you don’t try it, it’s such a pity…”
Lu Chao Chao’s little eyebrows twisted in frustration. “How good is it? Really, how good is it?” she demanded, her voice rising, her brow furrowing deeper.
The Emperor pretended to ponder. “Why don’t you taste it on the first day of school?”
Her face scrunched up. “Fine, fine! I’ll go for three days to see for myself.”
“But,” she added firmly, “if the food isn’t good, I’m leaving!”
The Emperor was momentarily at a loss for words but decided to settle for getting her through the door first.
At noon, the Empress arrived with the Crown Prince for the midday meal.
“Crown Prince Brother!” Lu Chao Chao cried, holding her arms out to him. He picked her up with a cheerful smile.
The Empress’s smile faded slightly as she greeted the Emperor with a respectful bow.
The Emperor and Empress treated each other with all the decorum expected of their roles but lacked the warmth of true companionship. Everyone in the court knew it.
The Emperor’s first love, his cherished “white moonlight,” was Consort Hui.
Before ascending the throne as Emperor, while still the Crown Prince, he had fallen in love with her. At the time, she was already betrothed, her marriage arrangements complete except for the ceremony.
Emperor Xuan Ping had endured punishment by the late Emperor to bring her into the palace.
Over the years, Consort Hui had never sought favor. She didn’t need to.
“Why isn’t Consort Hui here yet?” the Emperor asked. On the first day of the new year, after receiving the court officials’ greetings, he would always dine with the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Hui for a festive reunion meal.
The Empress replied lightly, “There’s heavy snow on the road, so she’s likely delayed.”
Back then, the Empress had spent many years in the palace without bearing children.
Meanwhile, Consort Hui’s eldest son, the First Prince, was Emperor Xuan Ping’s firstborn and was raised personally by the Emperor due to his special connection as the Emperor’s first love.
Had the Empress not managed to conceive Xie Cheng Xi by chance, the position of Crown Prince might have fallen to the First Prince.
“Father, Grandmother, Mother, your son wishes you a happy new year,” came the crisp, dignified greeting of the First Prince.
He added, “May Northern Zhao enjoy peace and prosperity, its mountains and rivers stand firm, and all four seas be tranquil.” At sixteen, the First Prince was newly married, with his consort Xuan Yin accompanying him into the hall.
Though Consort Hui had aged, traces of her youthful beauty and elegance still shone through.
The Emperor rose to his feet, his gaze warm and sincere, as though a faint smile lingered in his eyes.
“Greetings to the Crown Prince and Princess Sunshine,” came the polite salutation. The two returned the greeting, with the Crown Prince offering a faint nod, though the smile on his face was far from genuine.
“The matter with the big black bear last time must have startled the princess,” the Eldest Prince remarked with a smile.
Lu Chao Chao waved her hand nonchalantly, showing she didn’t mind.
The Crown Prince’s eyes fell on his Imperial Father, who at that moment looked lovingly at the Eldest Prince.
The Empress, born into a noble family, was the perfect candidate for the role of Mother of the Nation. Even before she entered the palace, stories of the Emperor’s youthful obsession with a certain white moonlight—a love so deep he defied everything for her—had already spread far and wide.
After entering the palace, while the Emperor gave the Empress the dignity and status befitting her rank, all his affections belonged solely to Consort Hui.
At first, the Empress had lamented in private, but now, she no longer cared.
Lu Chao Chao enjoyed eating but disliked the oppressive atmosphere of the palace.
The Empress and the Crown Prince ate quietly, the dishes arranged by palace servants. Meanwhile, the Emperor personally placed food into the bowls of Consort Hui and the Eldest Prince. The three exchanged smiles, their warmth palpable, as if they alone were a family.
The Emperor gave respect and status to the Empress, but his heart belonged to Consort Hui.
[It feels like Consort Hui, the Eldest Prince, and Emperor Dad are the real family.]
[No one else can get between them.]
[Crown Prince Brother is so pitiful…]
[But does Emperor Dad even know the Eldest Prince isn’t his?]
The Crown Prince froze.
While gnawing on her meat, Lu Chao Chao quietly criticized the scene in her mind. Seeing the Crown Prince lost in thought, she sighed softly.
“Crown Prince Brother, Chao Chao will give you meat…” Still chewing on her food, she pulled a piece of meat from her mouth and extended it toward the Crown Prince’s lips.
Xie Cheng Xi, the Crown Prince, twitched at the sight, his eyelids twitching wildly.
Amused disdain flickered in the Eldest Prince Xie Cheng Ye’s eyes. He remarked with mockery, “Why won’t His Highness eat? Is it because you disdain Princess Sunshine?” The bond between the Crown Prince and Lu Chao Chao was well-known, something the Eldest Prince found distasteful.
Before the Crown Prince could respond, Lu Chao Chao declared, “Don’t fight, don’t fight—you can have some too.” She pulled out another piece of meat and offered it to the Eldest Prince.
With a solemn expression, the little one declared, “I’m not biased—I’m the fairest! You both can share!”
The Eldest Prince: ???!!!
He was stunned. [I—who—who even wanted to fight?!] His face flushed crimson with restrained frustration.
Meanwhile, the Emperor, hearing the word “biased,” felt a pang in his heart. Silently, he picked up some vegetables and placed them into the Crown Prince’s bowl.
“Chao Chao, they don’t like meat. They prefer vegetables.” The Emperor’s words saved his two distressed sons.
Lu Chao Chao, visibly disappointed, stuffed the meat back into her mouth. “Oh, I thought Cheng Ye Brother wanted it.”
“Don’t call me that!” he protested.
The Crown Prince, now smiling faintly, nearly burst into laughter. [You really are fair.] The Eldest Prince’s face turned green.
After lunch, the Crown Prince personally escorted Lu Chao Chao out of the palace.
Slumped over his shoulder, she patted him consolingly. “Don’t be sad, don’t be sad. Chao Chao is biased toward you.”
The Crown Prince smiled warmly. “I’m not sad. Having you alone is enough.”
Yet Lu Chao Chao thought he was forcing a smile.
“I’m not angry or upset. Even before I was born, Father Emperor favored him deeply.”
“No matter how the concubines competed for favor, none could ever surpass Consort Hui.”
“While most women entered the palace through selection, she was different. Father endured the rod and defied the world to bring her in. She’s special, and so is her child.”
The Emperor’s devotion to the Eldest Prince was equally exceptional.
With a face full of sympathy, Lu Chao Chao encouraged him, “Think about something happier.”
“For example, how your Imperial Father is wearing a green hat right now.”
Bruh wtf another drama
This is what, the third or fourth time a female character completely undermined her position by having a kid with someone else?
You’d think they’d wait until after the first kid?