After Aran went missing, Chu Hengyuan announced to the world that he had sustained an injury and was closing his doors to all visitors. He even claimed to have canceled this year’s birthday banquet in the name of seeking tranquility. Despite such declarations, which court official would dare not present a gift to the Prince to offer their congratulations on his birthday? Poor Grand Eunuch Bai spent the entire day at the gatehouse, turning away wave after wave of visitors.
Grand Eunuch Bai could manage the ministers with a smiling face on behalf of Chu Hengyuan, but at midday, a messenger arrived from the palace with imperial gifts. This required the Prince himself to receive them. Leng Qi, who had been busy munching on fruit in Chenyang Pavilion, was so startled that he immediately dropped the half-eaten fruit, donned a skin mask to disguise himself as his master, and went to the front courtyard to accept the gifts. Fortunately, he managed to avoid any slips until the end. Among all his brothers-in-arms, he was the least skilled at imitating the Prince. If the Prince hadn’t been in such a rush when he suddenly returned and then departed again, he never would have had to rely on Leng Qi to pose as him in the manor. As it stood, only Grand Eunuch Bai knew that the Prince was not in the residence.
Seeing that the palace had sent gifts to Xuan Manor, Chu Hengyuan’s brothers were also compelled to send their own birthday offerings. Empress Qi Yunhua had her palace matrons send a…
Chapter 150