The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 144
Chapter 144 Imperial City Fire
The days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the night before Chu Zuizhi and his kiss.
The Yu Li Palace was filled with red silk, boxes of silk, jewelry and jade were carried in. The people of the palace came in and out, and the entire Yu Li Palace was bustling with activity.
Compared to the liveliness of Yuli Palace, Yikun Palace was much quieter.
The candlelight on the desk was cast on the lampshade painted with orchid grass. The fragmentary shadow was warmly caged on Xiao Xiwei’s beautiful face. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and yawned.
“What, sleepy?” Imperial Concubine Yan pinched the ink jade chess piece in her hand and looked at Xiao Xiwei.
“This son is rude. I’ve made Mother Concubine laugh. I don’t know why I haven’t slept enough these past few days.” Xiao Xi pursed her lips and smiled embarrassedly.
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and casually placed the chess piece in her hand on the chessboard, “It’s your turn.”
Xiao Xiwei lowered his head and looked at the chessboard. He put the white jade chess piece back into the chess box, then stood up and blessed Imperial Concubine Yan. “Mother is skilled in chess. I admit defeat.”
“Did you really admit defeat?” Imperial Concubine Yan’s mouth curved into a meaningful smile, her gaze still staring at the chess game in front of her.
“Naturally.” Xiao Xiwei smiled.
Imperial Concubine Yan reached out and swept the chess pieces on the chessboard. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Xiao Xiwei, “What are you going to do tonight?”
Xiao Xi slightly pursed the corners of her lips as she smiled at Consort Yan and said, “Didn’t Mother Consort play chess with you tonight?”
“Are you sure it’s just a chess game?” Imperial Concubine Yan looked at Xiao Xiwei, her slender eyebrows raised, and the sharp look in her eyes flashed.
Xiao Xi smiled and faced Imperial Concubine Yan’s gaze without any change in expression. “Then what about Imperial Concubine Mother?”
“Xiao Xiwei, I advise you not to interfere in the marriage of the Ninth Princess!”
“Mother Concubine, you’ve heard of it before. You have no choice but to make your move. At this moment, you can’t stop.”
Following Xiao Xiwei’s words, a series of’pa pa pa pa ‘sounds sounded. Imperial Concubine Yan raised her hand and swept all the pieces on the chessboard onto the ground. Xiao Xiwei hurriedly knelt down.
“Your Highness.” Ruo Su hurriedly walked to Imperial Consort Yan’s side and extended her hand to support her.
“You’re actually planning this? Xiao Xiwei, do you know what you’re gambling on!” Imperial Concubine Yan trembled as she pointed at the tip of Xiao Xiwei’s nose. Her eyes were filled with surprise, “Just for a girl, are you going to put Xizhi’s future and even her life on the line? Let me tell you, it’s still too late to stop now, you immediately order everyone to withdraw!”
Xiao Xiwei, who was kneeling on the ground, did not move.
“Do you want to disobey me?” Imperial Concubine Yan stared coldly at Xiao Xiwei.
Xiao Xiwei slowly raised his head and a shallow mist appeared in his clear eyes. “Mother, if Xizhi were here, he would agree to my doing so. Besides, this isn’t all for the Ninth Princess.”
“Do you want to tell this palace that the Emperor is determined to promote this marriage because he wants Beimo to become Chu Yanzhi’s backing? Can’t you think of this? Can’t this palace think of it?” “The Ninth Princess is not only one of his Chu Yan’s younger sisters. Whether Bei Mo will help Chu Yanzhi in the end is not a certainty,” said a sneer from the corner of Imperial Concubine Yan’s lips.
When the Emperor had ordered Chu Zuizhi to be married to the Northern Desert, she had already secretly ordered people to set off for the Northern Desert. She believed that the Northern Desert King would make a more appropriate choice in the battle for the throne.
“Since I can think of it, and Mother can also think of it, do you think the Emperor and Prince Shenwang can’t think of this?” Xiao Xiwei looked at Imperial Concubine Yan and asked.
Imperial Concubine Yan was stunned.
She really didn’t think of that.
“Therefore, this marriage is definitely not what I saw on the surface.” Xiao Xiwei said.
“It’s not like what I saw on the surface. Then what do you think is the meaning of this marriage?” Imperial Concubine Yan frowned as she looked at Xiao Xiwei, her eyes still filled with hesitation.
“Although the Northern Desert King has no children, he has raised his younger brothers’ sons in the palace. In other words … the next Northern Desert King will definitely appear among these young kings. However, no one knows who it is now.”
“You mean that Chu Yanzhi may have reached a consensus with a certain prince?” Imperial Concubine Yan’s eyes suddenly flashed with a glimmer of light, but after thinking carefully, she felt that something was wrong. “If that’s what you said, then why did the Northern Desert King win over the Ninth Princess and not the little prince who reached an agreement with Chu Yanzhi?”
Xiao Xi’s eyes suddenly dimmed, and a trace of bitterness appeared on the corners of her lips. “Just as Mother Concubine said, she is not only Chu Yanzhi’s younger sister … Since Mother Concubine sent people to the Northern Desert, she naturally found out about the Northern Desert King’s preferences. I heard that the Northern Desert King is cruel and unpredictable.”
Imperial Concubine Yan’s entire body trembled, “You … you mean …”
Tears finally rolled down the corner of Xiao Xiwei’s eyes.
“Imperial concubine mother, that’s a path of no return.”
Imperial Concubine Yan felt a burst of emptiness under her feet. Fortunately, Ruosu even stepped forward to support her.
That’s right. Drunken Heart only likes Xiao Xiyang, who is loyal and courageous to Marquis Mansion. He has a strong temper. After learning that the Northern Desert was granted a hunger strike for a few days, it was the Emperor’s decree that Master Due fed her pills that allowed her to recover. Later on, she was forced to pour stones by the palace people. With her temperament, coupled with her beautiful appearance, no one knew what she would do if she married the Northern Desert. The Northern Desert King was also a tyrant, and the outcome of Chu Zuizhi could be imagined. With the death of Chu Zui, the relationship between Great Yue and Northern Desert naturally broke down, so it was only natural for His Highness to use this matter to publicize and take advantage of this opportunity to lower the Northern Desert King to the throne.
“They … they are really too ruthless.” Imperial Concubine Yan stretched out her hand to press down on her chest, and it took her a long time to spit out such a sentence.
“A person’s death can be exchanged for the new Northern Desert King’s full support for Chu Yanzhi. This deal is really worth it.” Xiao Xiwei lowered his eyes, his voice carrying an uncontrollable sadness.
“Yes, this deal is really worth it.” Imperial Concubine Yan looked up at Xiao Xiwei with a sad smile on her face.
To him, apart from that woman and his children, these women and children were only pawns that could be used to abandon flesh and blood. Even his daughter, whom he had pampered for so many years, did not show any pity and pushed into the fire pit without even blinking an eye.
Thinking of this, her chest felt like it was being forcefully pulled by someone, causing her to twitch in pain.
“Mother Concubine.” Seeing Consort Yan’s pale face, Xiao Xi cried out worriedly.
Imperial Concubine Yan took a deep breath and supported Ruo Su’s hand to sit back on the couch. Seeing Xiao Xiwei still kneeling on the ground, she hurriedly said, “What are you doing kneeling on? The ground is cold. Hurry up and get up.”
Hearing Imperial Concubine Yan’s words, Hong Yu hurriedly helped Xiao Xi up.
“You deliberately leaked the news to Ruo Su, right?” Imperial Concubine Yan looked at Xiao Xiwei, her eyes filled with insight.
After Xiao Xiwei told her to sort out all of this, she naturally saw everything clearly.
She was so meticulous that she could think of an unexpected level, so she could naturally conceal it from Ruo Su. How could Ruo Su reveal to her the news that she was going to make a move on Chu Zuizhi’s wedding eve? Furthermore, it was at this moment.
“Imperial concubine mother” Xiao Xi looked at Imperial Concubine Yan prayerfully.
Imperial Concubine Yan sighed, “Forget it, you are a smart person. Since you want to do it, you should naturally think of a way to deal with it.”
“Mother Concubine, please forgive me. I’m not very sure.” Just as Xiao Xiwei was about to kneel down, a hand suddenly reached out and steadily supported her. She raised her head and saw a plain and gentle face. “Mother …”
“There is no such thing as a panacea in this world. There are always mistakes in everything.” Imperial Concubine Yan looked at Xiao Xiwei and pursed her lips with a smile. “Very often, we are just doing our best to listen to the will of the heavens.”
“Your son understands.”
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and patted the back of Xiao Xiwei’s hand. “At this moment, I truly understand what I like about you. People like us who were born in the surroundings of the imperial power, it’s already very good for them to plan for themselves and not kill others. But you, the darkness of the imperial city has not corroded your heart. You still maintain your original heart.”
Hearing Consort Yan’s words, Xiao Xiwei suddenly remembered that in Chao An Temple that day, Grand Master Hui had asked her what she had comprehended. ‘Everything is illusory,’ she said. ‘Only the heart.’
“Mother Concubine …”
“Good child.” Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and let go of Xiao Xiwei’s hand. “Come with me and play another game of chess.”
Xiao Xiwei looked at Imperial Concubine Yan’s gentle eyes, pursed his lips and smiled. He blessed Imperial Concubine Yan, “Yes.”
The night was getting darker and darker. Tonight, there were no stars nor moons, and the heavens and earth were in a daze.
Suddenly, a flame soared into the sky. It seemed that the situation was actually in Yu Li Palace.
Because it happened during the ugly time, when the palace people woke up and wanted to put out the fire, the fire in Yu Li Palace was already out of control. The flames reached midair, causing the entire palace to turn red.
When the news reached Yi Kun Palace, Xiao Xiwei and Imperial Concubine Yan’s fourth game of chess came to an end.
“Looks like we won’t be able to reach the fifth set.” Imperial Concubine Yan threw away the chess piece in her hand and smiled at Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi smiled as he listened to the increasing commotion outside. “Chess can be played at any time. In a while, someone will come to look for Mother.”
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and shook her head, “You’re wrong. Isn’t there Imperial Concubine Xiang in the palace?”
“I’m afraid Imperial Concubine Xiang won’t be able to handle this matter properly.” Xiao Xiwei said.
Imperial Concubine Yan glanced at Xiao Xiwei and the smile at the corner of her lips unconsciously widened. “Looks like you’ve even helped me.”
Xiao Xi smiled and didn’t say anything.
When Lu Haiyang heard the news and arrived, the Yu Li Palace had already burned more than half of it. The sound of bricks and wood burning was endless, and there was a burning smell in the air.
His gaze was gloomy as he stared at the ball of fire. A hint of an unconscious smile appeared on his lips.
Xiao Xiwei, you finally can’t help but take action.
“Is there any news from the palace gate?” Lu Haiyang turned around and coldly looked at the guards beside him.
The guard raised his hand and bowed to Lu Haiyang, “Master Hui, this subordinate has already sent people to the various gates of the Imperial Palace to keep an eye on him. As soon as someone leaves the palace, they will immediately arrest him.”
“Alright! In that case, we’ll wait.” The corners of Lu Haiyang’s lips slowly rose, reflecting the fiery red flames. The smile became even more ferocious.
