The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 146

Chapter 146 I Have Evidence
“Right now, the matter has not been decided yet. Lord Lu, please speak with caution.” Xiao Xiwei looked at Lu Haiyang with a motionless expression.

“Yes, too.” Lu Haiyang raised his eyebrows and smiled. At this time, a guard suddenly walked over to Lu Haiyang’s ear and whispered a few words. Lu Haiyang’s eyes suddenly lit up, and the smile at the corner of his lips deepened. He stretched out his hand and waved it to the guard. He took a few steps closer to Xiao Xiwei and lowered his head to look into Xiao Xiwei’s eyes. “Xiaoguan has just received news that he caught a palace maid who wanted to escape from the palace at the Black Tortoise Sect.”

Xiao Xi’s slender eyelashes moved, and she slowly lowered her eyes. Her gentle voice sounded faintly, “Oh, really?”

Lu Haiyang stared at Xiao Xiwei motionlessly. After a while, he curled his lips and said, “Princess Yan, please follow me to Yikun Palace.” After saying that, he stepped aside and made a gesture, “Princess, please.”

“Princess.” Zi Yan reached out to hold Xiao Xiwei’s hand and quickly swept her gaze around.

Xiao Xiwei gently gripped Zi Yan’s fingertips with her hands behind her back. The corner of her lips curved into a faint arc. She looked at Zi Yan with a clear gaze and said indifferently, “Help me up.”

Looking at Xiao Xiwei’s clear and indifferent gaze, Zi Yan’s tense heart unconsciously relaxed.

Lu Haiyang’s imperial army was everywhere, and it was impossible for her to bring the princess out safely by herself. If he acted recklessly and put the princess in danger, it would be as if he had listened to the princess. She believed that the princess must have a perfect plan in her heart.

The Yikun Palace was brightly lit.

A palace maid trembled as she knelt on the ground. The emperor sitting at the top had an unfriendly expression. Consort Yan, who was beside her, also had an unfathomable expression. Only Xiao Xiwei sat on the red sandalwood chair below. Her expression was as gentle and indifferent as if nothing had happened.

“Didn’t the princess have anything to say?” Lu Haiyang raised his eyebrows and looked at Xiao Xiwei.

Xiao Xi raised his eyes slightly and looked towards Lu Haiyang, “What does Lord Lu want me to say? What does this little palace maid’s escape from the palace have to do with me?”

“Does it have nothing to do with the princess? Then why did she run to Prince Yan’s Mansion?” Lu Haiyang raised his eyebrows.

“Yes! I also want to know why she went to Prince Yan’s Mansion.” Xiao Xiwei smiled and stood up in front of the palace maid. “Tell me, why did you leave the palace and go to Prince Yan’s Mansion?”

“This servant, this servant was ordered by the Ninth Princess to go to Prince Yan’s Mansion to look for the princess, look for the princess …”

“Why are you looking for me?”

“Ask the princess for information about General Xiao.” The palace maid lowered her head and whispered.

Xiao Xi smiled slightly and looked up at Lu Haiyang. His eyebrows raised and he said, “Lord Lu can hear you clearly now.”

“Looks like the princess still doesn’t intend to admit it!” Lu Haiyang smiled.

Xiao Xiwei raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Admit it? What does Lord Lu want me to admit?”

“Princess, you are a smart person. You should know that you have lost this round. So, hand over the Ninth Princess.” Lu Haiyang looked at Xiao Xiwei with a smug look in his slender eyes.

So what if you, Xiao Xiwei, are skilled in calculations? In the end, you were defeated by me.

“Ninth Princess? What does Lord Lu mean? Why don’t I understand?” Xiao Xiwei looked at Lu Haiyang and smiled.

“Princess, now, you and I don’t have to play tricks! Commander Li of the Black Tortoise Sect has already called out all of them.” Lu Haiyang said.

“What does this have to do with me?” Xiao Xi raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyebrows relaxed.

“Looks like the princess is going to pretend to be stupid and stunned to the end.” Lu Haiyang looked at Xiao Xiwei with a sneer of contempt.

“Alright, what are you arguing about!” Suddenly, the Emperor’s angry voice sounded. The Emperor’s cold gaze swept past the two of them. Finally, he turned his gaze back to Lu Haiyang and said, “Speak what you know. Stop bewitching me here.”

Seeing the duo singing together, Xiao Xiwei, who was standing with his head hanging down, could not help but smile coldly.

She believed that the Emperor had already known what Lu Haiyang had said and done today and had instructed him to do it. Otherwise, it was impossible for him not to be enraged by the news of the fire in Yuli Palace. Instead, he would go to Yikun Palace and wait for the news with just a single sentence from Lu Haiyang. It seemed that Lu Haiyang had already anticipated her actions today and had already set up a trap to wait for her here early in the morning.

“Yes, this lowly official obeys the decree.” Lu Haiyang bowed to the Emperor, then said to the outside of the hall, “Come in.”

Very quickly, a person dressed in Imperial Army clothing walked in and knelt on the ground to salute the Emperor and Imperial Consort Yan.

“Does the princess know him?” Lu Haiyang pointed at them.

Xiao Xiwei glanced at that person, then raised his eyes to glance at Lu Haiyang, “I don’t know him.”

“He is the Commander of the Black Tortoise Sect, Li Shangwu, a common son of Changping Prefecture.” Lu Haiyang said.

“Oh, so it’s the Black Warrior Sect’s Commander, but I don’t even know him.” Xiao Xiwei smiled as he looked at Lu Haiyang.

“It doesn’t matter if the princess doesn’t know him, but my big brother knows him very well.”

“Your big brother? Are you referring to the Duke of Lu? But even if he knows the Duke of Lu, what does it have to do with me?” Xiao Xi said with a smile.

“That’s right! This is indeed very strange. Originally, I didn’t understand, but it was only when my men caught this palace maid named Qing Ying beside the Ninth Princess.” As Lu Haiyang spoke, he walked around Xiao Xiwei. “How could a palace maid with strict guards slip out of the palace in the middle of the night without being noticed? Unless someone bribed the imperial guards guarding the city gate, how could they leave the palace? Who do you think this person who bribed Li Shangwu is, Princess?”

“This palace is not as smart as Lord Lu. How can I guess?” Xiao Xiwei said.

Lu Haiyang smiled. “The princess is too modest. How many people in this world have such meticulous thoughts? Li Shangwu is Uncle Changping’s concubine. He has never been valued by Uncle Changping, but he has a good relationship with my eldest brother. He was entrusted by my eldest brother to let this palace maid out of the palace this time.”

“Even so, what does that have to do with me?” Xiao Xiwei smiled as he looked at Lu Haiyang.

“Yes, I don’t understand either. It’s like half a month ago when the princess suddenly visited our Duke Lu’s Mansion. I can’t figure out the reason for this. It wasn’t until I caught this little palace maid today that I realized from Commander Li that he was entrusted by my big brother that I suddenly understood this point. Why did Princess Yan suddenly recover from her illness the moment she left the Duke’s Mansion of the Lu Kingdom? Why did she ask the Emperor to marry her at the banquet for no apparent reason? I’m curious how Princess Yan managed to convince my big brother. I wonder if Princess Yan can help me resolve my doubts? ”

Xiao Xi smiled and raised his hand to clap his palm. “I have to say that Lord Lu’s imagination is really excellent. I only went to the Duke Lu’s Mansion to visit my sister. How could Lord Lu have fabricated such a story for nothing? I really admire him!”

‘”Who in the capital doesn’t know that my wife fell out with the princess because she insisted on marrying me? Besides, Chun’er has been married to my mansion for so long and the princess hasn’t come to see her once. Why did she suddenly come again?”

“Alright!” The Emperor who was sitting on the throne shouted loudly, and his icy cold and dignified gaze swept towards Xiao Xiwei. “Princess Yan, what else do you have to say?”

Xiao Xiwei hurriedly turned around and blessed the Emperor. “Father, I have nothing to say. However, all of this is Lord Lu’s conjecture, and there is no evidence. Besides, Lord Lu has said so much, but he wants to say that I instructed the Duke of Lu to bribe Commander Li to let this little palace maid out of the palace? But, Father, I have no reason to do so at all.”

“Your Majesty, Princess Yan is still pregnant. Can you let her sit down and reply?” Imperial Concubine Yan stood up and blessed the Emperor.

The Emperor’s expression turned cold. He turned to look at Lu Haiyang and said, “Do you have anything to say?”

“Your Majesty.” Lu Haiyang cupped his fists towards the Emperor and said in a loud voice, “Princess Yan said that she has no reason, but there is. Princess Yan has done so much, of course, not for a small palace maid. Her real goal should be the Ninth Princess.”

“What are you talking about!”

“Your Majesty, the fire in the Yuli Palace, bribing the commander of the defending city and letting the palace maids out of the palace are all just a cover-up for Princess Yan. The purpose is to sneak the Ninth Princess out of the palace in troubled waters.” Lu Haiyang clasped his fists and his voice rang out loudly in Yikun Palace.

“Princess.” Zi Yan hurriedly stepped forward to support Xiao Xiwei, her eyes flashing with panic.

It turned out that the princess’ plans had all been seen through. What should she do now?

Xiao Xiwei’s eyes widened as she stared at Lu Haiyang motionlessly.

Lu Haiyang turned around and smiled at Xiao Xi. “Princess Yan, this lowly official didn’t say anything wrong, right?”

“Lord Lu should really tell the story. Your ability to make up stories should be the only one in Great Yue, right?” Xiao Xiwei coldly stared at Lu Haiyang and said.

“Enough!” “Princess Yan, you set the fire to the Yuli Palace! How dare you steal someone out of the palace from under my nose!” The Emperor roared angrily. Then, with a’pa ‘sound, the celadon porcelain tea cup on the table was suddenly swept to the ground. “Princess Yan, you set the fire to the Yuli Palace! How dare you resist the decree!”

“Royal father, I don’t dare.” Xiao Xiwei hurriedly knelt on the ground.

“Your Majesty” Imperial Concubine Yan hurriedly stood up and interceded with Xiao Xiwei.

“Shut up! Tell me, do you have a part in this?” The Emperor’s eyes gushed with fire as he swept towards Imperial Concubine Yan.

Imperial Concubine Yan was stunned. A trace of sadness flashed through her eyes. She looked deeply at the Emperor and said, “In His Majesty’s eyes, what exactly is a concubine?” After saying that, he lowered his eyes and knelt on the ground.

“Royal Father, this matter has nothing to do with me and Mother Concubine. Could it be that you want to convict me and Mother Concubine with just a few words from Lord Lu?” Xiao Xi looked up at the Emperor and said loudly.

“You still have to argue!” The Emperor said coldly.

“Royal father, not son sophistry. It was clearly the Yu Li Palace that caught fire. As the commander of the Imperial Army, Lord Lu was afraid of shouldering the responsibility and pushed everything on his son. Imperial Father couldn’t help but think, what reason does this son have to take the risk of deceiving you and steal the Ninth Princess out of the palace? Could it be that only the Ninth Princess likes my big brother? I’m going to risk exterminating Zhongyong Marquis Mansion and Prince Yan’s mansion for her and steal the Ninth Princess out of the palace? Xiao Xiwei fearlessly greeted the Emperor’s eyes and said, “Let alone Father Emperor, who can believe in the civil and martial arts of the Manchu Dynasty?”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed, but he was unable to find a single word to refute.

“This reason alone is indeed not convincing, but if I have evidence.” At this moment, Lu Haiyang’s words suddenly sounded.