The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 159
Chapter 159 Meet By Narrow Road
On the second day after Chu Yanzhi returned to the capital, he proposed several reforms in the court. The first was to collect the money owed by the treasury. This proposal immediately set off a shocking wave in the court. Which noble family in the capital did not owe the treasury tens of thousands of taels, so the first step of Chu Yanzhi’s reform was met with unprecedented opposition from the Manchu family since the Great Yue Dynasty opened. The Emperor’s little uncle, King Rong, even scolded Chu Yanzhi in front of the Manchu Dynasty’s civil and military affairs. He did not want the Emperor to publicly reject King Rong and unusually firmly support Chu Yanzhi.
If it was said that the emperor had secretly supported Chu Yanzhi in the past, then after this incident, the emperor’s attitude towards Chu Yanzhi had already changed to the surface.
Although Chu Yanzhi had offended the relatives and nobles of the capital, he had bought the hearts of a large number of civil servants.
Even after Xiao Xiwei learned of Chu Yanzhi’s actions, she had no choice but to admire his courage.
Compared to Princess Yan’s Swallow King Chu Xizhi, if he, the palace maid’s Prince Shenwang, wanted to obtain recognition and surpass the limelight of Swallow King Chu Xizhi, then he had to use a dangerous move.
Compared to the ups and downs in the court, the harem was much calmer.
Two noble imperial concubines in the palace. Imperial Concubine Yan stayed in Yikun Palace to recuperate and did not leave. Imperial Concubine Shen had closed her palace and thought about it, and had long since faded out of everyone’s Recently, Xiang Fei, who was in the limelight the most recently, had grown up, and rarely left her Chu Xiu Palace recently. Someone from the harem had specially come to Chu Xiu Palace to report matters to her.
Today, Xiao Xiwei sent a soft sedan chair to Yi Kun Palace to visit Imperial Concubine Yan.
Although Yongchun Palace was a distance away from Yikun Palace, Xiao Xiwei always went to Yikun Palace from time to time. However, there were only a few pairs of eyes by her side, so every time she met Honored Consort Yan, she would only chat a few times. She did not dare to chat more, afraid that it would fall into the ears of others.
Yi Kun Palace lit sandalwood. As soon as he stepped into the room, his nose was filled with a faint fragrance that was extremely quiet.
Imperial Concubine Yan wore a light purple palace chair on the couch. Her right hand supported her forehead, and the space between her eyebrows was tightly knitted. When Xiao Xiwei entered, a palace maid was advising Imperial Concubine Yan to drink medicine with a bowl of medicine in her hand.
“Mother Concubine.” Xiao Xiwei walked over to Consort Yan and blessed herself.
Hearing Xiao Xiwei’s voice, Imperial Concubine Yan turned around and smiled as she waved at Xiao Xiwei, “Come, quickly come and sit here.”
Xiao Xiwei sat beside Imperial Concubine Yan and smiled. “Did Mother Imperial Concubine have another headache just now?”
“This is an old problem … Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. Come, let this palace touch my little grandson and see if he’s grown a little bit longer.” As Consort Yan spoke, she smiled and put her hand on Xiao Xiwei’s protruding abdomen. As soon as her hand touched it, her palm trembled. Imperial Concubine Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up, “Xiwei, look, this little fellow is kicking Ben Gong.”
Xiao Xiwei pursed his lips and smiled, “He’s blaming grandmother for being disobedient and refusing to take the medicine obediently.”
Hearing Xiao Xiwei’s words, Imperial Concubine Yan looked at Xiao Xiwei helplessly and sighed, “You … In fact, it doesn’t matter if you take this medicine or not. How many years has it been? There’s no cure. However, this palace is also at this age, so it’s not too thin to be cured.”
“Mother, how can you say that?”
“Stop talking about this.” Imperial Concubine Yan waved her hand, as if she was unwilling to continue talking about this topic. She turned to look at Dong Yue and said, “Take this medicine down. I feel uncomfortable smelling it.”
“Your Highness” Dong Yue frowned and shouted unwillingly at Imperial Concubine Yan. Seeing that Imperial Concubine Yan was unmoved, she hurriedly turned her gaze to Xiao Xiwei and said, “Princess, can you persuade Imperial Concubine Yan?”
“Dong Yue, since Mother Concubine doesn’t want to eat it, then bring it down.” Xiao Xi smiled and looked at Dong Yue.
Dong Yue looked at Xiao Xiwei and blinked, unable to react for a moment.
Xiao Xiwei smiled and said to Imperial Concubine Yan, “Actually, my son is also the same as Mother. He hates to smell these medicines the most. He always feels that there is nothing good about taking these medicines. It’s too bitter … I’ll ask the palace people to throw away all those fetal medicines and other things when we go back.”
“You dare.” Imperial Concubine Yan immediately sat up and looked at Xiao Xiwei’s smiling face. She reached out to pinch the pavilion head and sat back down dispiritedly, “You girl, you can do it! This palace will eat, but this palace will take the medicine, okay?”
“Dong Yue, hurry up and bring the medicine. Otherwise, Mother will go back on his word later.” Xiao Xi smiled and turned to Dong Yue.
Only then did Dong Yue understand Xiao Xiwei’s intention when she said that, so she hurriedly brought up the medicine. Xiao Xiwei took the medicine from Dong Yue’s hand and personally fed it to Imperial Concubine Yan mouthful by mouthful. After drinking the medicine, Xiao Xiwei personally brought some tea to serve Imperial Concubine Yan and washed her mouth. She pulled out her handkerchief and wiped her mouth. After everything was done, she sat down again.
“Is Mother Concubine tired?”
“If you answer the princess, the Empress won’t be able to sleep well these past few nights.”
“Mother, otherwise, I’ll read you a Buddhist scripture.” Xiao Xi looked at the Buddhist scripture lying on the couch and said to Consort Yan with a smile.
“That’s good too.” Imperial Concubine Yan nodded.
Hearing Honored Concubine Yan’s words, Dong Yue hurriedly stepped forward and helped Honored Concubine Yan lie down.
Xiao Xiwei picked up the Buddhist scriptures on the couch and gently opened a page. “If there is a Bodhisattva, in the later evil world, there is no fear. If you want to say it is a scripture, you should enter the line and get close to the outside. Chang Li is the king, that is, the prince, the minister, the official, the dangerous dramatist, breaking the monastery, and his name is Arhat …”
“You’re mistaken. The dangerous dramatist, Chandra, and the Outer Dao Buddhist will …”
“Yes, I misjudged you. I will continue to read to you, Chandra, and the Outer Dao Buddhist will. I will not be too close to you, nor will I be greedy for small things … Mother, what do you want to read this word for?” Xiao Xiwei pointed at a word in the Buddhist scripture and whispered to Consort Yan.
Imperial Concubine Yan raised her eyes and looked at Xiao Xiwei indifferently.
Xiao Xi nodded slightly and continued to chant the Buddhist scriptures.
The palace maid sent by the Emperor to monitor Xiao Xiwei had originally listened carefully to the two of them, but after listening for a long time, she saw that the two of them were talking about Buddhist scriptures. In addition, Xiao Xiwei’s low and gentle voice was like a warm spring breeze. Gradually, the palace maid lowered her eyes and her mind gradually disappeared.
“I can’t care too much about you now. You have to be careful.” Seeing that the palace maid was gradually lost in thought, Imperial Concubine Yan hurriedly lowered her voice and said to Xiao Xiwei.
Xiao Xi whispered, “Your son knows that you are the same, Mother Concubine.”
Imperial Concubine Yan nodded, “You mispronounced this word again. Is there any news from Xizhi?”
“Not yet, but I’ve already sent someone to inquire about the news. I’m so stupid that I’ve made Mother Concubine laugh.”
“Forget it, you’re tired of chanting Buddhist scriptures so well. Let’s go back.” Imperial Concubine Yan covered her mouth and yawned. She looked at Xiao Xiwei exhaustively and said.
“Your son, please leave.” Xiao Xiwei supported Zi Yan’s hand and stood up to bless Imperial Concubine Yan.
At this time, the palace maid sent to monitor Xiao Xiwei regained her senses. She hurriedly took a few steps and stood behind Xiao Xiwei.
It was almost noon when he came out of Yi Kun Palace.
It was already autumn, and even though the bright sunlight above his head shone on his body, he still did not feel any warmth.
There had been no news from Xizhi, and similarly, the people sent by the Emperor to Su Yang had not returned.
Xiao Xiwei stared at the sun above his head with his eyes, feeling somewhat flustered.
“Your Highness.”
A voice suddenly sounded in Xiao Xiwei’s ears, pulling her out of her thoughts.
On the spacious palace road, a tall figure slowly walked towards her. The sun shone on his body, pulling out a slender shadow.
Xiao Xiwei stretched out his hand to help Zi Yan get off the soft sedan chair and blessed the person who came. “I’ve seen His Highness before. I won’t try to win over His Highness anymore. Goodbye,” Xiao Xiwei said. After saying that, he turned around and prepared to board the soft sedan chair again.
He was actually unwilling to say a word to him.
Chu Yanzhi looked at Xiao Xiwei’s somewhat bloated figure, and his eyes couldn’t help but feel that he was immature.
“You, hate this king?”
Behind him, Chu Yanzhi’s deep and slightly confused voice sounded.
Xiao Xiwei’s figure paused.
This pause immediately proved the conjecture in Chu Yanzhi’s heart.
“Why?”
It seemed that she had deliberately avoided him since the first time she met him. At first, he thought that she was the reserved daughter of the Young Mother’s family, but later on, he felt that it was not like that. That avoidance was more like hatred. But why didn’t he seem to have offended her in any way?
Why …
Haha, he was actually asking her why she hated him?
She was infatuated with him, loved him, trusted him, and valued him, but in the end, what did he give her? The use of his first life, the deception of his first life, and a blazing fire of despair …
Countless venomous hatred gathered in his originally clear and clear eyes.
Seeing that Xiao Xiwei hadn’t answered for a long time, Chu Yanzhi couldn’t help but shout in a low voice.
Xiao Xiwei took a deep breath and her slender eyelashes moved. When she turned to look at Chu Yanzhi, her eyes had already returned to normal, so calm that there was no fluctuation. “Your Highness, call me Princess Yan.”
Princess Yan …
Chu Yanzhi stared fixedly at Xiao Xiwei’s eyes, trying to find something from her eyes. However, after looking at it for a long time, he still found nothing.
Perhaps, from the moment Xiao Xiwei appeared, she was a mystery wrapped in countless secrets in his eyes. However, he believed that one day, he would completely solve this mystery.
“Princess Yan.” A faint smile suddenly appeared on Chu Yanzhi’s lips. “Then, can this king ask Princess Yan where King Yan is now?”
“Your Highness is naturally relieving the disaster in Su Yang.” Xiao Xiwei replied with a motionless expression.
“Oh, really?” Chu Yanzhi raised his eyebrows, “Are you sure he’s in Su Yang?”
“What does Your Highness mean by that?” Xiao Xiwei coldly looked at Chu Yanzhi.
Chu Yanzhi smiled and said, “Princess Yan, it seems that you don’t know anything about Su Yang anymore.”
The child in her stomach suddenly moved. Xiao Xiwei hurriedly supported her stomach and took a deep breath. Zi Yan, who was beside her, hurriedly supported her. She said anxiously and worriedly, “Princess, are you alright?”
Xiao Xiwei pursed the corners of his lips and smiled, “Don’t worry, the words of others won’t affect me. I believe in Xizhi.”
She trusted Chu Xizhi, and in her eyes, he was … someone else.
Inexplicably, these two words pierced Chu Yanzhi’s heart.
Chu Yanzhi stared coldly at Xiao King Yan and said, “Su Yang came to report that His Highness Prince Xiwei fell into the water and disappeared during his patrol.”
Xiao Xiwei’s feet softened, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. His voice also carried a slight trembling sound, “You … you’re talking nonsense.”
Chu Yanzhi curled his lips and said, “Do you not believe what this king said, or … do you actually believe that Chu Xizhi will not die in your heart?”
Xiao Xiwei straightened her body with Zi Yan’s hand. Her right hand gently covered her lower abdomen and stared firmly at Chu Yan word by word. “Of course, I am sure that he will be fine, because I am still alive.”
Chu Yanzhi stared at Xiao Xiwei, his pitch-black eyes flashing with an inexplicable light. “Xiwei, do you think he can hide just by pretending to be missing? Aren’t you afraid that the fake play will come true at that time” Chu Yanzhi finished speaking and smiled at Xiao Xiwei. Then, he raised his head and walked over Xiao Xiwei without turning back.
