The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 212

Chapter 212 Tear Apart a Beautiful Dream
Yuan Wu 37th year, 12th month, 8th day, Ning Wang died because of smallpox. The emperor mourned for him, buried him, and gave him the ceremony of adulthood. He set up a fierce gate and cypress calendar, prepared the auspicious and fierce ceremonial clothes, and set up a cemetery. (Excerpt from Jin Shu: A Biography of Lang Ya Mourning Wang Huan)

In the blink of an eye, it was twenty-three.

This day was the Lunar New Year’s Day. At this time of year, the civil and military officials began to rest until the eighteenth day of the first month.

The capital began to be lively, sweeping the dust, offering sacrifices and sticking Spring Festival couplets. Everyone’s faces carried a trace of joy. To them, King Ning’s death was nothing more than a chat after a meal. Other than his family, who would care?

It was almost noon, and Imperial Concubine Yan’s carriage finally arrived at the city gate.

She held Dong Yue’s hand and just got off the carriage when she saw Xiao Xiwei standing thin in the cold wind.

“Mother” Upon seeing Imperial Concubine Yan, Xiao Xiwei burst into tears and knelt in front of Imperial Concubine Yan with a’putong ‘sound.

As soon as she knelt, the girl behind her also knelt down.

Imperial Concubine Yan’s eyes turned red. She let go of Dong Yue’s hand and staggered over to help Xiao Xi Wei up. “Good child, Imperial Concubine Mother knows that you did your best … Imperial Concubine Mother doesn’t blame you. It’s Ye’er, this child, who has no fate with us …”

“Imperial concubine mother” Xiao Xi reached out and hugged Imperial Concubine Yan.

The mother and daughter instantly burst into tears.

“Your Highness, Your Majesty is still waiting for you in the Chongde Palace.” Although Zhang Shichang, who was standing with his head lowered, could not bear to interrupt the two of them, he could not help but say these words.

Imperial Concubine Yan raised her head, and the fragility and pain in her eyes disappeared, replaced by an indescribable awe, “Let’s go.” After saying that, he took the lead and stepped forward.

But a few months. When Imperial Concubine Yan saw the Emperor again, she felt as if he had instantly aged ten years. She could not see anything on his face, but a trace of exhaustion was faintly appearing in his eyes, which had once been impossible to see through.

In his heart, a hint of sarcasm gradually spread.

Chu Lian, are you still regretting it?

“You went to great lengths to set up such a grand scheme. You didn’t hesitate to have your own blood stained with your own bones in order to bring that woman’s son to the position of the Monarch. You planned everything for him, but what did you get in the end?”

Imperial Concubine Yan walked in front of the Emperor and stared coldly at the Emperor. She neither spoke nor bowed.

“Xinrui.” Finally, the Emperor could not bear such silence. He stood up and spoke first.

Imperial Concubine Yan sneered coldly. Her smile carried a hint of ridicule and hatred. “It’s hard for His Majesty to remember the name of this concubine.” Without waiting for the Emperor to reply, she smiled sadly, “Why did His Majesty decree for this concubine to come back? What else can this concubine use for His Majesty now?”

The Emperor was unable to withstand such a direct reprimand from Consort Yan, and his expression immediately darkened. “Are you blaming me?”

“Does His Majesty feel that he should not be blamed for what he has done?” “Chu Lian, my only son has already lost his life. Why did you want to take away my only grandson? What exactly did I do wrong? You want to punish me like this!” Imperial Concubine Yan’s gentle eyes suddenly surged with ruthlessness, “Chu Lian, my only son has already lost his life. Why did you want to take away my only grandson?”

Imperial Concubine Yan covered her chest as she questioned, but she could not conceal the despair and despair in her eyes.

Although the Emperor knew that today’s situation was caused by his own hands, he could not bear such questioning from Imperial Concubine Yan, and even called him by his name!

Seeing that the Emperor was about to get angry, Zhang Shichang hurriedly said, “Your Highness, Your Majesty also has some troubles. Please forgive me.”

“Forgive me? I forgive him? If I cherish him, will my Ye’er be able to return?” Imperial Concubine Yan asked in a sad tone.

Zhang Shichang was speechless for a moment and hurriedly turned to look at the Emperor’s expression.

“About Tianye … I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt him.” The Emperor finally couldn’t help but speak in a hoarse voice.

“Yes, you don’t want to hurt him. You just want to use him.” Imperial Concubine Yan interrupted the Emperor coldly.

The Emperor’s expression sank again.

Recently, there were too many people challenging his dignity as an emperor. Chu Yanzhi, Xiao Xiwei, and now, there was another Consort Yan. Even if Imperial Concubine Yan had been ordered down the mountain, the Emperor could not bear it anymore.

“What, are you going to teach me a lesson? Or are you going to avenge him!”

Looking at the ruthlessness in the Emperor’s eyes, Imperial Concubine Yan smiled miserably. “How dare I, Your Majesty” She raised her head and looked at the Emperor sadly through the hazy steam. “Before this, I never regretted falling in love with you, even Xizhi … Even if Xizhi was gone, I always thought that Xizhi was in this position. Even if you wanted to protect him, you couldn’t protect him all the time. I told me again and again that Xizhi’s death was an accident. It must have been an accident. Because he is your son! It was you who spoiled and protected your son for so many years! I tried my best to tell myself to trust you … to trust my son’s father, my husband, the man I love … “At this point, Consort Yan took a deep breath and forced back the tears in her eyes. Her eyes, which were very similar to Chu Xizhi’s, were filled with deathly silence.” But, Tianye is gone again … ”

Even Leng Qing, who was as cold as an emperor, couldn’t help but be shocked when he heard Imperial Concubine Yan’s tearful confession.

“Your Majesty, do you know how much I want to believe you? Do you know how much effort I put into believing you? “Twenty years” Imperial concubine Yan let out a long sigh. She raised her foot and walked closer to the Emperor. She slowly reached out to support the Emperor’s wrinkled face. “I’ve been living in the beautiful dream you edited for me. I don’t want to wake up, and I don’t dare to wake up … But Your Majesty, why did you wake me up so cruelly?”

“Xinrui …”

“Does His Majesty think that his thoughts have been well concealed over the years, and that no one has ever noticed?” Imperial Concubine Yan withdrew her hand and pulled a smile from the corner of her lips.

The Emperor looked at Imperial Concubine Yan and opened his mouth. However, he suddenly realized that he did not know what to say.

Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and looked at the Emperor. She slowly took two steps back, “If you really love someone, how can you not know if the person you love really loves you?” “I’m not stupid. However, this dream you made up for me is too beautiful. I’m reluctant to wake up …” Imperial Consort Yan said as she slowly closed her eyes. Two rows of tears silently streaked down her fair and thin cheeks. When she opened her eyes again, the grief in her eyes gradually faded away and was replaced by an unprecedented determination. “Now, I finally know that I was wrong.”

In an instant, all sorts of emotions flashed across the Emperor’s eyes. He felt heartache, pity, and sadness, but in the end, he returned to calm and suspicion with Consort Yan’s cold eyes.

“What do you want to do?” The Emperor heard his cold voice.

“Why don’t you ask Your Majesty what you want me to do?” Imperial Concubine Yan said coldly as she faced the Emperor’s suspicious eyes.

The Emperor rolled his eyes, not knowing what Honored Concubine Yan was planning.

“Are you still willing to listen to me?” The Emperor said.

“Since His Majesty is willing to let his concubines come back, I guess he is dissatisfied with the Crown Prince.” Imperial Concubine Yan looked coldly at the Emperor, her eyes filled with an icy coldness that could see through everything.

The Emperor’s eyes flashed with a trace of an undercurrent, “You …”

Although he intentionally kidnapped the Crown Prince, he had no intention of crippling the Crown Prince. That’s all, What he was most worried about was that Imperial Consort Yan seemed to have already attributed Ye’er’s death to the Crown Prince. If she told Xiao Xiwei about this, then … even if he had a lot of dissatisfaction with Chu Yanzhi, he was still the son of him and Treasure Pearl. Moreover, no matter what, he did not want to see it because Chu Tianye’s matter caused Wu City to be in turmoil and the border areas to be uneasy.

“Xinrui, I only asked you to come back to adopt one of the sons of the imperial clan for Xizhi. It can also be considered compensation for you and Princess Yan.” The Emperor looked at Consort Yan with deep eyes and said slowly.

Imperial Concubine Yan’s eyes suddenly sank. She shouted at the Emperor in disbelief, “You still believe him!”

The Emperor pursed the corners of his lips and frowned at Imperial Concubine Yan, as if he was mocking her for saying those words just now.

“Yes, too.” Imperial Concubine Yan smiled miserably. “How could I forget that the Crown Prince is the son of Concubine Li! The Emperor has done everything for him, so what is all of this now? Complaints only … Xizhi shouldn’t have been born into this concubine’s belly. This concubine was wrong.” Imperial Concubine Yan said, ignoring the Emperor. She turned around and walked towards the door in a daze. When she was about to reach the door, she stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

Seeing Imperial Concubine Yan’s back disappear from the door, Zhang Shichang withdrew his gaze and turned to look at the Emperor. He carefully said, “Your Majesty, Imperial Concubine Empress …”

The Emperor reached out to stop Zhang Shichang.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Since she was willing to drag her sick body back, she would definitely settle Xi Zhi and Tian Ye’s debts with the Crown Prince. Therefore, it was necessary to make things difficult for the Crown Prince in the future. This was exactly what he wanted.

As long as he didn’t harm the Crown Prince’s life, he would be happy to do the same.

Zhang Shichang sneaked a glance at the Emperor. With a thought, he understood what the Emperor was thinking.

He sighed softly in his heart.

In the end, the Emperor still cared about the relationship between father and son to the Crown Prince, only to His Highness King Yan …

At this moment, a small eunuch quietly walked in and whispered a few words into Zhang Shichang’s ear. Zhang Shichang nodded, then took a step towards the Emperor and whispered, “Your Majesty, the deputy commander of the Imperial Army, Xiang Mingxuan, is here.”

The Emperor’s eyes lit up, “Quick, let him in.”

Now that Gu An had apparently fallen to the Crown Prince, this was equivalent to thirty thousand Imperial Army and ten thousand Yanyun Guards cavalry being controlled by the Crown Prince. Therefore, he was anxious to know if Xiang Mingxuan, who had just replaced Lu Haiyang as the vice commander of the Imperial Army, had also been bribed by the Crown Prince.

If even Xiang Mingxuan was bribed by the Crown Prince, then he would have to change some of his plans.

“Xuan, an audience with your Excellency.” Zhang Shichang shook the whisk in his hand and shouted loudly.

A shrill voice echoed in the hall.

Very quickly, a man wearing a purple flying fish uniform walked in with his head held high.

“I, Xiang Mingxuan, greet His Majesty.” Xiang Mingxuan raised his hand and bowed to the Emperor.

The Emperor looked at Xiang Mingxuan and saw that he was wearing a flying fish suit that made him look dignified. There was a sense of righteousness between his eyebrows. Thinking about how he had rejected Uncle Ping An a few times, he couldn’t help but have a good impression of him.

“Flat up.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Zhen, I heard that Uncle Ping An came to look for you again recently?” The Emperor walked to the Imperial Chair and sat down. He looked at Xiang Mingxuan with his ink eyes and slowly said.

Xiang Mingxuan was stunned. The space between his eyebrows unconsciously twisted, but since the Emperor had asked, he was also wrong. “Yes.”

Looking at Xiang Mingxuan’s expression, the Emperor smiled and said, “You must have rejected him again.”

Xiang Mingxuan frowned, as if he didn’t understand what the Emperor meant by asking.

The Emperor did not care what Xiang Mingxuan was thinking. He continued, “Actually, Uncle Ping An abandoned your mother more or less because of me. Back then, when the Sixth Prince uncle rebelled, the Xiang Family was also involved. Although Uncle Ping An’s actions were meant to protect himself, there was still some helplessness in them.”

“Your Majesty Xuan Weichen came here to lobby for Uncle Ping An?” Xiang Mingxuan raised his eyebrows, his face slightly unhappy.