The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 240

Chapter 240 There Is Nothing to Ask for

The emperor was discussing the painting with someone when the eunuch led him into the hall.

“This lowly official greets His Majesty.” Zhang Shu stepped forward and saluted.

Hearing the noise, the Emperor smiled and turned around, “Zhang Qing is here. It’s good that you also came to take a look at this painting.”

“Yes.” Zhang Shu answered as he stood up.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

“I heard that General Zhang has always loved horses. May I know if this’ Divine Horse Diagram ‘drawn by Mr. Zhang Daozhi can enter the eyes of the general?”

Zhang Shu looked around and discovered that the person who spoke was actually the new noble of the current dynasty, Xiang Mingxuan, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, whom he had only seen in the Crown Prince’s Mansion last night.

“This old man loves horses. Why, does Sir Xiang also like horses?” Zhang Shu looked at Xiang Mingxuan and stared at him with a faint smile.

“General Zhang is joking. Xiaguan Aima is just a tiger-like dog. How dare she compare with General Zhang?” Xiang Mingxuan, however, did not seem to notice the sarcasm in Zhang Shuyu’s words and smiled as he answered.

Hearing Xiang Mingxuan’s words, a trace of displeasure flashed across Zhang Shu’s face.

However, the Emperor, who was addicted to the painting, did not notice all of this.

“Speaking of which, Xiaguan originally thought that General Zhang would rarely enter the capital. He would invite General Zhang to hunt outside the city some other day so that he could ask the general for advice on equestrian skills. However, he didn’t think that General Zhang would go back. What a pity.” After saying that, he sighed, as if it was really a pity.

“Really? That’s really a pity.” Zhang Shu looked at Xiang Mingxuan and said coldly.

Unexpectedly, when the Emperor heard Xiang Mingxuan’s words, he suddenly remembered something. He turned to Zhang Shu and said, “Yes, Zhang Qing is going back today, right?”

“Yes.” Zhang Shu hurriedly raised his hand and replied.

The Emperor nodded, “Then, Xiang Qing, send Zhang Qing off for me.”

“This lowly official obeys the decree.” Xiang Mingxuan hurriedly walked down the hall and bowed to the Emperor.

As soon as he left the palace, Zhang Shu jumped onto the horse that had been prepared early in the morning with a cold face. Without saying a word, he swung the reins and rode away.

Looking at Zhang Shu’s movements, Xiang Mingxuan smiled and shook his head. He also jumped onto the attendant and led the white horse. He chased after Zhang Shu with a longitudinal rope. “General Zhang, this lowly official has been ordered to send you out of the city. Even if you are unwilling, please endure it.”

As Zhang Shu rode his horse, he turned to look at Xiang Mingxuan.

Originally, he did not intend to really shake off Xiang Mingxuan, because, as Xiang Mingxuan had said, if he were to shake off him, it would be a decree of resistance. Therefore, he only wanted to humiliate him, but he did not expect that Xiang Mingxuan would actually have prepared a horse early in the morning.

“Looks like Lord Xiang is already prepared!” Looking at the divine colt beneath Xiang Mingxuan’s crotch, Zhang Shu’s expression couldn’t help but turn ugly.

It was unsightly to say that he had expected the Emperor to send him off early in the morning?

This Xiang Mingxuan’s thoughts were as unpredictable as the Crown Prince’s. When dealing with people like them, Zhang Shu felt a burst of irritation and impatience.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t noticed the contradiction in Zhang Shu’s eyes, but Xiang Mingxuan smiled. “Xiaoguan knows that he isn’t pleasing, but I beg the general to bear with Xiaoguan for a while longer, because there is someone who wants to see the general.”

As soon as Xiang Mingxuan finished speaking, Zhang Shu’s eyebrows knitted. A person subconsciously jumped out of his mind. However, he thought for a moment. Something was wrong. If it was the Crown Prince, why would Xiang Mingxuan be so concealed?

Unexpectedly, Xiang Mingxuan turned to look at Zhang Shu with a smile and said, “General Zhang, don’t worry, the person who wants to see you is not the Crown Prince.”

Not the Crown Prince? Who was that?

Zhang Shu’s mind was filled with doubt.

What had happened recently was beyond his expectations. He really couldn’t think of anyone else in the capital who would see him through Xiang Mingxuan other than the Crown Prince.

However, very quickly, Zhang Shu knew who the person who wanted to see him was.

The face under the black cloak had sharp eyebrows that flew into his temples. His bright black eyes were as dark as ink jade, yet they revealed a strange agility.

It can’t be!

It can’t be!

It can’t be!

Zhang Shu forcefully blinked his eyes. He suspected that he was dreaming. However, that face had to be clear. It was even getting closer and closer to him. Then, his deep voice slowly rang out.

“General Zhang, how are you?”

With this sound, Zhang Shu’s mind exploded. Even though he had been galloping on the battlefield for many years, he still couldn’t suppress the slight tremor in his voice. “You, are you a human or a ghost?”

As soon as he said this, he immediately woke up.

How could it be a ghost?

If he was a ghost, why would Xiang Mingxuan bring him here to see him?

Thinking of this, Zhang Shu pursed his lips and forced himself to calm down, “Your Highness, what exactly is going on? You, you are not …”

“Isn’t he dead?” Chu Xizhi smiled and accepted the words that Zhang Shu was about to say.

“Your Highness …”

“General Zhang, don’t you want to know why this prince came to find you?” Chu Xizhi raised his eyebrows and looked at Zhang Shu with a smile.

Zhang Shu unconsciously knitted his eyebrows. He looked sideways at Xiang Mingxuan, who was standing calmly beside him. Obviously, he had already known that King Yan was still alive. In fact, he had deliberately brought him here to see King Yan this time. In other words … Xiang Mingxuan was actually not a member of the Crown Prince. Originally, he thought that the situation in the capital was already complicated enough, but he didn’t expect that the truth would be even more unexpected than he had expected. King Yan had come back from the dead, and now he had actually found himself. It seemed that he could no longer hide in the shadows of the Snatching Storage.

“What does Your Highness want me to do?” Zhang Shu raised his hand to salute Chu Xizhi and spoke in a deep voice.

Since Xiang Mingxuan was a member of the Swallow King, then his son was undoubtedly in the hands of the Swallow King.

“This king doesn’t want General Zhang to do anything.” Chu Xizhi smiled faintly as he looked at Zhang Shu.

As soon as Chu Xizhi finished speaking, Zhang Shu suddenly raised his head and looked at him, his face filled with shock.

He had spent so much effort, didn’t he just want him to help him seize his savings?

“This king only came here to tell the general that Young Master is very safe. As for Miss Ling, this king will also send someone to save her. Please rest assured, General.” Chu Xizhi looked at Zhang Shu with a faint smile in his ink-jade-like eyes.

“Your Highness, if you have anything to say, just say it. If I can do it, I will definitely not decline.” Zhang Shu raised his hand to salute Chu Xizhi and said with a vigilant expression.

After the Hongmen banquet hosted by the Crown Prince that night, he really couldn’t believe that His Highness the Swallow King in front of him was so kind and didn’t ask for anything from him?

Nothing.

These four words were actually even more terrifying than asking for something. It was because he didn’t know what his goal was, but it made people even more uneasy.

Unexpectedly, Chu Xizhi chuckled after hearing Zhang Shu’s words, “General Zhang, do you think this king has other plans for you?”

Isn’t that so?

Zhang Shu raised his pitch-black eyebrows and looked at Chu Xizhi suspiciously.

Chu Xi smiled, “General Zhang, the emperor’s decree to grant you a marriage and tacitly allow you to marry the Crown Prince in place of your daughter-in-law is not something this king can plan, and then, the emperor’s decree to put your two young masters into the Yan Cloud Guard is to confuse the Crown Prince, let alone this king’s plan.” And if the Crown Prince knows the reason behind this, then it is not for this king to use this opportunity to threaten you. “It’s just a mishap. Father Emperor and Crown Prince did not expect that Lord Xiang and This King are close friends. Why would General Zhang misunderstand him like this?”

Hearing Chu Xizhi’s words, Zhang Shu pondered for a long time before replying, “Could it be that His Highness King Yan really doesn’t have any requirements for this lowly official?”

Even though King Yan wasn’t planning this, since he held this card in his hand, how could he be willing to give him such a huge favor in vain? In fact, he even said that he wanted to help him save Duo’er? If he didn’t have any conditions, not to mention that he, Zhang Shu, didn’t believe him, no one would believe him.

The smile on Chu Xizhi’s lips gradually subsided. As he looked at Zhang Shu, his deep eyes suddenly became as deep as ink. “Why did the soldiers who went home to visit their relatives beg for mercy from the general back then? Did he ask for anything from them?”

Zhang Shu was stunned and subconsciously said, “That’s different.”

“How is it different!” Chu Xizhi smiled coldly and turned to look into the distance. “Thinking back to the time when the Great Ancestor Emperor was alive, the greater I was, the brighter the universe was. But now, the monarchs and ministers are suspicious of each other, and the beautiful rivers and mountains have actually turned into this scene.”

Hearing Chu Xi’s words, Zhang Shu thought about the prosperous era of Great Yue under the rule of the Great Ancestor Emperor and remembered the strange waves and clouds in the Imperial City. He couldn’t help but feel sour in his heart and inexplicably sighed.

“General Zhang, this king does not dare to say that he is honest, but this king hopes that soldiers like the general to protect the country can not be involved in the whirlpool of storage. “If this king really wants something, this king only hopes that in the future, the general can fulfill his duties as a general. As for the rest …” At this point, a cold smile flashed across Chu Xizhi’s lips. “Playing with power techniques, someone will naturally plan for this, but you soldiers who used to be bathed in blood should definitely not be involved!”

Zhang Shu was stunned, and his heart suddenly churned. He didn’t know what it was like.

He never thought that the Swallow King would say such a thing.

Everyone seemed to have forgotten that the duty of the soldiers was originally to protect their families and the country, but in the party struggle to seize the reserves, many generals who were wholeheartedly involved in protecting the country were forced to get involved and eventually fell into a thousand years of infamy.

“This prince only came here today to reassure the general. The two young masters will definitely be safe and sound in Yanyun Wei.” Chu Xizhi turned around and looked at Zhang Shu solemnly.

“Your Highness …”

“The Swallow King is dead. General Zhang has not seen any His Highness today.” Chu Xizhi calmly cut off the chapter count. Then, he reached out and adjusted his hood. Then, he turned around and jumped onto the horses beside him. Then, he rode his horse and left quickly.

Zhang Shu watched as Chu Xizhi’s back gradually faded away. After a long while, he was unable to regain his senses.

“General Zhang, let’s send it here. Please forgive me for disturbing you.” Xiang Mingxuan, who had been silently watching all of this, finally raised his hand and said to Zhang Shu.

‘”Lord Xiang, you …” Zhang Shu suddenly regained his senses.

Looking at Zhang Shu’s hesitant expression, he smiled at Ming Xuan and said, “General Zhang, do you want to ask why Xiaoguan chose the Swallow King?”

Zhang Shu frowned and didn’t say anything.

Xiang Mingxuan looked at Zhang Shu and smiled again, “Does the general think that the Crown Prince is more suitable than the Swallow King?”

Zhang Shu was stunned.

Although he did not understand the Swallow King, just from what the Swallow King had said just now, he was overflowing with a sense of honor. This was the most rare place. Indeed, as Xiang Mingxuan had said, the Swallow King was more suitable to be the ruler of this world than the current Crown Prince.

He raised his eyes to look at the blue sky in the distance, suddenly looking forward to the future of Great Yue.