The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 242

Chapter 242 He Was Actually Alive
For several days, the emperor hadn’t come to court. The Crown Prince was in charge of all the affairs in the court. The original supporters of the Qin King’s party were suppressed by the Crown Prince. Even the three dynasties’ Patriarch, Prime Minister Zhang, said that he wasn’t sick. Yushi Xu Sheng also took a leave to rest at home because of his injury. For a moment, Crown Prince Chu Yanzhi’s reputation rose unprecedentedly.

After listening to Li Po’s report, Chu Yanzhi casually threw the folds in his hand onto the table, and a mocking smile appeared on the corner of his lips. “They are not stupid, they can think of this move.”

“Your Highness, are we still going to make a move?” Li Po lowered his head and said.

Chu Yanzhi smiled and raised his eyebrows to look at Li Po. “Did you say that?”

Li Po frowned slightly and his expression gradually became serious. After a few guesses, he still couldn’t figure out what Chu Yanzhi meant. He could only carefully probe, “Your Highness, I thought that since I wanted to cut the grass, I should get rid of the roots.”

Hearing Li Po’s words, Chu Yanzhi’s smile deepened a little. “Is that what you think?”

Li Po felt a chill in his heart, and two chills appeared on the soles of his feet.

He hadn’t been working with Chu Yanzhi for a long time, but he still felt that the Crown Prince’s thoughts were really hard to fathom. He felt as if he was walking on ice at all times, afraid that he would fall into an irreparable calamity if he wasn’t careful. At this moment, Chu Yanzhi’s specious words made him even more frightened.

Looking at Li Po’s frightened appearance, Chu Yanzhi raised his eyebrows mockingly and stretched out his hand to pick up a memorial book from the table and lazily flipped through two pages. Only then did he say, “Is there any news from the northwest?”

Right now, the capital was under his control. With just Elder Zhang and Xu Sheng, nothing could be accomplished. As long as … Chu Muzhi would never be able to return to the capital.

Hearing that Chu Yanzhi had changed the topic, Li Po heaved a sigh of relief. “If you reply to His Highness, there is no news from the northwest.”

Hearing this, Chu Yanzhi’s pitch-black eyes sank. He threw the memorial in his hand heavily onto the table, and then he stood up from his chair. “Why hasn’t there been any news yet?”

Could it be that Xiao Xiyang didn’t do what he said?

Or had he already decided to stand on Chu Muzhi’s side?

Thinking of this, a cold killing intent suddenly flashed through Chu Yanzhi’s eyes.

“This lowly official will send people to the northwest to investigate.” Li Po raised his hand and hurriedly said.

Chu Yanzhi imitated his eyes, as if he suddenly remembered something. His gloomy eyes locked onto Li Po tightly, and even his voice was filled with a chilling coldness. “Hot Spring Villa, have there been any movements lately?”

Hearing Chu Yanzhi mention the Hot Spring Villa, Li Po was surprised for a moment before he hurriedly said, “Your Highness, everything is as usual in the Hot Spring Villa.”

“Everything is as usual” Chu Yanzhi coldly repeated these four words, his pitch-black eyes flashing with a faint light.

Sensing the cold light in Chu Yanzhi’s eyes, Li Po’s heart trembled. He carefully probed, “Your Highness, could it be that something is wrong with you …”

As soon as Li Po’s words fell, a figure, covered in dust, rushed in, “Your Highness.”

Seeing this person, Chu Yanzhi’s heart skipped a beat, but his face was still extremely calm. He said, “Why did you come back?”

Wang Qing raised his head and looked at Chu Yanzhi. His gaze inadvertently swept over Li Po, and he didn’t say anything.

Chu Yanzhi glanced sideways at Li Po and then said in a deep voice, “Nothing. You can go back.”

Li Po raised his hand and bowed respectfully, “Yes.” After that, he took three steps back before turning around and walking out.

This Wang Qing was a confidant of Crown Prince Chu Yanzhi. He had seen him several times, but he had not seen him for a long time recently. Now that he had suddenly appeared and his expression was so flustered, could it be that something had happened? Thinking about it carefully, the time when Wang Qing disappeared seemed … to be when Qin Wang had just left the capital. Could it be that he had been sent to the northwest by Crown Prince Chu Yanzhi?

A frightened thought suddenly flashed through Li Po’s mind.

Could it be that something had happened in the northwest?

It had to be said that Li Po had not guessed wrongly this time. Wang Qing had indeed been sent to the northwest by Chu Yanzhi, and he had also brought back a piece of shocking news from the northwest.

That was-Swallow King Chu Xizhi was not dead.

“You, what did you say? Say it again!” Chu Yanzhi propped up the edge of the table and stood up. He stared fixedly at Wang Qing, his face somewhat ferocious in the dark hall.

“Your Highness” Wang Qing knelt on the ground with a’putong ‘sound.

Chu Yanzhi stared at Wang Qing with a sinister gaze. His white knuckles fiercely clasped onto the edge of the table. After a long time, he finally pulled the corner of his mouth and said, “Did you see him with your own eyes?”

Originally, he didn’t believe the assassin that Chu Xizhi was dead. However, it was Lu Haiyang who personally brought back the news of his death. In addition to the reactions of Chu Muzhi, Xiao Xiwei, and the others, that dispelled his doubts. However, he didn’t expect that after so long, news of him still being alive would spread from the northwest!

“This … Your Highness, this subordinate did not personally see King Yan. However, this subordinate did see Chen Mubai in the northwest.” Wang Qing raised his hand and hurriedly said.

“Chen Mubai?” Chu Yanzhi’s eyes turned cold, “The Chen Clan of Jiangnan.”

“Your Highness, that’s right. At that time, this subordinate personally saw him and Prince Li of the Northern Desert suddenly enter the Zheng Manor one after another.” Wang Qing said, “Your Highness, Grand General Xiao didn’t do anything to King Qin according to your wishes. In fact, he and King Qin entered the Zheng Manor through the back door. In addition, all the information that this subordinate found out proves that King Yan is still alive.”

“Chen Clan, Zheng Lin, Bei Mo, Chu Muzhi, Xiao Xiyang …” Chu Yanzhi took a step back and slowly sat back on the high chair. His slender fingers held the corner of the chair made of red sandalwood, and the corner of his lips gradually formed a cold smile. “Good! Good! Very good!”

Unless Chu Xizhi had someone else, the people who could cause these unrelated people to unwittingly stir up a commotion together would not be able to do so!

He’s not dead!

He really didn’t die!

He was too careless!

Chu Xizhi did not die, but he had Chu Muzhi lead the troops to the northwest. This was clearly letting the tiger return to the mountains and secretly helping Chu Xizhi! Careless! He was too careless back then!

“Your Highness, what should we do if news of the Swallow King’s death reaches the capital?” Wang Qing said anxiously and worriedly.

“What are you panicking about!” Chu Yanzhi viciously swept a glance at Wang Qing. “King Yan Chu Xizhi has been buried in the Imperial Mausoleum. As for those who dare to pretend to be First Grade Princes, that would be a crime of plagiarism!”

Wang Qing raised his head. When he touched Chu Yanzhi’s ruthless and murderous gaze, he immediately understood the meaning behind Chu Yanzhi’s words. He gritted his teeth and hurriedly lowered his head. “This subordinate understands.”

Chu Yanzhi smiled coldly and raised his hand to stroke the ice-cold jade fingers on his fingers. The faint cold light on the fingers set off the ruthlessness in his black eyes and became even more ferocious.

Chu Xizhi! So what if you’re alive? As long as you’re not admitted, then what are you!

Wang Qing pondered for a moment and finally couldn’t help but express a bit of worry in his heart. “It’s just Your Highness, the Emperor’s …”

Chu Yanzhi raised his eyebrows and sneered coldly at Wang Qing. Then, he stood up and walked to Wang Qing step by step. “Go, bring people to surround the hot spring villa in the west of the city! Remember, no one inside is allowed to be released! If anyone forcefully breaks into it … don’t kill them!”

Wang Qing hurriedly raised his hand and shouted, “Yes, this subordinate accepts the order.” After saying that, he bent down and took a few steps back before turning around to leave.

“Wait a moment.”

Behind him, Chu Yanzhi’s cold voice suddenly sounded again.

Wang Qing turned around and bowed towards Chu Yanzhi, “Your Highness.”

“Those people don’t need to stay anymore.”

Wang Qing was stunned. He looked at Chu Yanzhi with puzzlement in his eyes.

Those people? Who were those people the Crown Prince was referring to? Are they the guards assigned to Princess Yan’s side?

“Your Highness” An indescribable feeling suddenly arose in Wang Qing’s heart.

The Crown Prince’s importance to Princess Yan was self-evident. Therefore, most of the guards sent to the Hot Springs Villa were personal guards trained by him. Now, His Highness the Crown Prince actually wanted to get rid of all of them. How could he bear it!

“What, you want to disobey!” Chu Yanzhi stared at Wang Qing with a cold gaze.

Wang Qing’s heart went cold. He hurriedly lowered his head and said, “This subordinate doesn’t dare.”

Chu Yanzhi sneered and his sharp eyebrows suddenly raised. His voice seemed to have been tempered with ice, causing people to feel a chill in their hearts when they heard it. “It’s good that they don’t dare.”

Hearing this, Wang Qing’s heart trembled. Even if he wanted to plead for the personal guards, he still didn’t dare to say another word. After following Chu Yanzhi for so many years, he naturally knew how poisonous his master would be if he became ruthless. However, he couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart.

At this moment, how could Chu Yanzhi care about what Wang Qing was thinking? The news that Chu Xizhi was still alive shocked him too much. Although the capital was under his control now, if his father Emperor had to know about this after all these things, would he still support him like before? He didn’t dare to confirm this! Also, Xiao Xiwei, did she know about this matter? If he knew, then everything that she had been doing in front of him for so long would be fake? Wasn’t everything she did just to numb the deception?

Thinking of this, Chu Yanzhi suddenly felt as if his entire heart had been burned by fire.

If everything she had was fake, then what was his true love for her?

Seeing Chu Yanzhi’s increasingly gloomy expression, Wang Qing did not dare to stay here for a moment. However, if Chu Yanzhi did not say anything, how could he dare to leave without permission?

“Don’t touch her!”

Wang Qing was stunned. He was stunned for a moment before he understood who Chu Yanzhi was talking about.

“Yes, this subordinate accepts the order.” Wang Qing quickly responded, then raised his hand to salute Chu Yanzhi before hurriedly turning around and leaving.

Xiao Xiwei.

In your eyes, what am I? Are you a fool to play with in your palm? How on earth can I not compare to Chu Xizhi? Why! Why would you help him like this even if he was at the end of his road!

Why?