The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 243
Chapter 243 Sow Discord
Zongde Palace.
Before he could step into the hall, a series of laughter could be heard through the tightly shut doors.
Imperial Concubine Yan looked at the sky above her head with her eyes. It was noon, and large patches of sunlight made her dizzy.
“Your Highness.”
A respectful voice sounded.
Imperial Concubine Yan withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhang Shichang. A faint smile appeared on the corner of her lips. “Eunuch Zhang, why aren’t you waiting by the Emperor’s side?”
Zhang Shichang smiled slightly, “In reply to Consort Xiang’s words, Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Jue are waiting on the Emperor inside. Oh, right, so is Consort Xiang.”
“Oh.” Imperial Concubine Yan’s slender eyebrows lightly smiled, and her smile was filled with a bit of meaning.
Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Jue were both beauties sent into the palace by Crown Prince Chu Yanzhi. Ever since the Emperor fell in love with the medicinal pills, he had almost completely neglected the entire harem. Apart from Concubine Xiang, the old people in the harem could also see the holy face, so only these two noble ladies were sent in by Chu Yanzhi.
“Should this old servant inform the Empress?” Zhang Shichang looked up at Imperial Concubine Yan and whispered.
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and said, “There’s no need. I’ll go straight in.” After saying that, she reached out to hold Ruo Su’s hand and dragged her large skirt towards the lofty palace.
He pushed open the tightly shut doors of the hall and a strong medicinal pill smell entered his nose.
“Sister.”
Hearing the noise, Concubine Xiang walked out of the inner room. Seeing the person coming, she leaned sideways and blessed herself slightly.
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled again. Just as she was about to speak, the laughter in the inner room sounded again.
“Your Majesty, this concubine also wants it, this concubine also wants it …”
“Your Majesty …”
“His Majesty is inside.” Concubine Yan smiled at Concubine Xiang and said.
Imperial Concubine Xiang nodded her head, then stepped aside and said, “Sister, please.”
Imperial Concubine Yan nodded and walked into the inner room step by step with Ruo Su’s hand.
There was clearly no window open in the inner room, but the hanging gauze tent did not move automatically. Through the veil, one could vaguely see the two palace-dressed women leaning against the Emperor’s embrace.
“Your Majesty, consort sister is here.” Xiang Fei quickly walked to the Emperor and blessed herself.
Imperial Concubine Xiang’s voice had just faded when the Emperor sat up. With a flick of his long sleeve, a furious voice sounded, “What is she doing here! Scram! Let her scram!”
Imperial Concubine Yan smiled and let go of Ruo Su’s hand. She raised her foot and walked to the Emperor. Her quiet gaze slowly swept across the two beauties on the couch with their disheveled robes. “All of you, leave.”
Noble Lady Ying and Noble Lady Yu glanced at each other and then turned their heads as if they hadn’t heard.
“What? I want to personally invite you out!” Imperial Concubine Yan’s gaze suddenly changed, and her voice suddenly carried a chilling tone.
“I’m leaving.” Imperial Concubine Xiang was the first to bless her body, and then she led her palace maid out without turning back.
“Your Majesty.” Lady Yu shook the corner of the Emperor’s clothes in dissatisfaction.
“Someone!” Imperial concubine Yan’s voice suddenly rose, “Noble Lady Ying, Noble Lady Yu, fox seductive lord, give this palace 30 boards each to alert the harem!”
“Your Majesty …”
“Your Majesty …”
Seeing a few guards barge in, Lady Ying and Lady Yu panicked and hurriedly tugged at the corner of the Emperor’s sleeve, pleading repeatedly.
“I’m here! Let’s see who dares to touch you!” The Emperor’s sinister gaze swept towards Imperial Concubine Yan, “Madam Yan, do you still have this Emperor in your eyes!”
“Your Majesty, this concubine is doing this for your own good. Besides, if you leave the harem to this concubine to take care of, how can this concubine fail to live up to your grace?” Imperial Concubine Yan blessed the Emperor slightly, and then swept her phoenix eyes, “What are you guys still waiting for?”
“Yes.” A few guards loudly answered, and then, one of them pulled one out and was about to drag the other out.
“Reverse! Reverse!” The Emperor staggered to get out of bed. However, he had been obsessed with the pill woman for a long time. He was suddenly enraged, and his blood energy surged. He felt a wave of emptiness beneath his feet. He was about to fall down. Suddenly, a hand reached out to support him.
“Indeed, it’s the opposite. However, the person who did it is not a concubine.” Imperial Concubine Yan’s quiet eyes stared straight at the Emperor, and her voice sounded faintly.
“You … what nonsense are you talking about!” The Emperor shook off Honored Concubine Yan’s hand forcefully. He himself fell to the ground because of this force, so he could only lean on the couch and gasped for breath with his eyes wide open.
Looking at the Emperor’s expression, Imperial Concubine Yan suddenly smiled with an indescribable bitterness. She slowly straightened her body and looked down at the Emperor. “Yes, Your Majesty’s words are nonsense in your ears … Since His Majesty has made him the Crown Prince, he naturally wants to hand over the country to him, so your concubine’s words can only be nonsense.”
“What do you want to do?” The Emperor’s eyes were cold as if he was going to stare at a hole in Consort Yan’s face.
“Xizhi, he … he might be alive.” Imperial Concubine Yan looked at the Emperor and gently pulled the corners of her mouth. However, a series of tears couldn’t help but fall down.
“Who … who are you talking about? Who … who is alive?” The Emperor was shocked. He stretched out his hand to support the edge of the couch and struggled to stand up. He stared at Imperial Concubine Yan in disbelief.
Imperial Concubine Yan looked at the Emperor, the corner of her mouth curled up slightly. She looked at the Emperor mockingly, “Does His Majesty wish for him to live or die?”
“What exactly are you talking about? Who told you that Xizhi is still alive? He is dead. I saw his corpse with my own eyes!” The Emperor rushed forward one after another, pinching Imperial Concubine Yan’s eyes forcefully. His sinister gaze stared fixedly at Imperial Concubine Yan.
“Corpse? Your Majesty, is that corpse really Xizhi?” Imperial Concubine Yan sarcastically stared at the Emperor.
The Emperor was stunned, then released his grip on Consort Yan’s hand. He couldn’t help but feel that he had taken two steps back, “No, impossible … impossible …”
“Of course His Majesty feels that this is impossible! Because the Crown Prince has already tacitly agreed to send someone to assassinate your biological son!” Imperial Concubine Yan’s sharp voice rang out. What was sharper than her voice was the cold resentment in her eyes.
He doted on Imperial Concubine Li’s son, Chu Yanzhi, and she could accept it. She could also accept him using her to deceive her. She could even forgive him for using Xizhi to pave the way for Chu Yan’s ascension. However, the only thing she could not forgive was that he actually wanted to kill her son! That was also his son!
“You … you …”
Looking at the Emperor’s shocked expression, Imperial Consort Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the resentment in her heart. “Now that the Crown Prince knows about this news, I think His Majesty should know what the Crown Prince will do next!”
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed, and his pitch-black pupils deepened. “What, are you here today to sow discord?”
Imperial Concubine Yan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Her laughter contained a hint of mockery and a hint of desolation. “How dare this concubine overestimate your strength and dare to provoke the relationship between you and the Crown Prince? Others don’t know about your favor to the Crown Prince. Can this concubine still not know?”
“Then what are you saying?” The Emperor said coldly.
“You don’t suspect anything about the Crown Prince, do you? But what has the Crown Prince done to you?” Imperial Concubine Yan looked at the Emperor and sneered.
The Emperor opened his mouth to reply, but when he thought of what Chu Yanzhi had done to him after obtaining the power, he suddenly hesitated.
How could he not know that the Crown Prince’s current lowering of Fu Xiao was more or less due to the loss of quite a few people in Zi Chen Palace that time? He did not have any hatred towards his father, but he was the blood of the Treasure Pearl. Even if he was dissatisfied with him, he still wanted to hand over this world to him. But would he think that? Back then, Xizhi had already died, and Mu Zhi didn’t have the qualifications to compete with him, would he think that the reason why he kept tolerating him over and over again was because he didn’t have a choice? If that was the case, what would he do if the news of Xizhi’s survival spread?
Thinking of this, the Emperor suddenly felt a hesitation in his heart.
Looking at the Emperor’s current expression, how could Imperial Concubine Yan not guess what he was thinking?
After thinking about it, it was truly ironic. Even if he sacrificed his other sons for Chu Yanzhi, once Chu Yanzhi truly had real power, he would not hesitate to suppress his suspicions.
That’s right, the Emperor Clan doesn’t have any father-son relationship.
To Chu Yanzhi, he was a pet, but he was definitely not in love.
Perhaps, the word’love ‘was not only extravagant, but also stupid.
“There is one more thing that His Majesty may not know. He already knows about the Crown Princess’ background.” Imperial Concubine Yan coldly added as she looked at the Emperor.
“You … what did you say?” The Emperor took a few steps back and sat down on the couch. “No, impossible, impossible! If he knew, why didn’t he come to find me? Why didn’t he say anything?”
Hearing the Emperor’s words, Imperial Concubine Yan couldn’t help but laugh a few times, “Yes, why didn’t the Crown Prince talk to you anymore? Furthermore, he pretended that he didn’t have anything else to do? Your Majesty, why did you say that?”
The Emperor stretched out his hand to cover his violently undulating chest, and his expression gradually became heavy.
“Your Majesty, do you still remember that General Zhang went to the Crown Prince’s Mansion the night he left?”
Imperial Concubine Yan’s words caused the Emperor to tremble. He raised his head and stared at Imperial Concubine Yan in disbelief, “You, what do you want to tell me?”
“What else can I tell His Majesty?” Imperial Concubine Yan smiled coldly. She raised her eyes and looked around. Finally, her gaze returned to the Emperor. “Does His Majesty feel better after consuming the pills that the Crown Prince had given him all day long? What did Imperial doctor say?”
“I’m fine!” The Emperor knitted his eyebrows and couldn’t help but stand up with his hands, but he felt dizzy the moment he got up.
Imperial Concubine Yan gave the Emperor a slap from head to toe and then lightly pulled the corners of her mouth. “Since His Majesty has said so, then all that His Majesty said just now about this concubine should be pretended not to have heard of it, right?” After saying that, she bowed her head and blessed the emperor, “I won’t disturb His Majesty’s rest anymore. I’ll take my leave.” After saluting, Imperial Concubine Yan turned around and prepared to leave. She had just taken a few steps, but stopped as if she suddenly remembered something. After a moment, she slowly turned around and said, “Your Majesty, have you ever regretted it? Perhaps … have you ever felt a trace of guilt?”
The Emperor was stunned, as if he did not understand what she was saying.
Imperial Concubine Yan pursed the corners of her lips forcefully, and a long string of tears finally fell out of her eyes. “Xizhi … do you have any regrets or guilt for what Xizhi did?” That child, he … he has always respected you as his father! However, he never expected that his father was not only his father, but also a ruthless emperor! “Imperial Consort Yan stopped looking at the Emperor’s expression and walked out without turning her head.
She did not see that behind her, the emperor fell onto the couch.
Xizhi, do you have any regrets or guilt about what Xizhi did?
He has always respected you as a father!
“Father Emperor, Father Emperor” A crisp child’s voice sounded in his ears.
The Emperor raised his head. Outside the window, there was nowhere for light to gush in. In a trance, he seemed to see a little child with a smile on his face. He held a string of flowers in his hand and stumbled towards him.
Xizhi …
