The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 261

Chapter 261 Within Ten Years
The peach blossom bloomed again and again, and in the blink of an eye, it had already been ten years.

Xiao Xiwei was standing not far from the path paved with bluestones in the Imperial Garden, holding an osmanthus flower high in her hand, guiding the toddler’s jade light.

In these ten years, Emperor Taishang had passed away. She first gave birth to the second prince, Chu Tianming, and then she gave birth to the Third Princess, Yaoguang, who had just turned one year old. During this decade, Chu Xizhi never accepted an imperial concubine. Imperial officials began to discuss, Four years ago, a few humerus ministers knelt in front of the hall and begged His Majesty for an ample harem, Chu Xizhi turned a deaf ear. The ministers knelt in front of the hall for three hours. Later on, Chu Xi was enraged. He sent all the beauties from the neighboring countries to the ministers’ mansions, It stirred up a fire in the backyards of the ministers, Xiao Xiwei no longer had time to worry about Chu Xizhi accepting no imperial concubine. When the other ministers saw this, they all fell silent. They did not dare to say a word more about the matter of imperial concubine. In addition, Xiao Xiwei had been cautious these years, never interfering in the government affairs and kept the harem in order. Hence, no one had mentioned the matter of imperial concubine in the past few years.

Xiao Xiwei shook the pastry in his hand and smiled mercifully at Yao Guang, who was still standing there, not daring to move. “Yao Guang, come, this …”

Tianye could walk in eleven months. Tomorrow was even earlier, and he could leave in ten months. Only Yaoguang, who was more than a year old, still didn’t dare to walk alone.

Yaoguang blinked her round eyes and looked at her mother. Finally, her gaze fell on the dessert in her mother’s hand. She still remembered the alluring smell, but the distance …

Her clear eyes were filled with hesitation.

“Yaoguang, if you don’t want this dessert, Mother Empress will eat it.” Xiao Xiwei said as if she wanted to bring the pastry to him.

One-year-old Yaoguang saw this and couldn’t help but walk towards Xiao Xiwei step by step with her fat legs. When she was still a few steps away from Xiao Xiwei, she stabbed her entire body into Xiao Xiwei’s arms.

“Why are you so anxious every time? Didn’t Mother say that the road must be taken step by step?” Xiao Xiwei hurriedly reached out and hugged Yaoguang. As he supported her, he couldn’t help but say with heartache.

One-year-old Yaoguang did not care what her mother said. She raised her hand and snatched the pastry from Xiao Xiwei’s hand. She raised her hand and stuffed it into her small mouth. This gluttony appearance made the palace maid beside her laugh secretly.

“I don’t know who the little princess followed with her gluttonous appearance.” Zi Yan, who was already married, looked at Yao Guang and smiled.

“It won’t just follow me.” A straightforward voice took Zi Yan’s words.

Xiao Xi raised his head slightly. Seeing Chu Xizhi wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, Feng Shen walked towards her handsomely, with two small tails behind him.

“Mother Empress.” Behind them, Chu Tianye and Chu Tianming walked forward and bowed to Xiao Xiwei.

Xiao Xiwei smiled and nodded at the two of them.

Before she could speak, Zi Yan finished her sentence and smiled at Chu Xizhi, “That’s not necessarily the case. This servant has served the Empress for so many years, but I haven’t seen the Empress like to eat snacks.”

“Then you see that Zhen likes to eat snacks.” As Chu Xizhi spoke, he bent down and picked up Yaoguang. He reached out to pinch her tender face and said.

“How does this servant know?” Zi Yan smiled.

Such conversations would always be heard in the palace from time to time. If it wasn’t for the bright yellow dragon robe worn by Chu Xizhi, many people probably wouldn’t believe that an emperor would actually tease a servant like this. Many years later, there would always be old Nurse reminiscing about the emperor to the maids who had just entered the palace.

Xiao Xiwei did not listen to their conversation because she saw her youngest son, Chu Tianming, twisting his little face tightly with a depressed expression. She couldn’t help but say, “What’s wrong with tomorrow?” Chu Tianming asked, but his eyes were fixed on Chu Xizhi, who was hugging Yaoguang with a doting expression.

Chu Xizhi turned around and looked at Chu Tianming, his eyes sinking. “Why don’t you tell your mother yourself? Do you still want me to speak?”

Chu Tianming’s little face collapsed when he heard Chu Xizhi’s words.

“What exactly happened?” Xiao Xiwei frowned in confusion and turned his gaze to Chu Tianye.

Chu Tianye was four years older than Chu Tianming, but his temperament was extremely steady since he was young. Compared to Chu Tianming’s lively and active personality, Chu Tianye, who was only eleven years old, was too young and mature. Although it was reassuring, Xiao Xiwei always felt that his temperament was not because he had been fostered by her in the Xiang family when he was young.

“After returning to my mother, my teacher gave me some homework yesterday.”

“Big brother, you are not allowed to say anything!” Chu Tianming turned his head and glared at Chu Tianye.

He grew up to seven years old. After countless lessons, he learned that it didn’t matter how much trouble he had caused in this palace, or even angered his father. As long as he had his mother to protect him, he would always be safe and sound in the end. However, he did not dare to provoke a single person, because once she was angry, his father would beat him to death. No matter who tried to persuade him, it would be useless. This person was his mother’s empress.

Xiao Xiwei glanced at Chu Tian in displeasure. Then, he looked at Chu Tian Ye again. “Tianye, continue. Did he not do his homework tomorrow?”

Xiang Mingxuan had always been strict with the homework of the two children. It must have been Tianming who had not done the homework Xiang Mingxuan had given him, which had angered him.

“No, Second Brother did his homework. However, the teacher gave Second Brother’s homework to Father Emperor.” Chu Tianye said.

Xiao Xi frowned slightly and looked at Chu Xizhi. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong with the homework?”

Chu Xizhi snorted. Then, he took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Xiao Xiwei. “It’s better for you to see for yourself.”

Xiao Xiwei took the piece of paper and unfolded it doubtfully. What caught her eye was Chu Tianming’s untidy handwriting. She saw a distorted poem written on it.

The teacher turned around and said,

A cow on the edge of the field was frightened to death.

Teacher II turned around.

The rabbit fell into the ditch.

Xiao Xiwei’s expression changed as he raised his hand and threw the piece of paper in front of Chu Tianming. He said angrily, “You … what are you writing?”

Chu Tianming shrugged his head and muttered softly, “Isn’t it just poetry …”

“You! Is there anyone who writes poetry like this!” Xiao Xiwei couldn’t wait to knock Chu Tianming’s head open and see what was inside.

He was clearly the brother of a mother, so why was this so naughty? No wonder Xiang Mingxuan would present this poem to Xizhi. He didn’t know how angry he was at this moment.

Chu Tianming lowered his head. Under the fury of his mother, he didn’t dare to harrumph a single word.

He was sure that if he said one more word, he might not know how Father Emperor would beat him up in a while. Most importantly, Mother Empress would no longer protect him. Thinking of this, his small face twisted into a ball, causing Xiang Mingxuan to feel half-dead resentment in his heart. Didn’t he just write a poem to tease him? As for stabbing him in front of his mother?

“Bi Yun, go prepare a generous gift, and then prepare a carriage. In a while, the Emperor and I will go to the manor.” Xiao Xiwei said with a calm face.

“Yes.”

“What, I also want to go?”

He brought Tianming over because he was afraid that he would offend her by privately beating him up. Therefore, he exposed Tianming’s mistakes in front of her, so that this kid would have nowhere to complain. He didn’t want to, but even he brought him in together. Looking at Xiao Xiwei’s posture, it seemed that he wanted him to apologize in front of Xiang Mingxuan and say good things. Thinking of this, Chu Xizhi became even more unhappy.

“Your Majesty, are you unwilling?” Xiao Xi’s slightly slender eyebrows raised, and her phoenix eyes slanted sideways as she swept Chu Xizhi over.

Chu Xizhi forcefully pulled the corner of his mouth and hugged the Yaoguang in his arms. He said embarrassedly, “How dare I” With that, he gouged out Chu Tianming with the remaining light from the corner of his eyes.

It was clearly this brat’s fault, but why did he end up asking this daddy to apologize? Where could he find a place to salute him?

Chu Tianming did not expect this result. He was secretly laughing in his heart as he escaped a calamity. He did not expect that Xiao Xiwei’s voice would ring again.

“Tomorrow, too. Didn’t Lianpo apologize in ancient times? As a sign of sincerity, you should carry the thorns and go to the manor.” Xiao Xiwei coldly looked at Chu Tianming and said.

“Mother Empress” Chu Tianming’s face immediately collapsed. He pleaded for mercy and looked at Xiao Xiwei. However, this time, the usually generous mother Empress was too lazy to even give him a glance. She directly turned around and left.

Seeing Xiao Xiwei leave, Chu Xizhi turned to the palace master beside him and said, “Didn’t you hear what the Empress said? Hurry up and prepare thorns for the Second Prince.”

“Yes.” Seeing that the emperor was angry, the palace servant hurriedly retreated.

Chu Tianming squinted his lips and looked like he was about to cry, “Father, is this really the case …”

He just wrote a limerick on the spur of the moment.

Chu Xizhi looked at him and snorted coldly, “Did you say that?” After saying that, he carried Yaoguang and flew away.

Seeing that his father and mother ignored him, Chu Tianming sniffed. His heart was filled with grievance and frustration. He turned around and saw Chu Tianye standing at the side silently. The anger in his heart burst out, “Chu Tianye, didn’t I just tell you not to tell mother! You want to see my jokes like that!”

Chu Tianye raised his eyes and swept his pitch-black eyes over Chu Tianming. After a while, his voice rang out.

“Second brother, when will you grow up?” Then he turned around and left.

Chu Tianming glared at Chu Tianye’s back and shouted, “You muffled fool, what do you know?”

At the end of the path, Chu Tianye’s figure did not pause for a moment before disappearing into the corner of the path.

He really didn’t know anything. He only knew that since he was sensible, his father had taught him that he wanted to be the mother’s queen in the future. He couldn’t allow others to bully his mother’s queen. Over the years, Father Emperor had always taken him to his side and taught him carefully. He was harsher than anyone else. Although he didn’t know why, he had seen Father Emperor standing alone in the Imperial Study, staring at the portrait of Mother in a daze. His eyes were filled with sorrow and reluctance …

On this side, Xiao Xiwei ordered his men to prepare a gift. After packing it up, they prepared to go to the manor with Chu Xizhi. When she arrived at the carriage, she raised her leg and was about to get on the carriage when she suddenly saw Chu Xizhi’s body shake beside her. Before she could regain her senses, she saw him suddenly fall towards her …