The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 99

Chapter 099 Persistent Answer
In the early morning of winter, the fog was dense. Even when it was already dark, it still did not disperse. The high walls and tiled palaces were covered by the fog, and only a small outline could be vaguely seen.

In front of the Chonghua Gate, Chu Xizhi had already ordered people to wait there. As soon as Xiao Xiwei’s carriage arrived, someone immediately welcomed it.

“Second young miss, this servant is Jing Ren Palace’s eunuch manager Li Dehai. Second young miss has worked hard all the way.”

“Eunuch Li.” Xiao Xiwei got out of the carriage and blessed himself slightly.

“I don’t dare to treat you as such a big gift. Second Miss, please.” Li Dehai stepped aside and led Xiao Xiwei in the front.

The boundless fog covered the sky and the earth, and no one could be seen thirty feet away.

“It’s Second Miss Xiao up ahead.” Suddenly, a shrill voice sounded from the fog in front of him.

Li Dehai stopped and said, “Is it Eunuch Zhang?”

A series of footsteps gradually approached, and Eunuch Zhang’s face gradually appeared in his line of sight.

“Second Miss Xiao, please welcome Your Majesty.” Eunuch Zhang smiled and said to Xiao Xi.

Your Majesty?

Xiao Xiwei had doubts in her heart, but Sihao didn’t dare to express anything on her face. She smiled and blessed Eunuch Zhang, “Then I’ll trouble Eunuch Zhang to lead the way.”

Eunuch Zhang smiled and shook the whisk in his hand. He turned around and left with his head raised.

Xiao Xi glanced at Li Dehai and immediately followed Zi Yan.

In front of Chongde Hall, a figure knelt upright. His hair was black and his face was pale. Behind him were two palace maids.

“Second Miss Xiao, please wait here for a moment. Our family will report to His Majesty.” After walking to the hall door, Eunuch Zhang stopped and gave Xiao Xiwei an explanation before turning around and entering the hall alone.

Xiao Xiwei watched Eunuch Zhang enter the hall and unintentionally swept his gaze. Only then did he discover that the woman kneeling in front of the hall was actually Consort Shen.

“Your Highness.” Xiao Xi bowed slightly.

“It’s you.” Imperial Concubine Shen gritted her teeth and looked at Xiao Xiwei with a strong hatred in her eyes.

Xiao Xiwei looked at Consort Shen and did not say anything.

Judging from her appearance, she should have come to plead with the Emperor after knowing that something had happened to the Duke of Zheng. However, she was still kneeling here, so the Emperor probably ignored her.

Just as he was thinking, a little eunuch walked out from inside and said, “Second Miss Xiao, the Emperor greets you.”

Xiao Xiwei smiled faintly, “Thank you, Eunuch.”

As soon as he entered Chongde Hall, a faint incense burst forth.

“Your Majesty, Second Miss Xiao has arrived.”

“This official greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!” Xiao Xiwei bent down and knelt on the ground.

There was silence.

Occasionally, there was the sound of pages turning.

Xiao Xiwei pursed the corners of his lips and knelt on the ground without moving.

Time passed bit by bit.

After about half an incense stick of time, the Emperor finally raised his head from behind the table.

The woman who was kneeling in front of him wore a light blue dress embroidered with roses, and her collar was decorated with a ring of white fluff. On her palm-sized face, her slender eyelashes were slightly lowered, and even the walking pendant beside her ear was quietly lowered, without the slightest shake. His entire body was quiet and calm. This was truly beyond her expectations.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Above his head, a deep voice sounded.

“Your daughter is stupid.” Xiao Xiwei still lowered her eyes.

The Emperor raised his eyebrows, and a trace of coldness appeared in his deep eyes. “Stupid? There are rumors everywhere in the capital that you forced your mother to kill her younger sister. Don’t you know all of this?”

Xiao Xi raised his head slightly and calmly looked at the emperor. “This official thought that the rumors stopped at the wise.”

“Do you mean to say that I am a Coma Sovereign?” The Emperor’s dark eyes sank, and an invisible pressure was emitted from his body.

“Your Majesty’s merits and demerits are written by historians. The commoners say that your Majesty’s merits and demerits are only a small woman, so she dares not speak rashly.” Xiao Xiwei looked at the Emperor and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.

“What a historian, commentator. Then, in your eyes, am I the Coma Lord or the Ming Lord?”

“His Majesty is naturally Ming Jun.”

“Oh?”

“Because His Majesty did not listen to those so-called rumors.”

“How did you know that I didn’t believe you?”

“If the emperor believed, then I will

“He said.

The Emperor looked at the quiet girl in front of him. Few people could remain so calm under his repeated questioning. He had to admit that this woman was indeed suitable to be a princess. It would be a pity if she could marry …

“Your Majesty, His Majesty King Yan sent someone to ask when Second Miss Xiao will go to Jing Ren Palace to change the dressing for His Highness.” The eunuch’s voice broke the silence in the room.

The Emperor coldly rolled his eyes and said, “Retreat.”

“Official daughter, please leave.” Xiao Xiwei stood up and blessed the Emperor with his numb knees. Then, he turned around and left the Chongde Palace.

After staying in Chongde Hall for a while, the thick fog outside had dispersed quite a bit. Light golden sunlight shone down on the five-colored glazed tiles, reflecting a dazzling light.

Zi Yan, who had been waiting outside the Chongde Hall, saw Xiao Xiwei come out and hurriedly walked over to support her. “Miss, are you alright?”

Xiao Xiwei shook his head. Just as he was about to speak, the corner of his eyes inadvertently swept to the spot where Consort Shen was kneeling.

“Consort Shen just fainted.” Zi Yan explained in a low voice.

Xiao Xi nodded slightly, and then she held Zi Yan’s hand and left the Chongde Palace.

In Jing Ren Palace. If it weren’t for the fact that his body was still injured and he was afraid of attracting attention, Chu Xizhi really didn’t want to lie on the bed and wait like this.

“Second Miss Xiao, please come in.” Outside, a voice sounded.

Chu Xizhi hurriedly sat up. Perhaps the strength of his body was too great, affecting the wounds on his body. The corner of his mouth twitched in pain, and he subconsciously took a deep breath.

“What’s the matter?” Xiao Xiwei saw his movements and hurriedly stepped forward to support him worriedly.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Chu Xizhi frowned as he forcefully endured the pain and looked at Xiao Xiwei, “Wei’er, Father Emperor, he didn’t make things difficult for you, did he?”

Xiao Xiwei’s clear eyes stared at Chu Xizhi and his slender eyebrows raised. “Why did His Highness ask this? Why did His Majesty make things difficult for me? Didn’t His Majesty secretly agree to our marriage early in the morning? Since that’s the case, why would His Majesty find it difficult for me because of some unsubstantiated rumors?”

Chu Xizhi paused for a moment, then curved the corners of his lips. “Perhaps because I am his beloved son, he loves me and the crow. It is inevitable that he has higher demands on you than others.”

Xiao Xi’s lips curled up tightly as she stared coldly at Chu Xizhi for a long time without saying a word.

Chu Xizhi raised his hand to cover his mouth and unnaturally coughed, “Madam, why are you looking at me like this? Is there anything on my face?”

Xiao Xi glanced at Chu Xizhi with her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows raised. “There’s nothing on your face, but isn’t it certain in your heart?”

Chu Xizhi sighed and raised his hand to gently brush the hair on Xiao Xiwei’s ear. “Xiwei, there are some things you don’t need to investigate too deeply.”

Xiao Xiwei raised his hand and pulled off Chu Xizhi’s hand. A cold expression appeared in his clear eyes, “You know my past well. I have been deceived for a lifetime. Only when I die did I realize that all my efforts in life were actually a joke. Now you say such words to me again?”

“Xiwei …”

The beauty in front of him did not move at all, her eyes still emitting a cold light.

After reviving his life, the calm and intelligent she was in front of him shocked him. Originally, she was just a pure and weak little girl, causing people to be unable to help but close their fingertips and treat her with care and affection. However, that blaze not only revived her, but also allowed her to transform. The current her made her feel even more pity and heartache.

What kind of pain would it take to make an inexperienced girl quickly break through the cocoon and turn into a butterfly, becoming so cold and intelligent.

“What do you want to know?” Looking at those cold eyes, Chu Xizhi lost the battle and sighed helplessly.

“Then what don’t you want me to know?” Xiao Xiwei raised his eyebrows and asked.

Chu Xi was stunned for a moment, then she knitted her eyebrows and helplessly said, “When did you become so sharp-tongued!”

“Looks like His Highness still chose to hide it from my daughter.” The corner of Xiao Xiwei’s lips hooked as he looked at Chu Xizhi with a smile that was not a smile.

Actually, she didn’t have to know! However, she could not accept that the person hiding it from her was Chu Xizhi! She had lived her entire life with suspicion and caution, but he was the only one who didn’t have any heart to guard against. Moreover, he knew that what Chu Xizhi was hiding from her must be extremely important, and he was afraid that he would implicate her in it. But wasn’t he going to marry her? Since that’s the case, shouldn’t they be together? No matter what happens in the future, we should shoulder it together.

Listen, a prince, a minister.

It seemed that she was really angry.

Chu Xizhi knitted his eyebrows and helplessly sighed. He ignored the ferocious wound on his chest and reached out to pull Xiao Xi Wei into his arms. “Wei’er, you should know that the thing I’m most afraid of is the way you look at me.”

As soon as he got close to Chu Xizhi, that familiar ambergris smashed into his nose.

Xiao Xiwei’s nose suddenly turned sour. She stretched out her hand and wrapped it around Chu Xizhi’s waist. “Xizhi, I’m not angry. I’m just afraid that I’ll say that I’m just a burden to you in the end …”

“Who said that?” Chu Xizhi raised his eyebrows and said, “Xiwei, you have never been a burden to me. Whether in my previous life or in this life, you are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. Even if you are really a burden to me, I am willing to bear it.”

“But you don’t believe me?” Xiao Xi raised her eyes slightly and looked at Chu Xizhi with a bright gaze.

Chu Xizhi’s eyebrows twitched.

After talking for a long time, he returned to this place.

In the end, she still didn’t give up wanting to know the answer.

“You really want to know?”

Xiao Xiwei nodded.

Chu Xizhi let out a long sigh, “What should I do with you?” After saying that, he reached out and held Xiao Xiwei in his arms. He raised his eyes to look at the bright yellow veil above his head and thought for a while before he said faintly, “Where should I start?” They all said that my father, Emperor Mother, loved him the most, and that I was also my father’s favorite son. In fact, he ignored the objections of the court officials and wanted to help me to the position of Chu Jun … However, the Emperor’s Heart is the most elusive. The love and trust that he held on the surface are mostly for others to see … ”

Xiao Xiwei’s heart sank, “You mean …”

“I’m just a sword-blocking token that Father Emperor held to the surface.” Chu Xizhi looked at Xiao Xiwei, the corner of his mouth hooked, and a trace of inexplicable things appeared in his ink-jade-like eyes.