Chapter 203

Xuanyuan Lie finished reviewing the memorial in his hand and flew into a rage. He directly smashed the desk into pieces.

Eunuch Hu aside saw the scene and immediately prostrated himself. He wondered what the memorial wrote to make the emperor so angry.

Xuanyuan Lie took a few deep breaths to slightly pacify his anger. Having glimpsed Eunuch Hu kneeling on the ground, he said angrily, “Summon Jiao Yongnian, Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and Liu Hongwen, Director in the Ministry of Justice into the palace to meet me.”

Hearing that, Eunuch Hu immediately said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

As soon as Eunuch Hu got out of the imperial study, a junior eunuch immediately came inside to clean up the mess.

After 15 minutes, Eunuch Hu came back and reported to Xuanyuan Lie, “Your Majesty, Lord Jiao and Lord Liu have arrived.”

“Let them in.” Xuanyuan Lie directly waved his hand without lifting his eyelids.

“Yes.” Eunuch Hu bowed himself out again.

A while later, Jiao Yongnian and Liu Hongwen walked inside.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Xuanyuan Lie didn’t let them rise. Instead, he threw the memories to the two of them, “Look at these memorials.”

Jiao Yongnian and Liu Hongwen were both dumbstruck and exchanged glances before picking a memorial from the ground. When they saw the memorial’s content, they were both astonished and their hands even started to tremble gently.

If this was true, it would be a capital crime punishable by familial extermination!

Staring at their astonished expressions, Xuanyuan Lie felt a lot less angry and slightly narrowed his dark eyes, saying coldly, “Three days. If you can’t find out the truth within three days, just resign from office and go home then.”

Hearing that, Jiao Yongnian and Liu Hongwen both shivered and didn’t dare to say anything further. They directly lowered their heads and said, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

In the Yonghe Palace, Zhou Manyun was holding a plate and feeding the golden fish in the pond.

Lian’er, Zhou Manyun’s close maid, walked to her and said with a slight bow, “Your Highness, Lord Zhou has arrived.”

Zhou Manyun arched her eyebrow. She still remained composed and continued feeding the fish, “Take him to the main hall.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Lian’er bowed herself out.

After feeding the golden fish for a while, Zhou Manyun passed the plate to the maid behind her. Then, with her hand rested on a eunuch’s hand, she ambled toward the main hall slowly.

Upon meeting Zhou Manyun, Lord Zhou flattened his sleeves and prostrated himself, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Zhou Manyun walked slowly to the seat of honor and sat down before looking at Lord Zhou and saying, “Don’t stand on ceremony. Rise.”

Hearing Zhou Manyun’s words, Lord Zhou finally got up slowly.

“Father, don’t keep standing. Take a seat.” Zhou Manyun looked at Lord Zhou and cracked a gentle smile.

Hearing that, Lord Zhou slightly expressed his thanks with a bow and finally sat on the chair aside unrestrainedly.

Seeing that Lord Zhou sat down, Zhou Manyun slightly tilted her head and said to Lian’er behind, “Lian’er, serve tea.”

“Yes.” Lian’er immediately bowed herself out to prepare some tea.

After Lian’er brought tea, Zhou Manyun asked about the recent situation of the Zhou Family and Lord Zhou answered the questions primly.

After they exchanged some pleasantries, as Zhou Manyun stayed quiet, Lord Zhou felt somewhat perturbed. After being quiet for a while, he finally asked, “I wonder why I’m summoned here.”

Hearing that, Zhou Manyun languidly put down the tea bowl and said with a smile, “Nothing serious. I just want to remind you to be discreet in the following days. Don’t let anyone get the goods on you. If anything really happens, I can’t save you.”

Lord Zhou was taken aback to hear that and felt more nervous. He wanted to ask something more but he couldn’t. After all, she was not his daughter. There was something he couldn’t intervene in.

Seeing Lord Zhou bite his tongue, Zhou Manyun smiled, “Here is another reminder for you. Something huge may happen to the court. You’d better be well prepared.”

Hearing that, Lord Zhou immediately rose and slightly bowed to Zhou Manyun, saying, “Thank you for the heads-up.”

In Zhou’s mansion of the Imperial City of the Baihu Empire.

Seeing that Lord Zhou came back, Mrs. Zhou immediately rose and said, “My Lord.”

Lord Zhou took a glance at Mrs. Zhou and then sat by the table with a grim face.

Mrs. Zhou’s heart jolted when she looked at Lord Zhou’s prim countenance. She lifted the teapot, poured a cup of tea and passed it to Lord Zhou, “My Lord, please have some tea.”

Lord Zhou glimpsed the tea given by Mrs. Zhou, took it and had a sip.

With hesitance, Mrs. Zhou looked at Lord Zhou and ventured to ask, “My Lord, Consort Hui summoned you into the palace today. What did she say?”

Hearing that, Lord Zhou put down the teacup and told Mrs. Zhou what Zhou Manyun had said to him.

After hearing Lord Zhou’s words, Mrs. Zhou put on a grim look and knitted her eyebrows. She seemed to be lost in thought. A while later, she looked at Lord Zhou and asked, “You didn’t ask her what on earth would happen in the following days?”

Hearing that, Lord Zhou shook his head and heaved a sigh, “You know, Consort Hui calls me father but she’s not our birth daughter anyway. It’s good enough that she can inform us if anything comes up. How can I ask further?”

Consort Hui couldn’t be easily dealt with or controlled by the Zhou Family. She came to give him the tip merely hoping that they could help the Second Prince ascend the throne. After all, it was because the Zhou Family could be of use.

Mrs. Zhou’s eyes darkened and the knuckles of her hands grabbing the handkerchief were slightly whitened.

Seeing Mrs. Zhou’s facial expression, Lord Zhou was swayed and held her into his arms affectionately.

Mrs. Zhou leaned against Lord Zhou’s arms and shed tears, “My Lord, I miss Yun so much.”

Lord Zhou heard her mention Yun, his eyes brimming with tears. At the thought of Yun’s appearance on her deathbed, Lord Zhou felt sad and his nose twitched. He almost shed tears.

Yun was the only daughter of him and his wife. They got married at a young age. He loved his wife. Even though he and his wife were childless after being married for more than ten years, he had never wanted to take in a concubine. Luckily, he had a child. Although their child was a daughter, they were quite contented.

Yun had been meek and adorable since she was little. She was the apple of their eye. Yun was not only obedient but also beautiful. Just like her mother, she was elegant and pretty. She was picked by the emperor at the age of fifteen. However, she was diagnosed with a strange illness the night before entering the palace. She became skinny within a few days. Very quickly, she passed away.

He and his wife were inconsolable. When he wanted to report his daughter’s death to the emperor, the current Consort Hui appeared and said that she was willing to enter the palace in place of his daughter. He was hesitant at first. Afterward, he was convinced by her. In the end, she entered the palace in place of his Yun and became the current Consort Hui.

Lord Zhou came to his senses and wiped tears off Mrs. Zhou, “Tomorrow, ask Sheng to take his wife and children to lie low outside the city.”

Sheng was adopted from the clan by him after Yun passed away. If anything untoward happened, they wouldn’t have anything to worry about but he didn’t want to implicate Sheng and Sheng’s wife.

“Okay.” Mrs. Zhou heard that and nodded. Now, the situation was unclear. Their son should go out and lie low indeed.

For so many years, she had long regarded Sheng as her own son. And the two grandchildren were her sweethearts too. How could she bear to see anything happen to them?

…

On the southwest border.

On Situ Kong’s carriage, Phoenix Fourteen lifted the curtain and said to Phoenix Thirteen outside, “Thirteen, it’s your turn to have a rest.”

Phoenix Thirteen glanced at Yu Ying who looked tired and opened her mouth. She wanted to say something but she still bit her tongue and turned her head to nod at Phoenix Fourteen. Then, she got into the carriage.

Yu Ying took a glance at Phoenix Thirteen’s back in grief. They had consented to take turns to rest. Why didn’t she let him have a rest at all?

In the carriage, Phoenix Thirteen dragged Phoenix Fourteen who was about to go out and said with worry, “Is this appropriate? He hasn’t rested for several days.”

Phoenix Fourteen immediately widened her eyes, “He has betrayed Her Highness. It serves him right!”

Phoenix Thirteen heaved a sigh and patted Phoenix Fourteen’s shoulders, “Don’t make things too difficult for him. After all, Yu Ying is a man. Be nice to him.”

In fact, she could understand Yu Ying. After all, his master was Prince Zhan. He was merely being loyal to his own master.

Her Highness knew that Yu Ying sent out information and didn’t pursue the matter. Actually, it was also an act of acquiescence. Her Highness must want to let Prince Zhan know that she was safe through Yu Ying. However, Fourteen was too honest and upright to understand Her Highness’s thoughts. She just kept blaming Yu Ying.

Yet, despite her honest and upright character, she was obedient and soft-hearted.

As expected, after hearing Phoenix Thirteen out, Phoenix Fourteen blinked and then nodded, “Okay. I’ll get out and harness the horse then.”

He didn’t have to harness the horse. Leaning against the shaft, he should be able to take a rest!

As soon as Phoenix Fourteen sat by Yu Ying, she seized the whip from Yu Ying’s hand.

Yu Ying blinked and looked at Phoenix Fourteen in confusion.

Looking at Yu Ying’s dazed face, Phoenix Fourteen said uncomfortably, “Given that you’re a man, I’ll allow you to rest a bit.”

Actually, these days, Phoenix Fourteen had never regarded Yu Ying as a man. It was mainly because Yu Ying was not as weak as the men in the Zhuque Empire that she directly ignored the fact that he was a man.

Yu Ying’s mouth twitched. What Phoenix Fourteen said sounded so weird.

Before he thought it through, Phoenix Fourteen said, “Forget about it this time. If I learn that you dare to betray Her Highness again, I’ll teach you a lesson.”

Hearing Phoenix Fourteen’s threatening words, Yu Ying touched his nose with a guilty conscience. He didn’t want to betray Her Highness. He was also very perturbed at doing that but in order to reassure His Highness and not to be punished to guard the gate, he had to reveal Her Highness’s whereabouts to His Highness. He only hoped that His Highness could come earlier. In that case, he didn’t have to be caught in the middle.