Red Mansion Rebirth: Ghost Phoenix

On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, Jing Quan arrived at the imperial mausoleum on horseback, bringing a handwritten letter from Emperor Chongzhao.

Wang Xifeng unfolded the letter suspiciously. There were only two words on it: "Return quickly."

Wanting to ask why, Jing Quan shook his head tiredly, clasped his fists hastily, turned around and went out, telling Guo Jian and Chen Duo:

"Gather all the troops and escort the imperial concubine back to the palace in two quarters of an hour."

The voice is hoarse, dry and hoarse.

Wang Xifeng shouted through the window: "Jingquan, come in, I just want to ask you one question!"

Jing Quan turned a deaf ear and left in a hurry.

Wang Xifeng was slamming the table and cursing in the inner room, but she had to ask Ruer to pack up her things quickly.

It was not until the army was on the march that Jing Quan drove away the driver of Wang Xifeng's carriage, sat on the shaft, and whispered to Wang Xifeng:

"The Queen passed away the day before yesterday, and the Emperor also passed away last night.

"Prince Duan had a high fever, and His Majesty fainted twice..."

Wang Xifeng clutched her sleeves tightly with her fingers and stared at Jingquan's back for a long while before she asked in a trembling voice:

"Is the Imperial Guard stable?"

"When I left the capital, everything was fine." Jing Quan glanced at Guo Jian who was at the front of the large group of people and whispered, "The fourth branch of the Guo family only has Commander Guo as the only heir.

"Your Majesty asked me to consult with the Queen."

Wang Xifeng didn't even stutter, she shook her head and said: "Guo Jian is loyal to Your Majesty, there is no need for him to have any ideas.

"Just tell him the truth later.

"After entering the capital, we still don't know what kind of people will cause trouble or what kind of monsters will happen. We need to prepare him mentally."

Jing Quan nodded in agreement, and then reported the situation in the palace in a low voice: "Xu Taipin has been promoted to Taifei, and now she is with Li Xuanyi in the harem to handle palace affairs.

"Princess Yongning and Princess Heke are taking care of Prince Duan together.

"Your Majesty is served by Geng Ronghua and his men."

Wang Xifeng was silent for a while before asking, "How is Shi Ronghua doing after her miscarriage?"

Shi Ronghua was pushed down by Sang, and was harmed by a palace maid in Penglai Palace, causing her to lose her children and fertility. Although this matter was kept secret in the palace, outsiders did not know about it.

But Wang Xifeng had Chen Duo by her side, so when he heard about this, he could understand it.

Jing Quan replied calmly, "It's not that bad. But every day, apart from taking medicine and sleeping, I only worship Buddha and recite scriptures, and never leave the palace."

"Madame Duan..." Wang Xifeng seemed to be hesitant to speak.

If I fail to keep an eye on Mei Ruoqin and Shi Jincheng, I'm afraid the old nanny will doubt herself deeply and will never be able to get over it again.

At this point, Jing Quan couldn't help but sigh: "Madame Duan failed to commit suicide, so she cut her hair and went to the nunnery to pray for Your Majesty."

Wang Xifeng didn't know what to say, so she just kept her mouth shut.

Run all the way.

As the sun set in the west, a team of more than 500 people entered the capital.

Wang Xifeng took Guo Jian, Chen Duo and Jing Quan straight to the Xuanzheng Hall - the Sizheng Hall had been officially used as the hall for storing the coffin of the retired emperor.

Without waiting for anyone to report, Chang Ying came out with a happy face: "Your Majesty, please come quickly. Your Majesty has been waiting for a long time!"

Geng Ronghua came over upon hearing the voice, and was surprised and delighted: "The Imperial Concubine is back!"

"Yes." Wang Xifeng walked quickly to the bedroom at the back, grabbed the hand that Geng Ronghua offered and shook it vigorously, "How is your majesty?"

"The doctor said he's fine, but he just refused to eat, so he's very weak." Geng Ronghua hurriedly reported in a low voice, "He just had a bowl of bird's nest porridge half an hour ago."

"Tell the food bureau to prepare porridge and pickles." Wang Xifeng patted her hands and stepped into the inner room of the bedroom. Chang Ying was outside the door, closing it considerately.

In just one month, Emperor Chongzhao had become so thin that his cheeks were sunken, his eyes were lifeless, and he just leaned against the head of the bed in a daze, speechless.

Wang Xifeng walked up to him, looked at him with a frown, and a feeling of pity welled up in her heart.

The Emperor Taishang was reluctant to kill his son Prince Su, and the Queen Mother was extremely partial to Emperor Chongzhao and Prince Su, so he used some means to kill the Queen Mother.

It so happened that when he was reciting scriptures in another palace, he witnessed with his own eyes the scene of hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix.

Tai Shang wanted to kill himself.

Sang Xian had long wanted to replace him, so even though he was confined to his house, he was still looking for a way out.

It was indeed she who reported the matter of the birds paying homage to the phoenix in the palace to the Emperor through the eunuch Gao Mi.

She originally wanted to test the tolerance of the Emperor Taishang and Emperor Chongzhao, but she ended up making things worse and the Emperor Taishang made up his mind to kill herself for his son.

At this time, although I have a way to avoid it, it is just like a thief who steals for a thousand days. How can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?

Since it has come to a life-and-death struggle, she won't be polite.

The prince's decision was made under her guidance.

But Wang Xifeng did not expect that she could do it so perfectly, quietly induce Sang Xian to commit suicide, and even persuade Shi Jincheng to cooperate actively, so that the pregnancy would naturally be planted on Empress Mo.

As for the fact that the Grand Master secretly killed Empress Mo later, it was within Wang Xifeng's expectations.

He could even kill the most capable assistant in the harem of Emperor Chongzhao, let alone Empress Mo who might be a hindrance to both Emperor Chongzhao and Prince Duan? !

The only thing she didn't expect was that Emperor Chongzhao would not let his father go...

Is he so cruel and ruthless?

Wang Xifeng became even more alert.

"Your Majesty, I have returned by your order." She spoke softly, knelt gracefully on the edge of the bed, and took the emperor's skinny hand.

She looked down at the hand with a look of heartache, then looked up at the pale and thin face of Emperor Chongzhao. Her eyelids twitched and tears filled her eyes:

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

Emperor Chongzhao smiled bitterly: "The queen is dead."

"I heard that... Your Majesty has always been in poor health and she must have been very tired this time..." Wang Xifeng made up an excuse.

Emperor Chongzhao shook his head slowly and whispered, "Shi Ronghua admires you, she is jealous, so she instigated Sang to get rid of her fetus..."

Wang Xifeng's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Brother Tao is a good man. I have no shortage of sons. His Majesty was afraid that I would turn a blind eye to this and cause disaster in the future, so he killed the Queen."

Emperor Chongzhao smiled bitterly, "I never knew that he didn't care about the life and death, honor and disgrace of us sons back then, but now he doesn't allow others to care either..."

Wang Xifeng's heart was slightly shaken, and she blurted out, "Does the emperor really not care?"

Emperor Chongzhao said in a light voice: "Whether I care or not is my business, and it is up to me to decide, not him."

"I guess if His Majesty had shown earlier that he cared, the Supreme Lord might not have taken action..."

Wang Xifeng heard herself refuting the emperor, and then she stopped and shut her mouth.

Emperor Chong Zhao looked up at her, his smile becoming even more miserable: "Yes. You are right.

"So, when he asked me when to deal with you, a phoenix that only knows how to rise to power, I showed that I cared.

"So, he said, let me choose between you and the world."

Wang Xifeng looked at him blankly, as if she was listening to a fairy tale.

"No, later he even told me to choose between you and him." Emperor Chongzhao leaned against the head of the bed, his face looking like he was neither smiling nor crying.

“I said, I choose Wang Xifeng.

“He spat out blood.

"Then he vomited more blood."

Emperor Chongzhao looked down at Wang Xifeng, still smiling faintly, "Guess why?"