“My master wrote to me yesterday, saying I’ve returned to the bamboo forest in the western suburbs.” Su Xuening scooped up another spoonful of herbal medicine and handed it over.
Xuanyuan Zhan was taken aback for a moment, then frowned after drinking the medicine and asked, "Has Mother woken up?"
"Hmm." While feeding him the medicine, Su Xuening recounted the events in the bamboo forest yesterday to Xuan Yuanzhan.
She hadn't figured out her mother's identity yet, so she didn't want to talk to others about it, but Xuan Yuanzhan was different after all.
Even though she didn't consider him her true husband yet, at least he was a partner who could fight alongside her. So she didn't want to hide anything about her mother from him. Apart from the matter of the Su family's military seal, she told him everything else she could.
Xuan Yuanzhan was also greatly surprised after hearing what Su Xuening said: "So the phoenix they were talking about yesterday came to pick up Mother?"
I thought the people had misread it and were just spreading rumors, but I never expected that the phoenix really did appear outside the capital city, and it was even related to Su Xuening.
Su Xuening frowned, asking worriedly, "Has the palace received the news as well?"
Xuanyuan Zhan knew what she was worried about and comforted her, "Don't be afraid. Everyone thinks that the people saw it wrong and doesn't believe it's real. In a little while, I'll have Ye Yun and the others go out and spread a rumor that the phoenix they saw yesterday was fake."
Ordinary people tend to follow the crowd; if one person says it's false, everyone else will say it's false too.
Even if someone did see a phoenix and told others, no one would believe it.
They were on the same page. Su Xuening smiled and said, "No need. I've already written a reward notice for finding the phoenix kite. In a few days, everyone will believe that there was no real phoenix, just a phoenix kite."
Her method was simpler and more reliable than his; after all, she was more meticulous.
"The Phoenix is the guardian beast of the Western Liang Kingdom, so her mother must be a member of the Western Liang royal family!"
Xuan Yuanzhan never expected that Madam Su had such a hidden identity, and that she would suffer from amnesia one after another. The twists and turns in her story are astonishing.
Su Xuening looked dejected: "I want to know too."
Xuanyuan Zhan asked in surprise, "Didn't your mother tell you?"
Logically speaking, Madam Su should have had no reason to keep it from her.
Su Xuening smiled bitterly: "My mother has amnesia and is very hostile towards me and Yun'an. She doesn't remember us at all, and I didn't have the nerve to ask."
She should have asked; otherwise, there would be no need to speculate about her identity here.
Xuan Yuanzhan was stunned. Seeing that Su Xuening was a little sad, he comforted her, "Don't worry, she just has amnesia. She will remember sooner or later. She will definitely come back to find you."
Hearing Xuan Yuanzhan's words of comfort, Su Xuening mustered her strength and fed the last mouthful of medicine to Xuan Yuanzhan: "So, does Your Highness know which member of the Western Liang royal family has gone missing?"
Whether from the bitterness of the medicine or the question itself, Xuan Yuanzhan frowned. "I've never heard of that before. The Western Liang royal family has always been mysterious, but the phoenix is the guardian beast of the Western Liang Kingdom, and I've heard it only serves the Western Liang Empress. Could it be..."
Xuan Yuanzhan looked at Su Xuening, and the unfinished words shocked Su Xuening even more: "You mean my mother is... That's impossible, right? She stayed in Dongchu for twenty years. If she really is... how could Xiliang not be looking for her?"
If her mother was truly the Empress of Western Liang, even if she were in Eastern Chu, Western Liang would definitely send people to search for her; they would search the entire Xuan Tian Continent.
Moreover, there has never been any news of the disappearance of the Empress of Xiliang. If a monarch disappears for twenty years, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
Xuanyuan Zhan smiled wryly: "I was just guessing. I really haven't heard of the Western Liang Empress disappearing. The current Western Liang Empress ascended the throne at a young age and has been on the throne for over thirty years..."
Xuanyuan Zhan was only halfway through his sentence when both of them froze in surprise.
More than thirty years have passed, and if you calculate the age, it's true that I am indeed about the same age as my mother.
Su Xuening didn't think her mother could be the Empress of Xiliang. After all, no monarch could disappear for twenty years. Even if she was before, she probably wasn't anymore after these twenty years.
Furthermore, I haven't heard any news about the replacement of the Empress of Xiliang, so it probably isn't true.
However, since her mother can summon phoenixes, she must have a very noble status in the Western Liang royal family. She is about the same age as the Western Liang Empress, so she might even be the Empress's sister.
Xuanyuan Zhan was silent for a moment before saying, "How about this, I'll send spies into Xiliang to help you find out what big moves the Xiliang royal family has made recently, or if any royal family members have returned to Xiliang."
Su Xuening was indeed very worried about her mother, and nodded, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble Your Highness."
Xuanyuan Zhan laughed: "Why are you being so polite with me?"
Su Xuening sighed as she thought of something, "I originally wanted to let Mother enter the palace to testify against Su Huiyan and Su Renyi as soon as she woke up, but I didn't expect that Mother would lose her memory again and leave Dong Chu. This time, it's just that Su Renyi and Su Huiyan got off easy."
Su Xuening's eyes were filled with coldness and murderous intent.
Thinking of the torment her mother had suffered, she wished she could tear Su Renyi and Su Huiyan to pieces to relieve even a fraction of the hatred in her heart.
Xuan Yuanzhan glanced at Su Xuening, who was filled with hatred, and comforted her, "Don't worry, Su Renyi is still at the Dali Temple. The three judicial departments are very powerful, and I heard he was tortured terribly. Even if Mother doesn't intervene, he definitely won't escape this time."
"I heard that Consort Su has been released from confinement?" Su Xuening heard many palace maids discussing Consort Su kneeling outside Chengqian Palace all night when she entered the palace this morning.
"It's solved. It seems he knelt outside all night, demanding to see Xuanyuan Peng, but Xuanyuan Peng refused." Xuanyuan Zhan's mouth tasted bitter, so he took a candied fruit from the small table and popped it into his mouth.
Su Xuening observed Xuan Yuanzhan's actions and said with a slight ripple in her eyes, "Since His Majesty did not want to see Consort Su, yet he still lifted her confinement, His Majesty's attitude is quite subtle!"
Xuanyuan Zhan understood what she meant and comforted her, "There's no need to worry too much. He shouldn't protect Su Renyi."
These past few days, Xuanyuan Peng has been telling him every day that he will give him and Bai Fuya justice. He may not have much of a place in his heart, but Bai Fuya should still have some place!
Since he has made repeated promises to him, he should not do that cover-up again, otherwise it would not make sense!
In truth, Xuan Yuanzhan could not truly understand Su Xuening.
Xuan Yuanzhan was unaware of the importance of the Su family's military token to Xuan Yuanpeng, but Su Xuening did.
She knew from her past life that Xuanyuan Peng would indulge Su Huiyan and Su Renyi without any bottom line for the sake of the Su family's military seal. If Xuanyuan Peng had been a wise ruler, she and Su Yun'an, the descendants of loyal martyrs, would not have ended up in the same situation as in her past life.
No one can be sure whether Xuanyuan Peng will deal with Su Renyi in this life, which is why the Dowager Consort, who knows him so well, allowed Xuanyuan Zhan to stay in the palace.
Xuan Yuanpeng's attitude towards Su Huiyan is ambiguous now, and she is somewhat looking forward to seeing what choice Xuan Yuanpeng will make in the end.
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