Chapter 852 Meeting Xiao Yu Again
After Jiang Jinyan left, Jiang Fenghua and Jiang Huai were left in the study staring at each other wide-eyed.
“Ruan Ruan,” Jiang Huai spoke first.
"Father, please stop. I haven't suffered. You know the Emperor's nature. At most, he's just neglected me." Jiang Fenghua said lightly and calmly.
She continued, "The most important thing now is the current crisis. The envoys have come with ill intentions. The Northern Owl Kingdom is ambitious and its intentions are obvious to everyone. The fact that it dares to come to the Great Zhou in such a blatant manner shows that it has enough confidence and assurance to escape unscathed. It is also unknown how many assassins from the Earthly Fiend Sect there are in the Great Zhou Kingdom."
Jiang Huai said, "There has been some unrest in the Northwest. His Majesty has sent General Peng with men to guard the area immediately. His Majesty is under a lot of pressure. Ruan Ruan, hurry back to the palace!"
Jiang Fenghua said, "You must protect yourselves. We have people watching over the Jiang residence, but it's different outside. Tell your mother and second sister's family to be careful."
She has too many weaknesses, and everyone is watching her and the Jiang family.
Jiang Huai asked, "Is there any danger? The Northern Owl Kingdom is coming for the Great Zhou, so why are they all targeting the Jiang family?"
Jiang Fenghua sighed, "Perhaps this is what Father was worried about back then! Once I'm in the game, I can't get out. The Jiang family and the royal family are now tied together; we share the same fate, and we share the same fate."
Jiang Huai could only sigh, "Let Ayu stay by your side from now on. She's smart and can help you. I'll feel at ease then."
Jiang Fenghua said, "Okay."
Jiang Fenghua left the study, but Jiang Huai stayed behind under the pretext of having to attend to official business. After his daughter left, he fell into deep thought. The future of the Jiang family should not rest solely on Ruan Ruan's shoulders.
Jiang Huai picked up his pen and began writing letters to his family in Yucheng and to his fourth son, Jiang Zhiqin, who was stationed far away on the frontier.
Jiang Fenghua came out of the study and walked to the front yard where she saw Xiao Yu again.
Xiao Yu quickly rose and bowed, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty the Empress."
"Lord Xiao, you may dispense with the formalities," Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice.
Jiang Jinyan frowned. "Ruan Ruan, Minister Xiao has brought some important news. Let's go inside and talk!"
Jiang Fenghua felt heavy-hearted after hearing this. "Yinchuan Kingdom? What does that mean?"
Xiao Yu stared at the petal between Jiang Fenghua's eyebrows and explained, "Your Majesty, the mark between your eyebrows wasn't painted on, was it?"
"No," Jiang Fenghua said without hiding it.
Xiao Yu clenched his fist, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. "Legend has it that there was a lost ancient kingdom in history called Yinchuan. There is a legend that the Ice Phoenix Mark was the divine emblem of Ashina Xue, the founding queen of Yinchuan. Your Majesty, take a close look at the flower between your eyebrows. Has it changed? Doesn't it look like a phoenix reborn from the ashes?"
Jiang Jinyan moved closer and took the candlestick to examine Jiang Fenghua's brow more closely. He exclaimed in surprise, "From a different angle, it does indeed look like a fire phoenix."
Jiang Fenghua let Jiang Jinyan look her over, and she said, "This is getting more and more outrageous. It's clearly a flower, how can it look like a phoenix?"
"Xiao Yu, come and take a look. Doesn't it look like a fire phoenix?"
Xiao Yu was pulled along by Jiang Jinyan, and he also leaned closer to examine the flower between her eyebrows...
He said, "That day, I noticed a hint of worry on Your Majesty's brow."
"What are you worried about..." Jiang Fenghua said calmly.
She suddenly raised her hand to touch her brow. Could it really change?
Unexpectedly, she accidentally knocked over the candlestick in Jiang Jinyan's hand. Jiang Jinyan was also lost in his own thoughts and did not notice that the candlestick almost set her sleeve on fire. He quickly moved aside.
At the same time, Xiao Yu reacted quickly, pulling Jiang Fenghua's wrist away. In an instant, the two were very close. Xiao Yu instinctively protected Jiang Fenghua's body, and the red spider lily between her brows seemed to strike his heart.
His heart suddenly pounded, and his cheeks seemed to flush. He quickly withdrew his right hand from Jiang Fenghua's wrist and asked respectfully, "Is Your Majesty alright?"
Xiao Yu was originally handsome, with fair skin, gentle and smooth like jade, as pure and holy as the bright moon.
Jiang Fenghua smiled, finding it hard to imagine how such a gentle man could carry a corpse without batting an eye.
She casually changed the subject, "Why did Lord Xiao bring up Yinchuan again? I've never heard of the Kingdom of Yinchuan. What does the flower between my eyebrows have to do with the ancient Kingdom of Yinchuan? The eldest prince of the Northern Owl Kingdom said it's called Manjusaka, which has no connection to the Ice Phoenix of the Kingdom of Yinchuan!"
Xiao Yu calmed himself and explained, "The ancient kingdom of Yinchuan has a long history, and its disappearance is shrouded in mystery. The kingdom of Beixiao was established only two hundred years ago. Legend has it that the first Khan of Beixiao was also from the Central Plains. However, the glacial polar regions were extremely harsh, and people from the Central Plains had never set foot there. As time went by, Beixiao gradually took shape and had its own territory. The legend of the ancient kingdom of Yinchuan has been around for over a thousand years."
"What connection do they have?" Jiang Fenghua asked, puzzled.
"There should be no contact."
“The ancient kingdom of Yinchuan has a secret technique that is said to be able to bring the dead back to life,” Xiao Yu said in a deep voice. “These are just recent rumors, and I’ve only heard bits and pieces of them; there’s no coherent information.”
Jiang Fenghua was startled. The words "resurrection" left her feeling unsettled for a long time. Was her rebirth an accident, or was it something someone had done on purpose?
Did the ancient kingdom of Yinchuan really exist, or was it fabricated?
Jiang Jinyan asked, "Brother Xiao, where did you hear all this?"
"There are rumors circulating outside that it has been turned into a story and is being told in restaurants and teahouses." Xiao Yu looked at Jiang Fenghua and added, "Your Majesty, the mark between your eyebrows may need to be covered up."
Jiang Fenghua shook her head. "I'm afraid it's too late. It can't be covered up anymore. No wonder the eldest prince of Beixiao Kingdom seemed to be referring to the mark between my eyebrows. He may also be after the legend of the ancient Yinchuan Kingdom."
She said calmly, "The Northern Owl Kingdom wants to conquer the Great Zhou. I suspect that the Northern Owl Kingdom also wants to find traces of the ancient Yinchuan Kingdom, perhaps for that secret technique."
Jiang Jinyan and Xiao Yu were both startled, staring at Jiang Fenghua in disbelief.
That's possible.
Jiang Fenghua glared at them. "I have no connection with the Queen of the Ancient Kingdom of Yinchuan. I am a daughter of the Jiang family and a citizen of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Don't get any ideas."
Xiao Yu said, "But there is another legend among the people that when the Ice Phoenix is reincarnated, the world will change hands."
Jiang Fenghua's heart pounded like a drum. What Ice Phoenix reincarnation? Could her rebirth really be related to the Yinchuan secret technique? But what does this have to do with the Northern Xiao Kingdom? The way Xiao Shang looked at her, and Xiao Shang's strange behavior—whether in her past life or this life, she had no connection with the Northern Xiao Kingdom or Xiao Shang.
"Ruan Ruan," Jiang Jinyan said gravely, "Should we tell the Emperor about this?"
Jiang Fenghua smiled bitterly: "Xie Shang was already wary of me. When the words 'Ice Phoenix reincarnated, the world changes hands' reached his ears, even if he loved me, I'm afraid it couldn't dispel the fear and suspicion that someone wanted to take his throne."
"Brother, I'm afraid these words were deliberately spread by someone with ulterior motives, with the aim of sowing discord between the Emperor and Empress." She forced a smile, fearing that Xiao Shang already knew she was a reborn person, and was using the rumors of the ancient Yinchuan Kingdom to test her.
Given the current situation, she can only take it one step at a time, dealing with whatever comes her way.
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