The Emperor's Phoenix

Chapter 19 | His Discussion

金   张  伟

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Jin Zhang Wei

"...If anything else happens to her, there will be hell to pay, Jian Yu." he growled, glancing anxiously at his wife's unconscious body as the female physician took her pulse.

"You have faith in your wife, don't you?" Emperor Tang placed a hand on Zhang Wei's shoulder, muttering in a low, dark voice. "...But consider this a lesson for the future. Dear Ying Yue wouldn't be like this if only you didn't stick your nose where it didn't belong."

Those were the last words they exchanged with each other before Zhang Wei left for Jin with his wife. Three days had passed since then, and she still had yet to wake up. Pacing around the room anxiously, he occasionally glanced over at his physician, who sat by Ying Yue's sleeping body as he flipped through his medical records.

Just thinking about the emperor's actions against his wife only enraged him the more he was reminded. That bastard certainly loved starting more drama than necessary, and it was aggravating that Zhang Wei was unable to take further actions due to the three-way alliance.

Something doesn't add up...From what I observed, Consort Sui and Emperor Tang have a common goal of killing Ying Yue--I officially determined that through Ying Yue's re-encounter with her step-mother...However, this petty hatred obviously can't be the only reason for them to also form the alliance, can it?

A sudden reminder struck him. "Ming Yu, I'll be out for a moment."

"...I swear, a case like this was in my records somewhere..." The physician didn't appear to be listening as his flipping grew more erratic.

Zhang Wei glanced at his wife's pale face over his shoulder for a moment before exiting the room to meet the bright sunset. He took a few steps down the corridor before he paused, glancing around cautiously and clearing his throat.

"...Attendant of the empress, show yourself."

From what some of his men reported to him a few days earlier, Ying Yue had arrived at the palace with a mysterious male servant. After prying around a bit more, he had suspicions that he was possibly an assassin. Upon her attack in Tang, he had sent her crow to contact the unknown man for a necessary talk.

What kind of men does my wife involve herself with?...

He was only met with silence as he glanced around observantly for a sign of a dark figure.

"...Good evening. It's an honor to finally meet Your Majesty."

He grabbed the hilt of the hidden blade in his robes in his moment of surprise, but relaxed upon seeing the bowing figure of a man to his right with the lower half of his face covered. There was a loud caw from the sky as her animal companion, Hei Wu, perched on Zhang Wei's shoulder.

"Zhang Wei! Zhang Wei!"

"What is your name?" He eyed the man cautiously.

The assassin met his gaze with unusual copper-red eyes like that of dried blood. "...Lu Cang, Your Majesty."

"Alright then, Lu Cang. Let's not waste any time here...For what purpose are you serving my wife? And what is your current objective?"

He bowed in apology after a moment of hesitation. "...I apologize. Although Your Majesty is my master's husband, it is only right for Her Highness to provide that information. I would rather sacrifice myself to wolves than go against her words."