It’s hard to break a phoenix’s destiny

Chapter 498: To Be Strong, You Must Protect Yourself with the Weak

The Killing Beak remained silent, but the Golden Rooster Feet opposite it could not help but flap its wings a few times, seemingly preparing to attack.

But the next moment everyone guessed wrong.

Just when the Golden Rooster Foot had not yet fully flown up, the Killing Beak bit off half of the Golden Rooster Foot's wing alive with a movement that no one could see clearly.

The ground was covered with blood and messy chicken feathers, and of course the lung-piercing screams of the golden rooster's desperate struggle.

Everyone present was stunned, watching the golden rooster's feet tumbling and thrashing on the stage, thinking: Is Du Jian crazy? He is so eager to please the emperor that he even forgot to put on a show. How can the emperor be happy? It's not a fair victory, it's meaningless!

Sure enough, the next moment, Sima Chi stood up with a very dark face, "Three wins out of five, right? It's only two wins, what's the point? It's more interesting to go to the ancestral temple and burn incense."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's faces became even worse.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, people should go to the ancestral temple to burn incense and pray for good weather and good harvests in the coming year. But after Emperor Xiaohui Sima Zhong ascended the throne, he was too lazy to get up early, so many etiquette rules were abolished. As a result, he did not go to the ancestral temple to burn incense on every Lunar New Year's Day during his more than 20 years in power.

On the first New Year's Day after Sima Chi ascended the throne, no one mentioned ancestor worship, hoping to see what he would do. But he organized cockfighting, and just now he had the drama of banishing the queen to the cold palace. Now he even put cockfighting and burning incense at the ancestral temple together, and the faces of the civil and military officials became extremely bad.

Du Jian was so frightened that he trembled all over. He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed, and whispered to Ma Shizhong for help: "Help me, help me."

"How can I help? Your two chickens are completely useless!" Minister Ma was also in a dilemma and glanced at the emperor's face.

Du Jian crawled over on his knees and hugged Ma Shizhong's thighs, then quietly handed him a large bag of silver.

Ma Shizhong's hands were very quick. He immediately covered the silver with his wide robe sleeves and put it into his arms. Then he said, "Master Du, the emperor just feels a little bored. Don't worry, go down and prepare."

Then, he turned to the emperor and said loudly, "Your Majesty, let the servants clean up here first, and let's take a break. You see, the wind is picking up a bit, and there are some hot tea and snacks in the hall."

Sima Chi glanced at him and then looked at Yang Xianrong.

The little face was a little red from the cold, and his hands were tightly holding his cloak.

The weather was still cold. It didn't matter to me because I was strong, but Queen Hui was weak and needed more care. Thinking of this, he walked towards Yang Xianrong and said, "Queen Hui, come in with me and have some hot tea?"

"Is the competition over?" Yang Xianrong was still a little confused. "I didn't see anything."

"Not yet, it's just that the blood on the table doesn't look good, so let them clean it up." Sima Chi liked to see the confused expression that Yang Xianrong occasionally revealed, which always had a kind of innocent and silly air.

"Oh. Then it's good for me to sit here." Yang Xianrong glanced at the officials around her, all of whom were staring at her every move with wide eyes, and she couldn't help but laugh in her heart. Her high-profile appearance here would always attract strange looks. But so what? If she was unknown and contented with a corner, could she really live well?
For a moment, she remembered the scene of ordering the Red Spear Army to kill people in Hanyue Palace. It was a good thing to hold power.

"Then I'll sit here with you." Sima Chi smiled, "Then how about asking them to bring a few hand warmers?" "There's no need to be so troublesome." Yang Xianrong also laughed.

Xu Henian on the side nodded secretly and stepped aside.

Cui Xi wanted to stand between Yang Xianrong and Sima Chi, but Xu Henian pulled her sleeve and made her stand with him.

Cui Xi opened her mouth, and Xu Henian said silently: If you want to be strong, you must protect it by being weak.

She opened her mouth again, but finally lowered her head and retreated to his side.

At this moment, Yang Xianrong acted very relaxed, and even asked Sima Chi to talk about the fun of cockfighting when he was a prince. Seeing that the emperor's complexion had improved a lot, everyone was relieved, gathered their robes, and looked at the white snow on the eaves of the palace, and actually felt a very unreal feeling.

Of course, they were also watching Queen Hui secretly, and they had more thoughts in their minds.

But so what?
Eunuchs and palace maids brought hot tea, hot porridge and some cakes to Sima Chi one after another. Some people also brought thicker clothes, and some others brought charcoal heaters... It was busy and lively for a while.

Yang Xianrong just smiled and refused to eat anything.

After Liang Fen sent his daughter back to Changqiu Palace, he came back and saw Sima Chi and Yang Xianrong sitting together chatting. He was very annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. Who made his daughter so stupid that she actually talked back to the emperor in such an occasion? He knelt in front of Sima Chi and whispered, "Your Majesty, I am a little tired from hosting the palace banquet these days, so I spoke without thinking. Please bear with me for the sake of... this old minister."

Very polite, but also a little terrified.

Sima Chi looked at him, then saw Liang Lanshan kneeling down, then turned to look at Yang Xianrong, and said, "The Queen was disrespectful in front of the emperor, so she must be punished. She must reflect on her mistakes behind closed doors for a month, and she is not allowed to attend any celebrations or other events in the future. Queen Hui will do."

"……Yes."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

When the Liang family heard this oral order, they were so angry that they almost died. The first month of the year was the time when there were the most celebrations, and the Liang family could just show off their power and make money at this time. As a result, now Liang Lanbi was sent to the cold palace, and the Liang family could not show off.

Yang Xianrong remained silent, even touching his robe expressionlessly, wondering in his heart why Sima Chi did this? Was he really angry for a moment, or did he have other plans? Now he already had the attitude and mentality of an emperor, so he was also afraid that the Liang family's relatives would become too powerful and eventually sideline him, so he had to make such a big show at this time?
If this is true, then this person should not be underestimated.

Seeing that Yang Xianrong's entire face was hidden in the large fur cloak, Sima Chi frowned slightly and asked loudly, "Are you ready? Let's get started!"

Ma Shizhong had been watching the emperor's situation and whispered to the palace maids to speed up. At the same time, he looked at Du Jian and was stunned.

At this time, Du Jian hurriedly carried two more chicken cages and ran over, "Okay, okay, let's get started."